Sometimes after I take it I get heartburn so bad and it just burns all the way up my throat. I feel like I'm going to die from it. Sometimes I throw up and it really hurts. Has this happened to anyone else? How do you prevent it? Or deal with it?
Anyone get extremely bad heartburn with Prozac? Burns throat so bad!
Question posted by lennongurl on 8 Dec 2015
Last updated on 31 January 2023 (5 days ago) by kjhaase
67 Answers
I've been Googling trying to figure out which one of my medications is causing this and I think I've found the culprit. No joke- it hurts SO BAD, like nearly unbearable. I take two 20mg blue capsules every morning. Drinking water, eating, nor antacids help so I guess I'll be talking to my pharmacist. The general consensus seems to be switching to to tablet form? I'm so sick of taking all these medicines.
If you are taking the 40mg blue capsule I swear it has battery acid in it. I talked with my pharmacist and he started giving me the 20mg. I take 2 of those made by a different drug company and I haven't had any more problems. I used to eat pepcid complete and drink baking soda in water to try to neutralize the qcid and it didn't work. Those big blue 40mg have some filler in them that's incompatible with life!
I am trying to figure out if this burn I’m having in my throat is from or Prozac or acid reflux…I was on 40mg (orange and blue) and also the 20mg (blue and white) and I have even tried the liquid but it tasted like acid…just recently got changed to the white tablets 20mg that are oval and say l334 I believe…has anyone since changed
To a new medication and the symptoms went away?
This only started happening in the past few years for me and it’s actually become unbearable. I’m currently taking 40mg capsules (orange and teal) and they are manufactured by AURO. Definitely going to inquire about other manufacturers
Switch to tablets instead of capsules. Something about the capsules made this happen to me so I switched to tablets and viola! Never happened again. Thank god because I constantly felt like a pill was stuck in my throat. I’d throw up randomly and get terrible GERD.
I have run into several strange contradictions in this thread that makes me wonder why this is happening to so many of us. In literature I’ve read produced by the manufacturers, the potential for heartburn & esophageal pain is not disclosed. I have read cases of ER trips for esophagitis and SEVERE esophageal damage resulting in reconstructive surgery due to Prozac intake. This nearly warrants at least looking into a prospective class-action suit. Anyway, here is my experience-
I have heard some people say that AURBINDO green capsules were the culprit for them, and to either switch to TEVA capsules or the generic white tablets. This thread, interestingly, is filled with people saying the exact same thing about TEVA capsules and the generic white tablets, saying to switch to the other two that they don’t take. It appears that all 3 variations I’ve found reflected in this article are, in fact, producing these side effects.
I began taking 20 mg TEVA capsules in August of 2021. Over the course of the next two months, my severe depression finally lifted and I began caring for myself for the first time in a decade. From day one, though, I experienced severe heartburn. This continued when I moved up to one blue-and-orange 40mg TEVA capsule per day. It also continued when I moved up to a 40 combined with a 20.
Eventually, it got to a point where I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s led to me telling myself I’ll “finally do it” tomorrow, but eventually procrastinating it even more to the point that I’ve been severely clinically depressed due to lack of any medical treatment for it. I am hesitant to take it because of fear of pain, but I’m also insanely unwilling to abandon it entirely due to its unprecedented efficacy for me when taken daily.
Eating a substantial meal first does help, but make sure it’s also not a food that will make u burp/ cause indigestion. I will soon be switching my manufacturer and practicing new habits/ schedules surrounding my fluoxetine intake, and I will update this answer with a reply shortly thereafter.
This is what I found on Drugs.com:
"Gastrointestinal:
Common (1% to 10%): Abdominal pain, constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, gastrointestinal disorder, vomiting
Uncommon (0.1% to 1%): Aphthous stomatitis, buccoglossal syndrome, colitis, dysphagia, eructation, esophagitis, gastritis, gastroenteritis"
The potential is certainly there...
Wildcat
Oh yes! If you arr taking the blue capsule it will make you feel like you are going to shoot fire out of your mouth. It is awful. My pharmacist changed me to 2 twenty mg instead of one 40mg. Also make sure you eat a lot before you take it. Like a hamburger or something substantial. I swear that blue capsule has battery acid in it. Pepcid complete and mixing baking soda in water and drinking it give only mild if any relief. It is very painful.
This happened regularly to me when I took the 1/2 orange- 1/2 blue-green capsule. Switched back to the generic white capsule and does not happen anymore. I also am scared from when I had the heartburn so badly so I try to make sure I do not take it on an empty stomach and also with a glass of water.
I'm so happy I found this discussion. I have been taking the E91 20mg green/cream Aurobindo capsules for about 4 months now and my heartburn has gotten out of control. Burping up acid, waking up with a sore throat, radiating chest pain, etc. Pepcid is barely helping and taking frequent pepcid has reduced my serum iron levels. Eliminating caffeine, acidic foods, fried foods did not help at all. I also have ADHD and thought the heartburn might be the result of the low dose stimulant I take. NOPE. It's these stupid capsules. Looks like I will need to call my pharmacist and see if I can get the tablets instead.
I take the green and cream fluoxetine 20mg capsules and within 20 minutes have horrible burning sensation and pain in my oesophagus.the pain and burning is so bad I skip days before I have to take them now
So glad I found this thread. I’ve been taking fluoxetine for more than 20 years - just in the last several years I started to get this problem. Even when taken with a ton of water the pill seemed to get stuck in my throat and open up causing horrific acid reflux. Burning like acid - almost went to the ER. I read through this whole thread and in summary it looks like its worth it to check what generic manufacturer is making your fluoxetine. AURBINDO seems to be the link and problem with the acid reflux. Ask your pharmacy or another pharmacy to only fill your fluoxetine with TEVA or SANDOZ. My pharmacy only has Scie-gen so I’m going to try it and see. Other suggestions were to switch to a tablet; make sure to only drink with cold, cold water as warm can cause it to dissolve to soon causing the acid recluse.
If you are reading this now because YOU ARE IN ABSOLUTE MISERY - try 1 tsp of baking soda mixed in a glass of water sipping slowly for some relief. Then call your pharmacy and figure out how to switch the manufacturer you are taking. Please comment here on what manufacturer you are taking that is causing the problem and which manufacturer you switch too. I feel like this has done serious damage to my throat/espohagus - I now have to take 40 mg nexium daily and even with that this pill stuck - massive acid reflux deal still happens.
So glad I found this thread - I have been having problems with severe heart burn after 20 mg fluoxetine tablets - I take 2. I already DO drink a ton of water and many times it still happens. It is the absolute worst as someone else mentioned feel like battery acid! I’m definitely going to talk to my pharm about a different manufacture or trying tablet form.
I, too, experience extreme heartburn- feels like my esophagus is on fire- when I take Prozac in the morning and also drink coffee. I have recently tried taking it at night with some water and it works for me. It does not seem to affect my sleep either:)
I'm so glad I ran across this post. I've struggled with heartburn for many years now and didn't dream that it could be from the Prozac (I seldom eat rich foods and drink minimal sodas and caffeine.) When I first started taking it, I didn't have any problems. About 10 years ago I started taking the 20mg white tab (Aurobindo) and I've had heartburn ever since. I didn't put two and two together. Recently, I've done some looking into it and ran across this post! I used to take the capsules, (can't even remember what they looked like). But this post has made me realize that it could be the tab so I'll go to the pharmacist tomorrow and ask what my options are. Has anyone had relief from heartburn with changing from the white tab to other brands?
I just upped my dosage for Prozac and now take an orange and blue capsule. My entire esophagus burns for hours. Today it has lasted all day long. Eating or drinking does not help or further hurt it. Almost feels like spasms now. I’m a little scared- it can’t be good on the inside if I’m hurting this much!
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