Prozac withdrawal symptom

Prozac, the commercial name of Fluoxetine Hydrochloride, is a distinguished drug in the category of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). SSRIs are known to be anti-depressant medications which try to reduce the impact of depression disorders in people.

What distinguishes Prozac from other SSRIs?

The competitive edge of Prozac lies in its longer half life. Half life refers to the time period during which the effect of Prozac remains intact even after discontinuation. This characteristic feature of Prozac accounts for its advantage and disadvantage both.

The advantage is that even after discontinuing the dose, the effect persists for a time period. The disadvantage being people getting frequent depression attacks lose the drug impact and the risk factor increases with successive discontinuations.

What is actually meant by Prozac withdrawal?

Generally, anti-depressant drugs are supposed to be taken regularly and at the fixed time, daily or weekly. This is so because they are used to balance the serotonin uptake by the brain, resulting through the release of neurotransmitters in the nerves. These neurotransmitters are released regularly. Hence, even a single miss of dose can result in resurfacing of depression syndrome.

Prozac withdrawal refers to the same condition when certain new, unwanted or previously experienced symptoms shoot up or surface out if the drug is missed, the dose quantity is lowered or the drug is eventually stopped.

Prozac withdrawal symptoms usually begin to be noticed after 24 hours to at least one week of dosage reduction or complete discontinuation.

How do you judge that you are suffering from Prozac withdrawal symptoms?

It is a normal physiological tendency that our body requires time in getting adjusted to varying conditions. During use of Prozac, the neurotransmitter balance is maintained within the body. When we stop taking the drug, the imbalance begins slowly and the body again gets into the previous depression conditions. During this adjustment, the body might experience new changes which we think of as Prozac withdrawal symptoms. No doubt, there are some common symptoms which start showing in all who have been taking Prozac and may disappear within one week. But there are some patients who are more prone to Prozac withdrawal syndrome and the symptoms they experience are more of a permanent nature, unlike transient ones.

If after every discontinuation, the same signs are noticed which disappear after continuing Prozac, it is sure that the patient is suffering from Prozac cessation syndrome.

Some common Prozac withdrawal symptoms

Normal and gradual cessation of Prozac doses do not harm much. But abrupt and sudden discontinuation of Prozac results in the following one or more clear symptoms:

• Nausea - you do not feel like hungry but experience full stomach even before expectation. Over eating results in vomits and stomach ache.
• Anxiety - it is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms where the patient feels excited and aggressive most of the time.
• Nervousness - some people, after stopping the Prozac intake, feel nervous and fail to speak or express them clearly.
• Dizziness - Prozac withdrawal also causes dizziness where the person feels sleepy and is not able to concentrate on anything.
• Suicide - it might happen that the discontinuation of Prozac results in greater intensification of suicidal thinking and attempts. The person becomes more averse to life and tries to put an end to his life more often.
• Anorexia - it is a condition where there is a lack in anything in particular. Prozac withdrawal usually creates sleeping anorexia where the person is unable to sleep properly. He is in dire need to sleep but could not. This increases more of the depression.
• Sexual dysfunction - a very prominent withdrawal symptom with Prozac is the anorexia function related to sexual balance. The person might not feel romantic, behave abruptly to sexual stimuli and an overall decreased response to sex life.
• Abnormal behavior - the pre-existing depression disorders can worsen after discontinuation of Prozac. Some of the important symptoms are confused thinking, agitated mind, and irritability, unable to take decisions, hyperactivity and such behavioural changes that are not usual to a person.

Prevention and care

The methods of prevention and treatment related to Prozac withdrawal syndrome arises out of the patient history and the degree of seriousness of depression disorder.

Prozac medication for a short span does not result in severe causes, even after discontinued. However, people recommended with Prozac treatment for a long period of time should consult a doctor before even thinking of withdrawing Prozac. It also applies well with shifting to other anti-depressant from Prozac, due to the elimination half life factor which varies from one drug to another.

These words were written with a focus upon the common and the prominent symptoms which are experienced after Prozac as an antidepressant drug is withdrawn or discontinued. The article contains not only the symptoms, but also a brief about how to judge them and what could be the prevention.