Prozac – is it addictive. How does Prozac work on the body?

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At the beginning, it must be made clear that Prozac is not sold in Polish pharmacies. Not because it is a harmful or ineffective drug, but because there are other drugs with the same active substance (fluoxetine) and the same effect. What is the effectiveness of this remedy?

Prozac – history

Prozac first appeared in Belgian pharmacies in 1986, and in 1988, thanks to the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, it hit the American market. Prozac was a third generation antidepressant and the first anti-depressant. serotonin reuptake. It turned out to be a hit in the pharmaceutical market and to this day is considered one of the most famous psychotropic drugs.

In the United States, Prozac, although it was intended to be a drug for people suffering from depression and mental disorders, quickly gained popularity and began to be treated as a “happy pill”. Its buyers were also mentally healthy people who used it for recreational purposes. This attitude met with opposition from the medical community. Although prozac is not available in Polish pharmacies, you can still buy drugs with the same effect, containing the same active substance, i.e. fluoxetine.

Since its launch in the pharmaceutical market, Prozac has generated a lot of controversy. The case of Joseph T. Wesbecker, a man who in 1989, after a month of therapy with the use of a drug, shot 8 people and injured another 12 in XNUMX. According to the doctors investigating the case, Wesbecker had been suffering from severe depression and manic depression for many years, so taking Prozac had no effect on his behavior.

How does Prozac work?

The active substance in Prozac, i.e. the aforementioned fluoxetine, is an antidepressant from the group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It inhibits the serotonin transporter and thus causes its increase in the nervous system – it is believed that serotonin deficiency is the cause of depressive disorders. Fluoxitin is taken orally. The benefits of taking the drug become noticeable after 4 or 6 weeks.

What are the indications for using Prozac?

Taking fluoxetine is not the only way to treat mental problems. Nevertheless, it is sometimes recommended for adults with episodes of major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and bulimia nervosa. In the case of bulimia nervosa, fluoxetine helps to suppress bouts of bulimia. It is also prescribed to children and adolescents from the age of 8 for the treatment of moderate and major episodes of depression, if it cannot be cured after 4-6 visits to a psychotherapist.

What are the contraindications for using Prozac?

Both Prozac and other fluoxetine-containing preparations should not be used by people who are allergic or hypersensitive to at least one of its ingredients. The combination of SSRIs and monoamine oxidase inhibitors may be a threat to health and life – fatal reactions to this combination have been reported. Therefore, fluocestine should not be used for less than 2 weeks after discontinuing the irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor. People suffering from epilepsy, mania and depression should also exercise particular caution.

The use of Prozac may also pose a threat to people: with diabetes, well-controlled epilepsy, using preparations that reduce blood clotting, with cardiological diseases, taking diuretics (mainly the elderly). Prozac therapy can also be harmful for people with a history of mania or hypomania and seizures. These groups of patients can use the drug, but with increased caution.

What precautions should I take during the treatment with Prozac?

The use of fluoxystine sometimes causes allergic reactions, rash and manic episodes – their presence should be a reason for discontinuing the preparation. People who have had seizures before should be especially careful. Certain groups of patients must be under constant medical supervision while taking the drug. people with a stable form of epilepsy and people with heart disease and severe liver disorders.

Treatment with fluoxetine sometimes causes weight loss. If, in the first stage of treatment, the person taking the drug develops excessive physical activity, this should be a warning signal – in this case, it is recommended to discontinue the drug. It is worth knowing that fluoxitine treatment may increase suicidal thoughts. In turn, diabetics may need to adjust their doses of insulin and diabetes medications due to fluctuations in blood sugar levels due to fluoxetine.

More than 50% of people taking fluoxitine experience a withdrawal effect when discontinuing therapy. Its symptoms are: severe headaches, sensory disturbances, sleep disturbances, convulsions, nausea, vomiting. To avoid them, do not stop taking the drug overnight, but do it gradually – it is advisable, it was a period of at least two weeks. It may be harmful to combine fluoxitine with drugs that affect blood clotting.

How can Prozac affect children?

Clinical trials have shown that children and adolescents under 18 years of age experience suicidal behavior, aggression, anger and oppositional behavior when taking fluoxitine. However, fluoxetine is given to children between 8 and 18 years of age to treat moderate to severe episodes of major depression – this should be the only reason why it should be given to people in this age group.

Children using fluoxitin for purposes other than those mentioned above should be medically monitored during this period for the appearance of suicidal symptoms. There is still insufficient information about the long-term effects of fluoxetine on the cognitive development, growth, maturation and emotional growth of children and adolescents.

Does using Prozac affect my pregnancy?

There are epidemiological studies showing that women taking the drug during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular defects during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, this mechanism has not been fully understood. According to some data, the risk of having a child with a defect in the cardiovascular system as a result of the mother taking fluoxine during pregnancy is 2/100.

Both fluoxitine and its metabolite norfluoxitin are excreted in milk – this causes side effects in breastfed babies. Women who need to be treated with fluoxitine should consider not breastfeeding altogether, or at least temporarily reduce the dose of the drug. According to animal studies, flucosyitin may also affect sperm quality.

What are the symptoms of an overdose of Prozac?

In most cases, excessive fluoxitine intake is mild. Nevertheless, there are symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, convulsions and cardiovascular disorders, e.g. asymptomatic arrhythmia or ECG changes suggesting prolongation of the Qtc interval until cardiac arrest. There have also been a very small number of deaths from overdose.

How can I safely discontinue Prozac or other psychotropic medications?

A decision to stop using Prozac or other psychotropic medications should be consulted with your doctor. Discontinuation of the preparation overnight may cause the symptoms of the disease to come back. Sometimes the symptoms will be even more intense and may include: epilepsy, adrenal insufficiency and heart muscle hypoxia.

However, there are also situations where you should stop treatment immediately – information on this should be found in the package leaflet. Examples of symptoms are severe allergies, swelling of the face, lips and throat, making it difficult to swallow, high fever, agitation, convulsions, tremors and confusion.

Does Prozac interact with other medications?

Yes. Before starting fluoxitine treatment, the doctor will interview the patient to determine if the patient is taking the medication. This is essential knowledge, without which the use of Prozac or other fluoxitin-containing preparations will be risky. Fluoxitin can react with other medicines, including herbal medicines – and for some of them it reduces their concentration and reduces their effectiveness.

Serious interactions have occurred between fluoxitin and certain antipsychotropic drugs, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, lithium salts, carbamazepine, and some antiarrhythmics. It is also not recommended to combine Prozac (fluoxitine) with St. John’s wort, even though it is an antidepressant plant. St John’s wort may make the side effects of Prozac (fluoxitine) worse.

What are the natural alternatives to Prozac?

1. Niacin

Niacin, or vitamin B3, is a healthy and effective alternative to Prozac and other fluoxytin-containing preparations. Its therapeutic effect helps to reduce stress, anxiety, medication, aggression and depression. Vitamin B3 is essential for the body to function properly – it takes part, for example, in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, and regulates the production of sex hormones. Its deficiency causes nervous problems.

Niacin deficiency results from the excessive use of stimulants such as alcohol, but also coffee, tea and sugar. In turn, its increase occurs when the body receives B vitamins, vitamin C and chromium. Moreover, the body itself produces a certain amount of this ingredient. Foods that contain a lot of niacin include bananas, eggs, soybeans, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and cheese.

You can also get niacin in the form of capsules. It is called nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Contrary to appearances, none of them contain nicotine found in cigarettes. People who want to supplement it in this way can choose either nicotinic acid or nicotinomaid. However, the amount of vitamin B3 in multivitamin products is not always sufficient – according to Dr. Abram Hoffer, a supporter of niacin treatment, a person suffering from depression needs about 3 g of vitamin a day.

1. Folic acid

Folic acid, or vitamin B9, is another natural equivalent of fluoxitine. The body needs it both at conception and in old age. Vitamin B9 is a chemical compound containing about 20 pterin derivatives, a substance that, for example, dyes the wings of butterflies. Folic acid is flushed out of the body by coffee, alcohol, cigarettes and some contraceptives. It turns out that people suffering from depression have low levels of 5-MTHF, the active folate.

Folic acid is an essential link in the synthesis of nucleic acids responsible for the formation of DNA. It regulates the work of cells and, together with vitamin B12, is involved in the maturation of red blood cells, so it has a hematopoietic effect. The ingredient can be found in products of plant and animal origin. A large amount of it is contained in raw leafy vegetables, e.g. lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, green peas, beets, but yeast, cheese and eggs.

Folic acid can also be supplemented. Synthetic folic acid is found in drugs and dietary supplements – in both cases it is fully absorbed by the body. The requirement for an ingredient depends on the age, sex and condition of the organism. According to the US FDA, the daily intake of vitamin B9 ranges from 0,07- to 0,13 mg / day.

1. Omega 3

Omega-3 fatty acids are recognized as one of the most effective natural alternatives to Prozac. They are the building blocks of cells and have a beneficial effect on all life processes. They belong to the group of unsaturated fatty acids and there are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The human body is not able to produce them on its own, so to supplement their deficiency, it is advisable to supplement the ingredient and consume products containing it.

The effectiveness of the treatment of depression with omega-3 acid has been scientifically proven. According to some studies, a diet containing a large amount of the ingredient may lower the risk of developing depression – it turns out that some patients with such disorders are low in omega-3 levels. In addition, these acids have antioxidant properties and regulate inflammatory processes and the activities of nerve cells.

The rich sources of omega fatty acids are mainly fish, e.g. mackerel, salmon, trout. In addition, a large amount of it is contained in sardines, walnuts and linseed oil. Other foods that contain omega acid are eggs, chia seeds, flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds. It is also possible to supplement the ingredient, the more that the choice of supplements containing it is huge. However, before that, it is worth consulting a specialist to discuss the details of such treatments.

Depression – How Do You Recognize It?

Depression is commonly referred to as a depressed mood, malaise or a state of depression. Its symptoms are not always the same in every patient, so it is not always possible to diagnose the disease. The line between depression and depression can be difficult to see, but there are some symptoms that can help you identify depression. A person suffering from depression loses joy in life, has low self-esteem, concentration disorders and functions in a slow rhythm. He often loses interest and has sleep disorders.

Depression is accompanied by body ailments, such as headaches, gastrointestinal pains, pains in the lower abdomen and back pain – patients often refer to these symptoms as the main ones. We can talk about depression when at least four of the aforementioned symptoms occur simultaneously. It is recognized that depression may be biologically determined, although there are many other theories about its origins.

Treatment of depression involves combining pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. It has been believed that the cause of the disease is a chemical imbalance in the brain, but also this thesis has not yet been fully confirmed. There are many cases of people healed from depression through spiritual activity such as regular prayer / meditation – it has been proven that these activities strengthen the cerebral cortex. It turned out that the cerebral cortex of people who attach importance to spiritual development is thicker than those of people who do not care about this sphere of life.