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The Truth About Prozac (fluoxetine). What are the Side Effects? Shocking Truth About Prozac: What is Prozac and What are the Side Effects?
What is Prozac?
Prozac, or commonly known in medicine as fluoxetine, is one of the most popular selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It was created by the “Eli Lilly” company.
How does it work?
Since Prozac is antidepressant and SSRI – it defines its action mechanism. Sertraline inhibits selective serotonin reuptakes in the neurons of the central nervous system. As a result, the amount of serotonin in the synapses increases, causing antidepressant effect and lowering anxiety. It is worth to mention that fluoxetine is an accumulative drug, and the clinical effect reveals only in 1 to 4 weeks after taking the medicine.
So, this drug lifts the spirit and the patient suddenly feels motivated to fight depression in a week after the beginning of treatment with Prozac.
What is Prozac used for?
Millions of people around the world take fluoxetine to ease the symptoms of such disorders as depression, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, panic disorder, anxiety and even premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMS in other words – its symptoms show itself in a week or two before menstruation: irritation, neural tension, and rapid mood swings).
From the very beginning since its release it has gained popularity due to its effectiveness in treating depression. The results of one of the studies showed that around 60 percent of patients were feeling less anxiously and were capable to lead a normal life.
So, as it may seem, Prozac is pretty effective in dealing with depression and similar disorders.
Zoloft is another antidepressant of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Prozac side-effects
The range of side-effects of Prozac is pretty wide and can alter the state of every possible aspect of our organism:
- Urogenital system: anorgasmia; a significant sexual drive reduction right up to complete loss of libido (this process is reversible and after withdrawal from the drug sexual function restores); impotence; urination malfunction.
- Endocrine system: ADH synthesis malfunction.
- Gastrointestinal tract: changes in the sense of taste; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea; gastric indigestion; dysphagia; idiosyncratic hepatitis.
- Autonomic nervous system: increased sweating; dry mouth; rigor; serotonin syndrome.
- CNS and peripheral nervous system: insomnia or sleepiness; dizziness; anxiety; epileptic seizures; myoclonus; tremor; ataxia; thinking disorder; agitation; memory disorder; asthenia; mania; suicidal thoughts and attempts.
- Ocular organs: weak eyesight; mydriasis.
- Cardiovascular system: cardiac rhythm disturbance.
- Skin: vasculitis, rash, nettle rash; pruritus; anaphylactic reactions; photosensitivity.
- Other side-effects: ecchymosis; yawning; hyperprolactinemia; loss of appetite; anorexia.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
The truth behind Prozac
According to the research company IMS Health, every year people get 250 million prescriptions for antidepressants in the US only. Every fourth woman aged 40 to 50 takes antidepressants.
In 1994, a journalist Elizabeth Wurtzel wrote an autobiography called “Prozac Nation”. It has become a bestseller in no time and was filmed, because every third American could relate to that story. Since then the situation has only worsened. For the last 20 years, the selling of antidepressants has grown up to 400%.
Turned out that Prozac is far from harmless… 4 people out of 100 experience unmotivated aggression attacks, especially children. Everyone remembers for sure that boom of juvenile delinquency in the US when one could hear all over the news how kids were shooting their teachers, classmates and then themselves. It was “New York Times” that found out that all those teens were using Prozac…
What is more, independent clinical tests have showed that those taking the “pills of happiness” are at higher risk to commit suicide. Dr. David Healy, an Irish psychologist, claims that antidepressants lower the spirit and in a long run can trigger suicide. And really, in time Prozac causes mental disorders, serotonin level lowers and the patient is forced to switch to another, sometimes even more serious drug. And this happens with all antidepressants, even new ones.
The biggest secret lays hidden in the working mechanism of Prozac. It was discovered that antidepressants block the functioning of another hugely important neurotransmitter – dopamine, which can cause akathisia.
Akathisia is a very serious disorder. It can lead to not only suicides but also murders. Thus, 12-year-old Christopher Pittman killed his grandparents and Timothy “Woody” Witczak hang himself in the family garage – all because of the side-effects of antidepressants.
And though the largest pharmaceutical companies continue to claim that Prozac and its analogs are harmless, new facts made some Europeans countries, such as England and Germany, reduce the selling of antidepressants. They have found another way to stimulate dopamine production – with the help of nicotine. And you don’t have to start smoking – Swedish chewing tobacco has proved its effectiveness in treating depression, neurasthenia, women’s hormonal problems and similar.
In the end, one can try taking natural antidepressants and vitamins for depression instead of swallowing dangerous beautiful pills.
References
1. http://www.drugs.com/prozac.html
2. http://www.drugwatch.com/prozac/
3. http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-6997/prozac-oral/details
Additional:
4. https://decidedlysane.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/before-prozac/
5. https://cognitivelibertyuk.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/pharmaceutical-hypocrisy-prozac-vs-lsd/
6. http://wildmedicinegirl.org/2014/03/01/natural-prozac/
7. http://twentiescollective.com/2013/10/10/getting-out-of-funkytown-talking-prozac-depression/
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By Maria Shevtsova
Born in Belarus, 1985, a pedagogue and family psychologist. Taking action in support groups organization and social adaptation of the people with mental disorders. Since 2015 is a chief editor of the undepress.net project, selecting the best and up-to-date material for those, who want to get their life back or help someone dear, who got into mental trap.
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