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Generic Prozac

Written By onci on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 | 6:17 PM

Generic Prozac

Generic Prozac is used to treat depression and the anxiety associated with depression.
Depression is longer lasting and/or more severe than the "low moods" everyone has from time to time due to the stress of everyday life. It is thought to be caused by a chemical imbalance in parts of the brain. This imbalance affects your whole body and can cause emotional and physical symptoms such as feeling low in spirit, loss of interest in activities, being unable to enjoy life, poor appetite or overeating, disturbed sleep, often waking up early, loss of sex drive, lack of energy and feeling guilty over nothing.
Generic Prozac corrects this chemical imbalance and may help relieve the symptoms of depression.

Generic Prozac is used to treat bulimia nervosa and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Generic Prozac can also be used to treat pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Your doctor may have prescribed Generic Prozac for another reason.
Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why Generic Prozac has been prescribed for you.
Generic Prozac contains the active ingredient called fluoxetine hydrochloride and belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
There is no evidence that Generic Prozac is addictive.

Do NOT take Generic Prozac if:
you have had an allergic reaction to any medicines containing fluoxetine or to any of the inactive ingredients listed in the Ingredients section of this leaflet.
Signs of an allergic reaction may include rash, itching of the skin, shortness of breath and swelling of the tongue or face.

you are taking another medicine for depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or have been taking a MAOI within the last 14 days. Taking Generic Prozac with a MAOI medicine may cause a serious reaction with a sudden increase in body temperature, extremely high blood pressure and severe convulsions.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure as to whether or not you are taking a MAOI.

the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering, the expiry date on the pack has passed, or if the capsules or tablets do not look quite right.

Before you start taking Generic Prozac, tell your doctor if:

you have had an allergic reaction to any medicine that you have taken previously to treat your current condition.

you have kidney or liver disease, or if you have diabetes. If you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant, you are breast feeding or wish to breast feed.

There is no specific information available to recommend the use of Generic Prozac in children.

How much to take
Your doctor will tell you how much Generic Prozac you need to take each day. It is very important that you take your medicine as directed by your doctor. Taking more than this will not speed your recovery and taking less is unlikely to help you recover.
The usual daily dose for adults is 20 mg to treat depression, 20 mg continuously throughout the menstrual cycle for PMDD, 60 mg to treat bulimia, 20 mg to 60 mg to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. For any condition, the total Generic Prozac dosage should not exceed 80 mg each day. Your doctor may increase or decrease your dose depending on your condition.

Generic Prozac is usually taken in the morning as a single dose. The capsule(s) should be swallowed whole with a glass of water. The tablet(s) can either be swallowed with a glass of water or dispersed in water. To disperse your Generic Prozac tablet, place the tablets in approximately 100 mL (Ѕ glass) of water, swirl until the tablet disperses ('falls apart'), then drink immediately.

How long to take it
For depression, the length of treatment will depend on how quickly your symptoms improve. Most antidepressants take time to work so don't be discouraged if you do not feel better right away. While some symptoms will be relieved sooner than others, Generic Prozac commonly takes two to four weeks before improvement is really apparent. Continue taking Generic Prozac for as long as your doctor recommends. If you do not start to feel better in about four weeks, check with your doctor.

For PMDD, the initial treatment period is six months, after which your condition should be reassessed with your doctor regarding the benefit of continued therapy.

If you forget a dose
Do not take an extra dose. Wait until the next day and then take your normal dose. Do not try to make up for missed doses by taking more than one dose at a time.

If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you are having trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints.

If you take too much
Immediately telephone your doctor or National Poisons Information Centre (0800 POISON or 0800 764 766) for advice or go to your nearest hospital Accident and Emergency Department if you think that you or anyone else has taken too much Generic Prozac. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.

If you have taken too much Generic Prozac, you may experience: feeling sick in the stomach; vomiting; fits or convulsions; changes in mood ranging from drowsy to excited.

Things you must do
Tell all doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Generic Prozac. Tell your doctor or pharmacist before you start any new medicine while you are taking Generic Prozac.

Tell your doctor immediately if you develop a skin rash or hives while taking Generic Prozac.

Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking Generic Prozac.
If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist that you are taking this medicine. It may affect other medicines used during surgery.

If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine. It may interfere with the results of some tests.

While taking this medicine, be sure to keep all appointments you and your doctor have scheduled so that your progress can be followed.

Be sure to discuss with your doctor any problems you may have and how you feel, especially any feelings of severe sadness or bursts of unusual energy or anger. This will help your doctor to determine the best treatment for you.
Tell your doctor if you feel that Generic Prozac is not helping your condition.

Things you must NOT do
Do not take Generic Prozac to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.

Do not stop taking Generic Prozac or lower the dose without first checking with your doctor. Suddenly stopping Generic Prozac may cause unwanted side effects.

Also, after you have stopped taking Generic Prozac, you should wait for at least 5 weeks before taking medications with MAOI activity.
Do not give Generic Prozac to anyone else even if they have the same condition as you. Your doctor has prescribed it specifically for you and your condition.

Things to be careful of
Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how Generic Prozac affects you. Generic Prozac may cause drowsiness in some people.
Although drinking moderate amounts of alcohol is unlikely to affect your response to Generic Prozac, your doctor may suggest avoiding alcohol while you are being treated for depression.

Side effects
Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Generic Prozac.
Generic Prozac may have unwanted side effects in some people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.
Side effects vary from patient to patient and often lessen with continued use. Many of the side effects are dose related, so it is important you never exceed the stated dose.

Do not be alarmed by the following list of possible side effects. You may not experience any of them.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

Storage
Keep your capsules and tablets in the blister pack until it is time to take them. If you take them out of the blister pack, they may not keep as well.

Keep your capsules and tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25°C.
Do not store Generic Prozac or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink.
Do not leave Generic Prozac in the car on hot days. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines.
All medicines should be kept where children cannot reach them. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines.

There will be an expiry date (month, year) on the blister platform. Generic Prozac should not be taken after this date because it may have lost some of its strength.

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Read More About Anti-depressants: Generic Prozac
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