If you move too abruptly, it can cause unpleasant or confusing side effects. Taking Prozac regularly can lessen symptoms of anxiety, improve your mood, and prevent suicidal thoughts. It can cause side effects like vivid dreams, nausea, headaches, and more.1 When you are taking Prozac every day, it is not safe to suddenly stop consuming it.
Males may have delays in ejaculation or lose the ability to ejaculate. Erectile dysfunction and low male sex drive are other effects males might have with Prozac. Children ages 10 to 17 years who take Prozac may experience the same side effects as adults. If your doctor confirms you’ve had a serious allergic reaction to Prozac, they may have you switch to a different treatment.
PROZAC and Olanzapine in Combination: Treatment Resistant Depression
Prozac is somewhat different in that it has a very long half-life, which means that it takes a long time to get to a steady amount in your bloodstream, and it leaves very slowly, too. When a medication is built like that, you typically don’t have significant problems tapering off, so it’s probably not withdrawal that is prompting your son’s new behaviors. Most side effects of Prozac, such as headache, mild anxiety, and diarrhea, go away. Some long-term side effects that Prozac may cause include low sex drive, seizures, and an increased risk of bleeding. Prozac may cause different side effects in females than in males.
In this case, your doctor could recommend a different antidepressant to help you manage your symptoms. Firstly, it is important to follow a gradual tapering plan as recommended by your doctor or deprescribing specialist. This will help your body adjust slowly to the lower dosage of Prozac and minimize the risk of severe withdrawal symptoms. Medical supervision is crucial during the tapering process. Your doctor will be able to monitor your progress, assess any potential risks, and make adjustments to the tapering plan as needed.
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Neurotransmitters are natural body chemicals that help pass messages between nerve cells. With the conditions that Prozac treats, you have low levels of serotonin in certain nerve pathways in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps manage your mood, thinking, and behavior. Fluoxetine is sometimes used together with another medication called olanzapine (Zyprexa) to treat manic depression caused by bipolar disorder.
FDA Warnings and Responses for SSRIs
This condition occurs when there’s excessive serotonin in your body, and can cause symptoms of fever, nausea, hallucinations, agitation, and coordination problems. The same Prozac/Zyprexa combination also has an indication for people who have depressive episodes as a result of bipolar 1 disorder. Prozac in combination with Zyprexa (olanzapine) has an indication for treating treatment-resistant depression. Before finalizing the plan for stopping Prozac, your doctor will make sure you are emotionally and mentally ready for this step. Since it can be a rough phase for some, ensuring a strong willpower and a support system makes a huge difference.
Prozac Withdrawal
- Off paroxetine, I initially experienced hypomania, sweating, and electrical-feeling“brain zaps”,26 the last continuing for 7 months.
- If you need to stop taking Prozac because of long-term side effects, they may prescribe a different treatment for your condition.
- But higher doses may raise the risk or severity of side effects.
Prozac belongs to a class of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs increase the amount of serotonin in your brain, which helps improve your mental health. When you quit taking this medication, it takes some time for your body to adjust. This means that you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, digestive problems, dizziness, disrupted sleep, and mood changes. Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by an excess of serotonin in the body, usually triggered by medications or drugs that increase serotonin activity.
Its mechanism of action is to increase the availability of a brain chemical involved in mood and thinking. The effectiveness of this drug may vary based on your medical history and diagnosis. For the treatment of bulimia nervosa, individuals typically experience improvement in three weeks. It is important to remember that these times may vary from person to person. If, after four weeks of treatment, there is no improvement, a dose increase may be necessary. This should be done only after consulting with the prescribing medical professional.
Knowing practical strategies for managing cravings helps protect everything you have worked for. Set small goals together so you are not walking this road alone. Even one supportive voice can change a hard day into a better one. Honest conversations, even when messy, make relapse less likely. I have been on Prozac for over 7 years, and I would like to try life without it. I have been reading that it is very hard to get off Prozac and other drugs like it.
- This petition called for new warning labels on two popular types of antidepressants, SSRIs and SNRIs, stating that sexual side effects might continue even after they stop taking the medication.
- A study reported in JAMA found that individuals who participated in at least monthly interpersonal therapy and took an antidepressant such as Prozac avoided a recurrence by 80%.
- Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil supplements or foods like salmon and walnuts, have been shown to have mood-stabilizing effects and may help reduce withdrawal symptoms.
- Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device (not a kitchen spoon).
Fluoxetine side effects
This side effect is most common in children, adolescents, and young adults under age 24 years. But it can happen to anyone taking Prozac or any antidepressant drug. Suicide is also a risk in people with depression who aren’t taking antidepressants. It’s also a common side effect of other drugs in the same group of drugs as Prozac, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A healthcare professional may also weigh you during your checkup appointments. Your child’s doctor will closely monitor the height and weight of your child while they take this drug.
A good starting point can make the whole process much easier. We’re so glad you asked us this question, because it is a very important topic. Due to the long half-life of Prozac, some people may not need to taper off and can simply stop taking it.
The Role of Peer Support Groups in Recovery
While subsequent studies highlighted heightened suicide risk in children under the age of 18, there was no increased risk for adults over 24 years old. In fact, those over 65 were more protected from suicidal thoughts once on antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are widely prescribed to treat depression and anxiety. Government-mandated label warnings, lawsuits and safety concerns have raised questions about risks. our 7-year-old, who is tapering off prozac, is upset and irritable is that a symptom of withdrawal At least 14 days should elapse between discontinuation of an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders and initiation of therapy with PROZAC.
For OCD in adults, the recommended starting dosage is 20 mg per day. Your doctor may gradually increase your dosage to reach the dose that’s right for you. For depression in adults, the typical dosage of Prozac is 20 mg per day. Some people might experience more severe side effects while using Prozac. In rare cases, Prozac could also cause a rare condition known as serotonin syndrome, particularly if used in combination with other medications that impact serotonin. Prozac has a boxed warning, the most serious type of warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).