How Prozac Changed the World of Mental Health

Prozac is the brand name for fluoxetine hydrochloride, the world's most widely prescribed antidepressant and the first product in a major class of drugs for depression and anxiety called selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors or SSRIs. Prozac was first introduced to the US market in January 1988 and after just two years, Prozac gained its 'most prescribed' status.  Although it was the fourth SSRI to be marketed, the first two were withdrawn as a result of their side effects.  Intensive marketing by pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly then made Prozac known as a true scientific breakthrough.

How Prozac Works:

Prozac works by increasing brain levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter (chemicals that carry messages between nerve cells) that is thought to influence sleep, appetite, aggression and mood. They are secreted by one cell and picked up by receptor proteins on the surface of another cell; when the message has been delivered, a neurotransmitter is either destroyed or retrieved into the cell that made it. This process is known as re-uptake. When re-uptake is inhibited, the effect of the serotonin is amplified.

While it is not entirely known why increasing neurotransmitter levels will reduce the severity of a depression, it may be that increased levels of serotonin cause changes in the brain's concentration of neurotransmitter-binding receptors which might make the brain physically more capable of “feeling good.”

Prozac’s team of inventors was lead by Ray Fuller, who was awarded the Pharmaceutical Discoverer's Award after his death for discovering fluoxetine or Prozac. The effect of Prozac upon the field of psychiatry has been momentous as its side effects are not nearly as severe as the tricyclic drugs that preceded it.  In addition, the drug's relatively benign nature encouraged the depressed and mentally ill to be more willing to accept treatment.  Thus Prozac has been said to have made a huge difference in the world.

Dosing and how it is taken:

Prozac can be taken with or without food, usually once daily or as directed by your doctor.  The recommended dose to start with is 20 mg a day, usually taken in the morning. Your doctor may gradually increase the dose up to a maximum of 80 mg a day. Doses above 20 milligrams should be taken in the morning or in two smaller doses taken in the morning and at noon.  Do note that it may take 4 weeks to feel any relief from your depression, but the drug's effects should last about 9 months after a 3-month treatment regimen. For obsessive-compulsive disorder, the full effect may take 5 weeks.

Fluoxetine is approved for the treatment of a variety of illnesses, including depression (including pediatric depression), OCD (both adult and pediatric), bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, panic disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Choosing fluoxetine means joining the millions who have already benefited from it.  Plus, fluoxetine is not addictive, so there’s no need to worry about becoming dependent with continued use.