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Active ingredient: fluoxetine hydrochloride

Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)

This leaflet provides important information about taking PROZAC. You should also speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like further information or if you have any concerns or questions about taking PROZAC.

Where to find information in this leaflet:

1. Why am I taking PROZAC?
2. What should I know before I take PROZAC?
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
4. How do I take PROZAC?
5. What should I know while taking PROZAC?
6. Are there any side effects?
7. Product details

1. Why am I taking PROZAC?

PROZAC contains the active ingredient fluoxetine hydrochloride. PROZAC belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs are thought to work by their action on brain chemicals called amines which are involved in controlling mood.

PROZAC is used to treat:

• depression
• obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

2. What should I know before I take PROZAC?

Warnings

Do not take PROZAC if:

• you are allergic to fluoxetine hydrochloride, or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet. Always check the ingredients to make sure you can take this medicine.
• you are taking another medicine for depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or have been taking a MAOI within the last 14 days.
• you are taking another medicine called pimozide to treat disturbances in thinking, feelings and behavior.

Check with your doctor if you:

• have any other medical conditions, such as:
  – liver problems
  – heart conditions
  – raised eye pressure
  – kidney problems
  – seizures or fits
  – diabetes
  – bleeding disorders
  – any other mental condition
• have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes.
• take any medicines for any other condition
• drink alcohol.

During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information under Section 6. Are there any side effects?

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking PROZAC during pregnancy.. When taken during pregnancy, particularly in the last 3 months of pregnancy, medicines like PROZAC may affect your newborn baby and they may experience irritability, constant crying, feeding difficulties, vomiting, fluctuating temperature, seizures or fits, tremors, jitteriness, bluish appearance (cyanosis), breathing interruptions, low blood sugar, muscle stiffness, muscle weakness, or overresponsive reflexes, These symptoms are uncommon and may be due to the effect of PROZAC or the discontinuation of PROZAC.

When used during pregnancy, particularly in late pregnancy, medicines like PROZAC may increase the risk of a serious condition in babies called persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) which may cause the baby to breathe faster and appear bluish. If this happens to your baby, you should contact your doctor and/or go straight to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

If you take PROZAC near the end of your pregnancy, there may be an increased risk of heavy vaginal bleeding shortly after birth. Tell your doctor or midwife if you are taking PROZAC so that they can advise you.

Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed. Breastfeeding while on PROZAC is not recommended.

Use in children

PROZAC is not recommended for use by children under the age of 18 years

3. What if I am taking other medicines?

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop.

Some combinations of medicines may increase the risk of serious side effects and are potentially life threatening.

Some medicines may be affected by PROZAC or may affect how well it works. These include:

• monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), medicines used to treat some types of depression.
  You should stop taking MAOIs at least two weeks before starting PROZAC. If you do take PROZAC while you are taking a MAOI, you may experience elevated body temperature, muscle stiffness, involuntary muscle jerking, fluctuations of vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate) and mental state from extreme agitation progressing to confusion and coma (a condition called serotonin syndrome).
• tamoxifen, a medicine used to treat breast cancer
• lithium, a medicine used to treat mood swings and some types of depression
• serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants and other medicines for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
• sleeping tablets or sedatives
• medicines used to relieve anxiety
• medicines used to treat certain mental and emotional conditions, also called antipsychotics
• medicine used to treat disturbances in thoughts, feelings and behaviour, such as pimozide
• medicines used to control seizures, such as phenytoin and carbamazepine
• medicines used to prevent blood clots, such as warfarin
• flecainide, a medicine used to treat some heart conditions
• tryptophan
• St John’s Wort
• medicines used to relieve pain, such as tramadol
• triptan medicines used to treat migraine, such as sumatriptan.

Do not start taking other medicines for depression without checking with your doctor. Do this even if you have already stopped taking PROZAC.

Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins or supplements you are taking and if these affect PROZAC.

4. How do I take PROZAC?

How much to take

• The usual dose for PROZAC is one capsule taken once a day. Your doctor may increase or decrease your dose depending on your condition.
• For premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), PROZAC may be prescribed to be taken every day or only during a certain part of the month. Your doctor will prescribe the dosing schedule that is right for you.
• Follow the instructions provided and use PROZAC until your doctor tells you to stop.

When to take PROZAC

• PROZAC should be taken as a single morning dose.
  If your doctor tells you to take PROZAC twice a day, take a dose in the morning and at noon. Take your medicine at about the same time each day.

How to take PROZAC

• Swallow the capsules whole with a glass of water
• It does not matter if you take this medicine before or after food.

How long to take PROZAC

• Continue to take PROZAC for as long as your doctor recommends.
• The length of treatment with PROZAC will depend on how quickly your symptoms improve.
• Most medicines of this type take time to work so don’t be discouraged if you do not feel better right away. While some symptoms will be relieved sooner than others, PROZAC commonly takes two to four weeks before improvement is really apparent.
• If you do not start to feel better in about four weeks, check with your doctor.

If you forget to take PROZAC

PROZAC should be taken regularly at the same time each day.

If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.

Otherwise, take it as soon as you remember, and then go back to taking your medicine as you would normally.

Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.

If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

If you take too much PROZAC

If you think that you have taken too much PROZAC, you may need urgent medical attention. Symptoms of an overdose may include nausea (feeling sick), vomiting, seizures or fits, fast or slow heartbeat or change in heart rhythm, breathing difficulty, altered level of alertness from excitation to coma.

You should immediately:

• phone the Poisons Information Centre
  (by calling 13 11 26), or
• contact your doctor, or
• go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.

You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.

5. What should I know while taking PROZAC?

Things you should do

Tell your doctor if you become pregnant or start breastfeeding while taking PROZAC. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking PROZAC during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Keep all of your doctor’s appointments so that your progress can be checked.

The symptoms of depression or other psychiatric conditions may include thoughts of harming yourself or suicide. These symptoms may continue or get worse during the first one or two months of treatment until the full antidepressant effect of PROZAC becomes apparent. This is more likely to occur in young adults under 25 years of age.

If you or someone you know is demonstrating any of the following warning signs, call your doctor straight away or go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital:

• worsening of your depression
• thoughts or talk of death or suicide
• thoughts or talk of self-harm or harm to others
• any recent attempts at self-harm
• increase in aggressive behaviour, irritability or any other unusual changes in behaviour or mood

All mentions of suicide or violence must be taken seriously.

Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are taking PROZAC. If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking PROZAC.

Things you should not do

• Do not stop taking this medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor. Suddenly stopping PROZAC may cause symptoms such as dizziness, sleep disturbance, headache, irritability, anxiety, agitation, nausea, confusion, weakness, and tingling or numbness in the hands or feet. Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount of PROZAC you are taking before stopping completely
• Do not take the herbal remedy St. John’s Wort while you are being treated with PROZAC. If you are already taking the herbal remedy, stop taking St. John’s Wort and mention it to your doctor at your next visit.
• Do not give PROZAC to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.
• Do not let yourself run out of PROZAC over the weekend or on holidays.
• Do not take PROZAC to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.
• Do not take PROZAC if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering or the capsules do not look quite right.

Driving or using machines

Do not drive or use any machines or tools until you know how PROZAC affects you.

PROZAC may cause impaired judgement, reduced coordination, or drowsiness in some people.

Drinking alcohol

Tell your doctor if you drink alcohol.

Although drinking alcohol is unlikely to affect your response to PROZAC, your doctor may suggest avoiding alcohol while you are being treated for depression.

Looking after your medicine

• Keep your capsules in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
• Keep your capsules in the blister pack until it is time to take them.

Follow the instructions in the carton on how to take care of your medicine properly.

Store it in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight; for example, do not store it:

• in the bathroom or near a sink, or
• in the car or on window sills.

Keep it where young children cannot reach it.

Getting rid of any unwanted medicine

If you no longer need to take this medicine or it is out of date, take it to any pharmacy for safe disposal.

Do not take this medicine after the expiry date.

6. Are there any side effects?

All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention.

See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any further questions about side effects.

Less serious side effects

Serious side effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that may be making you feel unwell.

Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.

Reporting side effects

After you have received medical advice for any side effects you experience, you can report side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration online at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop taking any of your medicines.

7. Product details

This medicine is only available with a doctor’s prescription.

What PROZAC contains

Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any of these ingredients.

PROZAC capsules are gluten free.

What PROZAC looks like

PROZAC capsules are coloured green and off-white and are marked with “Lilly” and “3105” (Aust R 14653).

PROZAC capsules 20 mg are available in packs of 28.

Who distributes PROZAC

Eli Lilly Australia Pty Ltd
112 Wharf Road
WEST RYDE NSW 2114

Eli Lilly and Company (NZ) Limited
PO Box 109 197, Newmarket
Auckland
Telephone (09) 523 9300

This leaflet was prepared in October 2022.

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