As with every drug in existence, the list of less common side effects is long and extends into virtually every system in the body. At least 1% of the patients on Prozac have complained on at least one occasion of chills, disturbed dreams, bronchitis, agitation, or excessive yawning.
Other side effects experienced by at least one patient in a thousand include, among many other reactions, feeling hung over, jaw pain, neck pain, excessive belching, gingivitis, thirst, hypothyroidism, anemia, weight gain (a larger number of patients lose weight), arthritis, bursitis, acne, loss of hair, conjunctivitis, ear pain, eye pain, and various urinary disturbances.
Infrequent cardiovascular side effects include angina pectoris, arrhythmia, hypertension, hypotension, and migraine headaches.
Then there are the “rare” side effects, which occur in fewer than one person in a thousand. These extremely unusual events include enlarged abdomen, thrombophlebitis, colitis, duodenal ulcer, increased salivation, hepatitis, jaundice, stomach ulcer, goiter, hyperthyroidism, dehydration, gout, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, antisocial reaction, eczema, unwanted hair growth, psoriasis, and many other side effects too numerous (and uncommon) to name here.
The important point is that compared to the older classically used antidepressants, the side effects of Prozac are infrequent and mild—even in overdose.
Most of the older antidepressants have similarly long lists of side effects, most of which are rare, although they are listed in the Physicians Desk Reference and the package inserts, often to protect the manufacturer as well as the patient.
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