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Article prepared by an expert
Egorova Yulia Viktorovna
Psychologist, diagnostician, author of rehabilitation programs for addicts. Member of the Association of Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy. More than 7 years of experience working with addicts and their families.
Read in the article:
- Why is Fluoxetine considered a drug?
- Why is the drug dangerous?
- Consequences of non-medical use
- Signs of overdose
- Addiction treatment
Human life in today's society is filled with stress. He worries about his job, loans, bills. About the health of family and friends, your own health, about relationships in the family and with people you know. All these factors negatively affect the emotional state.
To support and normalize psychological health, people are prescribed antidepressants. Fluoxetine is the active ingredient in the widely known and frequently used drug Prozac in America. Read our article about whether it is safe to take such medications and why they cause addiction.
Is Fluoxetine harmful? Medicine or poison?
Why is fluoxetine dangerous? Can it harm human health? The medication is not dangerous when used strictly according to a doctor's prescription, but there is a risk of addiction. Is it prescription or not? Do I need a doctor's prescription to get Fluoxetine? Due to the fact that in narcology the drug is known as a narcotic antidepressant and is classified as a pharmaceutical drug, it is impossible to purchase it in Russia without a doctor’s prescription.
Which is better: Fluoxetine or Prozac?
The drug "Prozac" is an imported analogue of "Fluoxetine". Both medications contain the same active ingredient and are no different in composition. However, the imported drug is much more expensive. If the price of Fluoxetine in pharmacy chains ranges from 30 to 130 rubles, then the cost of Prozac ranges from 420 to 550 rubles.
Is there a difference between these medications? There is no consensus on this matter. Doctors believe that these remedies are absolutely similar. Patients in some reviews of Fluoxetine Lannacher and Prozac express the opinion that the imported drug is more effective. However, from the point of view of medicine and pharmacology, these drugs are identical in composition and action.
How does Fluoxetine act on the body of a healthy person?
The drug itself is not a drug; the way Fluoxetine works for depression and neurosis proves that it is a fairly popular and effective remedy. However, there is a risk of addiction with excessive consumption. What are the effects and actions of Fluoxetine? The antidepressant has a stimulating effect, improves mood, eliminates neurotic and depressive states, panic attacks, and normalizes a person’s psychological state.
Action of the drug:
- stimulating;
- improves mood;
- activation of mental processes;
- relief of anxiety;
- decreased appetite;
- weight loss
It is often used in the treatment of chemical addictions. When does the effect occur?
- You can't convince me to get treatment
? - We will help you with motivation for treatment. As a rule, it is difficult for loved ones to persuade or force an addict to undergo treatment. World experts have developed EFFECTIVE motivation schemes, using which you can lead an addict to the decision to seek help. 8
When does Fluoxetine start working?
The drug is prescribed at the final stages of addiction rehabilitation. Many patients want to know how long it takes for Fluoxetine to start working. The medicine has a cumulative effect and is taken in a course, so you should not expect it to act from the first tablet, but after 1-2 weeks the person’s condition improves significantly, well-being normalizes, and mood improves.
Do you want to know about the cost of services?
8 call our specialist
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.
Fluoxetine - benefits and harms
The drug is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, and the stimulating effect is combined with an antidepressant effect. A patient taking this medicine as prescribed by a doctor improves his mood, eliminates anxiety, fears, and dysphoria. In addition, the antidepressant has an anorexigenic effect, as a result of which some patients experience sudden weight loss (anorexia may occur with regular use). In some cases, doctors prescribe medication to patients suffering from bulimia. The drug is used by people who require long-term concentration, for example, jewelers or drivers. They note the benefit of Fluoxetine in that it does not have a sedative effect and does not cause drowsiness.
Comparison of Prozac and Fluoxetine
The drugs have a similar pharmacological effect due to the similar active substance fluoxetine.
Similarities
Both medications are similar. They cannot be used simultaneously with other psychotropic drugs and anticoagulants. Both drugs affect insulin injections, so it is important to tell your doctor if you have diabetes. The medications are similar in release form.
Fluoxetine should not be used simultaneously with other psychotropic drugs and anticoagulants.
What is the difference
Medicines differ by manufacturer. Prozac is produced in Switzerland, and Fluoxetine is produced in Russia.
Which is cheaper?
Fluoxetine is cheaper, its cost starts from 40 rubles, and the price of Prozac starts from 470 rubles.
Drug addiction
Is Fluoxetine addictive? If the dosage and period of administration prescribed by the doctor are not followed, the patient has a risk of developing drug addiction. How can a medicine turn into a drug dangerous to health and life?
- Take it for weight loss purposes. The drug helps reduce appetite, which becomes a way for many people to lose weight in the shortest possible time. However, systematic use of the drug in high dosages entails consequences such as bulimia and depression. A person’s appetite disappears and depression occurs.
- Taken like a drug. The psychostimulating effect of the drug attracts people to it who are in search of drugs that give a narcotic effect. The effect of Fluoxetine is similar to taking amphetamines, and therefore drug addicts often use it to improve their mood, increase vigor and strength, as well as heighten their senses.
- Taken together with narcotic substances. The drug in combination with certain drugs enhances their effect and impact on the human body. These substances include alcohol, as well as various barbiturates and antidepressants. You should not combine the antidepressant Fluoxetine and alcohol, as alcohol is on the list of contraindications.
- Reception in the treatment of drug addiction and alcoholism. The drug must be prescribed strictly according to the prescription and have a specific course of treatment. It is used in narcology in the treatment of chemical addictions to eliminate alcohol withdrawal and drug withdrawal. An incorrectly prescribed dose or intentional overuse can cause dependence on the drug.
How long can you take Fluoxetine? How long Fluoxetine can be taken without interruption and in what dosage is determined by the doctor based on the diagnosis and the individual characteristics of the patient’s body. The maximum dose is no more than 4 tablets per day.
If addiction occurs, an antidepressant carries a number of side effects on a person's health. Consult a doctor at the Center for Healthy Youth about treatment for addiction to Fluoxetine.
Fluoxetine Lannacher
Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding
Contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.
Use for liver dysfunction
For liver diseases, treatment should begin with 1/2 dose
Use for renal impairment
In patients with impaired renal function, the dose should be reduced and the interval between doses of the drug should be increased.
Use in children
Contraindicated for children under 18 years of age.
Use in elderly patients
In old age, treatment should begin with 1/2 dose
special instructions
In patients with concomitant diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia may develop during fluoxetine therapy and hyperglycemia after its discontinuation.
Therefore, the dose of insulin and/or any other hypoglycemic agents should be adjusted. Until significant improvement occurs in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, patients should be under medical supervision. When treating patients with underweight, anorexigenic effects should be taken into account (progressive weight loss is possible).
The interval between the end of therapy with MAO inhibitors and the start of treatment with fluoxetine should be at least 14 days; between the end of treatment with fluoxetine and the start of therapy with MAO inhibitors - at least 5 weeks.
For liver diseases and in old age, treatment should begin with 1/2 dose.
In children, adolescents and young adults (under 24 years of age) with depression and other mental disorders, antidepressants, compared with placebo, increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior. Therefore, when prescribing fluoxetine or any antidepressants in children, adolescents and young adults (under 24 years of age), the risk of suicide should be weighed against the benefits of their use. In short-term studies, the risk of suicide did not increase in people over 24 years of age, but it decreased slightly in people over 65 years of age. Any depressive disorder itself increases the risk of suicide. Therefore, during treatment with antidepressants, all patients should be monitored for early detection of disturbances or changes in behavior, as well as suicidality.
Impact on the ability to drive vehicles and operate machinery
During treatment with fluoxetine, you should refrain from drinking alcohol and engaging in potentially hazardous activities that require increased attention and speed of mental and motor reactions.
Indications and contraindications
Despite the fact that fluoxetine is considered a pharmaceutical drug in narcology, it is not prohibited in our country. However, it can be purchased at a pharmacy only with a doctor's prescription. It is important to take the drug under the strict supervision of a treating specialist. The doctor will be able to select a safe dosage and duration of treatment without negative consequences for the body.
In what cases is the use of the drug indicated?
- depression (average daily dose 20 mg, maximum – 80 mg);
- schizophrenia;
- panic attacks;
- bulimia nervosa (60 mg x 3 times a day, no more than 7 days);
- in the treatment of addiction;
- OCD (60 mg x 3 times a day, no more than 5 weeks);
- neuroses;
- social phobia;
- anxiety states.
Contraindications
In what cases and under what health conditions is it not recommended to use this remedy?
- suicidal tendencies;
- epileptic seizures;
- diabetes;
- kidney and liver diseases.
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.
Side effects of Fluoxetine
Like any medicine, Fluoxetine has side effects. They are especially pronounced when consumed in large doses on a regular basis. What consequences might there be? The antidepressant causes headaches, nervousness, increased anxiety, insomnia and disrupts the functioning of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and heart. What happens if you snort Fluoxetine? If the dosage is systematically exceeded and Fluoxetine is taken through the nose as a drug, not only the “trip” desired by drug addicts can occur, but also heart failure or anemia, as well as anorexia, stomach ulcers and gastritis.
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.
Fluoxetine overdose
This condition occurs when the dose of the drug is incorrectly prescribed, or when Fluoxetine is used as a drug and the recommended dose is intentionally increased.
Symptoms:
- vomit;
- nausea;
- arrhythmia;
- pupil dilation;
- muscle spasms;
- convulsions.
With severe levels of intoxication, coma, cardiac arrest and death are possible. What is the lethal dose for fluoxetine overdose? How many pills can cause death? The maximum dose of the substance is 500 mg. Overdose usually occurs when the permissible daily dose increases by 5 times.
How to remove Fluoxetine from the body quickly? If an overdose occurs, you must call a narcologist to your home. Before the specialist arrives, you can provide the person with first aid: rinse the stomach, take activated charcoal.
Patients' opinions
Artem, 25 years old, Syzran
I took Prozac on the advice of a psychotherapist for two weeks. My mood improved 2 days after the start of treatment. However, I periodically felt anxious and had difficulty falling asleep. After stopping the medication, symptoms of depression returned. Then the doctor recommended continuing therapy, but with Fluoxetine Lannacher.
Olga, 34 years old, Vladivostok
On the doctor’s recommendation, I was treated with Prozac for a month. The drug is expensive, but effective. I managed to get rid of apathy, and the desire to live appeared. In combination with this antidepressant, I attended group psychotherapy. Now I feel much better.
Tamara, 47 years old, Astrakhan
I suffered from depression for a year until the doctor prescribed Fluoxetine. At first I was afraid to take the medication because I thought it would cause drowsiness. However, there was no such side effect. The condition returned to normal within a week. The only drawback is occasional nausea.
Treatment of fluoxetine addiction
Pharmacy addiction is curable. Today there are many ways to get rid of it quickly, safely and painlessly. If the addiction arose accidentally, you can get rid of it with medication, but if we are talking about drug addiction, it is worth approaching treatment comprehensively, using psychotherapy. Treatment of fluoxetine drug addiction is carried out in rehabilitation. Doctors do everything possible to restore both the physical and mental health of the patient. With long-term drug addiction and the use of several narcotic substances and barbiturates, the addict should prepare for long-term treatment in a rehabilitation center.
Can fluoxetine cause addiction?
Due to the potent components in the composition, regular use of the drug causes addiction, which smoothly turns into addiction. With the appearance of a strong craving, a person begins to increase the dose, without noticing how to become a drug addict.
For experienced drug addicts, the pharmaceutical drug Fluoxetine serves as an auxiliary psychotropic substance. It is usually diluted with opiate substances and then injected into your body.
After stopping taking the drug, a person experiences withdrawal symptoms, as well as withdrawal symptoms, which are quite difficult to get rid of on their own. That is why you should not delay treatment. Qualified specialists will help you or your loved ones get rid of addiction.
Rules for losing weight on fluoxetine
It is impossible to lose weight on fluoxetine alone. To do this, you need to change your eating habits. Fluoxetine is needed to help do this. It's much easier to diet when you don't feel hungry at all. It is for this purpose that fluoxetine is taken.
It is recommended to choose a diet in advance before taking the drug. This can be a strict mono-diet or just a balanced diet. It should be remembered that you cannot sit on a mono-diet for a long time, no more than one week. It is quite difficult for the body to tolerate and may have the opposite effect from the desired one. A balanced diet will not lead to rapid weight loss, but it is safer for your health. When taking fluoxetine, you can safely eat small portions, since the feeling of hunger is significantly dulled.
After choosing a diet, you can try to follow it without the drug. Sufficient willpower allows you to lose weight without resorting to aids. The ideal option is to lose weight through proper nutrition and physical activity without medications. However, not everyone succeeds in this. If you cannot stay on the chosen nutrition system, you can start taking the drug.
You should take fluoxetine Lannacher according to the following schedule. They start with minimal dosages, gradually moving towards therapeutic ones. In this case, the chosen power system is followed. Only a combination of taking the drug and reducing the portions eaten can lead to results.
