Fluvoxamine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI, used to treat anxity disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also an antidepressant that treats major depression. SSRIs are the most widely prescribed antidepressants in many countries. Fluvoxamine is indicated for children and adolescents with OCD and social anxiety disorder.
This medicine works by inhibiting reuptake of neurotransmitters. It increases the activity of serotonin in the brain which further helps to control depression. It is available in market under brand name Luvox in the form of tablet. It was first approved by the FDA in 1993 for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It was launched in the U.S. in December 1994, Australia in February 1999 and Japan in June 1999. It was the first drug approved for the treatment of social anxiety disorder in Japan in 2005. The FDA registered the first SSRI, fluvoxamine, in the year 1997 for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder in children. As mentioned in DSM IV, all SSRIs are approved in the U.S. for use with psychiatric disorders.
Anxity disorders are connected with a wide range of physical illnesses, medication side effects and other psychiatric disorders. These disorders are the most common form of mental disturbance. However, not everyone who experiences it has an anxiety disorder. Everyone occasionally experiences anxiety as a normal response to a dangerous or unusual situation.
In anxity disorders, the person feels the same emotion without any identified reason. It is generally caused due to unconscious fears, worries or conflicts. If left untreated it can be a serious problem. Anxiety doesn’t always go away by itself. It often progresses to panic attacks, phobias, and episodes of depression. Untreated anxiety disorders may eventually lead to a diagnosis of major depression, or interfere with the patient’s education or ability to keep a job. Many patients suffering from it also gets addicted to drugs or alcohol.
DSM-IV marked out 12 types of anxiety disorders in the adult people. GAD and panic disorders are more likely to develop in young adults, while phobias and OCD can begin in childhood. Separation anxiety disorder that occurs in children is defined as anxiety regarding separation from home or family that is excessive or inappropriate for the child’s age. Moreover, some children with this disorder start avoiding school.
The causes of anxiety include a variety of individual and general social factors that may produce physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral symptoms. Genetic factors are the other cause leading to this abnormality. Also, racial or cultural background can influence anxiety. Many patients have features or symptoms of more than one disorder. There are no laboratory tests that can diagnose anxiety, although the doctor may order some specific tests to rule out this disorder.
