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Taking Prrozac For Mild Depression And Anxiety. How Long Does It Take For Prozac To Show Effect?

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Posted on Thu, 2 May 2013
Question: Hello doctor i am currently taking 20mg prozac daily for mild depression and social/general anxiety. I have been taking since 9 days without much effect on mood. How long will it take for the medicine to take effect ? How long should i continue it ? How will it affect my mood ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Srikanth Reddy (15 minutes later)
Hello,
Thanks for using health care magic for posting your query.
Prozac is fluoxetine which is an SSRI drug. It increases the serotonin levels in the brain connections. For this serotonin to increase, it generally takes 10-14 days. Few people may take more than 2 weeks as well.
There should be some improvement at the end of 2-3 weeks. If there is an improvement then the medicine should continue for 10-12 months after complete remission.
If there is no improvement at the end of 2wks, then a change of antidepressants should be considered. Venlafaxine and Bupropion are also good drugs available in the market.
It will vanish your sadness and reduce your anxiety if it acts on you properly.
Along with the medications, ask your psychiatrist you enroll you for cognitive behavioural therapy. It will act wonders with your drug.
Dont forget to exercise regularly and eat healthy food.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
If not, you can close the discussion and rate the answer accordingly.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy

Wish you good health,
Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Srikanth Reddy (45 minutes later)
Thank you doctor. I will continue the medicine for a month n half n then change if it doesnt effect me. Also i wanted to ask is it ok if i have beer once a week on this medicine ?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Srikanth Reddy (1 hour later)
Hello again,
Yes its ok to have a beer once a week but only moderate amount.
You should consider changing the antidepressant if it doesn't effect you in 4 weeks.
Lastly dont forget the cognitive behavioural therapy, exercising and proper diet. They all help.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
If not, you can close the discussion and rate the answer accordingly.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy

Wish you good health,
Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Srikanth Reddy

Psychiatrist

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 2770 Questions

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Taking Prrozac For Mild Depression And Anxiety. How Long Does It Take For Prozac To Show Effect?

Hello,
Thanks for using health care magic for posting your query.
Prozac is fluoxetine which is an SSRI drug. It increases the serotonin levels in the brain connections. For this serotonin to increase, it generally takes 10-14 days. Few people may take more than 2 weeks as well.
There should be some improvement at the end of 2-3 weeks. If there is an improvement then the medicine should continue for 10-12 months after complete remission.
If there is no improvement at the end of 2wks, then a change of antidepressants should be considered. Venlafaxine and Bupropion are also good drugs available in the market.
It will vanish your sadness and reduce your anxiety if it acts on you properly.
Along with the medications, ask your psychiatrist you enroll you for cognitive behavioural therapy. It will act wonders with your drug.
Dont forget to exercise regularly and eat healthy food.
Hope I am able to answer your concerns.
If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you.
If not, you can close the discussion and rate the answer accordingly.
In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link:
bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy

Wish you good health,
Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.