Prozac, also known as Fluoxetine, is most frequently prescribed for the treatment of depression. The types of depression for which Prozac is usually recommended are usually of the moderate to severe variety which interfere with daily functioning and is frequently referred to as major depression. The symptoms of major depression often include changes in appetite, sleep habits, decreased quality of living, increased fatigue, feelings of guilt or worthlessness; difficulty concentrating; slow thinking; and suicidal thoughts.
Prozac is also prescribed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. Obsessions are thoughts which won't go away and compulsions are actions done over and over to relieve the anxiety usually associated with the obsession. Prozac is also used in the treatment of bulimia (a binge eating disorder involving deliberate vomiting) and also has been used to treat other eating disorders as well as obesity.
Under the brand name Serafem which is the active ingredient in Prozac, it is also sometimes prescribed for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD.), which is more commonly referred to as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder include mood changes such as anxiety, depression, irritability, persistent anger, mood swings and frequently some level excessive tension. Physical problems are also associated with the PMDD which include bloating, breast tenderness, headache, and joint and muscle pain. Symptoms have a tendency to begin 1 to 2 weeks before a women's premenstrual period and frequently are severe enough to interfere with daily activities and relationships.
Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), activating an increase in the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or a chemical messenger in the brain believed to govern moods. Usually, it is quickly reabsorbed after its release from a neuron in the brain. However, reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac, delay the process thereby boosting levels of serotonin available in the brain to more appropriately regulate moods.
You should always be open and honest with your doctor when getting a prescription for Prozac by giving a complete medical history, including liver problems, kidney disease, seizures, heart problems, diabetes and any allergies. This drug has been known to make you dizzy or drowsy, making it necessary to use caution when engaging in activities that require alertness such as driving or using machinery. Alcoholic beverages should be limited. Also, liquid preparations of this product may contain sugar and/or small amounts alcohol. If you have diabetes, alcohol dependence or liver disease, caution is always advised. Caution is also advised when this product is being used by the elderly, as they are more sensitive to the effects of the drug. This medication should never be used during pregnancy as the drug is harmful to the infant. Because of the potential risk to the infant, breast-feeding while using this drug is must be avoided. Never share this medication with others. If you happen to miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of your next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule without trying to catch up.
you are allergic to any ingredient in Prozac
if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
you are taking or have taken linezolid, methylene blue, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) (eg, phenelzine), selegiline, or St. John's wort within the last 14 days
you are taking a fenfluramine derivative (eg, dexfenfluramine), an H1 antagonist (eg, astemizole, terfenadine), nefazodone, pimozide, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) (eg, venlafaxine), another SSRI (eg, paroxetine), sibutramine, thioridazine, or tryptophan
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Use Prozac as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
Prozac comes with an extra patient information sheet called a Medication Guide. Read it carefully. Read it again each time you get Prozac refilled.
Take Prozac by mouth with or without food.
Taking Prozac at the same time each day will help you remember to take it.
Continue to take Prozac even if you feel well. Do not miss any doses.
Do not suddenly stop taking Prozac without checking with your doctor. Side effects may occur. They may include mental or mood changes, numbness or tingling of the skin, dizziness, confusion, headache, trouble sleeping, or unusual tiredness. You will be closely monitored when you start Prozac and whenever a change in dose is made.
If you miss a dose of Prozac, take it as soon as possible. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Prozac.
Prozac may cause drowsiness or dizziness. These effects may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Take Prozac with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it.
Check with your doctor before you drink alcohol or use medicines that may cause drowsiness (eg, sleep aids, muscle relaxers) while you are taking Prozac; it may add to their effects. Ask your pharmacist if you have questions about which medicines may cause drowsiness.
Several weeks may pass before your symptoms improve. Do NOT take more than the recommended dose, change your dose, or take Prozac for longer than prescribed without checking with your doctor.
Children and teenagers who take Prozac may be at increased risk for suicidal thoughts or actions. Adults may also be affected. The risk may be greater in patients who have had suicidal thoughts or actions in the past. The risk may also be greater in patients who have had bipolar (manic-depressive) illness, or if their family members have had it. Watch patients who take Prozac closely. Contact the doctor at once if new, worsened, or sudden symptoms such as depressed mood; anxious, restless, or irritable behavior; panic attacks; or any unusual change in mood or behavior occur. Contact the doctor right away if any signs of suicidal thoughts or actions occur.
Diabetes patients - Prozac may affect your blood sugar. Check blood sugar levels closely. Ask your doctor before you change the dose of your diabetes medicine.
Serotonin syndrome is a possibly fatal syndrome that can be caused by Prozac. Your risk may be greater if you take Prozac with certain other medicines (eg, "triptans," MAOIs). Symptoms may include agitation; confusion; hallucinations; coma; fever; fast or irregular heartbeat; tremor; excessive sweating; and nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Contact your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a possibly fatal syndrome that can be caused by Prozac. Symptoms may include fever; stiff muscles; confusion; abnormal thinking; fast or irregular heartbeat; and sweating. Contact your doctor at once if you have any of these symptoms.
If your doctor tells you to stop taking Prozac, you will need to wait for several weeks before beginning to take certain other medicines (eg, MAOIs, nefazodone, thioridazine). Ask your doctor when you should start to take your new medicines after you have stopped taking Prozac.
Prozac may rarely cause a prolonged, painful erection. This could happen even when you are not having marital relations. If this is not treated right away, it could lead to permanent marital problems such as impotence. Contact your doctor right away if this happens.
Prozac contains some of the same ingredients as Sarafem, a medicine used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and Symbyax, a medicine used to treat depression in patients with bipolar disorder. Do not take Prozac if you are also taking Sarafem or Symbyax. Discuss any questions or concerns with your doctor.
Use Prozac with caution in the ELDERLY; they may be more sensitive to its effects, especially low blood sodium levels.
Prozac should be used with extreme caution in CHILDREN younger than 7 years old; safety and effectiveness in these children have not been confirmed.
Prozac may cause weight changes. CHILDREN and teenagers may need regular weight and growth checks while they take Prozac.
PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: Prozac may cause harm to the fetus. You must not use Prozac during pregnancy or if you are trying to become pregnant due to possible harm to the unborn baby. Also, babies born to mothers who have used this drug during pregnancy may infrequently develop withdrawal symptoms such as feeding/breathing difficulties, seizures, muscle stiffness, or constant crying. If you had taken Prozac during pregnancy despite being told not to, and if you notice any of these symptoms in your newborn, tell the doctor promptly. Prozac is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while you are taking Prozac.
Besides the obvious benefit of a potential return to a more productive, assured life, a person prescribed Prozac as part of his overall treatment plan will not only see a change in his outlook, but also a change in his level of energy, enabling him to see certain tasks and obstacles to completion. Many times, a person will also experience a change in sleep patterns, improving the ability to actually get a good night sleep.
While most people who are prescribed Prozac usually suffer from depression, anxiety or unwelcome compulsions, the drug has also been found to be beneficial for other disorders and syndromes, including bulimia and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is a condition where a woman will basically undergo serious emotional and physical issues while experiencing her period to the severity and point where it disrupts her life. In the case of bulimia, Prozac can more or less diminish the urge to binge and purge while still maintaining a healthy appetite. In the case of PMDD, the drug can successfully decrease many of the symptoms linked to menstruation, including depression and irritability.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:
severe blistering, peeling, and red skin rash;
very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes;
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination; or
headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, confusion, hallucinations, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops.
Less serious side effects may include:
cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat;
drowsiness, dizziness, feeling nervous;
mild nausea, upset stomach, constipation;
increased appetite, weight changes;
sleep problems (insomnia);
impotence
dry mouth.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Ask your doctor before taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for pain, arthritis, fever, or swelling. This includes aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Treximet), celecoxib (Celebrex), diclofenac (Arthrotec, Cambia, Cataflam, Voltaren, Flector Patch, Pennsaid, Solareze), indomethacin (Indocin), meloxicam (Mobic), and others. Using an NSAID with fluoxetine may cause you to bruise or bleed easily.
Tell your doctor if you regularly use other medicines that make you sleepy (such as cold or allergy medicine, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures or anxiety). They can add to sleepiness caused by fluoxetine.
Before taking Prozac, report the use of other drugs that increase serotonin, such as dextromethorphan, lithium, St. John's wort, sibutramine, tramadol, tryptophan, certain antidepressants including SSRIs (such as citalopram, paroxetine) and SNRIs (such as duloxetine, venlafaxine), "triptans" used to treat migraine headaches (such as eletriptan, sumatriptan), among others. The risk of serotonin syndrome may be more likely when you start or increase the dose of these medications.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking other products that cause drowsiness including alcohol, antihistamines (such as cetirizine, diphenhydramine), drugs for sleep or anxiety (such as alprazolam, diazepam, zolpidem), muscle relaxants, and narcotic pain relievers (such as codeine). Check the labels on all your medicines (such as allergy or cough-and-cold products) because they may contain ingredients that cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about using those products safely.
Tell your doctor about all other medications you are using, especially:
alprazolam (Xanax);
clopidogrel (Plavix);
clozapine (Clozaril, Fazaclo);
flecainide (Tambocor);
haloperidol (Haldol);
seizure medication such as phenytoin (Dilantin) or carbamazepine (Tegretol);
tryptophan (also called L-tryptophan);
vinblastine (Velban);
a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);
almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova), sumatriptan (Imitrex, Treximet), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or
any other antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil, Vanatrip, Limbitrol), escitalopram (Lexapro), imipramine (Tofranil), sertraline (Zoloft), and others.
This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with fluoxetine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.
Prozac can stay in your body for many weeks after your last dose and may interact with many other medications. Before using any medication, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have taken Prozac in the previous 5 weeks.
Avoid taking MAO inhibitors (isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue, moclobemide, phenelzine, procarbazine, rasagiline, selegiline, tranylcypromine) with fluoxetine for 2 weeks before, during treatment, and at least 5 weeks after your last dose of fluoxetine. In some cases a serious (possibly fatal) drug interaction may occur.
Aspirin can increase the risk of bleeding when used with this medication. However, if your doctor has directed you to take low-dose aspirin for heart attack or stroke prevention (usually at dosages of 81-325 milligrams a day), you should continue taking it unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.
The following reviews have been selected:
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Review by Anonymous:
User Rating:10
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Anxiety and Stress: Initially, my doctor started me out on 20mg, but increased the dosage to 30mg after I complained of occassional bouts of anxiety. I started the medication about six months ago. I'm 23 and not on any additional medication. Now, I feel like I can balance college, family and work. I'm not experiencing anxiety and panic attacks like I was prior to the Prozac. The first three weeks of the medication involved sick feelings, but I'm glad that I stuck with it. I also started to visit with a psychologist once a month. This has been very beneficial. Makes me wonder why I struggled with this for years before getting help.
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Review by Anonymous:
User Rating: 10
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Depression: Well I just started taking Prozac to help me deal with depression and anxiety. I returned from from a tour in Iraq about three months ago and my symptoms kept getting worse and worse. I've been taking Prozac for about a week now and I'm already feeling relief from it. It's like all the problems are still there, they just dont get to me like they used to. It's been very helpful so far.
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Review by Anonymous:
User Rating: 9.0
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Depression: i had taken prozac for 3 years and had been off for 1 year. In the 3 years that i took it, it was really amazing. I stopped having irrational thoughts, stopped feeling hopeless and could make a decision without going crazy. I stopped taking it after 3 years thinking that i may not need it any more. The depression came back gradually during this time getting worse day by day. Nothing bad was happening in my life during this time. My doc. classifies this as clinical depression. So currently i am back on prozac and feel normal again. I realize that i may have to take it for a long time and i am perfectly fine with that.
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Review by amj91:
User Rating: 8.0
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Anxiety and Stress: Prozac has helped my life greatly. I've been taking it for years now and without taking it, I am a mess from worrying about whats going to happen the next day, to stressing about the future. I will worry about something over, and over, and over again obsessively, not being able to control it, no matter how bad I want to. Prozac clears my mind completely so that when I do think of a thought, it just goes away after that thought. No more over worrying or stressing in any such matter. Overall it made me a more happier person.
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Review by Anonymous:
User Rating: 9.0
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Anxiety and Stress: Wonderful drug but watch out for medication interactions. Developed Serotonin Syndrome when doctor prescribed Ultram (Tramadol) for pain relief. Caused involuntary muscle spasms, difficulty speaking, walking, etc. Even looked like I had a stroke. I tapered off it shortly after and tried other drugs to help with anxiety, depression and PMDD. I have since come back to Prozac because it works well for me as long as I make sure not to take tramadol or other drugs that can interact with it. I experience weight loss with this drug. Have tons of energy and sleep well at night.
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Review by Anonymous:
User Rating: 9.0
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Anxiety and Stress: I started taking Prozac (10mg) a couple of months ago and I feel like a different person - in a good way. Before, I felt like I could not control my angry outburst. I no longer rage. I feel much more positive. I no longer obsessively think about people I am angry with. I feel capable of letting things go! I don't create hostility where there is none anymore. Prozac has been wonderful. I'm really glad I started taking it.
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Review by Anonymous:
User Rating: 10
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Depression: I took Prozac for several years to treat my depression and it was awesome. It had few side effects but gave me my life back. I went from not leaving my bed to actually being a productive member of society again. I did lose a good deal of weight while I was on it but that eventually balanced out. I took it until it got to the point where it stopped working for me and I've never found anything that has worked as well. Hopefully I will be able to take it and have it work for me again one day.
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Review by RatherNot:
User Rating: 9.0
Prozac (fluoxetine) for Depression: I'm 56. I've been on Prozac for about 20 years. I would rather not take any medication but the reality is that, for me, there seems to be no choice. Like many who have seen their share of shrinks, I tried everything - and then everything in every combination. Prozac is the only drug that helps me. I have been off of Prozac now for about 3 months. I tapered off very slowly. Thought I made it! But I have gone back to my old miserable self. I hit myself, hard. I want to break everything that doesn't "cooperate" immediately - a button, a hard-to-open package, or a pen for example. I never feel like hitting another person - just myself. I'm going downstairs to begin my Prozac regimen again.
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