Can you take Seroquel and Prozac taken together? (3 good outcomes) 

In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Can you take Seroquel and Prozac taken together?”. Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic, whereas Prozac is an antidepressant. 

This blog will cover the safety and efficacy of the concomitant use of these two drugs. We will also talk about the clinical significance of this combination and how you can ensure its proper use.

Can you take Seroquel and Prozac taken together? 

Yes, you can take Seroquel and Prozac taken together, but only if prescribed by your healthcare provider. This combination has been used for decades now for better and more effective treatment of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and related mental health conditions. 

However, it is not recommended to start using this combination without your doctor’s approval. There is a fine line between the benefits and risks associated with these medications, and that fine line is the dose at which you take these meds. 

If your doses are not adjusted, even the best possible combination of medications will not work well for you. The purpose of combining two meds together is to increase efficacy and decrease the risk of side effects by lowering the dose of each of the drugs. 

This is why you should always stick to your doctor’s recommended dose. Both Seroquel and Prozac are good medications. Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic. Seroquel (Generic name: Quetiapine) is an atypical antipsychotic medication. 

It is primarily used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The drug can be used for other conditions as well, including autism, irritability and major depressive disorders. 

Its exact mechanism of action is still unknown. However, experts believe that the drug acts as an agonist of some of the dopamine receptors including D2 receptors and some of the serotonin receptors including 5HT1A receptors. 

The experts have also added that Seroquel can inhibit serotonin 5HT2A receptors actively. As Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic, it is considered safer than typical antipsychotics which possess a higher risk of causing extrapyramidal side effects. 

Prozac, on the other hand, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin by blocking serotonin transporters (SERT). This way more serotonin becomes available to bind to its respective receptors. 

Serotonin is an excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for modulating mood, cognition, reward, learning, memory, and various other psychological processes. 

This is how it works to counteract the symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and several other mental health conditions. As both of these medicines work on your brain and brain-related problems, the doses at which you take them, play a huge role.

Lower doses, especially when a combination is used, are your best bet, and many people respond well to well-adjusted doses. 

What are the outcomes of the combination of Seroquel and Prozac? 

Seroquel and Prozac combination has some pretty good outcomes. Let’s discuss some of them. 

• Seroquel makes Prozac start working earlier
• Seroquel balances the activating effects of your antidepressant 
• A good combination for the management of MDD and PTSD

Seroquel makes Prozac start working earlier

This is probably one of the most amazing factors of this combination. We all are aware of the fact that antidepressants, especially SSRIs, take some time to kick in. Prozac usually takes 4-6 weeks to start working, and in some cases, it could take as long as 8-12 weeks. 

Meanwhile, the drug may cause some side effects, but you have to wait for your body to become adjusted to Prozac, after which the side effects begin to subside. When we combine Prozac with Seroquel, your antidepressant kicks in faster. 

With Seroquel, you might begin to notice some changes in around 2 to 3 weeks. This indicates that Seroquel enhances the effects of Prozac and it turns out to be in your best interest. Depression is a nerve-racking illness and it is not easy to deal with. 

You can imagine how you would feel while waiting for your antidepressant to kick in and battling the side effects. 

This is why some healthcare providers combine these two meds together which not only complement each other but can also be used for the treatment of a huge number of mental health-related problems. 

However, make sure you ask your healthcare provider before taking this combination. People with well-developed healthcare systems are safer as they can’t buy any medication without a prescription, but those people who can, please don’t. 

Self-medication is the worst thing you can do to yourself. For the sake of your own mental and physical well-being, always consult your healthcare provider. Even if you have successfully figured out what combination will work for the best in your condition, you still can’t determine the appropriate dose and its frequency. 

Seroquel balances the activating effects of your antidepressant 

Another beneficial effect of the combination of Seroquel and Prozac is the fact that Seroquel balances the activating effects of antidepressants and it may save you from Prozac-induced insomnia and anxiety. 

In fact, the drug will help manage your insomnia and anxiety to some extent and will help calm you down. Prozac makes you feel worse before it makes you feel better. 

As we have just discussed, Prozac takes 4 to 6 weeks to kick in and make some good changes in your body, but it does start to cause side effects as soon as a day or two. The most common early side effects of Prozac are insomnia and anxiety. 

This is where the concomitant use of Seroquel comes in handy. However, as we have just discussed, do not consume these two meds at the same time without first discussing them with your healthcare provider. 

There are a number of factors which might make this combination unbearable for you and only your doctor can rule out those factors. This is why I always seek medical attention for such matters. 

A good combination for the management of MDD and PTSD

The concomitant use of Seroquel and Prozac has proven to be safe and effective in the management and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). MDD is not considered a normal type of depression. It is clinical depression that does not usually respond to normal monotherapies. 

This is why Seroquel makes a good pair and it helps to make Prozac’s onset of action a bit quicker than it usually is. This is why many healthcare providers prefer this combination. It also works in a safe and effective manner for the management and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

PTSD may not seem like a big deal at first and some people simply say that time can heal your trauma, but it goes deeper than that. PTSD can literally ruin your entire personality. 

As the disease progresses, you become subjected to terrible panic attacks that are combined with physical signs and symptoms. This is why you should always take your mental health seriously. 

Conclusion 

In this blog post, we have discussed the concomitant use of Seroquel and Prozac. This combination has been used for decades now for better and more effective treatment of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and related mental health conditions. 

However, it is not recommended to start using this combination without your doctor’s approval. Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic medication. It is primarily used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and is an antidepressant. 

Both of these meds, when combined together, can help treat a number of mental health conditions. Make sure you always stick to your doctor’s advice and do not take anything that is not approved by your healthcare provider. 

FAQs: Seroquel makes Prozac start working earlier

What antidepressant works well with Seroquel?

Seroquel can be paired with a number of antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), dopamine-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (DNRI), etc. Only your healthcare provider can determine which combination holds the best therapeutic importance in your case. Make sure you always stick to your doctor’s advice and do not take anything that is not approved by your healthcare provider.

What can you not mix Seroquel with?

• Certain antibiotics including macrolides. Examples are clarithromycin, azithromycin, and erythromycin. 
• Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Examples are fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, etc. 
• Some antifungal agents like ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole etc. 
• Certain antiarrhythmic medications like quinidine
• Medications used to treat HIV, including ritonavir, indinavir, etc.

What medications should not be taken with Prozac?

• Monoaminoxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The combination use can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. 
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). The combination use can increase the risk of bleeding. 
• Pimozide. The concomitant use can increase the plasma concentration(availability of a drug in the blood) of pimozide to much higher levels. It can result in life-threatening arrhythmia.
• Controlled substances, including all narcotic analgesics. The concomitant use can cause severe psychological side effects. 
• Mood stabilisers 
• Alcohol 

Can you take an SSRI with Seroquel?

Yes, you can take an SSRI with Seroquel, but only if your healthcare provider prescribes this combination. When we combine SSRIs with Seroquel, your antidepressant kicks in faster. With Seroquel, you might begin to notice some changes in around 2 to 3 weeks. This indicates that Seroquel enhances the effects of SSRIs and it turns out to be in your best interest. Seroquel also balances the activating effects of your antidepressant. 

What does Seroquel do to a normal person?

Seroquel is an atypical antipsychotic medication. It is most commonly used for the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Seroquel can also be used for the treatment and management of irritability, autism, and major depressive disorder (MDD). However, this medicine is also associated with some side effects and it may severely damage the mental health of a person who has no psychological illness. 

Can Seroquel Be Harmful?

Yes, Seroquel can be harmful as this medication is associated with a number of side effects, which may affect some people more than others. Some of the side effects include:

• Dizziness 
• Drowsiness 
• Fatigue 
• Diarrhoea 
• Constipation 
• Abdominal pain 
• Increased appetite
• Weight gain 
• Excess salivation 
• Body pain
• Swelling or tenderness in different parts of the body.
• Vision changes
• Uncontrollable tremors 
• Fever
• Muscle pain, stiffness, and rigidity 
• Neck muscle spasm
• Arrhythmia or irregular heart rate 
• Convulsions 

References 

• Drug Interactions between Prozac and Seroquel https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/prozac-with-seroquel-1115-648-1979-1274.html#:~:text=Interactions%20between%20your%20drugs&text=Using%20QUEtiapine%20together%20with%20FLUoxetine,is%20a%20rare%20side%20effect.
• Ella J Daly and Madhukar H Trivedi – A review of quetiapine in combination with antidepressant therapy in patients with depression https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2656328/ 
• J M Goldstein. Drugs Today (Barc). (1999) – Quetiapine fumarate (Seroquel): a new atypical antipsychotic https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12973385/
• Prozac oral https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6997/prozac-oral/details