papertrees Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I've just been prescribed prozac and I know nothing about it, except that it's an ssri. From what I've read on the PI sheet, it seems that weight loss is a side effect *hoping*. Is this true? What else can I expect from it? Any weird things? And is the generic as good? I would have checked crazymeds.us, but the site is gone. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiserin Posted October 29, 2007 Share Posted October 29, 2007 I have been on the generic form of Prozac (fluoxetine) for quite a long time now and I have not noticed a difference from the brand name. I've generally responded well to the drug and haven't really had many side effects, except for some sexual inhibition. I myself have wondered if anyone else has experienced any difference when taking generic vs. brand name drugs (not just Prozac, but any other drugs), so I'm interested to see what others will have to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remote_swimmer Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 I have been on the generic form of Prozac (fluoxetine) for quite a long time now and I have not noticed a difference from the brand name. I've generally responded well to the drug and haven't really had many side effects, except for some sexual inhibition. I myself have wondered if anyone else has experienced any difference when taking generic vs. brand name drugs (not just Prozac, but any other drugs), so I'm interested to see what others will have to say. I had a terrible experience with generic venlafaxine (the immediate release version). I had taken the brand version for years and got off. I started taking the generic this summer and it was awful. It would hit very quickly and then drop off very rapidly, causing extreme depressive swings. I started on the name brand and it was like a completely different drug. I'm doing fine now. That said, most generics are fine. My pdoc says that he has only experienced problems with patients on generic celexa and effexor. That said, the FDA requires that the bioavailability of the active ingredient in a generic be +/- 20% of its name brand equivalent. In other words, despite all the propaganda you have heard about how there is no difference between generics and name brands drugs, there can be. I like the idea of generics for obvious reasons, but if you are having issues with a med that previously worked after switching to a generic, consider the possibility that the generic may be to blame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starfish Posted October 30, 2007 Share Posted October 30, 2007 generic fluoxetine has worked well enough for me. and pretty much all the generics i've taken. with fluoxetine you can expect dry mouth, weight loss coz of the appetite loss (yay) and what i like to call "sparkles" (feel good then normal - NOT BAD...then good and normal again) and that's all i guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimpmaster Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Thanks I take a generic version of prozac and have found it to be exactly the same as the real thing. Its a good med for many people, but like all meds its not for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 did yuou lose weight while on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 did yuou lose weight while on it?Fluoxetine isn't really on-label for weight loss, Papertrees. Its weight gain/loss profile is probably not the primary reason your psychiatrist prescribed it, but he has to be aware of your concern, as you have voiced it with multiple other drugs in the past. Surely you've discussed it with him? SSRIs are very much YMMV drugs as far as weight. I've had a few friends who were overweight and all lost a fair amount of weight on fluoxetine; I've subsequently learned that they were all bulimic. It can be useful as part of the management of eating disorders, especially when combined with appropriate therapy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 Yes, I know. Okay. I'm curious as to how fluoxetine helps with eating disorders like bulimia. What does it do to a bulimic to help with it? I understand it can kill your appetite (as it is doing to me now), so maybe that will stop the bingeing? I'm just curious, am not bulimic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 The short answer: reduced preoccupation with food and weight and improved impulse control. Same basic idea as using an SSRI to treat other obsessive or distorted cognitions. Best combined with effective therapy, such as specialized CBT, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papertrees Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 Okay.. thank you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenlyn Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Prozac stopped my bulimia a couple of years ago. I had to go up to the max dosage for it to work though. I just no longer had the compulsion to throw up anymore. That, plus a string of other meds, led to massive weight gain. I don't blame it on the prozac though. Oh, and i can't tell a difference between brand name and fluoxetine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walsingham Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 no one seems to have mentioned this but prozac can really speed you up too, to me it was like drinking a couple cups of coffee every time I took it, that might contribute to the weight loss, kind of like the opposite of what remeron or a sleepy drug will do to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnapper Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 And I had the exact opposite reaction to Walsingham's - Prozac turned me into a complete zombie and killed my sexual response. I was already sleeping too much and Prozac just made it worse. Wellbutrin is my friend, but lots of people have trouble with it, too, so it really is on a case to case basis. Hopefully you have a good pdoc and Prozac will fix you right up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tek Posted November 15, 2007 Share Posted November 15, 2007 I took the generic for about five months. My pdoc switched me from Lexapro to Prozac because the latter was putting me to sleep and Prozac is supposed to be activating. I wasn't sleepy anymore, but it didn't help the depression. In fact, I was a pissed off moody crazed wreck with suicidal thoughts. Too bad I was out of insurance at the time and didn't figure out the Prozac was making me worse until I started to wean off. SIGH. Hope your experience is better than mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairlyOddParent Posted November 21, 2007 Share Posted November 21, 2007 The time of day you take it can make a difference. Prozac inhibits the reuptake of Serotonin. At night, Serotonin can turn into Melatonin, which can make you sleepy. I began taking it in the evenings and noticed it helped me sleep before finding out how it worked. I was originally Rx'd for PMS Serafem and given samples. The samples did seem to be "stronger" than the generic I got later, so my family doctor increased my dose for me. You should google Serotonin Syndrome just in case, especially if you are thinking about taking Prozac with Lithium or Wellbutrin or several others. If you look up the syndrome, you should find a list of potential drug interactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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