Q2A

Got an update ........

Hello Q2a ,
Im back again! My mum had a meeting today and they have now disucssed that i
am going to go on prozac antidepressdents as well as have thearpy with my new CAMHS
worker so we are now moving foward at least . Can you tell information about prozac .
Thank you
unhappy1993

This is our reply.......

Hi many thanks fort contacting us again. It seems from what you have said that things are
moving in a more positive direction now and help is available so hopefully you will start too
feel a bit better soon.

With regards to Prozac we will outline the basic information for you and then give you a
list of further sources to research in more depth when you have time.

Prozac tablets are used for the treatment of depression and have an ingredient called
Fluoxetine in them which is also known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

In the brain there are many different chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These
act as chemical messages between the nerve cells. Serotonin is one of these.

When serotonin is released from nerve cells in the brain it acts to lighten your mood.
When it is reabsorbed into the nerve cells, it no longer has an effect on your mood.
Therefore it is thought that when you experience depression there may be a decreased
amount of serotonin released from nerve cells in the brain.

The SSRIs work by preventing serotonin from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells
in the brain. This helps prolong the mood lightening effect of any released serotonin. In this
way, fluoxetine helps relieve depression.

It can take between 2-4 weeks for the benefits of the medicine to appear so try and be
patient. It's important that you keep taking them, even if it doesn't seem to make much
difference at first. If for any reason you feel your depression is getting worse or you start to
have distressing thoughts or feelings in the first few weeks then you should go back to
your GP.

There are side - effects with this medicine like any other medicine which include:

Headache.
Dry mouth.
Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia).
Fatigue.
Sweating.
Disturbances of the gut such as diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting or abdominal
pain.
Visual disturbances.
Dizziness.
Seizures.
Hair loss (alopecia).
Sexual problems.
Decreased appetite and weight loss.
Anxiety and agitation.
Small purplish blood spots in the skin (ecchymoses).
Pain in the muscles and joints.
Allergic reactions such as itchy, blistering skin rash (urticaria) or swelling of the lips
tongue and throat (angioedema).

However don't panic, as we say every medicine has its side effects and it doesn't mean
that every person taking the medicine experiences any and certainly not all of the
symptoms. If you do start to experience any then best to go to your GP for further advice.

We got the above information from
www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100002193.html so you can look further at that site.

Another useful site is:
www.drugs.com/prozac.html

In terms of depression useful sites are:
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/depression
www.netdoctor.co.uk/depression/index.shtml
www.bbc.co.uk/health/.../mental.../disorders_depression.shtml

We hope you find the information useful and once you take the Prozac combined with the
therapy hopefully you will start to feel a bit better.

Please keep in touch and let us know how you're getting on. Take care.

q2a

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