7. Trouble Sleeping. Thoughts please! This means that it can take anywhere from 11 to 38.5 days for the body to clear Prozac completely. kerry1994. How long they take to work may depend on many factors. Hang in there. I'm taking them for servere anxiety which lead to a breakdown. They can also be used to treat a number of other conditions, including: Antidepressants are also sometimes used to treat people with long-term (chronic) pain. You can take fluoxetine at any time, as long as you stick to the same time every day. Hey S., If your problem is truly PMDD or sever PMS, you could indeed be feeling better right away. The doses that have been prescribed have been calculated, keeping their body composition in mind. Taking it at the same time each day will help you remember when to take it. It takes a week-2 to kick in, and once it does you feel the difference :) Answered 10 years ago. Take your medicine at about the same time each day. Dosage for . But if I was on celexa (and still am) does it take less time for the Prozac to work? Maybe I need my dose increased (20mg) I have been taking fluoxetine for ⁴ weeks now and still not feeling any better, how long will this take? The typical starting dosage of Prozac for this purpose is 20 mg each evening. The usual dose of fluoxetine is 20mg a day in adults. 8. However, this timeline is variable among individuals. If 20mg of prozac is sufficient a dose, it takes 4-6 weeks to be effective. Many people take fluoxetine without any side effects or only a few mild side effects. Antidepressants don't produce dependency either. Key facts. How to Use Prozac For Kittens Before you can see any results with the use of Prozac in your kitten, you will have to give it every day for at least six weeks. Sources indicate that it ranges from 8-14 days. Prozac has an long half life (i.e. 6.4k views Answered >2 years ago Thank 1 thank Dr. Alfredo Soto answered Psychiatry 26 years experience I know Prozac takes about 4 weeks to kick in. How Long Do Antidepressants Take to Work for Anxiety? I have been off work for almost ⁴ weeks and due to go back next week and still no better dont know how I'm going to do it. Do not skip doses, as it may decrease the effectiveness of the medication. How long does it take Prozac to work? You may be tempted to stop taking antidepressants as soon as your symptoms ease, but depression can return if you quit too soon. Based on the 2 to 7 day half-life, it can be calculated that complete systemic clearance of fluoxetine is likely to take anywhere from 11 to 38.5 days after stopping. I have since november. Your doctor may recommend some dose adjustments or different antidepressants, but with patience, you and your doctor can find a medication that works well for you. Long-Term Effects of Antidepressants . They aim to relieve symptoms and prevent depression from coming back. If they do not, you should go back to your .   Therefore, people who take antidepressants do not get used to its effect (tolerance) over time, nor does it lose efficacy over time. Antidepressants are a type of medicine used to treat clinical depression. It may take about 4-6 weeks for prozac to work, which is pretty much a standard for most antidepressants in the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors class. There is a minor interaction between Prozac (fluoxetine) and hydrocodone and caution is advised when using both together. Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off it. Keep in mind that you may need to try several different antidepressants to find the right option for you, and even then, it can take 2 or 3 weeks to see an initial improvement. In rare cases, patients who take Prozac or Zoloft along with certain antibiotics and anti-arrhythmic drugs can develop long QT syndrome or an irregular heart rhythm. This basically means that most people should not get any relief from their depression until about a month into treatment. It can take 2 to 6 weeks before you notice a . It can take several weeks after beginning fluoxetine for the symptoms of these conditions to improve. This method provided adequate relief of depressive symptoms, although it was associated with a slight increase in side effects. Does anyone have any idea why anxiety hits all of the sudden. Prozac might turn out to be quite helpful but as Suffolk pointed out it could be 3 weeks or more before the full effects might be apparent. My doctors always told me it could take up to 6 weeks to take full effect in your system. Like other medications used to treat depression, fluoxetine doesn't start working right away. If you have trouble sleeping, it's best to take it in the morning. Some people doubt that they work well, while others consider them to be essential. The typical starting dosage of Prozac for this purpose is 20 mg each evening. Re: How long does it take to notice increase in prozac? How Long Does Prozac Take to Work? Some individuals may notice improvements within two weeks of starting treatment, but it usually takes about 4-6 weeks of treatment before the full mental health benefits are seen. Prozac and Celexa are both ssris, for example, but are very different in how they work, how long they remain in the body, how hard it is to stop taking them, etc. Side effects that do appear should disappear or get better after a few days. Take your time. Common side effects include feeling sick (nausea), headaches and trouble sleeping. Like many others, Elizabeth Wurtzel '89 and Lauren Slater, Ed. Fluoxetine may decrease the effects of tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) and codeine. Prozac is an inhibitor of the metabolizing enzyme CYP2D6 in the liver. Known as a Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor or SSRI, these medications increase the amount of the serotonin in your brain. The typical dose of Prozac for a kitten varies from 2 to 5 mg per day. The effects of my prozac seemed to have worn off slightly. Good Luck! Sertraline is a medication that has been used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (a severe form of premenstrual syndrome), and social phobia. Do not use in pets with a history of seizures, that are on medications that lower the seizure threshold, that are allergic to it, taking MAOIs, younger than 6 months old, or aggressive pets. Regards pledge Votes: +2 MA MacIntosh12 10 Dec 2012 Can come with a stigma associated with giving Prozac to pets. Effexor is a common medication that helps to control the symptoms of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and panic disorder. This means that it can take over 2 months for the drug to be completely eliminated from . They are usually mild and go away after a couple of weeks. Interactions. I'm still having some setbacks occasionally, but I'm stilll 90% better than I was before I started it. After that, it can . Prozac is a long-term medication, so it stays in your body for a long time after you take it. Fluoxetine (Prozac) capsules, tablets, and liquid are usually taken once a day . Back in the early days of SSRIs, antidepressants were originally considered a short-term treatment for depressive episodes, to be taken six to nine months. Dr. Barbara A Majeroni answered Specializes in Family Medicine About 6 weeks: Many antidepressants require 4 to 6 weeks to build up to a therapeutic level in the body. But as you begin to feel better and want to move on, how long should you keep taking the pills? It's been swell, but the swelling's gone down. Like most antidepressants , the mental health benefits of Fluoxetine are not seen immediately after the treatment is started . Overview - Antidepressants. If you tell someone your dog is taking Prozac, it's not uncommon to get a raised eyebrow, experts say. Depends: The effects of a medication like Prozac depend on why you are taking it.In cases of depression, a positive effect can be seen in as little as 1-2 weeks.However, for anxiety disorders, especially hard to treat ones like ocd, effects sometimes take up to 2 months to be seen. Prozac takes longer to make the changes to your brain chemistry that are required to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, so most people will need four to six weeks to experience the full effects of the medication. thank you for your patience with me. Just keep making sure you are taking it the same time everyday. Fluoxetine is a prescription drug that comes in capsule, tablet, or solution form. Both patients had a long-term history of stimulant use, substance abuse before treatment with fluoxetine, and symptoms of depression for which fluoxetine was prescribed. Prozac, also known as Fluoxetine, is an antidepressant medication that is used to treat depression, anxiety, and a number of other psychological disorders. If you are taking Prozac or Zoloft and have any abnormal symptoms, including agitation, anxiety, restlessness, racing heart, sweating, high fever, high blood pressure, or confusion . Common side effects include sleepiness and decreased appetite. Please do not be worried by the side effects listed on this page. Your doctor may recommend a short taper of one to two weeks (as given the long half life of prozac, in some respects it tapers itself) or a longer taper that plays out over the course of several weeks or months. Antidepressants do not produce tolerance or dependence. It's good to note that researchers have reported few cases of this long-term side effect. The docs will tell you it can take 6-8 weeks but I've found 2 or 3 weeks is about average. by seanetal » Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:46 am. It usually takes one to two weeks for Effexor to produce a noticeable improvement in your sleep patterns, energy level and appetite. Typically, it may take several weeks or longer before an antidepressant is fully effective and for initial side effects to ease up. Fluoxetine, sold under the brand names Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that may treat headaches, depression, nervousness, restlessness, agitation, anxiety and more. Starting with a lower dose can sometimes help if side effects do occur. My doctor decreased the celexa dose and added the prozac for 1 week. Most antidepressants typically take up to 8 weeks to work. Fluoxetine is given by mouth and is used on and off label to treat various behavioral conditions. There is no evidence to date of any persistent side effect of antidepressants -- physical or cognitive -- caused by long-term use Teresa A. Rummans, M.D., Psychiatry, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. A increase in anxiety levels being one. According to our experts, some drawbacks of using Prozac can be: Takes about four to six weeks to work. But the drugs available to treat depression can take weeks or even months to start working. But not much is known about the longer range effects of antidepressants such as fluoxetine, a selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) better known by its brand name, Prozac. While it is most often used to treat mood disorders such as depression, Prozac can also be used to treat panic attacks, obsessive-compulsive disorder, certain eating disorders such as bulimia, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome. Experiences with antidepressants vary. How long does it take for antidepressant side effects to start? Hello all,I am new to this site. It'll probally take about a month before it really settles into your system. "Any time you take a medication that affects the brain, there's a potential for alterations in arousal . Like psychotherapy, antidepressants are a key part of treating depression. Prozac is an antidepressant that may also be used in Obsessive Compulsive disorder and Bulimia Nervosa. This is because Prozac has a fairly long half-life in the body, and will remain as a metabolite for quite some time. Their medications, like antidepressants, do not merely mask symptoms but treat the underlying condition. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are more likely to cause sexual side effects than other antidepressants are. Medicines that interact with Prozac may either decrease its effect, affect how long it works for, increase side effects, or have less of an effect when taken with Prozac. The blocking mechanism allows (theoretically) more serotonin to be available to occupy it's site in the receiving neuron. If you take fluoxetine through the third trimester, your baby could show some symptoms of withdrawal after birth. You can take it with or without food. If you're considering starting Prozac, you're probably eager to know how long it will take to work, and how you can expect to feel once it does. This might include: being irritable and/or jittery, crying, tight muscle tone, harder time breathing, unusual sleep patterns, tremors (shivers), and/or trouble eating. This explains why antidepressants can take time to take effect in our brain, and even though our body has a great capacity to adapt to changes, it does not do so immediately and it takes some time to do so. However, this interaction doesn't necessarily preclude the use of both together. Sexual dysfunction: This could be considered both a short- and long-term effect. May cause side effects in some dogs (more on these below). Prozac is generally a safe drug to take as long as the patient only takes the amount their doctor has prescribed. Studies have generally shown that the full benefits of antidepressant therapy may take as long as 8 to 12 weeks. m really nervous about taking these/any meds. In rare cases, patients who take Prozac or Zoloft along with certain antibiotics and anti-arrhythmic drugs can develop long QT syndrome or an irregular heart rhythm. But as I weaned off my medication, my. Just really confused as to why this is happening!! __________________. Fluoxetine (Sarafem) comes as a capsule to take by mouth.