Posted by CamW on March 12, 2013, at 17:48:08
In reply to Luvox Seriously Is It Considered an Antipsychotic?, posted by Phillipa on March 12, 2013, at 12:44:47
Phillipa:
Luvox (fluvoxamine) is a potent inhibitor of several cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. These liver enzymes metabolize many different molecules. Luvox is different from other SSRIs in that it inhibits several CYP enzymes:
CYP1A2 - that metabolize caffeine, theophylline, olanzapine, clozapine, haloperidol, polyaromatic hydrocarbons found in tobacco smoke, etc.;CYP3A4 & CYP2D6 - metabolizes haloperidol, clozapine, & many other newer atypical antipsychotics (2D6 also metabolizes quetiapine).
CYP2C19 - metabolizes diazepam & phenytoin.
Because of the amount of drug interactions caused by Luvox, it is not used much by GPs. It is not an antipsychotic, but as the paper linked by poser938 said Luvox is potent agonist at the sigma-1 receptor. This gives the antidepressant anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and anti-agression activity. This is why it is used in conjunction with antipsychotics.
As for why your doctors use it for you, you'd have to ask them, but I suspect they use it because it helps with some of your symptoms. I don't know you well enough to answer that question with any confidence.
- Cam
poster:CamW
thread:1040136
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130308/msgs/1040148.html