Prozac is a popular antidepressant that belongs to a wide group of medicines that are generally known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This medicine is known to affect some of the brain’s chemicals that can trigger anxiety, depression, panic or obsessive-compulsive behavior.
Prozac Indications
Prozac is a well known medicine that is generally prescribed in the treatment of Bulimia nervosa, depressive disorders, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive medical disorder or premenstrual dysphoric medical condition. However, this product could also serve some other purposes that have not been mentioned in this guide.
Prozac Warnings

Patients that are under 24 years of age might experience suicidal thoughts at the beginning of a treatment with Prozac. However, this product is the only antidepressant that has been approved by the FDA to be used in the treatment of children. During the fist 3 months of treatment with this medicine you should regularly visit your personal health care provider.

You should alert your personal physician as soon as possible if you experience: trouble sleeping, behavior or mood changes, panic attacks, anxiety, or if you feel irritable, impulsive, agitated, aggressive, hostile, hyperactive restless or more depressed. This type of medicines is known to sometimes cause harmful birth defects if it is taken during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, or if you might become pregnant during your treatment with Prozac, you should ask your personal health care provider if it is safe to start a treatment with Prozac. It has been clearly determined that this medicine’s ingredients are able to pass into the patient’s breast milk. Do not use this product if you are currently nursing an infant. Ask your personal physician for advice.

Before you start a treatment with Prozac, you should alert your personal health care provider if you are suffering from known allergies to any of this medicine’s components or if you have:
liver cirrhosis;
kidney disorder;
diabetes;
epilepsy or other seizure disorders;
bipolar disease;
a history of suicidal thoughts or drug abuse.

Under these circumstances, you might not be allowed to start taking this medicine or you might have to be prescribed a lower dose of Prozac. Your personal physician might also want to closely monitor your intake of this medicine.
Prozac Intake Guidelines

Ask your personal physician to explain to you exactly how you should take this medicine. You must not disobey any of your physician’s instructions. If you did not understand some of them, you should ask a nurse or a pharmacist for further information. If you want to known more about Prozac, you should simply read the medicine’s label. During your treatment with this medicine your personal physician might want to change your dose of this medicine.

It is strictly forbidden to chew, break, or open a capsule of Prozac. You must try to swallow the pill as a whole, as it has been especially designed to gradually release its ingredients in the organism.

If you have been prescribed to take the liquid form of this medicine, you should carefully measure your doses with a special measuring device (such as a measuring cup or a measuring spoon). If you do not own such a device, you should buy one from a pharmacy. It is recommended to take your doses of Prozac at the same time, daily.

FLUOXETINE (Prozac®) belongs to a class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It helps improve a personmood. Fluoxetine can also help people with anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders (bulimia), panic disorder, or post-traumatic stress. Generics are available for some products.

What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
•diabetes
•heart disease
•kidney disease
•liver disease
•receiving electroconvulsive therapy
•seizures (convulsions)
•suicidal thoughts
•an unusual or allergic reaction to fluoxetine, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
•pregnant or trying to get pregnant
•breast-feeding

How should I take this medicine?
Take fluoxetine tablets or capsules by mouth. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Swallow with a drink of water. You can take fluoxetine with or without food. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. Do not stop taking except on your prescriberdvice.

Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed. While this drug may be prescribed for children as young as 7 years for selected conditions, precautions do apply. A special MedGuide will be given to you by the pharmacist with each prescription and refill. Be sure to read this information carefully each time.

What if I miss a dose?
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take double or extra doses.

What drug(s) may interact with fluoxetine?
Fluoxetine has the potential to interact with a variety of medications, check with your healthcare professional. The following list contains some of these interactions.

Do not take fluoxetine with any of the following medications:
•astemizole (Hismanal®)
•cisapride (Propulsid®)
•pimozide (Orap®)
•terfenadine (Seldane®)
•thioridazine (Mellaril®)
•medicines called MAO inhibitors-phenelzine (Nardil®), tranylcypromine (Parnate®), isocarboxazid (Marplan®), selegiline (Eldepryl®)

Fluoxetine may also interact with the following medications:
•alcohol
•amphetamine
•aspirin
•benzodiazepines, commonly used for anxiety or sleeping problems, such as diazepam or alprazolam
•buspirone
•carbamazepine
•certain diet drugs (dexfenfluramine, fenfluramine, phentermine, sibutramine)
•certain medicines for migraine headache (almotriptan, eletriptan, frovatriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methysergide)
•cimetidine
•cyproheptadine
•dextroamphetamine
•dextromethorphan
•dofetilide
•ergonovine
•furazolidone
•linezolid
•lithium
•metoprolol
•medicines for diabetes
•medicines for mental depression
•medicines for mental problems or psychotic disturbances
•methylergonovine
•nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, like ibuprofen)
•phenytoin
•propafenone
•propranolol
•warfarin

Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, and herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.

This medicine’s effects might not appear during the first month of your treatment with this medicine. You must not stop using Prozac without first consulting it with your personal physician, as this could trigger severe side effects. Prozac should be stored at the average room temperature, away from heat and moisture.