Prozac is the brand name of Fluoxetine manufactured and marketed by Eli Lilly and Company. It was prescribed to 22.2 million people under the brand names Prozac, Sarafem, and Fontex in 2007. Prozac is most notoriously known to treat major depressive disorder, or simply depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, panic disorder including panic attacks, and a severe form of premenstrual syndrome called PMDD or Premenstrual dysphoric disorder. As with the majority of drugs there are side-effects and other conditions to be aware of before starting your treatment.Links provided on the top and right will allow you to find the effects of Prozac, side-effects of Prozac, and Natural/Herbal alternatives to Prozac.
Prozac Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Dosage Should I Be Taking?
Your doctor will specify your dose size. Dosages range from 10mg to 20mg in pill form.
What if I miss a dose?
Do not double dose or take more than prescribed. Take your dose when you would the next time.
Should I take Prozac if I am pregnant?
It is not advisable to take Prozac while pregnant or after birth. Prozac has been known to show in breast milk.
I've been diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. Is Prozac for me?
Absolutely not. Prozac should never be used to treat Bi-Polar disorder. Talk to your doctor about proper medication such as Lithium salts.
I'm Under 18. Should I take Prozac?
Teenagers should only take Prozac if directed and counselled correctly. Prozac is one of the safer anti-depressant drugs on the market geared towards availability of treatment of those under 18. If you doctor deems it necessary, it is possible to gain a prescription for Prozac.
How long does it take for Prozac to start working?
All drugs react different in everyone. To fully feel Prozac's benefits it takes, on average, about a month. If it takes longer you should contact your doctor for further instruction.
I'm Under 18. Should I take Prozac?
Teenagers should only take Prozac if directed and counselled correctly. Prozac is one of the safer anti-depressant drugs on the market geared towards availability of treatment of those under 18. If you doctor deems it necessary, it is possible to gain a prescription for Prozac.
How long does it take for Prozac to start working?
All drugs react different in everyone. To fully feel Prozac's benefits it takes, on average, about a month. If it takes longer you should contact your doctor for further instruction.
How long does a dosage of Prozac last?
Prozac treatment will have you taking the drug daily with most prescriptions. However, the half-life of Prozac is around 1-3 days.
Is Prozac addictive or habit-forming?
Prozac should not form a physiological dependence in its users.
Is Prozac addictive or habit-forming?
Prozac should not form a physiological dependence in its users.
Will Prozac affect my personality?
Fluoexetine is not a magical compound. The only changes to your personality that may be noticeable are increased mood and a better outlook on life. Other than that, any changes are changes made consciously by you. Prozac may give you the strength to change your personality for the better, but it will not simply change your character by taking it.
Does Prozac cause weight gain?
The SSRI class of antidepressants that Prozac is part of is known to affect weight in some of its users. Not everyone is affected. Some may gain weight, retain weight, or lose weight. It all depends on how the drug uniquely interacts with your own body and physiology. Significant changes should be reported to a doctor.
Will Prozac show up on a drug test?
No, employers have no right to know if you are on Prozac, nor are the tests geared toward finding such a thing out. Drug tests are simply to insure an employer you aren't taking any scheduled illegal drugs.
What is a deadly dose of Prozac?
As long as you are taking your prescription there is no need to worry about overdosing on Prozac. The LD50 of Prozac has been show in lab mice to be 248mg taken orally. LD50 means Lethal Dosage at 50%. This means that 50% of lab mice died at this dosage.
What is the history of Prozac?
The history of Prozac is well defined by Wikipedia as:"The work which eventually led to the discovery of fluoxetine began at Eli Lilly and Company in 1970 as a collaboration between Bryan Molloy and Robert Rathbun. It was known at that time that the antihistamine diphenhydramine shows some antidepressant-like properties. 3-Phenoxy-3-phenylpropylamine, a compound structurally similar to diphenhydramine, was taken as a starting point, and Molloy synthesized dozens of its derivatives. Testing the physiological effects of these compounds in mice resulted in nisoxetine, a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor currently widely used in biochemical experiments.
Later, hoping to find a derivative inhibiting only serotonin reuptake, another Eli Lilly scientist, David Wong, proposed to retest the series for the in vitro reuptake of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. This test, carried out by Jong-Sir Horng in May 1972, showed the compound later named fluoxetine to be the most potent and selective inhibitor of serotonin reuptake of the series. Wong published the first article about fluoxetine in 1974. A year later, it was given the official chemical name fluoxetine and the Eli Lilly and Company gave it the trade name Prozac. In February 1977, Dista Products Company, a division of Eli Lilly & Company, presented a new drug request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fluoxetine.
A controversy ensued after Lilly researchers published a paper titled "Prozac (fluoxetine, Lilly 110140), the first selective serotonin uptake inhibitor and an antidepressant drug" claiming fluoxetine to be the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Two years later they had to issue a correction, admitting that the first SSRI was zimelidine developed by Arvid Carlsson and colleagues. Fluoxetine made its appearance on the Belgian market in 1986 and was approved for use by the FDA in December 1987. Fluoxetine was the fourth SSRI to make it to market, after zimelidine, indalpine and fluvoxamine. However, the first two were withdrawn due to the side effects, and a vigorous marketing campaign by Eli Lilly made sure that in the popular culture fluoxetine has been perceived as a scientific breakthrough and associated with the title of the first SSRI.
Eli Lilly's patent on Prozac (fluoxetine) expired in the United States in August 2001, prompting an influx of generic drugs onto the market. Prozac was rebranded "Sarafem" for the treatment of PMDD in an attempt to stem the post-patent decrease in Eli Lilly's sales of fluoxetine."
A controversy ensued after Lilly researchers published a paper titled "Prozac (fluoxetine, Lilly 110140), the first selective serotonin uptake inhibitor and an antidepressant drug" claiming fluoxetine to be the first selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Two years later they had to issue a correction, admitting that the first SSRI was zimelidine developed by Arvid Carlsson and colleagues. Fluoxetine made its appearance on the Belgian market in 1986 and was approved for use by the FDA in December 1987. Fluoxetine was the fourth SSRI to make it to market, after zimelidine, indalpine and fluvoxamine. However, the first two were withdrawn due to the side effects, and a vigorous marketing campaign by Eli Lilly made sure that in the popular culture fluoxetine has been perceived as a scientific breakthrough and associated with the title of the first SSRI.
Eli Lilly's patent on Prozac (fluoxetine) expired in the United States in August 2001, prompting an influx of generic drugs onto the market. Prozac was rebranded "Sarafem" for the treatment of PMDD in an attempt to stem the post-patent decrease in Eli Lilly's sales of fluoxetine."
Similar drugs to Prozac include Celexa (Citalopram), Lexapro (Escitalopram), Zoloft (Sertraline), and Paxil (Paroxetine). Each drug works in a similar manner as a Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor or SSRI. Other non SSRI drugs that work similar to Prozac are Wellbutrin (a tri-cyclic drug), Abilify, and Effexor. Your doctor should be able to prescribe you the correct prescription and dosage.
