Serzone antidepressant was FDA approved to be sold in the U.S. market in December 1994 and does approximately $400 million in annual sales. Serzone was seen as an antidepressant with fewer side effects until in December 2001, the FDA required a black box warning to be put on every Serzone antidepressant label and strengthened the warnings in January. Antidepressant prescription drugs commonly had sexual side effects that sometimes led patients to discontinue their medication, but Serzone antidepressant was shown to have a lesser sexual side effect, in addition to minimal weight gain.

The generic name of Serzone is nefazodone hydrochloride, used to treat depression with or without anxiety or sleeplessness. Serzone antidepressant operates by inhibiting the uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. Patients taking Tegretol, Seldane, Hismanal, Orap, Propulsid, any MOAI, or Halcion should not take Serzone. In addition, it is not recommended for anyone who is pregnant or nursing to take Serzone antidepressant.

The most commonly reported Serzone antidepressant side effects include, headache, dry mouth, nausea, constipation, drowsiness, dizziness, insomnia, and lightheadedness, but drowsiness is the most common regardless of the Serzone dosage. Available in the U.S. at dosages of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 milligram tablets, nausea, constipation, dizziness, abnormal and blurred vision are experienced more commonly at the higher dosages.

Your doctor should be immediately contacted if any of the following side effects occur:

yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes
unusually dark urine
loss of appetite that lasts several days or longer
severe nausea
abdominal pain
rash or hives
seizure
fainting
erection that lasts too long

All of these Serzone antidepressant side effects may indicate liver damage has occurred, leading to possible liver failure, death or need for liver transplant. There have been 109 worldwide reports of serious Serzone liver damage experienced in patients. Of these 109 Serzone liver damages, 23 cases resulted in liver failure and 16 cases resulted in liver failure and death. The reported rate in the United States is about 1 case of liver failure resulting in death or transplant per 250,000- 300,000 patient-years of Serzone treatment.

Patients taking Serzone antidepressant should avoid certain activities that may result in endangering the individual. Driving or operating dangerous machinery or participating in any hazardous activity that requires full mental alertness should be temporarily stopped until the Serzone antidepressant patients realizes how much the drug affects them.

Any type of supplemental medication taken in conjunction with Serzone antidepressant, including vitamins, herbal remedies, and any nonprescription over the counter medicines should have been doctor approved prior to taking the antidepressant. Alcoholic beverages should be avoided, and anyone who is pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or becomes pregnant while taking Serzone antidepressant should talk with the doctor immediately because it is not recommended with Serzone use. It is still not known if Serzone can pass through breast milk while breast-feeding so Serzone antidepressant use should be avoided at this time as well.