What are the efficacy and side effects of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules?

Generally, the therapeutic effects of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules include antidepressant action, anti-anxiety effects, improvement of sleep, enhancement of appetite, and alleviation of somatic symptoms. Possible side effects of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules include tremors, excessive sweating, dry mouth, blurred vision, and easy fatigability. If needed, it is recommended to use this medication under medical supervision. A detailed explanation is as follows:

I. Therapeutic Effects of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules

1. Antidepressant

This medication improves the patient's emotional state and alleviates depressive symptoms, such as low mood, loss of interest, and feelings of guilt, by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin in the central nervous system, thereby increasing the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic cleft.

2. Anti-anxiety

The drug effectively reduces anxiety and can alleviate emotional responses such as tension, restlessness, and fear in patients with anxiety symptoms, helping to stabilize the patient's psychological state.

3. Improvement of Sleep

Some patients may experience improved sleep quality after taking Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules. The medication helps regulate the patient's sleep-wake rhythm, reduces sleep difficulties, frequent dreaming, and early awakening, thereby enabling the patient to achieve more adequate and higher-quality sleep, which in turn improves overall mental well-being.

4. Enhancement of Appetite

For patients whose appetite has been reduced due to emotional issues such as depression, Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules can modulate related neurotransmitters and, to some extent, increase appetite, thereby improving nutritional intake and aiding in the recovery of physical strength and maintenance of health.

5. Alleviation of Somatic Symptoms

Many patients with depression also experience somatic symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules can provide some relief from these physical symptoms while improving mood, thereby increasing the patient's physical comfort.

II. Side Effects of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules

1. Tremors

Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules may affect the balance of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system, particularly influencing dopamine, thereby interfering with neural signal transmission and causing involuntary muscle tremors.

2. Excessive Sweating

The medication may disrupt the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems within the autonomic nervous system, leading to relatively increased sympathetic activity, which in turn stimulates increased sweat gland secretion, resulting in excessive sweating.

3. Dry Mouth

Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules act on specific receptors in salivary gland cells and may inhibit the action of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine that promote saliva secretion, thereby reducing saliva production and causing dry mouth.

4. Blurred Vision

This medication may affect the neural control of the eye's ciliary muscles or alter the physiological state within the eye—for example, by influencing lens accommodation or changing the fluid balance inside the eye—leading to blurred vision.

5. Easy Fatigability

Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules may influence energy metabolism or neural regulation in the central nervous system, or interfere with the regulation of neurotransmitters on tissues such as muscles, making both the body and brain more prone to fatigue, with slower recovery.

During treatment with Fluoxetine Hydrochloride Capsules, patients should avoid engaging in activities that require high levels of concentration and fine motor coordination, such as driving or operating precision instruments, to prevent potential risks caused by side effects such as blurred vision and tremors.