Are Prozac and Abilify good for depression?

This article will discuss Prozac and Abilify when taken for treating depression. Not only that, the article will take into consideration its side effects, and how the medications should be taken.

Are Prozac and Abilify good for depression?

Yes, Prozac and Abilify are both used in depressive treatments. Let’s discuss the uses, and side effects of the medications, and how each of them works when treating depression.

What is Prozac? 

Prozac is a known prescription drug that is used to treat depression. It can also be used to treat some other mental health conditions. Those conditions are major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, panic disorder. 

Along with those, people with bipolar disorder type I, and people with drug-resistant depression, can benefit from taking Prozac.

Prozac usually has only mild side effects. Those are nausea, upset stomach, constipation, headaches, anxiety, difficulty sleeping and feeling dizzy. It can also cause people to become nervous, to have heart application, change in eating patterns, which can lead to weight fluctuations. 

People taking Prozac can also experience dry mouth, decreased sex drive, as well as impotence, and difficulty having an orgasm. Along with that, people taking Prozac can experience symptoms similar to a cold.

When taking Prozac your doctor should be aware of other medications you are using, because it can interact with its use. Since Prozac is a medication of continued use, if people stop taking them all of the sudden, they can experience withdrawal symptoms. That is why the medication should be taken only when prescribed.

Its dosage may also change, meaning your doctor may start you off with a smaller dosage, and go up with it little by little until it reaches the right dosage. You can take it before or after eating, and if you forget to take it at the right time, take it as soon as you can.

But if you remember it too close to the next dose, skip that one, and go directly to the next dose in the time you have set for taking it. Don’t take too much of it at once, but if that happens, get in touch with your doctor, or go to an emergency room. 

What is Abilify?

Abilify is a drug used to treat some mood disorders. Such as schizophrenia, for it, the drug can be used for people over 13 years old. It can also be used to treat Bipolar Disorder type I. Abilify is used to treat major depressive episodes and Tourette’s syndrome. In all conditions, young people can make use of the medication.

It can have mild to severe side effects. It can cause nausea, vomiting, or constipation. It leads to memory loss, headaches, blurred vision, or dizziness. It can give the person symptoms similar to a cold, anxiety, and change the people’s sleeping pattern.

Abilify can make it hard for people to relax, and also cause rash, hair loss, and change in sex drive. As for the more serious side effects, it can cause strokes in older people that are experiencing psychosis. It can also cause Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and changes in the person’s metabolism, such as diabetes and high cholesterol. 

It can also lead to compulsive behavior, such as binge eating, gambling, sexual urges. Lower blood pressure, and the count of white blood cells,  are also side effects. It can impair people’s ability to think or move, and it can make it hard for your body to control its temperature. 

Abilify can bring trouble to swallow, and cause the extrapyramidal disorder. Aside from allergic reaction, risk of death to older people, and suicidal thoughts.

Abilify comes in the form of a tablet that should be swallowed whole. Its dosage is determined by your doctor, depending on your condition, age, and other medical conditions. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. But if it is close to the time of the next one, you can skip it. 

Never take two doses together. And if it happens, get in touch with your doctor or go to the emergency room. Keep the use of the medication as long as your doctor prescribes it. Abilify may be used with other medications, so tell your doctor which other medications you take so they can prescribe it knowing the whole situation.

What is the use of each of them for depression? 

Prozac is used to treat depression in adults, and kids between 10 and 19 with severe and persistent depression. Research has shown that, when compared to other antidepressants, Prozac can be as effective, but it usually has fewer side effects. It is also suggested to people that don’t respond to paroxetine and citalopram.

Abilify can be used in a combined treatment of a major depressive disorder. Meaning you will take it with another drug. Its initial dosage is usually between 2 and 5mg each day. 

And it may increase slowly until it reaches the dosage that your doctor prescribes. The maximum dosage is 15mg. Research has shown it is effective in treating major depression, as it decreases its symptoms.

With that, it is possible to say that Prozac may be used more frequently when treating depression, and it may be the preferential drug. Abilify is more often used in other mood disorders, and it is mostly used as an adjunct drug in depression treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Are Prozac and Abilify good for depression? 

What is major depression? 

Major depression is a form of depression in which the symptoms are extremely intense. People have common symptoms of depression, may they also develop symptoms such as hallucinations, and psychotic symptoms, aside from it, they can become delusional.

It usually lasts more than 6 months, and during it, the person may find it hard to do simple things such as getting out of bed and getting dressed to work. To treat major depression, a joint treatment of therapy and medication is needed.

The medication will make your symptoms less intense, which will allow you to feel somewhat better. As for therapy, it will give you a safe space, free of judgment in which you can share all your feelings and emotions. 

There you can feel supported, and heard by a professional that will help you navigate your condition better. Through therapy, you might also begin to learn what is the root of your depression, and how to strengthen your emotional condition. 

Aside from that, to cope with major depression you might need to do some lifestyle changes. For example, it might be good for you to start journaling to write about your feelings. Exercising can also help improve your well-being, the same is said by allowing yourself to be close to people you love, even if it seems hard.

Can Abilify be used to treat other types of bipolar disorder? 

Yes, Abilify can be used to treat bipolar disorder type II. But if you have a diagnosis of any type of bipolar disorder or any other type of mental health condition, you should get in touch with your doctor to discuss what is the best line of treatment for you.

Does depression have a cure? 

No, depression doesn’t have a cure. Because there is a genetic trait to it, it is impossible to affirm that people won’t ever develop depression again. So rather than that, it is said that depression goes into remission. 

This might discourage some people from treating their depression, but you need to keep in mind that even though it is impossible to say you won’t get depressed, you can regain control of your life and emotions. 

But what you should take with you from battling depression is how taking care of your mental health is important. You may want to follow your treatment until the end, and maintain, as part of your routine, some things you learned during your treatment, such as exercising or meditating.

What is drug-resistant depression? 

Drug-resistant depression or treatment-resistant depression is a form of depression in which the common treatments don’t improve. They might not improve completely or even observe any slight change in their condition.

If you and your doctor are considering having drug-resistant therapy, you may consider Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This is a 30-minute treatment in which an electromagnetic coil is placed on your scalp, close to your forehead. It will send an electrical current through your brain to improve your condition.

Ketamine is also another suggestion to people that have this condition. It is a medication that can only be used under prescription. And are only recommended to people that have tried 2 other forms of antidepressants and haven’t improved. 

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) sends a dose of electricity through your brain, causing a small seizure that can reverse the symptoms of major depression. 

Another form of treatment for drug-resistant depression is vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) which is only used when other forms of stimulation have been tested without success. This treatment will connect a wire to your chest and neck in which electrical signs will be sent to the mood centers of the brain.

What are the forms of antidepressants?

Antidepressants are a type of medication that is used to treat depression. There are many types of it, and they have been developed for quite some time. The most common type of antidepressants are the Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), they usually have fewer side effects, some examples of which are Fluoxetine, and Citalopram.

Another modern line of antidepressants is the Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), such as venlafaxine; they are similar to SSRIs but were created to be more effective than SSRIs. But since each person works differently, it is impossible to affirm they are better.

Noradrenaline and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NASSAs) are other forms of antidepressants. They are usually recommended to people that can’t take SSRIs. They can cause more dizziness, but less loss of libido than SSRIs. An example of it is mirtazapine.

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), such as amitriptyline, are an older form of medication but can be recommended to people with major depression that are resistant to other medications. 

Serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs) are a form of antidepressants that is also prescribed when other forms haven’t worked, meaning when people have drug-resistant depression. An example of it is trazodone. 

And finally, there are the Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) that are also older types of antidepressants. They usually have a lot of serious side effects. The most known example of it is tranylcypromine.

Conclusion

This article discussed the use of Prozac and Abilify in treating depression. For that, the article explained what are the recommendations and side effects of each of them, and their benefits in treating depression.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write it in the section below. 

References

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/abilify#What-is-Abilify?

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263773#uses