It can also help prevent your depression from returning once you’re feeling better. Take your antidepressant consistently and at the correct dose. If your medicine doesn’t seem to be working or is causing bothersome side effects, call your health care provider before making any changes. Anyone taking an antidepressant should be watched closely for worsening depression or unusual behavior.
This can affect relationships, decrease self-esteem, and lead some people to stop taking their medication in order to find relief from the symptoms. The symptoms of sexual dysfunction caused by taking antidepressants were highlighted in a recent study posted to Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety. The dosage is usually once per day in the morning, but sometimes a second dose is prescribed and taken around noon. For use in the treatment of a premenstrual disorder, the patient may be instructed to take it every day or just for the two weeks before the start of her period. Today, doctors prescribe the medicine to treat not only major depression, but panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, and premenstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
You might try exercising together to gear up for sex or incorporate new types of stimulation into your routine. When you’re deciding when to take your pill, make sure to factor your pattern of sexual activity into your scheduling. If you are most likely to have sex in the evening, it may help if you take your pill in the morning.
The dosage of Prozac may also need to be adjusted for children with a low body weight. For example, if your child weighs less than usual for their age, their doctor may prescribe a lower dosage. The maximum recommended dosage for OCD is 80 mg per day. The information below describes dosages that are commonly recommended for adults. But be sure to take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. This section covers standard dosage information for Prozac.
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The FDA first approved Prozac in 1987 as a medication for treating major depressive disorder . Prozac is also approved to treat PMDD , obsessive-compulsive disorder , panic disorder, bipolar disorder and bulimia nervosa. Prozac, which contains the active ingredient fluoxetine, works by affecting the levels of natural chemicals that control your moods and feelings. Taken consistently, it can help to treat several common forms of anxiety, improving your mental well-being and quality of life. Within the first one to two weeks, most people feel lower levels of anxiety, restlessness or tiredness with Prozac treatment.
Likewise, complete excretion of the drug may take several weeks. In contrast, drugs called tricyclic antidepressants, which affect the serotonin system less, seem to affect women’s feelings of love more than men’s, the researchers said. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. It’s possible for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors , including Prozac, to cause sexual side effects.
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If you’re concerned about long-term side effects from Prozac, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can discuss the risk of side effects with you and ways to help prevent side effects from occurring. You shouldn’t experience weight gain from taking Prozac. Weight gain wasn’t reported in clinical trials of people taking this drug. I have only been on this medication for a short while, however long enough for my body to adjust and respond.
I just couldn’t feel or show as much excitement as him, and then had a hard time sympathizing when he got mad that I didn’t. Dan often felt like I didn’t care, and I struggled to explain my feelings because I didn’t understand them myself. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Getting that treated will sometimes help, although ironically, many of the SSRIs or medications used to treat depression or anxiety cause sexual side effects. So it’s really a balance, and trying to look at your diet and lifestyle and what plays into your specific situation. Discuss ways to make sex more fulfilling and exciting. Sometimes spicing up your sex life is enough to counteract some of the sexual side effects of antidepressants. Plan to have sex before you take your daily antidepressant dose.
Antidepressants and risk of suicide
Prozac is usually prescribed at a low dose to start, and then gradually increased to 20 mg per day. It can be taken as a liquid or capsule and should be used as prescribed. It can take several weeks for effects to show, so it is important not to stop taking Prozac abruptly even if you think it is not working. Major spicer.app legit and persistent depressive disorders are two common forms of depression. Learn about the differences, including symptoms and treatment methods. Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations.
Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional. Serotonin syndromecan also occur, particularly if Prozac is used in conjunction with certain other medications. Prozac may also activate mania in people who are prone to it. Close monitoring by a healthcare provider is important.
Fluoxetine is used to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a condition where individuals have affective and somatic symptoms monthly during the luteal phase of menstruation. Taking fluoxetine 20 mg/d can be effective in treating PMDD, though doses of 10 mg/d have also been prescribed effectively. For many people, it is the will to have sex that is most affected by antidepressant medications.