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Re: newbie here needs general prozac info advice

Posted by JohnL on August 26, 2001, at 14:26:51

In reply to newbie here needs general prozac info advice, posted by boney on August 25, 2001, at 20:00:34

> boy, where 2 start. hi to everyone, I just came across this list. I'm been taking 20mg of fluoxetine a day for around 4 months now and it seemed to sort out some of my problems (anxiety/paranoia/chronic self-doubt, still ain't sure what exactly), but I decided as I was feeling *mostly* better to come off and after a couple of weeks off I had a bad time on holiday a few days ago, so I've started again. any general advice on things to watch for, recommended length of use, dosage, other factors (time of dose, diet, effect of other drugs etc) would be great. thanks 4 your time

Welcome to psychobabble! Lots of good people here.

Everyone will have a different opinion, but I happen to think Prozac is still the best of the bunch in its class. I think it should be the first medicine prescribed, but all too often is prescribed later or not at all. I for example tried it dead last after all the others and years of agony, and was kicking myself in the you-know-what because it hadn't been the first on my list.

You asked about time of dosage. That will depend from person to person. Most people get a little stimulation from Prozac, so it is best taken in the morning for them. That's when I take it. Sometimes people get sedated or tired instead though, and for them it would be better taken in late afternoon or evening. The usual dose is 20mg, though sometimes people go up to 40mg or 60mg. I've even heard reports of people taking 200mg. Yikes!

If you can go right to the 20mg dose, that's fine. But if you would rather start lower and work your way up as tolerated, you can do the juice trick, which worked great for me. Empty the contents of a capsule in a glass of orange juice, stir it well, and drink a custom sized small dose. 1/4 glass, 1/2 glass, whatever you are comfortable with. Save the rest in the fridge for next time. The Prozac will not dissolve, so you have to stir it well before drinking. When I started I took just little sips throughout the day and worked my way up to 20mg over a few weeks very smoothly.

Diet is not likely to affect Prozac one way or the other. Sometimes a side effect is anorexia and weight loss though. Depending on the person, that could be either good or bad. But any effect on appetite tends to go away after a few weeks or months.

You asked about drug interactions. All drugs can have some effect on other drugs, sometimes increasing their amounts in your bloodstream and sometimes decreasing them. Prozac generally will increase the concentration of other drugs in your system. It also lasts a long time. One dose takes about a week to be half gone from your system.

I often praise the combination of Prozac plus Zyprexa at this board. That's because it has worked so well for me, there is good anecdotal evidence supporting it, and good clinical evidence as well. The only reason I mention this is because of the symptoms you described...anxiety, paranoia, self doubt. If you ever feel that Prozac is just not working as perfect as you would like, then I would stay on it but add Zyprexa to it. I would keep Zyprexa at the top of the list if you ever find you need more than Prozac. There are tons of drugs to choose from, but for your particular symptoms Zyprexa stands out in my mind as being the one with the highest potential for you.
John


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