Prozac® Esophageal Stenosis
What is an Esophageal Stenosis/Stricture?
An esophageal stricture which is also known as esophageal stenosis is were the esophagus gradually narrows has been linked as a Prozac side effect. Which can lead to problems with swallowing. The strictures are caused by inflammation in the esophagus which leads to scar tissue building up causing it to slowly over time narrow.
The esophagus in very server cases may be reduced to an opening the size of a pencil or smaller which then causes food and fluids to be delayed and to move across the opening into the stomach slowly.
Esophageal Stenosis Symptoms
- A feeling that food is getting stuck in the esophagus
- difficulty in swallowing (this may gradually occur over time)
- Swallowing may be uncomfortable, (not necessarily painful)
- stomach content and acid coming back up from the stomach into the mouth.
How is it diagnosed?
An endoscopy is the usual way that esophageal stricture in diagnosed, this is were a narrow tube is inserted down though the mouth into the throat. This enables the doctor to have a look and see if any scaring or narrowing has occurred he will also take biopsies to check but also at the same time he will take biopsy to check for Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer.
an endoscopy, a procedure in which a narrow tube is inserted into the esophagus to check for scarring or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease a biopsy, to take a sample of tissue to check for esophageal cancer an x-ray study called a cine-esophagram, in which the person swallows a radio-opaque liquid to help determine the location and length of the stricture.
What Antidepressants Are Linked to Esophageal Stenosis?
The following antidepressants are linked to the development of esophageal stenosis birth defect in newborn babies, infants, and children if their mothers took them while pregnant:
- Paxil (Paroxetine)
- Zoloft (Sertraline)
- Celexa (Citalopram)
- Prozac (Fluoxetine)
- Lexapro (Escitalopram)
- Symbyax (fluoxetine and olanzapine)
- Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
- Effexor (Venlafaxine)
