Generic Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Medical Guidelines
Medical Declaration
By ordering Fluoxetine online you are agreeing that your doctor is aware that you are requesting this medication. You must have been prescribed this medication before and you must have had a physical examination in the past year. You must have a medical condition that requires you to take this medication and your doctor must approve of your intended purchase. You must NOT be under the treatment for any other medicalk conditions or suffer from any allergies. You must NOT be pregnant or planning to become pregnant or you NOT have been nursing a child in the last year. You must NOT suffer from any heart conditions or have high blood pressure. You must NOT be taking any other medications whilst taking Fluoxetine.
What is Fluoxetine?
Fluoxetine is classed as an anti-depressant, an anti-obsessional and an anti-bulimic medication. It has the ability to inhibit the brains re-uptake of serotonin. It is effective in treating depressive illnesses mainly, but also is effective in treating people with obsessive compulsive disorders and bulimia nervosa. People who receive Fluoxetine for obsessive compulsive behaviour must suffer with the illness to the extent that it causes them distress or it is time consuming and affects the person’s social and occupational functions. Fluoxetine helps treat bulimia nervosa by controlling the need to binge eat and purge after eating, aiming to allow the person to manage the illness better.
How effective is Fluoxetine?
It has been seen in clinical trials that Fluoxetine becomes most effective and steady levels are seen in the blood after 4 to 5 weeks of starting treatment with continual usage. Because of the long half life of Fluoxetine it can take up to 2 months for the drug to disappear from the body. This is one of the reasons for the withdrawal from the drug.
MAO warning
Fluoxetine should not be taken within 14 days of stopping therapy with a MAO inhibitor due to the reports of serious side effects. Before starting a MAO inhibitor, if you have been taking Fluoxetine you must wait 5 weeks before starting the treatment. This allows the Fluoxetine to disappear from the system. The potential side effects of mixing Fluoxetine with a MAO inhibitor are serious and sometimes fatal.
Allergy to Fluoxetine
Once you start to take Fluoxetine you may find that you are allergic to the medication. If you are one of the 4% then you will show signs of a rash. There are more serious allergic reactions to Fluoxetine which have been reported as respiratory distress, fever, edema and carpal tunnel syndrome. It is expected that all patients that show an allergic reaction to Fluoxetine will recover once they stop taking the medication. If you have a history of allergic reactions you will need to seek advice from your doctor.
Side Effects of Fluoxetine
Side effects have been reported which include insomnia, nervousness and anxiety. As weight loss is a side effect then special care has to be taken with under weight people who are depressed, and also those who are bulimic or anorexic. With higher doses of Fluoxetine, cases of mania and hypomania have been reported. Also caution is taken with people who have a history of seizures as since this is one of the side effects the chance of a seizure may increase. The most common side effect is drowsiness so a person starting to take Fluoxetine must avoid driving or performing hazardous tasks until they are certain that they are not affected.
Fluoxetine and Pregnancy
It has not been established whether it is safe to use Fluoxetine while pregnant or breast feeding and therefore should not be prescribed to women of child bearing potential unless the benefits outweigh the potential hazards to the foetus.
Fluoxetine should not be prescribed to anyone under the age of 18.
General Anaesthetics and Fluoxetine
There is very little information on the side effects of the interaction between Fluoxetine and general anaesthetic. Therefore Fluoxetine should be discontinued prior to surgery.
Overdose of Fluoxetine
If an overdose of Fluoxetine has been taken the main symptoms will be nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms include restlessness, hypomania, agitation and seizures.
The treatment includes the maintenance of the airway by ventilation and the use of activated charcoal. There are no specific antidotes for Fluoxetine. During the management of an overdose there needs to be consideration of the possibility of multiple drug involvement.
Recommended Dosages of Fluoxetine
For adults the recommended dosage of Fluoxetine for depression is 20mg to be taken once daily in the morning. A gradual dose increase may be then considered after the initial trial period if no side effects are reported. For treating bulimia nervosa the recommended dosage is 60mg. For the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder the dosage can range between 20mg and 60mg per day. The dosage should not exceed 80mg per day. During maintenance therapy, the dosage of Fluoxetine should be kept at the lowest possible level that is effective. For the elderly it is recommended that they receive the lowest and less frequent dosage.
Fluoxetine
| Dosage | Quantity | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 30 x 20mg | €24 (£16) | |
| 60 | 60 x 20mg | €45 (£30) | |
| 90 | 90 x 20mg | €54 (£36) | |
| 30 | 30 x 60mg | €42 (£28) | |
| 60 | 60 x 60mg | €69 (£46) | |
| 90 | 90 x 60mg | €90 (£60) |