Introduction

Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) is a psychotropic drug for oral administration. Prozac is used to treat depression, panic disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and bulimia. Prozac is primarily based for depression, and used vastly within persons suffering depression.

Suitability

Prozac is suitable for those who are 18 years plus. Prozac is not recommended for adolescents or women who are pregnant. Whilst Prozac can be used on minors, the facts for increased suicidality far surpasses it use over other drugs.

Dosage

The recommended dosage is 20mg per day, however; the more common dosages for treatment of PTSD is more like 40mg+ per day.

Side Effects

All drugs have possible side effect/s, which need to be taken into consideration when being prescribed.

You have approximately a 1:4 chance of having any side effect/s with Prozac from the clinical studies performed.

Prozac has the following possible side effects:

• Body as a Whole
  • Asthenia
  • Flu syndrome
  • Headache
  • Fever
• Cardiovascular System
  • Vasodilatation
• Digestive System
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Anorexia
  • Dry mouth
  • Dyspepsia
  • Constipation
  • Flatulence
  • Vomiting
• Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders
  • Weight loss
• Nervous System
  • Insomnia
  • Anxiety
  • Nervousness
  • Somnolence
  • Tremor
  • Libido decreased
  • Abnormal dreams
  • Thinking abnormal
• Respiratory System
  • Pharyngitis
  • Sinusitis
  • Yawn
• Skin and Appendages
  • Sweating
  • Rash
  • Pruritus
• Urogenital System
  • Impotence
  • Abnormal ejaculation
• Special Senses
  • Abnormal vision

Further categorization of possible side effects are listed in decreasing order:

Body as a Whole

• Frequent: chest pain, chills;
• Infrequent: chills and fever, face edema, intentional overdose, malaise, pelvic pain, suicide attempt;
• Rare: acute abdominal syndrome, hypothermia, intentional injury, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, photosensitivity reaction.

Cardiovascular System

• Frequent: hemorrhage, hypertension, palpitation;
• Infrequent: angina pectoris, arrhythmia, congestive heart failure, hypotension, migraine, myocardial infarct, postural hypotension, syncope, tachycardia, vascular headache;
• Rare: atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, cerebral embolism, cerebral ischemia, cerebrovascular accident, extrasystoles, heart arrest, heart block, pallor, peripheral vascular disorder, phlebitis, shock, thrombophlebitis, thrombosis, vasospasm, ventricular arrhythmia, ventricular extrasystoles, ventricular fibrillation.

Digestive System

• Frequent: increased appetite, nausea and vomiting;
• Infrequent: aphthous stomatitis, cholelithiasis, colitis, dysphagia, eructation, esophagitis, gastritis, gastroenteritis, glossitis, gum hemorrhage, hyperchlorhydria, increased salivation, liver function tests abnormal, melena, mouth ulceration, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, stomach ulcer, stomatitis, thirst;
• Rare: biliary pain, bloody diarrhea, cholecystitis, duodenal ulcer, enteritis, esophageal ulcer, fecal incontinence, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, hematemesis, hemorrhage of colon, hepatitis, intestinal obstruction, liver fatty deposit, pancreatitis, peptic ulcer, rectal hemorrhage, salivary gland enlargement, stomach ulcer hemorrhage, tongue edema.

Endocrine System

• Infrequent: hypothyroidism;
• Rare: diabetic acidosis, diabetes mellitus.

Hemic and Lymphatic System

• Infrequent: anemia, ecchymosis;
• Rare: blood dyscrasia, hypochromic anemia, leukopenia, lymphedema, lymphocytosis, petechia, purpura, thrombocythemia, thrombocytopenia.

Metabolic and Nutritional

• Frequent: weight gain;
• Infrequent: dehydration, generalized edema, gout, hypercholesteremia, hyperlipemia, hypokalemia, peripheral edema;
• Rare: alcohol intolerance, alkaline phosphatase increased, BUN increased, creatine phosphokinase increased, hyperkalemia, hyperuricemia, hypocalcemia, iron deficiency anemia, SGPT increased.

Musculoskeletal System

• Infrequent: arthritis, bone pain, bursitis, leg cramps, tenosynovitis;
• Rare: arthrosis, chondrodystrophy, myasthenia, myopathy, myositis, osteomyelitis, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis.

Nervous System

• Frequent: agitation, amnesia, confusion, emotional lability, sleep disorder;
• Infrequent: abnormal gait, acute brain syndrome, akathisia, apathy, ataxia, buccoglossal syndrome, CNS depression, CNS stimulation, depersonalization, euphoria, hallucinations, hostility, hyperkinesia, hypertonia, hypesthesia, incoordination, libido increased, myoclonus, neuralgia, neuropathy, neurosis, paranoid reaction, personality disorder, psychosis, vertigo;
• Rare: abnormal electroencephalogram, antisocial reaction, circumoral paresthesia, coma, delusions, dysarthria, dystonia, extrapyramidal syndrome, foot drop, hyperesthesia, neuritis, paralysis, reflexes decreased, reflexes increased, stupor.

Respiratory System

• Infrequent: asthma, epistaxis, hiccup, hyperventilation;
• Rare: apnea, atelectasis, cough decreased, emphysema, hemoptysis, hypoventilation, hypoxia, larynx edema, lung edema, pneumothorax, stridor.

Skin and Appendages

• Infrequent: acne, alopecia, contact dermatitis, eczema, maculopapular rash, skin discoloration, skin ulcer, vesiculobullous rash;
• Rare: furunculosis, herpes zoster, hirsutism, petechial rash, psoriasis, purpuric rash, pustular rash, seborrhea.

Special Senses

• Frequent: ear pain, taste perversion, tinnitus;
• Infrequent: conjunctivitis, dry eyes, mydriasis, photophobia;
• Rare: blepharitis, deafness, diplopia, exophthalmos, eye hemorrhage, glaucoma, hyperacusis, iritis, parosmia, scleritis, strabismus, taste loss, visual field defect.

Urogenital System

• Frequent: urinary frequency;
• Infrequent: abortion, albuminuria, amenorrhea, anorgasmia, breast enlargement, breast pain, cystitis, dysuria, female lactation, fibrocystic breast, hematuria, leukorrhea, menorrhagia, metrorrhagia, nocturia, polyuria, urinary incontinence, urinary retention, urinary urgency, vaginal hemorrhage;
• Rare: breast engorgement, glycosuria, hypomenorrhea, kidney pain, oliguria, priapism, uterine hemorrhage, uterine fibroids enlarged.

Warnings

As Prozac is an anti-depressant, all anti-depresants pose a risk of increased suicidal thoughts, or suicidality. The following symptoms; anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric.

Patients should be advised to inform their physician if they are taking, or plan to take, any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, as there is a potential for interactions.

Consideration should be given to changing the therapeutic regimen, including possibly discontinuing the medication, in patients whose depression is persistently worse, or who are experiencing emergent suicidality or symptoms that might be precursors to worsening depression or suicidality, especially if these symptoms are severe, abrupt in onset, or were not part of the patient’s presenting symptoms.

Patients should be advised to notify their physician if they become pregnant or intend to become pregnant during therapy.

Patients should be advised to notify their physician if they are breast feeding an infant.

Read more from the fact sheets on Prozac:

• Prozac Description
• Prozac Pharmacology
• Prozac Dosage Information
• Prozac Side Effects and Drug Interactions
• Prozac Warnings and Precautions
• Prozac Overdose Information
• Prozac Patient Information

Another resource direct from the manufacturer, is Prozac.com.