Prozac info and experiences

[EastCoastChris]

fluoxetine

Pronunciation: flew OX e teen
Brand: Prozac, Prozac Weekly, Sarafem

What is the most important information I should know about fluoxetine?
• Do not stop taking fluoxetine without first talking to your doctor. It may take several weeks before you to start feeling better.


What is fluoxetine?
• Fluoxetine is in a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Fluoxetine affects chemicals in your brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression or mood disturbances, eating disorders, or obsessive or compulsive symptoms.
• Fluoxetine is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and bulimia (binge eating and purging). Fluoxetine is also used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) symptoms of which occur in the week or two before a woman's menstrual period and commonly include irritability, mood swings, and tension as well as the physical symptoms of bloating and breast tenderness.
• Fluoxetine may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.


Who should not take fluoxetine?
• Do not take fluoxetine if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) during the last 2 weeks. Serious, and sometimes fatal, reactions have occurred when these medicines have been used together. Also, do not take fluoxetine if you are taking thioridazine (Mellaril). Dangerous, even fatal irregular heartbeats may occur if these medicines are taken together. You must wait 5 weeks after stopping fluoxetine before taking thioridazine (Mellaril).
• Before taking fluoxetine, tell your doctor if you
· have liver disease,
· have kidney disease,
· have diabetes,
· suffer from seizures, or
· suffer from mania or have suicidal thoughts.
• You may not be able to take fluoxetine, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
• Fluoxetine is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is not known whether fluoxetine will harm an unborn baby. Do not take fluoxetine without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant.
• Fluoxetine passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing infant. Do not take fluoxetine without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.


How should I take fluoxetine?
• Take fluoxetine exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these instructions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
• Take each dose with water.
• To ensure that you get the correct dose, measure the oral solution with a dose-measuring cup or spoon, not with a regular table spoon. If you do not have a dose-measuring device, ask your pharmacist for one.
• Fluoxetine may be taken with or without food.
• Try to take fluoxetine at the same time each day.
• Take Prozac Weekly on the same day each week as directed by your doctor.
• Do not stop taking fluoxetine without first talking to your doctor. It may take several weeks before you to start feeling better.
• Store fluoxetine at room temperature away from moisture and heat.


What happens if I miss a dose?
• Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for your next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take a double dose of this medication unless otherwise directed by your doctor.


What happens if I overdose?
• Seek emergency medical attention.
• Symptoms of a fluoxetine overdose include nausea, vomiting, tremor, agitation, seizures, drowsiness, hyperactivity, and enlarged pupils.


What should I avoid while taking fluoxetine?
• Use caution when driving, operating machinery, or performing other hazardous activities. Fluoxetine may cause dizziness or drowsiness. If you experience dizziness or drowsiness, avoid these activities.
• Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may increase drowsiness or dizziness while you are taking fluoxetine.


What are the possible side effects of fluoxetine?
• If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking fluoxetine and call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment:
· an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of your throat; swelling of your lips, tongue, or face; or hives);
· an irregular heartbeat or pulse;
· low blood pressure (dizziness, weakness);
· high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision);
· chills or fever;
· unusual bleeding or bruising;
· a rash or hives.
• If you experience any of the following less serious side effects, continue taking fluoxetine and talk to your doctor:
· headache, tremor, nervousness, or anxiety;
· difficulty concentrating;
· nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, or changes in appetite or weight;
· weakness;
· increased sweating;
· sleepiness or insomnia; or
· decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.
• Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.


What other drugs will affect fluoxetine?
• Do not take fluoxetine if you have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), or tranylcypromine (Parnate) during the last 2 weeks. Serious, and sometimes fatal, reactions have occurred when these medicines have been used together. Also, do not take fluoxetine if you are taking thioridazine (Mellaril). Dangerous, even fatal irregular heartbeats may occur if these medicines are taken together. You must wait 5 weeks after stopping fluoxetine before taking thioridazine (Mellaril).
• Before taking fluoxetine, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
· a benzodiazepine including diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), clorazepate (Tranxene), temazepam (Restoril), triazolam (Halcion), and others;
· a tricyclic antidepressant including amitriptyline (Elavil), imipramine (Tofranil), doxepin (Sinequan), nortriptyline (Pamelor), and others;
· St. John's wort;
· a phenothiazine including chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Prolixin), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine), and others;
· lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith, others) or haloperidol (Haldol);
· sumatriptan (Imitrex), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig);
· carbamazepine (Tegretol) or phenytoin (Dilantin);
· warfarin (Coumadin); or
· digoxin (Lanoxin).
• You may not be able to take fluoxetine, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you are taking any of the medicines listed above.
• Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with fluoxetine. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines.


Where can I get more information?
• Your pharmacist has additional information about fluoxetine written for health professionals that you may read.

 

[cullenowen]

We used Prozac for our difficult child when she was about 8 years old for her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The medication worked great with no side effects. At the time, difficult child had difficulty swallowing pills so we had the Prozac dispensed in liquid form. difficult child says it didn't taste very good but it was better than pills. It really curbed the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) but we changed all medications when difficult child had rapid weight gain from chlorpromazine.

 

[aileenee]

I had two (at the time) undiagnosed bipolar kids who were put on Prozac. My 8 year old son got so manic that he stood on his desk at school all day and flapped his arms and laughed and wouldn't stop talking. He usually is well-behaved in school. I threw the prescription down the toilet. Years later, my 17 year old, misdiagnosed with unipolar depression, was put on Prozac. One day she told me it was making her feel weepy and impulsive and strange and I told her not to take it anymore. Too late. That night she had a manic rage and tried to kill herself. Prozac is great for some things, but if you're bipolar (or think you may be) don't touch it!

 

I was on Prozac for 2 years after first trying Celexa for my depression. This was a lifesaving wonder drug for me. I had read horror stories about it and was very afraid to take it. Doctor said it could take up to 6 weeks to work- I felt better in 3 DAYS!!! My husband immediately noticed the difference. I had no side effects at all which was great- well I guess it did lower my libido which my husband didn't much care for- but with the way I acted without the prozac he didn't want much to do with me either!!! I just stopped it a little less than a month ago and am crossing my fingers- I am doing well off of it. Make sure the person is not bipolar or this drug would make you go wacko. I could be a spokesman for Prozac it really did truly save my life and my marriage and my family.

 

[camsmom]

My daughter has been on Prozak for a little over a year now and has done really well on it. Her mood is very stable. For us Paxil was a disaster. I was really worried about starting it because I thought she might be bi-plor. However, she started it at TBS so at least there they could watch her very closely. She has, however, gained weight but I don't know if it is Prozac related. Has anyone else had that sort of an effect?

Jrdoubleh, did you wean off or just stop?

Thanks for these threads Fran, very informative.

SusanP

 

[bossmom50]

My oldest son took Prozac, in liquid form, for several months in second grade. He has PANDAS and was wetting himself during the day. The Prozac did seem to help with the wetting, which may be related to the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)-like aspects of the PANDAS. He was also on generic Ritalin at the same time. We were nervous of Prozac because it made husband's sister even stranger than usual, so when he was consistently dry for 2 weeks (we were also using a bmod and reward system), we began to wean him. At the end of the school year, I had his tonsils removed and that helped the most with the PANDAS and the wetting.

The 2 things I would say about Prozac are don't use them if BiPolar (BP) is suspected in any way and don't just cold turkey off of it, even at low doses.
Michele

 

Because someone asked I did call my doctor and was told the "proper" way to get off of it. I was taking 40mg- went down to 20mg for a week and then stopped. No withdrawals stopping the medication either which was good. I have read and was advised that there may be some withdrawal symptoms and that prozac actually can take up to 60 days to completely leave your system.

 

[ahall]

My son has been on 80 mg of prozac daily for 4 years now. It is used to treat his Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms, and works very well. They have tried to decrease to 60 mg., and the symptoms are noticeable after only a few days on the lower dose, so they've kept him at 80 ever since. Ever psychiatrist he has been to has tossed around the bipolar diagnosis, but always discounts it - one of the reasons is that he does so well on the prozac. He cannot take ritalin with the prozac though - again, the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) symptoms come back with even the smallest dose of ritalin added. My son agrees that this medication has been very beneficial to him - without it, he notices his symptoms reoccuring.

Deb

 

I took Prozac for about 4 months and it had no effect on me whatsoever (I wasn't depressed). I had side effects, like:
-I felt "out of it", as if I couldn't think properly. Eg.I always had to triple check there were no cars coming before I'd cross the street because I didn't trust my own judgement.
-Teeth-grinding. I got a sore jaw from having it clenched all the time. It would sometimes give me a headache.
-Vague nausea and lack of appetite.
Andrea

 

[Marci Lyn]

I am on Prozac now. I have chronic depression and anxiety. When I first started taking it, I hated it. I became a very cold person, uncaring, almost numb. So the doctor decreased the dose and I was fine. Things are really good. I had unrealated surgery a few months ago, and had to up my dose again, and this time it is fine. None of the same side effects. Otherwise, I have not had any side effects from it!

 

[Faithful-Heart]

Prozac helped me for a long time but then got where I started feeling worse..when I stopped it I felt better. But I have had that experience with many antidepressants too. I liked Prozac as it didn't upset my stomach or cause weight gain like most of other antidepressants do. Now when Nate tried it..the dr put him on a very low dose...he did not do well on it...was very hyper, hard to handle...so she took him off of it.

 

i've been taking prozac (aka Sarafem) since the beginning of December, primarily because of PMDD, but i also have a history of depression.

i had problems for the first few weeks with nausea and decreased libido, but that has resolved. i also learned real quick to take it in the morning, because it can cause insomnia if taken too late in the day.

i feel like i'm on an even keel now, where i was having "highs" and "lows" before. the world is "vivid" for me now....instead of grey. i feel alive and optomistic.... instead of numb and hopeless. i can be more patient and tolerant.....instead of flying off the handle at little things.

i can breathe.

i can live.

i can cope.


i too hope to someday be drug free, but until then, i'll take my pill every morning to help make life bearable.

lisa

 

[EastCoastChris]

My difficult child was given Prozac to help potentiate the ritalin and help curb some of the side effects of such a high dose or ritalin.
He never had any side affects from this medication.