Fluoxetine: to eliminate apathy and depression

In drug treatment practice, psychotropic medications are very often used. With the help of these means, doctors are able to eliminate various mental disorders in patients suffering from addiction to psychoactive substances (PAS). Unfortunately, almost all drugs have their side effects, which can minimize the therapeutic benefit, or become the subject of the formation of a new addiction. Narcologists at the Alcohol Help clinic also face this problem.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) is one of the most common antidepressants in medicine from the group of serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It is used in cases of depressive disorders with lethargy and daytime sleepiness. Its action is based on:

slight stimulating effect;
eliminating manifestations of depression;
relieving feelings of tension;
reducing anxiety, fearfulness;
reducing feelings of fear;
avoiding thoughts that cause a gloomy mood.

The drug helps well in the treatment of addiction in people suffering from drug addiction. Individually prescribed doses by a doctor can greatly reduce the painful manifestations of withdrawal symptoms and accompanying complaints. Important: Fluoxetine should not be prescribed to patients with psychomotor agitation. Another possible side effect of Prozac is to suppress the hunger center. This problem has been noticed by people who are trying to get rid of what they consider to be excess weight. Naturally, they also often became victims of addiction.

Composition and dosage form of the drug

The medication contains fluoxetine hydrochloride, a selective antipsychotic that is effective in emotionally depressed states. The drug is available in the form of tablets for oral administration: yellowish in color, film-coated. Active substance content in 1 piece: 20 mg. As auxiliary compounds, Fluoxetine contains starch, talc, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, sucrose, and wax. The drug is sold in packages of 10 or 20 tablets, packaged in cell plates.

Fluoxetine and alcohol: compatibility

Fluoxetine and alcohol are characterized by poor compatibility. This is due to three main reasons:

Mechanism of action of Fluoxetine

The drug prevents the reuptake of serotonin, helping to increase its concentration. As a result, after taking it, mood normalizes, apathy disappears, and performance increases. Fluoxetine has a slight effect on the uptake of dopamine and norepinephrine, having a selective antidepressant and pronounced stimulating effect.

The drug does not cause mental retardation, drowsiness, and does not reduce the speed of motor reactions and intellectual abilities. Fluoxetine helps get rid of dysphoria, fear, indecision, emotional instability, tension, absent-mindedness, and helps to better concentrate. The product has the property of reducing appetite until it is completely absent.

Fluoxetine is well absorbed through the mucous membranes, has high bioavailability, and binds to blood proteins. The presence or absence of food does not affect the speed of action of the medicine. The active substance is metabolized in liver tissue. The elimination period of the drug is long - up to 72 hours, during which their therapeutic effect persists. The antidepressant effect increases as the course continues. Lasting results are observed from 3-4 weeks of use and develop over several months.

Exceeding recommended doses or incorrect use of the drug can lead to withdrawal effects: increased depression, emotional swings.

Some Notes on the Drug Side of Prozac

Narcologists have different opinions about both the benefits and harms of this pharmaceutical drug. Some believe that the risk of addiction and complications from it is high, others provide evidence in favor of the fact that Fluoxetine is harmless. All over the world, despite the fact that this medicine belongs to “veterans”, millions of prescriptions are still written for its purchase. Prozac has attracted the attention of various specialists due to its connection with suicide attempts described in sources not related to official medicine. According to these statistics, Fluoxetine has caused crimes and a large number of complaints about its side effects. Therefore, before taking this medicine, be sure to consult your doctor.

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When should you take Fluoxetine?

The drug is prescribed to correct the mental state and eliminate symptoms of depression. Fluoxetine is effective for the following disorders:

gloomy, depressed mood;
lack of motivation;
apathy caused by severe stress;
obsessive-compulsive disorder;
painful anxiety.

The drug is also indicated in the case of bulimia, a neurotic eating disorder manifested by gluttony. Improved mood and decreased appetite as a result of taking it help to switch attention from food to other things.

Consequences of using Fluoxetine

Currently, Prozac and its analogues are not used for medical purposes abroad due to major scandals surrounding this drug. In Russia, Fluoxetine is approved for prescription sales, however, it is not difficult for addicts to purchase the psychoactive substance illegally.

The main side effects from using the drug:

severe allergic reactions: itching, redness of the skin, purulent rashes;
problems in the sexual sphere;
problems with urination;
cardiac dysfunction;
increased salivation;
diarrhea;
lack of appetite;
convulsions;
chills;
dizziness;
manic disorders.

Most often, it is possible to recognize an addicted person not by signs, but by side effects. But you can’t make a diagnosis on your own and try to cure a person. Seek help from professionals. Only a doctor can diagnose the disease and prescribe safe and effective therapy.

Fluoxetine affects not only the human psyche, but also his body, and an overdose of a psychoactive substance can be fatal.

In case of an overdose of Fluoxetine, the addict experiences convulsions resembling an epileptic seizure, tachycardia, severe mental agitation, senseless body movements, nausea and vomiting. If you find your loved one in this state, immediately call our emergency drug treatment service. The team will come to you immediately, provide first aid on the spot, and in case of critical condition, safely transport your relative to the clinic, where he can undergo full-fledged drug therapy.

Contraindications to taking Fluoxetine

It is prohibited to use an antidepressant for the following disorders:

history of seizures or epilepsy;
prostate adenoma;
delays in diuresis;
glaucoma;
intracranial pressure disorders;
tendency to suicide attempts;
agitated depression;
severe kidney or liver failure.

It is also necessary to avoid using Fluoxetine if you are hypersensitive to one or more components of the drug.

Reviews from those who drank alcohol with Fluoxetine

Reviews about the consequences of taking Fluoxetine together with alcohol mostly boil down to the fact that intoxication occurs faster and the hangover is more severe. Although some patients did not notice any negative consequences when consuming alcohol and fluoxetine simultaneously.

Svetlana, 26 years old
While I was taking Fluoxetine, I went to visit a friend. I drank 2 glasses of wine with her, but it felt like 2 bottles. I barely crawled home, in the morning I had a headache, I felt terribly sick and I was shaking all over. Only a day has passed.

Andrey, 43 years old
A feast just happened while I was taking Fluoxetine, and I recovered from it for a week. Although, of course, we drank a lot.

Anna, 19 years old
Everyone who drank alcohol with Fluoxetine said that they were very sick afterwards. But I didn’t feel anything special. But I only drank one bottle of beer.

Valentina, 33 years old
It seems to me that a lot depends on the manufacturer. I calmly drank Lannacher with alcohol without consequences and didn’t even think about it, but I once mixed Biocom’s Fluoxetine with champagne, and then my head almost exploded.

Sergey, 21 years old
It happens that on the same day I drink Fluoxetine and weak alcohol - beer or wine. I feel fine, but I usually fall asleep very quickly.

Judging by the reviews, the answer to the question of whether Fluoxetine can be taken with alcoholic beverages depends on their quantity and strength, as well as on the individual characteristics of the body.

Side effects

During treatment with the drug, various reactions may develop in the vascular, nervous and digestive systems:

headache;
insomnia;
increased sweating;
tremor;
irritability;
violation of thermoregulation;
panic attacks;
tachycardia;
hyperreflexia;
spasms of muscles and internal organs;
change in taste, dry mouth, nausea.

People prone to hypertension may experience increased blood pressure and associated negative symptoms.

Treatment for Fluoxetine

Treatment of fluoxetine addiction is prescribed by specialists individually in each case. It is not always necessary to detoxify the body or other procedures aimed at restoring the functioning of internal organs. The main emphasis for fluoxetine addiction is on a rehabilitation course.

Rehabilitation is a psycho-emotional recovery program that allows addicts to return to a full life and get rid of the craving for using psychoactive substances. Thanks to a rehabilitation course, a person learns to enjoy a healthy life and loses the meaning of dangerous doping.

checked the article

Alexander Ermolov

Psychiatrist, psychiatrist-narcologist

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How to take Fluoxetine

The tablets are taken in the dose prescribed by the doctor, washed down with water. It is not necessary to associate the medicine with periods of eating. It is preferable to take Fluoxetine in the morning, as it has a pronounced stimulating effect.

The treatment regimen depends on the identified disorders. General recommendations:

1 tablet once a day: to eliminate symptoms of apathy and depression;
1 tablet 2-3 times a day: for the treatment of bulimia.

In some cases, the dosage may be increased to 5-6 or 8 tablets per day. Their intake is divided into 3-4 times.

The course of treatment for acute stress is 3–4 weeks. For prolonged depression, it is necessary to take Fluoxetine for at least 3-4 months, sometimes up to six months. It is necessary to discontinue therapy according to a specific regimen, gradually reducing the dose. Abrupt withdrawal of the drug can cause a relapse of negative conditions.

Drug addiction and development of addiction

The potent components in the described medication, when used continuously, lead to addiction, resulting in addiction. Under the influence of uncontrollable craving, people begin to independently increase the dosage. They do this without realizing that they are putting the body even further on the addictive drug fluoxetine.

For “experienced” drug addicts, Fluoxetine is a weak tranquilizer. Typically, drug addicts add it to opiates, after which it is injected into a vein.

People who want to stop taking the medication are faced with a severe withdrawal syndrome, which they usually cannot overcome on their own.

What effect does the medication have on sleep?

In the vast majority of cases, Fluoxetine has a stimulating effect on the psyche and disrupts sleep. That is why it is recommended to take it in the first half of the day - otherwise the patient will have trouble sleeping.

However, you can often find the following questions on forums: “Why does Fluoxetine make me feel sleepy?”, “What causes drowsiness after Prozac?” Such reverse reactions are usually associated either with an incorrectly selected dose or with the individual characteristics of the body. If the drug is otherwise well tolerated, then in such a situation you should simply shift its intake to the evening.

Does the drug affect hormones: testosterone, cortisol, prolactin

Fluoxetine affects only mediators - substances that ensure impulse transmission in nervous tissue. It does not affect the endocrine glands and the hormones they produce (cortisol, prolactin, testosterone, insulin). Many attribute similar properties to Fluoxetine, confusing it with other psychotropic substances that increase prolactin, lower testosterone and thereby disrupt sexual development.

For the same reason, patients are interested in whether adolescents with unstable hormonal levels can take an antidepressant. The drug is indeed not prescribed until the age of 18, however, not because of the effect on the concentration of hormones, but due to the instability of the child’s psyche.

Signs of drug abuse

Failure to comply with the dosage recommended by the manufacturer or frequent use of an antidepressant will cause certain symptoms indicating abuse. If you take an antidepressant excessively, the following consequences are observed:

Psychological arousal (severe nervousness, aggressiveness, a pronounced feeling of joy, etc.).
Excessive physical activity (identical to the use of psychostimulants).
Disturbed thinking.
Convulsions strongly reminiscent of epileptic convulsions.
Increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure.
Periodic appearance of gag reflexes.

Very often, drug addicts combine it with other intoxicating substances, without even realizing how dangerous it is. Such “explosive mixtures” can cause disability or death even after the first use.

Use of the drug in the treatment of alcoholism

Since it is impossible to combine the use of ethanol and the drug Fluoxetine Prozac, the patient is warned in advance about the possible risks.
If the patient does have a breakdown, he needs to go to the clinic for help. Otherwise, his condition will worsen and he may develop serious complications. Narcologists at MSK Clinic always prescribe medications for the treatment of alcohol addiction with caution. The patient is preliminarily examined to exclude the presence of contraindications and possible risks. Our specialists continue to monitor the progress of treatment around the clock, providing services strictly anonymously.

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