brexpiprazole vs fluoxetine

According to this portal's Publishing Organization, this page was last reviewed in August 2026 against our methodology. Figures and extracts on this site, including tables above 1,000 rows when the corpus is that large, are the publisher's responsibility.

Side-by-side comparison of brexpiprazole and fluoxetine. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Factors Dosage Adjustments for REXULTI ( 2.7 ) Strong CYP2D6 REXULTI may be administered without dosage adjustment in patients with MDD when administered with strong CYP2D6 inhibitors (e.g., paroxetine, fluoxetine). Strong CYP2D6 Inhibitors In the clinical studies examining the adjunctive use of REXULTI in the treatment of MDD, dosage was not adjusted for strong CYP2D6 inhibitors (e.g., paroxetine, fluoxetine).

Drug Class
brexpiprazole Atypical Antipsychotic
fluoxetine Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)
Type
brexpiprazole Prescription
fluoxetine Prescription
Summary
brexpiprazole

Rexulti is a medication used to treat certain mental health conditions. It can help with depression, schizophrenia, and agitation related to Alzheimer's disease.

fluoxetine

Fluoxetine is a medicine that can help treat depression and other mental health conditions. It belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

What It Treats
brexpiprazole

Rexulti can be used with antidepressants to treat major depressive disorder in adults. It can also treat schizophrenia in adults and children 13 years and older. Additionally, Rexulti can help manage agitation in people with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Rexulti should not be used as needed for agitation related to dementia.

fluoxetine

Fluoxetine can treat major depressive disorder in adults and children. It also treats obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults and children. Fluoxetine can help with bulimia nervosa (an eating disorder) and panic disorder. Sometimes, it is used with another medicine called olanzapine to treat depression related to bipolar disorder.

How It Works
brexpiprazole

Rexulti affects the balance of certain natural chemicals in the brain. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, include dopamine and serotonin. By affecting these chemicals, Rexulti can help improve mood, thinking, and behavior.

fluoxetine

Fluoxetine works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood. By increasing serotonin, fluoxetine can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression, OCD, and other conditions.

Common Side Effects
brexpiprazole
  • Weight gain
  • Feeling sleepy
  • Restlessness or feeling like you need to move
fluoxetine
  • Abnormal dreams
  • Problems ejaculating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Feeling anxious
  • Feeling weak
FAERS Reports
brexpiprazole
  • Weight Increased 1,673
  • Akathisia 854
  • Tremor 630
  • Anxiety 591
  • Tardive Dyskinesia 590
fluoxetine
  • Drug Interaction 3,335
  • Toxicity To Various Agents 3,316
  • Nausea 3,233
  • Fatigue 3,156
  • Completed Suicide 2,904
Serious Warnings
brexpiprazole

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis who are treated with antipsychotic drugs have an increased risk of death. Rexulti is not approved to treat dementia-related psychosis unless it is related to agitation from Alzheimer's disease. Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young adults and children. Tell your doctor right away if you have thoughts of harming yourself.

fluoxetine

Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, teenagers, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression or suicidal thoughts. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes in mood or behavior. Fluoxetine is not approved for use in children younger than 7 years old.

Pregnancy
brexpiprazole

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Babies born to mothers who take Rexulti in the last 3 months of pregnancy may have withdrawal symptoms or other problems after birth. There is a pregnancy registry to monitor outcomes in women exposed to Rexulti during pregnancy. You can contact the registry at 1-866-961-2388.

fluoxetine

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Fluoxetine should only be used during pregnancy if the benefit outweighs the risk to the baby. Breastfeeding is not recommended while taking fluoxetine.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This brexpiprazole vs fluoxetine Comparison

brexpiprazole is classified in the Atypical Antipsychotic drug class, while fluoxetine sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, brexpiprazole has 4,338 submissions while fluoxetine has 15,944. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to fluoxetine blocks an enzyme that breaks down brexpiprazole, but the effect is not strong enough to require a change in dose for patients with depression.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for brexpiprazole or fluoxetine.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.