Last Updated on February 8, 2024 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by Dr Samuel Lee MD
Table of Contents:
Prozac has often been called the miracle SSRI that revolutionized the treatment of depression. Sales were astounding! The graph of antidepressant sales resembles the trajectory of a 747 taking off to heights never before seen. However, the graph of rising mental health disabilities looks identical.
However, in 2005, the FDA required a black box warning on all SSRIs for increased suicidality. And, in 2005, the parallel trajectories of two graphs (antidepressant sales and deaths by suicide) begins a sudden and dramatic reversal, showing that fewer prescriptions were written, and fewer deaths by suicide also occurred.1-3 Clearly, drug therapy has not provided all of the answers that we need, or were hoping for.
Are you looking for a better solution?
At Alternative to Meds Center we frequently speak with persons who have reached a stalemate after lengthy drug-based treatment, and who may be looking for better ways to improve mental health. For nearly 20 years the center has helped clients looking for a more natural approach to eliminate symptoms. We specialize in finding the root cause(s) for troubling symptoms and addressing the biophysical and emotional factors that may have been overlooked in previous diagnoses and failed treatments. Our success has been tracked and verified by independent researchers and says it all.
Prozac (generic fluoxetine} is an SSRI drug. It comes in immediate and enteric-coated (extended-release) versions. It is FDA-approved to treat MDD (major depressive disorder), bulimia (eating disorder), panic disorder, and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).4 A product called “Sarafem©” was brought to market for menstrual-related issues.25 It is the same drug, fluoxetine, targeting women specifically. And, Sarafem carries the same black box warnings and other potential risks as any other fluoxetine product. The theory behind treatment with SSRI drugs is that these drugs immobilize the serotonin transporter system, allowing for an accumulation or concentration of serotonin suspended at the nerve synapses. That the SSRI had an activating effect on depression symptoms was reason to believe that a deficiency of these chemicals was present. This now virtually debunked “chemical imbalance theory” still influences therapy as it has done for many decades. Earlier drugs attempted to do much the same with other chemicals — creating something of a chemical domino effect — to alter the distribution of certain natural hormones like serotonin and others, to attain improvements in mental health.5 The purpose sounds good, in theory at least, which is to chemically change behavior and mood.
Long-term effects of Prozac can include:
Alternative to Meds Center has been in operation for nearly 20 years, helping people to successfully come off medication and improve their mental health after long-term medication use. While an antidepressant may have been the correct choice during a mental health crisis, medication as a long-term solution is full of unnecessary risks.
