This blog post will answer the question, “Can prozac cause lightheadedness?”. Prozac is an antidepressant which is associated with a number of side effects including lightheadedness or dizziness. In fact, it is one of the most commonly reported side effects.

This blog will cover what you should and shouldn’t do when you experience prozac induced lightheadedness.

Can prozac make you light headed?

Yes, prozac can make you light headed or dizzy, especially when the dose is escalated. It is one of the most commonly reported side effects and can range from mild to severe.

Most people have reported slight lightheadedness and that too on sharp head movements or after standing up too fast. Some people, however, have reported lightheadedness even after small head movements and such people find it difficult to maintain their balance and may fall down.

What to do if you suffer from prozac induced lightheadedness?

If you suffer from lightheadedness, make sure you inform your healthcare provider. Mild dizziness usually stays as long as your body tries to adjust to the medicine. When your body is fully adapted, your lightheadedness begins to fade away.

This side effect is also common when your dose is increased. In usual practice, prozac is started from the lowest possible dose, especially for those patients who newly get diagnosed with depression.

It is impossible to predict how a person, who’s nascent to antidepressants, will respond to prozac. When you seem to tolerate it well, your doctor increases your dose to achieve maximum therapeutic response.

This dose escalation can make you dizzy for a few days, until your body adjusts to the new increased dose. Following are a few tips to help manage your dizziness:

Drink plenty of water

Hydration is an important key to get rid of dizziness. Water not only removes toxins from your body, but also increases your blood volume. Experts believe that people who are dehydrated and have lower blood volume can experience more pronounced dizziness.

Make sure you drink plenty of water. If water is too bland for you, you can add fruits in it to make a flavourful detox water. You can try adding lemons, ginger, cucumber, berries, orange, kiwis etc.

Sip some ginger tea

Ginger is a good option when it comes to simple home remedies to help avoid getting lightheaded. Several research studies have indicated that ginger is used as a herbal medicine in people with motion sickness or early pregnancy associated with morning sickness.

The purpose of taking ginger is to cure, guess what? Lightheadedness. This indicates that ginger, in any form, is helpful in making your head spin less and it can also reduce the intensity of nausea that follows severe dizziness.

Make sure you have enough vitamins

Deficiency of certain vitamins may make you more susceptible to prozac induced lightheadedness. Make sure you have plenty of essential vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E.

Several studies have indicated that vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid can help relieve your dizziness, even if it is a side effect of prozac. Common sources of vitamin C include grapefruits, oranges, bell peppers, berries and lemons.

Studies have also revealed the impact of vitamin E on lightheadedness, especially when it is caused by reduced circulation. Common sources of vitamin E include nuts, seeds, kiwis, wheat, barley and leafy green vegetables.

Monitor your blood pressure

Low blood pressure or hypotension can make your prozac induced lightheadedness much, much worse. This is because when your blood pressure is low, it indicates that your heart rate is also low which means that you will have a lesser amount of blood going into your brain.

When the brain does not receive enough oxygen and nutrition, the first symptom that appears is dizziness. This is exactly why experts recommend you to monitor your blood pressure.

If you notice changes, make sure you talk to your healthcare provider and ask for suitable tips to help maintain your blood pressure.

Medications

There are certain medications that can be used to tone down the intensity of your dizziness. These include some over-the-counter anti-allergy medications and some anticholinergics that might relax your mind and make it easier for you to retain your balance.

Helpful movements

There are certain body and head movements that may help relieve your lightheadedness. Lie down straight on your and lift your legs straight in the air.

If holding your legs is a difficult task for you, you can either raise them against a wall to help support them or place a pillow underneath your lower back. Hold this position for a while.

This helps to encourage the flow of blood towards your brain which, researchers have proved, can significantly tone down your lightheadedness.

Make sure you lie on bed or on the floor without a pillow under your head or else the maximum amount of blood may not reach your brain.

Sleep well

Make sure you sleep well. Disturbed sleep patterns are your biggest enemy. It not only kills your energy but can also make your dizziness much worse.

This condition can disturb your daily life activities and make even small simple tasks difficult for you. Several guidelines suggest following tips to make your sleep quality better than it is now. These include:

Try to go to bed at the same time every day, working days as well as weekends.
Do not use electronic devices or gadgets before going to bed. They reduce your sleep quality. Make sure you remove such devices from your room or switch them off.
Do not consume caffeine in the evening. The half life of caffeine is 2 to 12 hours, so make sure you do not consume it in the evening, as it might remain in your system till bedtime.
Do not consume high amounts of food or alcohol before bedtime. You don’t need to keep your digestive system working while you sleep.
Stay active. Regular exercise releases tension from your muscles and makes you feel relaxed. Exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week.
Avoid smoking. Nicotine is a stimulant. As long as it remains in your system, it keeps you awake.

What activities should be avoided if you suffer from prozac induced lightheadedness?

Make sure you avoid certain activities when you suffer from prozac induced lightheadedness. These activities include:

Driving

Do not drive when you’re feeling dizzy or lightheaded. Driving requires your full physical and mental alertness and it’s in your best interest to avoid it when you’re dizzy and your mind is numb. If there’s somewhere you need to be, just ask a friend to drop you or book a ride.

Driving without full mental alertness can cause accidents. It not only puts you in danger, but others around you as well. Make sure you stay out of trouble.

Operating machinery

If you’re an employee in some factory where you are supposed to operate heavy machinery, don’t! Your lightheadedness might cause an accident and can make you or others around you severely injured.

Drinking alcohol or taking any sedative

Make sure you’re not taking any other medication that might be contributing to your lightheadedness. Do not drink alcohol, or you’ll end up getting even more dizzy, that can reach up to a point where you are no longer able to stand up straight.

Alcohol itself is responsible for causing lightheadedness and dizziness. It clouds your mind and messes up with your mental alertness. Alcohol is never a good combination with an antidepressant, no matter which one you take.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have discussed prozac induced lightheadedness. Prozac is an antidepressant which is associated with a number of side effects. It can cause lightheadedness or dizziness, especially when the dose is escalated.

It is one of the most commonly reported side effects and can range from mild to severe. Most people have reported slight lightheadedness and that too on sharp head movements or after standing up too fast.

Mild dizziness usually stays as long as your body tries to adjust to the medicine. We have discussed some important tips that can help you get rid of or at least tone down your dizziness.

Make sure you don’t drive, operate heavy machinery or use alcohol excessively while you suffer from prozac induced lightheadedness.

FAQs: prozac light headed

Does Prozac make your head feel weird?

Prozac can make your head feel weird, especially during the first few weeks of your treatment. This effect is also common when your dose is escalated after a few weeks of your treatment. You may suffer from dizziness, drowsiness, agitation, insomnia and restlessness.

Can antidepressants make you lightheaded?

Antidepressants can cause lightheadedness or dizziness, especially when the dose is escalated. It is one of the most commonly reported side effects and can range from mild to severe.

Can Prozac cause brain fog?

Prozac can cause brain fog in some of its users. This side effect is not that common and it usually occurs during the first few weeks of treatment. People on higher doses of prozac are more likely to suffer from brain fog.

Brain fog is related to a wide range of psychological symptoms. It is not considered a disease and is often present as a symptom of some underlying mental health conditions.

How long does it take to feel side effects of Prozac?

Prozac can start producing unwanted side effects soon after you take your first ever dose. These side effects begin to subside within 2 to 3 weeks of the treatment, when your body adjusts to the presence of prozac. This time duration can vary from person to person. Some people can take up to 12 weeks to recover from these side effects.

What does Prozac feel like when it starts working?

When prozac starts working, you begin to feel that the symptoms associated with your mental health condition are fading away. However, this process does not happen overnight.

One should bear in mind that prozac can not produce a satisfactory antidepressant effect in a short span of time. These meds make changes in the amount of excitatory neurotransmitter ‘Serotonin’ in your brain and this process takes a while.

Is it better to take Prozac at night?

It is better to take prozac at night if it causes drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea.

References

Prozac Capsule – Uses, Side Effects, and More https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6997/prozac-oral/details
James M. Ferguson, M.D.- SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse Effects and Tolerability https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181155/
Paul F Smith et al. Acta Otolaryngol. (2010) – A possible explanation for dizziness following SSRI discontinuation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20144124/
Andrea Rossi, Alessandra Barraco, and Pietro Donda (2004) – Fluoxetine: a review on evidence based medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC356924/#__ffn_sectitle
A Grøntved, E Hentzer (1986) – Vertigo-reducing effect of ginger root. A controlled clinical study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3537898/

Can Prozac make you lightheaded? (+7 tips)