What does Prozac feel like when it starts working?

This article will discuss what the antidepressant Prozac feels like as it starts to work. For that, the article will explain what Prozac is, how it works in the person’s body and mood, its side effects, and what should be considered before taking the medication.

How does it feel when Prozac starts to work? 

When you are taking Prozac, and it starts to work, you may feel more energetic, and your sleeping patterns will improve. To some people, their eating patterns will also get better. Those can usually be felt in the first two weeks after you started taking the medication. 

And around 4 weeks after you start using it, you may feel a bigger improvement in your mood, and overall sense of well-being, to some people, it can take up to 12 weeks. The medication stays in your system for around 25 days causing you to feel the effects of it even 25 days after you stop taking them.

When you take Prozac you can feel less anxious or depressed. And you will notice that you will be able to relax easier, and have more interest in things and people, which depression usually takes away. Your ability to focus can also increase as you take Prozac.

What is Prozac?

Prozac, which is also known as Fluoxetine, is a form of antidepressant. It was created in 1988, in the United States, and it has become the most known antidepressant in the country.

It is commonly used to treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Bulimia Nervosa, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. 

Prozac can be used combined with other medications like olanzapine to treat the manic depression that is caused by Bipolar Disorder. 

Prozac can come in a liquid form, as well as a tablet, and capsule. It can work as a delayed-release, long-acting capsule. And it can be used by adults and in some cases by children over 10 years old. 

How does Prozac work in your body?

Prozac is an antidepressant that works through a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), which prevents the brain from absorbing the serotonin quickly, leaving the person’s level of serotonin up, improving their mood and other symptoms of depression.

What are the side effects of Prozac?

As with any form of antidepressant, Prozac can cause side effects. What is important to be aware of is the intensity of it, and how long they go on. As soon as you start to take it, some side effects can happen, but those usually stop after a while, when your body adjusts to the medication.

The most common side effects of Prozac are anxiety, diarrhea, blurred vision, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, headaches, and heartburn. Along with that, it can cause people to become light-headed, have nausea, and change in libido and sex life. 

If you notice that these side effects go on for a long time, you may get in touch with your doctor to discuss adjusting your dosage or changing your medication. The same is said if you develop the rarest forms of side effects, which can include: allergic reactions, that can lead to hives, and rashes. 

It is a severe side effect if you experience bruising or bleeding, along with confusion, fever, vomiting, seizures, swelling, trouble breathing, and even suicidal thoughts.

What are things you should consider before taking Prozac?

Prozac is completely safe, and there is no sign that it can lead to addiction. But before taking it you should discuss with your doctor all the medications you are taking so they can understand if there is any chance of medication interaction. 

That could prevent Prozac from being effective, make your condition worse, or even cause you more health problems.

Women that are pregnant and breastfeeding need to be followed closely by their physicians since the medication can go to the baby. The same is said about elderly people over 65, they can experience its side effects more intensely, which can be a problem.

Because it is a medication that impacts the level of serotonin, it can cause something known as Serotonin Syndrome. That condition can be fatal and usually happens when the person takes Prozac with other medications that impact the level of serotonin.

What are the doses of Prozac and how should it be taken? 

Once you start to take Prozac, your doctor may prescribe a lower dosage of 20mg, which is usually taken daily. And after following you for a few weeks, they increase the dosage little by little until it reaches the optimal dosage.

What will set your dosage is how you are feeling, and what is your body structure. The maximum dose of Prozac is 80mg. And you should take it according to what your doctor prescribes. Always take it at the same time, and if you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember it, but if it is too close to your next dose, just wait for the next.

If you take too much of it, you should get in touch with your doctor, or go to the emergency room. As you start to take Prozac, and your condition improves, don’t stop taking it without talking to your doctor. 

By doing that, you can experience symptoms of withdrawal. Which can cause dizziness, confusion, nightmares, insomnia, irritability, and excessive crying. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): How does it feel when Prozac starts to work? 

How many forms of antidepressants are there? 

There are 6 forms of antidepressants. They usually change how they act on your brain. Let’s understand what each of them does, and some examples of medication in each of them.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common form of antidepressants because they usually have fewer side effects, two examples of it are Fluoxetine and Citalopram.

Another form commonly prescribed is the Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). They are similar to SSRIs but were created to be more effective than SSRIs. An example of SNRIs is venlafaxine.

Noradrenaline and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NASSAs) are recommended mostly for people that can’t take SSRIs. They may have stronger side effects. An example of it is mirtazapine.

An older form of antidepressants such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), can be recommended to people with major depression that are resistant to other medications. An example of it is amitriptyline. 

Serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors (SARIs) are a form of antidepressants that is also prescribed when other forms haven’t worked. An example of it is trazodone. 

The older form of antidepressants is Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). They usually have a lot of serious side effects, and that is why it is not so often prescribed. The most known example of it is tranylcypromine.

Will people always react the same way to medication?

No, each person tends to react differently when taking mental health medication. Each organism is different, and a medication that can have fewer side effects on one person may have a lot on others.

The same is said about how effective the medication is. Medication can improve a person’s mood greatly, but their friend, who is taking the same one, and in the same dosage, may not experience any improvement. 

That is why being followed by a professional is important. If you don’t react well to your medication, they can start to consider changing your dosage, or even the medication.

Is only medication enough to treat mental illness?

No, to treat mental illness a person may need a joint treatment between medication, therapy, and maybe even the help of other professionals. The medication will work mostly on reducing your symptoms, and try to revert the chemical imbalance that is happening in your brain.

But treating a mental illness is usually an integrative process. You will not only need to reduce your symptoms, you should understand your emotions better, and become aware of your patterns and triggers, you may need to go through therapy. 

It is only with that, that once you stop taking the medication, you will be able to react differently when you face your triggers.

Do only psychiatrists prescribe mental health medication?

No, they are not the only ones that can prescribe it. But one should always try to go to a psychiatrist when going through mental illness. This will guarantee that you are being treated by someone that specializes in the condition you are going through and knows how to care for it properly.

Even though other doctors, such as general practitioners may be able to prescribe you these medications, then follow-up with them may not be as specialized as it would be with a psychiatrist.

If you haven’t found the one you feel comfortable with, you may want to look for referrals from people you know. It can be a process to find someone you feel comfortable talking to, but that makes a lot of difference in the quality of your treatment.

Can I change my medication by myself?

No, you should never change your medication by yourself. Although it is extremely beneficial that you inform yourself about your condition, and what each type of medication does, you should never change it without discussing it with your doctor.

If you have found a medication that you think will be beneficial in your treatment, you can collect as much information as you can. Read about, and inform yourself. Then you should make an appointment with your doctor. 

Show them what you have found, and why you think changing medications may be a good idea for you. They will give you their professional opinion and you must bear all they have to say. Making sense of your treatment is a good way to go through with it.

If discussing it over with them, they think it may be a good idea to change the medication, and they will prescribe it to you. They will most likely give you instructions not only on how to start the new medication but also on how to stop taking the old one, which should happen little by little. 

Follow their instructions so you don’t experience too many side effects or even symptoms of withdrawal.

Conclusion 

This article explained what it feels like when the antidepressant Prozac starts to work. For that, the article explained what Prozac is, and how it affects the body and the person’s mood. 

Along with that, the article showed the doses of Prozac, and when it is usually taken. Finally, the article displayed what are things that should be taken under consideration when taking Prozac.

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

References

What Does Prozac Feel Like When It Starts Working?

What Does Prozac Feel Like When It Starts Working?

https://khealth.com/learn/medication/how-long-does-it-take-for-prozac-to-work/