Psychiatrists often prescribe Fluoxetine for depressive disorders. Reviews about this remedy indicate that the medicine improves mood, increases energy and activity, and also reduces increased appetite. However, you can find other messages that mention side effects and poor effectiveness of the drug. To understand how effective and useful this tool is, you need to understand its composition and effect on the body.
Composition and effect of the drug
The medicine is made in the form of capsules with the active component - fluoxetine hydrochloride (20 mg). The composition of their shell includes gelatin, starch, titanium compounds and dyes.
The trade name for the drug is Fluoxetine Lannacher. The drug belongs to the third generation of antidepressants. They affect the body more gently and have fewer undesirable effects than older products. To understand the principle of action of these drugs, you need to understand the biochemistry of the brain.
In the human body, serotonin is formed. This substance is called the hormone of happiness or the hormone of mood, as it positively affects the emotional sphere. In depression, serotonin is secreted, but is captured back by neurons. As a result, a deficiency of this hormone is formed in the body, which negatively affects a person’s mood.
Some antidepressants block the reuptake of the “hormone of joy” by neurons. The concentration of serotonin in the body increases significantly. Moreover, they selectively capture only the "hormone of happiness", but do not affect other substances in neurons. Such drugs are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or abbreviated SSRIs. Fluoxetine also belongs to this group of antidepressants. Reviews of patients taking the drug confirm an improvement in mood after using this drug. This effect is associated with an increase in the amount of serotonin in the body.
This medicine has no sedative effect. It does not cause lethargy and drowsiness. The drug can be taken during the day. "Fluoxetine" is not as cardiotoxic as previous generations of antidepressant drugs, and does not lead to a drop in blood pressure with a change in body position.
SSRI antidepressants do not work immediately. These medicines are eliminated very slowly. Only after 4 to 6 days, fluoxetine hydrochloride leaves the body in half. A therapeutic effect occurs after 7 to 14 days from the start of capsule administration. With regular use, the active component remains in the body even after 1 - 1.5 months after drug withdrawal.
Indications
Instructions for use of "Fluoxetine" and reviews indicate the effectiveness of this tool for depression of various origins. But it should be remembered that SSRIs are not recommended for anxiety disorders. This will cause an increase in symptoms, in such cases sedatives are more likely to help . "Fluoxetine" is a good medicine for the treatment of asthenic forms of depression, it will improve mood and increase the patient's vital activity.
This drug is prescribed for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, in which the patient is disturbed by obsessive thoughts and the need to perform repeated actions. Antidepressant also helps women with premenstrual syndrome.
Recently, many people have been taking Fluoxetine for weight loss. Reviews about this use of the medication indicate that this medicine really helps to lose weight. This is due to the fact that the drug reduces appetite. In addition, SSRI antidepressants cause a feeling of vigor and a surge of strength, which makes a person move more. As a result, extra pounds go away.
However, you can not consider Fluoxetine as a medicine for weight loss. This drug is intended primarily for the treatment of depressive disorders, and a decrease in appetite is a side effect. You can take such medications only in cases where a person suffers from pathological overeating (bulimia) and other eating disorders. These diseases are neurotic in nature and require the appointment of antidepressants.
Contraindications
Not all patients can take Fluoxetine. Instructions and reviews suggest that the drug often causes difficulty urinating. Therefore, for patients with atony of the organs of excretion, an antidepressant is contraindicated.
If a patient has had an allergy to other SSRI antidepressants in the past, then Fluoxetine should not be taken. This medicine is also contraindicated in severe kidney and liver diseases.
The drug is not prescribed for children and adolescents under 18 years of age, pregnant women and nursing mothers. This medicine may cause impaired development of the cardiovascular and central nervous system in the fetus.
In some diseases, there are no absolute contraindications to taking the drug, but caution is required when prescribing and using an antidepressant. With epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, diabetes mellitus, as well as with excessively low body weight, the medicine is used in a reduced dosage and under the supervision of a doctor. The same applies to the treatment of depression with suicidal thoughts: SSRI drugs can enhance such inclinations.
Unwanted effects
Instructions for use and reviews of "Fluoxetine" report negative reactions from the central nervous system. These are the most common unwanted effects while taking the medicine. The following symptoms may occur:
- insomnia;
- headache;
- motor and mental arousal;
- dizziness;
- increased anxiety;
- obsessive suicidal thoughts;
- manic state;
- trembling limbs.
Often, taking the drug can provoke violations of the genitourinary function:
- urinary retention;
- malfunctions of the menstrual cycle;
- vaginal inflammation;
- violation of ejaculation and anorgasmia.
As already mentioned, the instruction "Fluoxetine" and reviews report a decrease in appetite during treatment with the drug. In addition, other negative manifestations of the gastrointestinal tract are possible: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, increased salivation or dry mouth.
In allergy sufferers, taking capsules can cause skin rashes, itching, joint and muscle pain. In rare cases, the appearance of symptoms from the autonomic nervous system is possible: heart palpitations and excessive sweating.
In the reviews of patients taking Fluoxetine, you can find information about heart pain and fainting conditions during treatment with the drug. The instruction does not report the possibility of such manifestations, since this third-generation drug has minimal cardiotoxicity. Perhaps these symptoms are associated with an individual hypersensitivity to an antidepressant.
During treatment, you must strictly adhere to the dosage recommended by your doctor. Exceeding the prescribed number of capsules is extremely dangerous. In case of an overdose, severe motor and mental agitation occurs, convulsions, vomiting, impaired heart function. In such cases, the patient needs to rinse the stomach, give activated charcoal or other enterosorbent and call a doctor as soon as possible. There is no antidote against fluoxetine hydrochloride; in a hospital, symptoms of intoxication are treated.
special instructions
Care must be taken when treating Fluoxetine with the following patient groups:
- Diabetes patients. The drug can cause hypoglycemia during the treatment period. After drug withdrawal, blood glucose levels usually rise sharply. Therefore, such patients need to adjust the dose of insulin.
- People with reduced body weight. Since the drug reduces appetite, you need to monitor the diet of patients so that anorexia does not occur.
- Depressed patients with suicidal tendencies. The drug can enhance negative thoughts, especially in young patients under the age of 25 years. Therefore, treatment of such patients with "Fluoxetine" must be carried out in a hospital under the supervision of medical staff.
During treatment with an antidepressant it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol. This can lead to a sharp inhibition of the nervous system and increased side effects.
Many patients are interested in whether it is possible to drive a car during the course of treatment. In reviews of the drug "Fluoxetine" sometimes you can find information that it does not affect the concentration of attention. However, this is a misconception. Despite the fact that this drug does not have a sedative effect on the body, it is forbidden to drive during the course of therapy. Any antidepressant is a psychotropic and affects the attention and speed of reaction.
Interaction with other medicines
There is a group of antidepressants that is categorically incompatible with Fluoxetine. These are MAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors. When combined with SSRIs, the amount of serotonin increases sharply in the body. This leads to serious intoxication, which is expressed in a sharp increase in temperature, chills, agitation, convulsions, vomiting, impaired coordination of movements. In severe cases, delirium and coma occur. This condition is called serotonin syndrome. Therefore, between taking MAO inhibitors and consuming Fluoxetine, you must take a break of at least 2 weeks.
Serotonin syndrome can occur with the combined use of "Fluoxetine" with the amino acid tryptophan, antipsychotics "Thioridazine" and "Orap", as well as with drugs based on St. John's wort perforated.
Also, "Fluoxetine" can enhance the effect of the following medicines:
- tricyclic antidepressants;
- tranquilizers;
- drugs that depress the central nervous system;
- lithium preparations;
- anticoagulants;
- hypoglycemic drugs.
In these cases, a dosage reduction is necessary.
How to take medicine
The required amount of the drug and the duration of the course of treatment are determined by the doctor. On average, the following dosages of medication are required for therapy:
- Depressive Disorders: 1 to 4 capsules per day.
- Obsessive neurosis: 1 to 3 capsules per day.
- Eating Disorders: 2 - 3 capsules per day.
- Premenstrual syndrome: 1 capsule per day.
Usually, treatment begins with a minimum dose (1 capsule per day), in the future, the dosage is gradually increased.
Which is better: "Fluoxetine" or "Prozac"
The drug "Prozac" is an import analogue of "Fluoxetine." Both drugs contain the same active ingredient and do not differ in composition. However, an imported drug is much more expensive. If the price of Fluoxetine in pharmacy chains is from 30 to 130 rubles, then the cost of Prozac is from 420 to 550 rubles.
Is there any difference between these medicines? There is no consensus on this. Doctors believe that these funds are absolutely similar. Patients in some reviews of Fluoxetine Lannacher and Prozac are of the opinion that an imported drug is more effective. However, from the point of view of medicine and pharmacology, these drugs are the same in composition and effect.
The opinion of doctors
You can find many positive reviews about Fluoxetine from experts. Psychiatrists consider this drug a good remedy for asthenic depression and bulimia. It has few contraindications and side effects. Many endocrinologists and nutritionists use this tool in the treatment of obesity in patients prone to overeating.
In reviews of "Fluoxetine," doctors note that this drug somewhat dulls emotions. However, in some cases this may even be useful. For example, with social phobia, an antidepressant suppresses excessive shyness, which allows patients to communicate normally.
Doctors note that SSRI antidepressants can increase anxiety in the first 2 to 3 weeks of treatment. Therefore, the drug is not suitable for all types of depression. For disorders accompanied by a sense of fear and agitation, this remedy only enhances the symptoms. If depression is expressed in a depressed mood, asthenia, a feeling of constant fatigue, then the medicine will help relieve these manifestations.
Positive reviews
You can find a lot of positive reviews about "Fluoxetine" from people taking this drug. Patients write that their mood has improved, and asthenia has disappeared. If during the depression the patient was depressed, he did not want to get up in the morning and do business, then after taking the capsules there was a desire to move, work and lead an active lifestyle. In this case, drowsiness and lethargy are not noted.
This drug does not only help with depression. With vegetovascular dystonia, there is also a positive experience with Fluoxetine. Patient reviews suggest that the antidepressant relieves the mental manifestations of VVD: panic attacks and agoraphobia (fear of open spaces). Discomfort in the heart disappears.
Almost all patients report weight loss when using the medicine. Even if the drug was taken for another purpose, a decrease in body weight was observed as a side effect. Reviews about "Fluoxetine" for weight loss are usually positive. This medicine really reduces your appetite. If you follow a diet and exercise, you can achieve tangible results. While taking the capsules, refusing high-calorie foods is much easier, even if a person suffers from bulimia. An antidepressant eliminates the psychological causes of overeating. Many patients managed to lose 10-15 kg of excess weight.
Negative reviews
There are also negative reviews about "Fluoxetine." Some patients believe that the drug has many side effects. Often there are complaints of insomnia after taking the capsules. It should be noted that this is a daily activating antidepressant. It can not be taken at night. The main dose of the drug should be used in the morning and afternoon.
You can find reviews of patients about Fluoxetine, which report an increase in anxiety and irritability after taking the capsules. However, in these cases, the drug was used to treat neurosis. This antidepressant is not intended for the treatment of anxiety disorders, as it does not have a sedative effect. On the contrary, this tool has a slight stimulating effect on the psyche. It helps with asthenic type depression.
You must also remember that "Fluoxetine" is a prescription drug, like other antidepressants. It is impossible to use such funds on your own. Only a doctor can determine the required dosage of a medicine. If the drug is used for weight loss, then only a specialist can decide on the advisability of its appointment. When obesity is not always shown taking such medications. "Fluoxetine" is not a harmless remedy, it is a serious antidepressant with a pronounced effect on the psyche.