Luvox vs. Zoloft

• Are Luvox and Zoloft the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Luvox?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Zoloft?
• What Is Luvox?
• What Is Zoloft?
• What Drugs Interact with Luvox?
• What Drugs Interact with Zoloft?
• How Should Luvox Be Taken?
• How Should Zoloft Be Taken?

Luvox (fluvoxamine) and Zoloft (fluoxetine) are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants used to treat depression or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Luvox is also used to treat social anxiety disorder (social phobia).

Zoloft is also used to treat bulimia, panic disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Side effects of Luvox and Zoloft that are similar include changes in appetite, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, drowsiness, sore throat, anxiety, sleep problems (insomnia or unusual dreams), decreased sex drive, and difficulty having an orgasm.

Side effects of Luvox that are different from Zoloft include diarrhea, gas, weakness, yawning, increased sweating, skin rash, heavy menstrual periods, muscle pain, and abnormal ejaculation.

Side effects of Zoloft that are different from Luvox include upset stomach, constipation, headaches, nervousness, heart palpitations, weight changes, cold symptoms (stuffy nose, sneezing), and impotence.

Both Luvox and Zoloft may interact with alcohol, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, narcotics, muscle relaxers, sedatives, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures), St. John's wort, L-tryptophan, blood thinners, migraine headache medications, or medicines to treat psychiatric disorders.

Luvox may also interact with clopidogrel, diuretics (water pills), lithium, methadone, omeprazole, tacrine, tramadol, theophylline, heart or blood pressure medication.

Zoloft may also interact with medicines to treat ADHD or narcolepsy.

Do not stop using Zoloft suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common side effects of Luvox include:

• loss of appetite,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• gas,
• dry mouth,
• sore throat,
• dizziness,
• drowsiness,
• weakness,
• yawning,
• anxiety,
• sleep problems (insomnia or unusual dreams),
• increased sweating,
• skin rash,
• heavy menstrual periods,
• muscle pain,
• decreased sex drive,
• abnormal ejaculation, or
• trouble having an orgasm.

Common side effects of Zoloft include:

• sleepiness
• drowsiness
• tired feeling
• nervousness
• sleep problems (insomnia)
• dizziness
• nausea
• skin rash
• headache
• diarrhea
• constipation
• upset stomach
• stomach pain
• dry mouth
• changes in appetite
• abnormal ejaculation
• impotence
• decreased sex drive
• difficulty having an orgasm
• dry mouth, and
• weight loss.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Zoloft including:

• very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, confusion, fast or uneven heartbeats, feeling like you might pass out;
• agitation, hallucinations, fever, overactive reflexes, tremors;
• nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination;
• trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing, or breathing that stops.

Luvox (fluvoxamine) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant used to treat social anxiety disorder (social phobia) or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Zoloft (sertraline) is an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) antidepressant prescribed for the treatment of depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Luvox may interact with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), other drugs that make you sleepy or slow your breathing (sleeping pills, narcotic pain medicines, muscle relaxers, or medicines for anxiety, depression, or seizures), clopidogrel, diuretics (water pills), lithium, methadone, omeprazole, St. John's wort, tacrine, tramadol, L-tryptophan, theophylline, warfarin, antidepressants, heart or blood pressure medication, migraine headache medications, medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, sedatives, or seizure medications. Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use.

Zoloft may interact with cold or allergy medicines, sedatives, narcotics, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, medicines for seizures or anxiety, other antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), blood thinners, cimetidine, fentanyl, St. John's wort, tramadol, L-tryptophan, heart medications, or migraine headache medicines.

Zoloft may also interact with digoxin, linezolid, lithium, or valproate.

Do not take Zoloft if you:

• take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including the antibiotic linezolid.
• have taken an MAOI within 2 weeks of stopping Zoloft unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.
• have stopped taking an MAOI in the last 2 weeks unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.
• take any other medicines that contain sertraline (such as sertraline HCl or sertraline hydrochloride).
• take the antipsychotic medicine pimozide (Orap®) because this can cause serious heart problems.
• are allergic to sertraline or any of the ingredients in Zoloft. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Zoloft.
• take Antabuse® (disulfiram) (if you are taking the liquid form of Zoloft) due to the alcohol content.

If Zoloft is discontinued abruptly, withdrawal side effects may include abdominal cramps, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, and memory impairment.

The recommended starting dose for Luvox tablets in adult patients is 50 mg, administered as a single daily dose at bedtime. The recommended starting dose for Luvox tablets in pediatric populations (ages 8-17 years) is 25 mg, administered as a single daily dose at bedtime.

Take Zoloft exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of Zoloft until it is the right dose for you.

Zoloft Tablets may be taken with or without food.

Zoloft Oral Solution may look cloudy or hazy after mixing, this is normal.

Zoloft Oral Solution must be diluted before use:

Do not mix Zoloft until you are ready to take it.

When diluting Zoloft Oral Solution, use only water, ginger ale, lemon/lime soda, lemonade, or orange juice.

The oral dropper contains latex. If you are sensitive or allergic to latex, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the best way to measure your medicine.

If you miss a dose of Zoloft, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time.Do not take two doses of Zoloft at the same

time.

If you take too much Zoloft, call your healthcare provider or poison control center right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.