The Benefits For Taking Prozac
Fluoxetine or Prozac is a selective serotonin inhibitor (SSRI) that is prescribed for depression, anxiety disorder and panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bulimia, and premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Prozac Oral may be used to treat Bipolar Depression, Depressed Mood Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, muscle weakness, stiff, tender and painful muscles, and depression that follows the deleviery of a baby.
How Prozac Works
SSRIs help to restore the balance of chemicals in the brain and serotonin. Prozac may improve your mood, appetite, sleep, energy level and it may help you be more productive in life. It may help you reduce or eliminate anxiety, obsessive and persistent thoughts and urges like compulsions. It may reduce your panic attacks and symptoms such as irritability, increased appetite and depression. It may help you binge and purge less if you are bulimic. Also, Prozac is used to treat obesity, eating disorders, catalepsy and narcolepsy.
Warnings
Your doctor may start you at a low dose to see how you respond to the medication. He can increase your dose if necessary. Keep in mind that you should follow your doctor's orders. You will not get better faster if you take more medication than he prescribed for you. If you take too much, you may experience more side effects. However, to see a benefit you will have to take the medication regularly. You should take your dose at the same time every day, because it will help you remember to take your dose. You should not stop taking the medication if you start to feel better, unless your doctor has instructed you to stop taking it.
In addition, your symptoms should improve in 1 to 2 weeks, but it might take several weeks before you experience the full benefits for taking Prozac.
If your condition gets worse, please tell your doctor.
Risk Of Overdose
If you think you may have overdosed on Prozac, you should call your local poison control center or go to the emergency room. If you live in the United States, you can call the US National Poison Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. If you live in Canada, you should call a provincial poison control center. Symptoms of overdose may include fainting, irregular heartbeat, severe dizziness and seizures.
In addition, you should not share Prozac with anyone, and you should see your doctor or therapist regularly, so that he can monitor your progress. Tell him how the medication is working for you and report any side effects that you are experiencing.