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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Prozac effects on vocal cords?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Prozac effects on vocal cords?
by editlife, Oct 19, 2003 12:00AM
I'm suffer from anxiety and depression and have been taking Remeron (45mg) at bedtime for 6 months, Klonopin (1mg) 3 times daily for three months, and just started Prozac (20mg in morning) about three weeks ago. In the last few days I've been experiencing a tightness of the vocal cords and hoarseness, especially in the higher register of my singing voice. I'm unable to easily or accurately hit notes I'd had no problem with before starting the Prozac without strain, hoarseness, and pain. But I've read that >1 in 1000 suffer any vocal cord edema/constriction/hoarseness problems, and the Prozac seems to be having some good effect, so I'm reluctant to give it up so early in the game. How common is this problem, really, in Prozac users, and is it a short-term side effect? I do smoke about 1 1/2 packs a day and there has been colder weather changes, but I don't feel to have any sort of cold, and this has never happened before. Certainly the smoking can be a factor, but a sudden change like this coinciding with starting the new med has me wondering...
Thanks
JP
Thanks
JP
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Oct 20, 2003 12:00AM
, Oct 20, 2003 12:00AM
I have not seen this symptom in my practice, and it is not even listed as a potential in the standard textbooks on the subject, so it must be quite rare. If it is causing edema, and you want to continue, you should cut down on the smoking to see what happens...it could be the combination of these two that is causing a problem.
