It works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is thought to have a good influence on mood, emotion and sleep. Fluoxetine helps many people recover from depression, and it has fewer side effects than some other antidepressants.
Like other SSRIs, fluoxetine is thought to produce its antidepressant effect primarily by increasing the extracellular concentration of serotonin in the brain. Fluoxetine does this by blocking the reuptake of serotonin into cells by selectively binding to the serotonin transporter (SERT; Stahl, 1998).
In addition to its effects on neurotransmission, SSRI fluoxetine increases generation of new neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the adult brain (4–9).
Postmarketing studies and isolated case reports, however, suggest that fluoxetine may harm memory in some patients. Some selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to cause memory loss more frequently than others.
There do not seem to be any lasting harmful effects from taking fluoxetine for many months and years but if you are worried, speak to your doctor.
Most people take fluoxetine for at least six to 12 months after they start to feel better. If you have suffered from depression in the past, you should keep taking this medication for at least two years after you start to feel better.
Here, we focused on the effect of fluoxetine on AD and VaD, two of the most common types of dementia. Based on these meta-analyses, short-term SSRI treatment (<30 days) was significantly associated with increased risks of dementia compared with the placebo.
Prozac: This antidepressant may lead to an increased risk of cognitive decline or dementia. Tramadol: This pain medication may cause cognitive impairment in long-term users. Vitamin B12: B12 deficiency symptoms may mimic dementia symptoms, and further research is needed to determine if it can offset cognitive decline.
Are There Any Risks For Taking Fluoxetine For Long Periods Of Time? To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of fluoxetine. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.
By increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain, the drug helps improve mood, regulate emotions, increase quality sleep, and boost appetite. These changes, in turn, can help calm the nervous system and make it less reactive.
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.
One of the widely-reported side effects of SSRIs is 'blunting', where patients report feeling emotionally dull and no longer finding things as pleasurable as they used to. Between 40-60% of patients taking SSRIs are believed to experience this side effect.
In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state. If depressive symptoms do arise and gradually worsen, it's best to consult a psychiatrist or doctor, if they don't improve within a few weeks or if they become severe.
It works by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is thought to have a good influence on mood, emotion and sleep. Fluoxetine helps many people recover from depression, and it has fewer side effects than some other antidepressants.
"On Prozac you become more confident, you're less aware of other people's feelings, less worried about what other people might think about you, you're more able to act as opposed to [being] self-absorbed and stuck.
Fluoxetine (Prozac) has become the most widely used antidepressant drug in the world. Because many patients receive fluoxetine, it is inevitable that some criminal acts involving violent aggression have been committed by individuals while they are taking fluoxetine.
Examples: Acetazolamide (Diamox), carbamazepine (Tegretol), gabapentin (Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), levetiracetam (Keppra), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), pregabalin (Lyrica), rufinamide (Banzel), topiramate (Topamax), valproic acid (Depakote) and zonisamide (Zonegran).
Administration: The examiner reads a list of 5 words at a rate of one per second, giving the following instructions: “This is a memory test. I am going to read a list of words that you will have to remember now and later on. Listen carefully. When I am through, tell me as many words as you can remember.
Long-term treatment with escitalopram (OR = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.5-0.89) and Hypericum perforatum (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.51-0.7) were associated with the lowest risks for dementia on an individual antidepressant basis.
Abstract. Rationale: The selective serotonin uptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine has been shown to not only increase the extracellular concentrations of serotonin, but also dopamine and norepinephrine extracellular concentrations in rat prefrontal cortex.
According to the University of Regina research, popular SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Zoloft, etc., are associated with a twofold increase in the odds of developing some form of cognitive impairment, such as dementia, including Alzheimer's.
Anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, somnolence, asthenia, tremor, anorexia, nausea, dyspepsia, diarrhea, vasodilation, dry mouth, decreased libido, abnormal ejaculation, impotence, rash, sweating, abnormal dreams, flu syndrome, pharyngitis, sinusitis, yawning.
And luckily, as long as the benefits of the medication outweigh the potential side effects, there's no strong evidence that long-term use of SSRIs poses any major problems. “These medications have been around for decades,” says Dr. Jin Hee Yoon-Hudman, a psychiatrist and medical advisor at Minded.
For depression related to bipolar I disorder, Prozac is used as a short-term treatment to relieve depression symptoms. You'll typically be prescribed a mood stabilizer medication long term to help prevent future episodes of depression.