I. Prozac Fact File
Prozac was introduced by Lilly in 1986.
Eli Lilly and Company now enters its 126th year of business. The global, research-based company was founded in May 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Ind., in the Midwestern section of the United States.
Eli Lilly and Company is a leading, innovation-driven corporation committed to developing a growing portfolio of best-in-class and first-in-class pharmaceutical products that help people live longer, healthier and more active lives.
Lilly products treat depression, schizophrenia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetes, osteoporosis and many other conditions.
II. Prozac Medication
Prozac medication was the first of a new class of drugs, called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), to be approved for use in the United States. This new type of medication helps patients with depression by increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain. Scientists believe serotonin affects many types of activity in the brain, including the regulation of mood.
Generic Prozac (fluoxetine) is the only drug approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder in children. It is approved in children 8 to 18 years of age.
Prozac medication was initially approved for treatment of depression in Belgium in 1986 and in the United States in 1987. Since then, it has been approved and marketed in more than 90 countries and used by more than 54 million people worldwide.
The safety and effectiveness of prozac medication have been thoroughly studied in clinical trials with more than 11,000 patients. There have been more than 3,500 publications on prozac medication in medical/scientific journals.
Generic Prozac gives doctors and patients a safe and effective choice for treating clinical depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, bulimia, and panic disorder. Prozac medication is the most widely prescribed antidepressant medication in history.
Generic Prozac is approved for use in patients under the age of 18. with depression or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
How Prozac Works:
Depression is not fully understood, but a number of growing amount of evidence supports the view that people with depression have an imbalance of the brain's neurotransmitters, the chemicals that allow nerve cells in the brain to communicate with each other. Many scientists believe that an imbalance in serotonin, one of these neurotransmitters, may be an important factor in the development and severity of depression.
Generic Prozac may help to correct this imbalance by increasing the brain's own supply of serotonin.
Some other antidepressant medicines appear to affect several neurotransmitters in addition to serotonin. Generic Prozac selectively affects only serotonin.
While Prozac medication cannot be said to "cure" depression, it does help to control the symptoms of depression, allowing many people with depression to feel better and return to normal functioning.
Antidepressants: Information
Antidepressants are medication that relieve the symptoms of depression. They were first developed in the 1950s and have been used regularly since then. There are almost thirty different kinds of antidepressants available today and there are three main types:
- Tricyclics
- MAOIs (Monoamine oxidase inhibitors)
- SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
- SNRIs (Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors)
Antidepressants work by altering the way in which some certain chemicals work in our brains. These chemicals are made by our body and are called neuro-transmitters. They pass signals from one brain cell to another.
In depression, some of the neurotransmitter systems, particularly those of Serotonin and Noradrenaline, do not seem to be working properly. antidepressants work by increasing the activity of these chemicals in our brains.
Following 3 months of treatment, the proportions of people with depression who will be much improved are 50% and 65% if given an antidepressant compared with 25% - 30% if given an inactive "dummy" medication, pill, or placebo.
Some older tablets (Tricyclics) are just as effective as the newer ones (SSRIs) but, on the whole, the newer ones seem to have fewer side-effects. A major advantage for the newer medication is that they are not so dangerous if someone takes an overdose.
Depression: Information
Clinical depression is very common, yet serious, illness that affects more than 19 million Americans each year.
Unfortunately, only one-third of sufferers seeks proper treatment even though the illness can be effectively treated in 80 percent of all cases. Although depression is a real medical illness, many people still mistakenly believe it is a personal weakness.
Symptoms of Depression
The symptoms of clinical depression can contrast from person to person. The symptoms can range from mild to severe and the causes of depression can often be complex.
If you have been experiencing five (5) or more of the given below symptoms for more than two (2) weeks, if suicide is a serious concern, or if the symptoms are severe enough to interfere with a daily routine -- see your doctor or qualified mental health professional.
- Persistent sad, anxious or "empty" mood
- Sleeping too much or too little; middle-of-night or early-morning waking
- Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increased appetite and weight gain
- Loss of pleasure and interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex
- Irritability, restlessness
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment (such as chronic pain or digestive disorders)
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
- Thoughts of death or suicide
Causes of Depression
For many people, a combination of many factors may be causing clinical depression. For others, a single factor may be triggering the illness. Depression often is related to the following.
- Imbalance of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters - Changes in these brain chemicals may cause or contribute to clinical depression.
- Certain diseases or illnesses - Ailments such as cancer, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and hormonal disorders can often trigger clinical depression. This is referred to as co-occurring depression.
- Negative thinking patterns - People who are pessimistic, have low self-esteem, worry excessively, or feel they have little control over life events are more likely to develop clinical depression.
- Family history of depression - A genetic history of clinical depression can increase one's risk for developing the illness. But depression also occurs in people who have had no family members with depression.
- Difficult life events - Events such as the death of a loved one, divorce, financial strains, history of trauma, moving to a new location or significant loss can contribute to the onset of clinical depression.
- Certain medications - Some medication can actually cause clinical depression. Therefore, it is important that people inform their doctors of all medications they are taking and report any depressive symptoms.
- Frequent and excessive alcohol consumption - Drinking large amounts of alcohol on a regular basis can sometimes lead to clinical depression. Excessive alcohol consumption is also sometimes a symptom of depression.
Side effects of Antidepressants
Tricyclics
These commonly cause a dry mouth, a slight tremor, fast heartbeat, constipation, sleepiness, and weight gain.
Particularly in some older people, they may cause confusion, slowness in starting and stopping when passing water, faintness through low blood pressure, and falls. If you have heart trouble, it may be best not to take one of this group of antidepressants. Men may experience difficulty in getting or keeping an erection, or delayed ejaculation. Tricyclic antidepressants are dangerous in overdose.
SSRIs
During the first couple of weeks of taking them, you will feel sick and more anxious. Some of these medication can produce nasty indigestion, but you can usually stop this by taking them with food. More seriously, they may interfere with your sexual function. There have been reports of episodes of aggression, although these are rare.
A good number people get a small or mild side-effects (if any). The side effects usually wear off over a couple of weeks as your body gets used to the medication. It is important to have this whole list, though, so you can recognise side effects if they happen. You can then talk them over with your doctor.
A more serious side effects are problems with urinating, difficulty in remembering, falls, confusion - are uncommon in healthy, younger or middle-aged people. It is common, if you are depressed, to think of harming or killing yourself. Tell your doctor - suicidal thoughts will pass once the depression starts to lift.
SNRIs
The side effects are very similar to the SSRIs, but, Effexor (Venlafaxine) is not recommended for people who have heart problems, high blood pressure or problems with the salt levels in their blood. They can be helpful if other antidepressants have failed but they should only be prescribed by doctors with special experience in mental health.
MAOIs
MAOIs type of antidepressant is rarely prescribed these days. MAOIs can give you a dangerously high blood pressure if you eat foods containing a substance called Tyramine. If you agree to take an MAOI antidepressant your doctor will give you a list of foods to avoid.
Uses of Antidepressants
- Moderate to severe depressive illness (Not mild depression)
- Severe anxiety and panic attacks
- Obsessive compulsive disorders
- Chronic pain
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder.
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III. Useful links
Government http://www.lilly.com/
http://www.prozac.com/index.jsp
http://www.prozac.com/how_prozac/safety_facts.jsp?reqNavId=2.5
http://www.prozac.com/how_prozac/how_it_works.jsp?reqNavId=2.2
http://www.cdc.gov/
http://www.fda.gov/
http://www.fda.gov/cder/ogd/
http://www.nih.gov/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/
National Library of Medicine
World Health Organization
Health Sites http://www.depression-screening.org/symptoms/symptoms.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/index.cfm
MedicineNet.com
Drugdigest.org
Healthsquare.com
harmacy sites
http://www.gsk.com
http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1509
http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1516
http://www.hsforum.com/stories/storyReader$1504
http://www.people.vcu.edu/~urdesai/atc.htm#Process%20of%20clotting
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