Fluoxetine is a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It's often used to treat depression, and sometimes obsessive compulsive disorder and bulimia. It works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain.
Nonetheless, some patients who take this medication for prolonged periods will experience adverse effects (such as weight gain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, or sexual dysfunction).
Most doctors recommend that you take antidepressants for 6 months to a year after you no longer feel depressed. Stopping before that time can make depression come back.
Speak to your doctor if you are worried. There do not seem to be any lasting harmful effects from taking fluoxetine for many months and years. What will happen if I stop taking it? If you've been feeling better for 6 months or more, your doctor may suggest coming off fluoxetine.
You can feel drowsy in the first few days of taking fluoxetine. However, it should get better after the first week or two. You may become more anxious, or it may make you irritable. This should settle after a couple of weeks.
SSRIs release two chemicals in the brain that kick in at different times, causing a period of negative effects on mental health, the authors report. The first chemical is serotonin, which is released very soon after an SSRI is taken but might not lessen depressive symptoms until after a couple of weeks.
It happens rarely (in less than 1 in 100 people), but some people may have serious side effects when taking fluoxetine. Book an appointment with your doctor if you: gain weight gain or lose weight without trying. get changes in your periods such as heavy bleeding, spotting, or bleeding between periods.
Prozac, or fluoxetine, is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor, also known as an SSRI. Prozac and other SSRIs are not considered narcotics (controlled substances), and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration doesn't consider it to have a high risk of addiction or abuse.
It can cause irritability and anger that may interfere with daily activities such as work or school performance. If this happens after you start taking Prozac, let your doctor know so they can help manage symptoms.
For example, if your doctor has prescribed you Prozac (fluoxetine), some of the most common side effects include insomnia, agitation, nausea, and vomiting. 1 If you are experiencing insomnia, take your medication in the morning. If you have nausea, it would be better to take it at night.
Talk to your doctor before you stop taking antidepressants. It's important that you do not stop taking antidepressants suddenly. A dose of antidepressants should be slowly reduced, normally over several weeks, and sometimes longer.
Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for major depressive disorder (for patients eight years and older), obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, bulimia, binge eating disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and bipolar depression as well as treatment-resistant depression when used in combination with olanzapine.
Prozac (fluoxetine) is one of several antidepressant medications that can be a great option for treating anxiety. Prozac has been FDA-approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and depressive episodes related to bipolar I disorder in both adults and children.
Official answer. Most people feel lower levels of anxiety, restlessness and tiredness when Prozac first starts to work.
As an SSRI, Prozac helps anxiety by keeping serotonin in your system, helping your mood, energy levels, and more. So while Prozac may, technically calm you, it is more of a long-term medication than one that provides immediate relief.
Although the information on Prozac actually suggests a decrease in weight, antidepressants as a group are linked to weight gain. In fact, aside from nausea, sleepiness, and sexual problems, weight gain is one of the most common side effects of antidepressants overall.
Adults—At first, 20 milligrams (mg) once a day in the morning. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. If you are taking more than 20 mg per day, you may take the capsule once a day in the morning or 2 times a day (eg, morning and noon). However, the dose is usually not more than 80 mg per day.
Conclusions: Acute therapy with fluoxetine is associated with modest weight loss. After remission of depressive symptoms, weight gain for patients taking fluoxetine for longer periods is not different from that for patients taking placebo and is most likely related to recovery from depression.
Fluoxetine affects brain structures involved in the regulation of both emotional and cognitive behaviors, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex [5], [6]. Therefore, besides positively modulating mood, fluoxetine might affect learning and memory.
If you're feeling fatigued, it's possible your medication is the cause. For example, medications like fluoxetine (Prozac) and propranolol (Inderal) can make you feel tired. In some cases, drowsiness will go away over time as your body adjusts to the medication.
Rare instances of acute liver failure and chronic hepatitis have been attributed to fluoxetine therapy. Persons with intolerance to fluoxetine may have similar reactions to other SSRIs and careful monitoring is warranted if other such agents are used.