Blue Fluoxetine Causes Heartburn

Recently my pharmacy began giving me a new version of fluoxetine, which I have taken for MANY years with no problems.... however the blue fluoxetine gives me horrible heart burn. I use to take them at night before bed, but couldn't sleep, so decided to start taking them in the morning and still get the heartburn. I don't take them with any other meds. I tried an empty stomach, and after eating, but the results are still the same. I also get a bad headache (I think from the heartburn.) Has anyone figured out how to avoid this problem?

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Hi Jen,

I truly believe that the root cause of this specific heartburn side effect lies within the "inactive" ingredients found in the blue Fluoxetine pill.

Reason I say that is because, when you switch brand names or manufacturers, the drug itself doesn't change, but rather the binders or fillers that they put with it. If you didn't experience this side effect with the other brand, then the only apparent change is within these fillers.

Furthermore, I found it to be true that certain inactive ingredients which may or may not be present in each brand, are actually detrimental to how the drug is metabolized and used by your body. Because everyone is different, your body may respond favorably with one medication and not the other (despite them being the same drug), due to how you feel or based on whatever side effects present themselves.

If you have the imprints of each tablet (old and new), I can research and compare the list of inactive ingredients to help determine what's causing the heartburn.

I hope this helps!

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As an alternative to taking it with an antacid, you could also try asking your pharmacy to order in a different one for you.

Fluoxetine is a generic, so it's manufactured by several different companies and not all of them use the same inactive ingredients. Thus, one manufactured by a different pharmaceutical company may remedy this problem.

Learn more Fluoxetine details here.

Are there any other comments or questions?

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Does your persription bottle say Cap Nort on it? If so, where are you getting this filled? My pharmacy switched away from the blue ones which work for me and I am trying to find them again.

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I received the blue caps from Walmart in Mt. Pleasant in Michigan... before I had it filled at Walmart when we returned to FL, I asked the pharmacy if the were using the blue pills... but they had switched back to the white with green stripe.... whoooo hoooo..... no more heartburn! :-)

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I was on it also..and it worked well for me until walmart switched manufacturers. The Barr was working. CVS had them then stopped using that manufacturer. I called the Barr manufacturer. They can not sell to me it has to come from a pharm. Barr sold out and PLIVA is the one Iam looking for. Does anyone have any idea who sell flouxetine by Pliva? I did find them on...get this one...Petmed.com! Are they the same? It was Pliva.CG

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I just started taking my prozac again this morning & I just took the blue fluexontine for the first time & I have HORRIBLE heartburn. I havent had heartburn in years & have never had it this bad....ouch....

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I am so glad to read your comment. I started on the blue ones and man...I can't believe the heartburn I get. I have an appt tomorrow and can't wait to see if I can get something else. Never had heartburn in my life till now...was somewhat surprised to realize it could be from the prescription.

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I am having this same issue since about January when they switched me to this blue fluoxitine- I had the worst reaction EVER last night - I had very painful spasms for hours and it still hurt when I woke up this morning. I thought the pill was getting caught on something in my throat or stuck to the side of my esophogus. It happens almost every other night. I will speak with my pharmacy and see if there is something else they can substitute with.

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I'm so glad I ran across these comments! I relocated to Wisconsin 2 years ago, and the pharmacy I 've been going to has given me the blue fluoxetine. I've been miserable with heartburn ever since! Maybe I'll call around to other pharmacies and see if I can find the white with the green stripe. Thanks, everyone! I was beginning to think I was losing my mind!

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Add another person to the list! I'm currently taking these mysterious "blue" prozac pills, and I'm suffering through the terrible heartburn for the second time while typing this.

I'm getting this from a local pharmacy I switched to because I preferred to support them instead of Walgreens. Well, I tried to do a good thing, but I can't sacrifice my health for supporting a local biz. Back to walgreens and the white/green capsules for me!

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If you look around you may be able to find a pharmacy that uses the green and white pills. I found my local Walmart does and the problems are gone! Good Luck!

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If you look around, you may be able to find another local pharmacy who has the blue and green version of the pills. My local Walmart does. No more problems since I switched back! Good Luck!!!!

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Hi Jen, I've been taking the blue fluoxetine for almost 2 years, and only recently realized that THEY are the cause of my heartburn. I've been on Nexium and omeprazole, but they just don't help. For the past couple of months, I only take the fluoxetine a couple days a week because I dread the horrible heartburn. There have even been many nights when I've woken, with acid/bile in my mouth.....it comes up my throat in spite of sleeping on 3 pillows AND taking the omeprazole to try to prevent it. I've decided to call local pharmacies next week and see if I can find the green and white variety that I took for years without problems. Good luck!!!

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I use the green and white. Just.started 2 weeks ago. I have taken prevacid every day for the last 6 months and never have heartburn until i started takeing the green and white fluxetine...or however u say prozac generic. Help any advice? I take in morning because it keeps me awake...just the meds not usually heartburn. Except for tonight.

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I've taken the brand name for 20+ years and just tried the generic again due an insurance screw-up. Omg, the heartburn! Thanks to all for making me feel less crazy!

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Green and orange fluoxetine RX632...
I don't think my pharmacy changed manufacturer cause the pills look the same as the ones I have taken for months.... But now I get heartburn all day long after I take it. I've tried eating before, empty stomach, taking acid reducers and even stopped for a few days to feel some relief.
I can't think why this is happening considering the Internet says this pill is used to treat heartburn lol
So confusing

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Add another person. Unfortunately I found this discussion just AFTER taking my blue capsules. Ouch I am hurting. My heartburn is very intermitant. I filled my rx at Costco. I am goimg back Monday to insist on a refund or different formulation. I will also will report this to my Dr. and the FDA. All, please do the same. Thank you all for posting and confirming my suspicion.

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My doctor prescribed Fluoxetine for me 2 weeks ago for the first time. I took my very first pill (green & white capsule) in the morning while at work. A few minutes later my head was aching and my throat started burning and tightening up. I became disorientated, lethargic, and could not focus at work. This lasted for 90 minutes except for the lethargy. I was sluggish the whole day. I emailed my doctor and was ordered to cease with the medication. A friend of mine told me that I was experiencing heartburn. I have never experienced heartburn in my 52 years until now. Even though I have refrained from the medication, I have been experiencing this heartburn thing everyday for two weeks now and don't like it at all.

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The ones I take are 40 mg and are Blue and white. they have the number/letter combo 82 PAR. I get it too from these pills. Any info on these? thx.

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Getting major heartburn from my fluoxetine. The capsules are green/orange with "E 92" on them (if that's useful to know). I didn't know what I was experiencing was heartburn because I've never had it before. I was taking the pills in the morning but the heartburn would pretty much ruin my day so I switched to nights. It worked pretty well until tonight where it's 4:30am and I can't sleep bc of it. Do I need my doctor's permission to switch capsule types?

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The only way I have been able to get these pills down is to take them out of the blue capsule. It's very unpleasant taste but at least your stomach doesn't feel like the fiery pits of a volcano.

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Yes. Horrible esophagus burn and heart burn. So excruciating. I dread every day taking this prozac.

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I continue to get acid reflux/heartburn from my generic prozac and it’s to the point where I am going to stop taking them out of fear. The pain is so so bad!! I might switch to a whole different medication now.

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I thought I had found a way to do mail order to get the Sandoz manufactured Fluoxetine delivered to my house, but it still hasn't come. It's been two weeks and I'm desperate to get back on this medication, does anyone have any advice on where to go? Walgreens is not helping at all, I have tried so many times to get them to get a different manufacturer. Where do you go? Which manufacturer do you take? HELP

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When I first started taking Prozac it was white with a green strip I believe and was completely fine, After about 6 months they switched to this dreaded "Blue" pill and omg the heartburn is excruciatingly painful I can't breathe let alone think properly because of the pain...I stopped taking them for awhile because of the pain I changed my diet, became more active then started taking them again today and nothing I'm at Wal-Mart right now in severe pain...This is not okay!!

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Re: Berry (# 228)

So thankful to read this. My mail order pharmacy sent me the blue ones from Alembic and I get severe heartburn. I'm going back to Kroger, which uses Aurobindo. Thank you again.

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I've been taking the blue capsules 40 mg generic alembic fluoxetine for about a month and have been throwing up after taking them and feel like I'm having a heart attack. When I took the white pill with orange and green stripes I never had this problem at all and I took them for 4 years . I hope this helps someone else it took me a while to figure it out.

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I am so glad to see that it’s the generic Alembic made Prozac that’s causing such severe heartburn like symptoms. I couldn’t figure it out. Never had a problem with Prozac- typically the white with small green stripe- I know for sure it’s that blue pill. I know not everyone responds the same way but these seem like poison

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what does it mean by the blue prozac? I take these white pill ones that come in 20mg that you can cut in half and for some reason tonight i have the WORST stomach burn and it won't go away. I have no idea if it's because of the pill itself, or since i recently increased my dose. I don't know what to do!

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Yes got a 90 day supply of blue Prozac and they give me heartburn. This is new prior to the blue pills I had no heartburn with Prozac. Going to call pharmacy and see if they can switch out my Prozac.

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