Fluoxetine is also known and classified as a
bicyclicantidepressant, meaning that the
chemical structure of the
drugconsists of two rings.
This
drug is used in the
treatment of
Major Depressive Disorder,
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder,
Bulimia Nervosa,
Panic Disorder,
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder and is the only
antidepressant approved for the
treatment of
Major Depressive Disorder in
minors under the age of 18. Off label uses include
Fibromyalgia,
Bipolar Disorder,
Chronic Fatigue,
Lupus,
ADD,
ADHD,
headaches and
Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
This
drug started out life as an antihistamine,
diphenhydramine, which was found to
inhibit the
reuptake of the
monoamineneurotransmitterserotonin.
Fluoxetine is fairly
stimulating, yet is an approved
treatment for
anxietyrelated conditions; even more converse is the fact that
anxiety is one of the most (if not the most) frequent
side effectof
fluoxetinetherapy. The
drug also possesses a remarkably long
half life which has proven useful in the
treatment of more reluctant
patients; should they suddenly stop taking the
drug, the
antidepressant effect will remain for a fair amount of time, hopefully long enough for the cessation to be noticed and rectified. Currently
fluoxetine is available for use in children as young as eight, should
psychotherapies fail.
Fluoxetine fast became an infamous
drug under the brand name of Prozac; millions were prescribed the
drug, largely due to an extremely effective and extensive advertising campaign. Unfortunately, the
medication became controversial towards the end of the century due to an increased risk of
suicidal behaviour amongst
patients treated with the
drug.
The most common
side effects are
anxiety,
headaches,
nervousness,
insomnia,
fatigue,
tremor,
dizziness,
dry mouth,
weight loss (possibly leading to
anorexia) or weight gain, a dry mouth, a loss of libido, diarrhoea or constipation,
excessive sweating,
nausea and
diarrhea;
fluoxetine also causes
mania in approximately 6% of
patients. Weight and libido issues usually fade after a week or so of therapy. Rarer side effects include a rash, anger, rage and influenza like symptoms; extreme symptoms include Herpes, bleeding gums, antisocial tendencies, excessive hair growth, engorged breasts and involuntary tongue protrusion.
Maximum
therapeutic effect usually manifests after a period of a month to a month and a half. Interestingly,
Fluoxetinecan amplify the effectiveness of other
psychiatricdrugs.
When presented as
Symbyax, where
Fluoxetine is compounded with the
atypical antipsychoticOlanzapine, one naturally experiences the typical
side effects of both
Fluoxetine and
Olanzapine all in one. Unusually, the combination can cause
Influenza like
symptoms, a nasty
rash or even
Hives (both
Fluoxetine and
Olanzapine cause
rashes - this would be worse),
Tardive Dyskinesia and very rarely the
drug combination can cause a change in
voice, an increase in
libido(unlike virtually every
psychiatricdrug!) and
Aphasia.
