Antidepressants – Prozac

Prozac is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant which is used to cure depression by influencing particular chemicals in the brain. When such chemical substances are not in balance they provoke different mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, panic, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

This antidepressant medication is indicated for the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, eating disorders such as bulimia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

In some cases Prozac is used along with Olanzapine (brandname Zyprexa) medicament to deal with depression caused by major affective disorder.

Generic Prozac – Fluoxetine must not be used with such medications as pimozide, thioridazine, or any MAOI medicines. One should be aware of one very dangerous side reaction – at the initial stage of the using of medication individuals may suffer from suicidal thinking, especially patients younger than twenty four years of age may have this side reaction.

Let your medical provider know if you have such conditions as mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, distribution of sleep, irritation, agitation, feeling of hostility, hyperactivity, aggressiveness, feeling depressed, suicide thinking and behavior.

Generic Prozac – Fluoxetine is not intended for pregnant women as all SSRI antidepressant medications are likely to cause severe and life threating lung impairments in newborns if the women were taking this medicament during pregnancy. In cae you become pregnant and stop taking Prozac, your depression can occur again.

Generic Prozac passes into breast milk and can be harmful to the breastfeeding child, that’s the reason why it’s not advisable to usethis medication if you are breastfeeding a child.

Prior taking Generic Prozac – Fluoxetine, tell your medical professional about your existing medical problems such as liver or kidney disorders, diabetes, seizures or epilepsy, bipolar disorder, or a history of drug abuse.

In case you have from these conditions you might need a dose adjustment.

As worseningof depression and the beginning of suicidal thinking during the beginning of the treatment might appear, the family of the individual who is using Prozac – generic name Fluoxetine should carefully monitor the changes in his mood, symptoms and behavior.

Generic Prozac should be taken as it is prescribed by the medical provider. Don’t alter the dosage on your own without the advice of the medical provider. Use this medication for the time that is determined
Defined by the medical provider.

Prozac pill is to be taken whole, don’t break or chew it, don’t break a long-acting capsule as it might alter the action of the medicament.

Generally, the action of Generic Prozac are seen in four weeks after the beginning of the treatment. Don’t discontinue taking Generic Prozac – Fluoxetine without 1-st speaking with the health provider as the sudden treatment cessation may cause the unwanted side effects.

Use this medication on a regular basis. If you miss the dosage, take it as soon as remember. Avoid the overdose, so never take two doses at once. In case of overdose, seek medical help without a delay. The symptoms of the overdose are the following: vomiting, seizures, losing the consciousness, confusion, sleep disorders, irregular heartbeat, fever,nausea, or even coma.

During the treatment with Generic Prozac, avoid drinking alcohol.

Generic Prozac side reactions.

In case any kind of allergic reactions are seen, seek medical help. The potential allergic reactions are: skin rash, hives, difficult breathing, skin rash, hives, difficult breathing, swelling of face and throat.

If you have such reactions as changes in mood or behavior changes, distribution of sleep, irritation, anxiety, aggressiveness, panic attacks, or suicidal thoughts, inform your health provider immediately. If you have any of the following severe side effectssuch as diarrhea, skin rash and other skin problems, loss of appetite, headache, nausea, fainting, seizure sweating, trembling, irregular heartbeat, vomiting, bad concentration and memory, problems with coordination, weakness hallucinations, high fever, and some others. Less serious adverse reactions are: cold symptoms, and sexual dysfunction.

Let your health provider know about other medications you are taking particularly if you are using the following: flecainide, vinblastine, blood thinner medications, tryptophan, seizure medication, haloperidolm, clopidogrel,alprazolam, clozapine, or any other antidepressant medications. Ask your physician for the complete list of the medicaments that must not be taken along with Prozac.

Male depression

No matter how old you are, what ethnic background you have, what your position in society is, or of which sex you are, you can still belong to depression risk group. It may happen so, that people who have serious depression don’t even realize what happens to them, and people around them, even their doctors, may also not recognize the problem. Men are particularly prone to closing their eyes to their mental state. But still lots of men become victims of depression. According to the statistics, about seven percent of male population in the USA suffers from depressive mood every year.
Depression may develop as a set of various indispositions, among which can often be problems with heart. Among the main depressive disorders are clinical depression, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar illness. People who experience depression most probably come through all its symptoms.
Among the signs of depression are:
 Dispirited, wasted mental condition.
 Despair and despondency .
 Sense of guilt, helplessness, sensitivity.
 Apathy towards things that used to be important and necessary.
 Inactivity, weariness, and slowness.
 Lack of sleep, insomnia or oversleeping.
 Problems with attention focusing, with recollection.
 Problems with appetite, loss or gain of weight.
 Loss of interest in life, suicidal tendencies.
 Impatience and irritability.
 Various ailments like headache, problems with digestion, persistent painfulness unaffected by medications.
According to various studies and scientific researches, both males and females can have common signs of depression, but rather often they experience depressive state differently and overcome it in different ways too. Men are usually prone to such disorders as fatigue, disappointment, apathy towards work and hobbies, lack of sleep, rather than abnormal feeling of guilt, helplessness and worthlessness.
Some researchers try to understand, whether the common concept of depression and its symptom description fully reflect the real condition of men under depression. Men are often compared to women in such issues as consumption of alcohol or drugs, or some bondage in their lives. Many scientists have different views concerning the reasons of men’s inclination to various narcotic substances. Some consider it as a sign of depression, others see in it problem that men are more likely to have. But sometimes drug or alcohol intake may hide the real issue, preventing people from realizing the fact that they have serious problems with their mental health and that it needs to be treated.
Being depressed, men are more inclined to the consumption of alcohol and different narcotic substances, rather than sorting out their feelings and asking for help. In such a way they try to get over the feeling of frustration, disappointment, and hopelessness. Lots of men are likely to overcome depression getting engrossed with work, trying to ignore their depressive mood and to hide it from other people; some men try to manage depression through risky behavior and hazardous situations. Statistically, men die by suicide much more often than women in the USA, however attempts of suicide are more frequently committed by women. Various studies show that suicide is rather often caused by depression, and the number of men’s deaths through suicide indicates the fact that lots of men don’t make enough efforts to overcome depression.
More research is needed in order to study all aspects of men’s depression. It is important to know how men react to the feelings and disorders caused by depression, how they should deal with such mental state and how to receive proper treatment. One more essential thing is to prepare high-qualified medical personnel who will be able to discern men’s depression and prescribe the right treatment. People who surround depressed men in their everyday life can also play a significant role in recognizing the signs of the disease and obtaining the necessary care.
Looking for Support and Care at Struggle with Depression
If you notice that something wrong is happening to your mental state or know people who have obvious symptoms of depression, then do not hesitate and try to find support. Nowadays there is a variety of places where depression can be detected and treated. There are lots of special centers that provide qualified assistance in overcoming depressive state of soul.
A great number of treatment alternatives such as medications and therapeutic counseling, proved to be helpful at struggle with depression. More than 80 per cent of people suffering from depressive mood have managed their problem with the help of proper treatment. Right therapy not only softens the depressive symptoms, but also helps to shorten the duration of the disease and to prevent its setback.
Besides, there is a number of self-recovery options such as different relaxing procedures, hypnosis, literature and video records, that help to reduce stress and overcome depression.

The effectiveness of SSRI drugs and their role in depression treatment

SSRI drugs are a group of antidepressants that are commonly used in the treatment of clinical and reactive depression. There is a great number of various groups of anti-depressant drugs and all of them work differently. Thus unlike other groups of drugs SSRIs only affect serotonin and do not influence other neurotransmitters. Besides, SSRIs have advantages over other groups of antidepressants and proved their effectiveness in the treatment of mental disorders.

Review of SSRI group

The abbreviation SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The action of the drugs is reflected in the name of the group. SSRIs help to stop the uptake of serotonin. It is considered that abnormal uptake of this neurotransmitter is one of the major causes of depressive disorders because a person’s mood directly depends on the amount of this substance in the brain.

The antidepressants of this group are most commonly used in depression treatment; however they are also effective in fighting against other problems with mental health such as anxiety, panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder.

It should be noted that SSRIs are considered to have less dangerous side effects in contrast to other anti-depressant medications. Among common side effects of SSRI are such ailments as sickness, painful joints, indigestion, rashes and problems with sleep. As a rule, these illnesses are very mild and do not disrupt the treatment.

SSRIs may also cause two rather serious side effects, but they occur very rarely. Moreover, it is easy to avoid them, since their causes are identified. Serotonin toxicity is caused by big amounts of serotonin in the brain. It is attended by hallucinations, embarrassment, convulsions and may cause coma. As a rule, it is caused by drug interaction, but it can be easily prevented with proper instructions from a well-qualified specialist.

The other thing is that in isolated cases SSRI drugs can increase depression or cause suicidal mood. It may happen as consequence of dosage changes. However being under the regular control of a doctor during SSRI therapy a patient can avoid the danger.

SSRI therapy is very often the first treatment option recommended by specialists. At the initial stage of SSRI treatment patients are intensively monitored for side effects. In case no side effects are noticed patients continue the treatment which in most cases shows positive results in overcoming depression.

History of the use of SSRI drugs

SSRIs are a new group of anti-depressant medications. Fluoxetine was the first drug of this group, and it was first used in 1987. This drug is still one of the most frequently prescribed pills and is sold under the trend name Prozac.

The drugs of this group became very popular thanks to their relatively safe action and absence of hazardous side effects. The risk of overdosage especially with lethal outcome is very low. Moreover, in contrast to other antidepressants SSRI drugs are not habit-forming. Today they are most commonly recommended depression treatment.

Types of SSRI drugs

There are 5 types of SSRI drugs:

Fluoxetine – sold under the tend name Prozac

Sertrline – sold under the tend name Zoloft

Citalopram – sold under the tend name Celexa
Paroxetine – sold under the tend name Paxil

Escitalopram – sold under the tend name Lexapro

All the types of SSRIs proved to be equally effective. They differ mainly in side effects a patient may experience. As a rule, this or that SSRI drug is prescribed based on the reaction of a person to the medicine.

How effective are SSRI in depression treatment?

Doctors often recommend SSRIs as depression treatment because these drugs have fewer and less harmful side effects as compared with other medications. But still it is necessary to consult a doctor when you want to change the drugs or intend to stop SSRI treatment for this or that reason.

These medications can stabilize depressive moods and treat various mental disorders better than other anti-depressant drugs. Besides, they are safer for those who suffer from heart problems. SSRI antidepressants were approved and determined as effective depression treatment by the medical community.