Prozac

The generic name of Prozac is called fluoxetine. Prozac is an antidepressant which belongs to a group of drugs, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). There are chemicals in our brain which may become unbalance and can cause depression, panic, anxiety or obsessive-compulsive symptoms, so Prozac is used to regulate the chemicals in our brain. It is used in the treatment of major depressive disorder, bulimia nervosa obsessive-compulsive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

You should discuss with your doctor before you take the medication, because during the treatment, the risk of suicidal thoughts may be increased and especially it happens when the patient is under the age of 18. Tell you doctor if you feel that the symptoms of depression or suicidal thoughts have worsened. Your family should watch the changes in your behavior and you need to make regular visits to your doctor for at least first 12 weeks. You should avoid taking the medication if you are taking some certain drugs like pimozide, thioridazine, and MAO inhibitor like isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine, phenel, rasagiline or selegiline. Inform your doctor if you are allergic to any type of drugs or you have cirrhosis of the liver, kidney disease, diabetes, seizures, bipolar disorder, and history of drug abuse or suicidal thoughts. If you have one of the above conditions, then you are not able to use the medication.

The medication comes in FDA pregnancy category C and it is possible that it cause severe lung problems to unborn baby. So if you are pregnant or want to be pregnant then you should tell the doctor. Prozac passes into milk of nursing mother and can cause harm to nursing baby so you should avoid the medication in this condition or consult with your doctor.



Take the medication as prescribed to you by your doctor and avoid taking larger amount of the medication and after sometime your doctor may change your dose to get best results. You should not crush or break the capsule, because it is formulated to release its contents slowly in the stomach. The crushing in the mouth will release the drugs at one time and the effective result will not be obtained.

If you miss a dose then take it as soon as you get remembered and if the time is near to next dose, then skip the missed dose and follow your regular schedule of doses. If you miss a weekly dose then take it as soon as you remember and take the next dose 7 days later, and if there is very little gap between the next weekly dose then skip the missed dose and go on your regular schedule.

If you experience the side effects like skin rash, hives, difficulty in breathing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, then you should have emergency medical help. You can experience some serious side effects like seizure, tremors, shivering, muscle stiffness, unusual thoughts, problems with balance or coordination, agitation, confusion, sweating, and fast heartbeat, and you should contact your doctor.