Prozac for OCD

Prozac is the trade name of the drug, fluoxetine – commonly utilized in battling major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, panic attacks and countless other mental disorders. It is an antidepressant that is part of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of drugs, and is marketed by Eli Lilly and Company.

Although new drugs and treatment options are constantly being developed, over 22.2 million prescriptions for fluoxetine were handed out in 2007 with a large portion of the total belonging to Prozac.

Prozac has successfully been utilized in dealing with OCD for a long time now, despite some trends indicating that percentage of sufferers are now seeking out more modern, natural methods these days. Prozac works well in decreasing panic attacks and anxiety as well, alleviating many of the triggers that tend to make OCD worse and induce the need to perform rituals.

Generally speaking, 40-80 mg is the recommended Prozac dosage for OCD sufferers, with 60-80 mg cited as being the most effective range. Most cases require 4-12 weeks of regular usage in order for OCD symptoms to noticeably begin to decrease.

These days, Prozac has begun to somewhat fall by the wayside for OCD sufferers because of how long it takes the drug to wash out of the system. Nevertheless, it and other SSRIs continue to be used fairly regularly because of the fact that they are less likely to cause overdoses, have less withdrawal symptoms and generally regarded by medical experts as “safer bets.” Furthermore, Prozac can be mixed with certain drugs like Luvox at the same time with no negative resulting side-effects.

Aside from Prozac, other common forms of SSRIs include: fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), citalopram (Celexa), and escitalopram (Lexapro).

Before beginning to take Prozac or any other such drug to battle OCD, it’s important to consult your mental health physician and determine if this treatment option is the right one for you.