adhd - Drugs for ADHD

The most important difference between prozac and other SSRIs is that prozac remains in your body much longer; this is both good and bad. Prozac's half-life (the time it takes for a drug in the blood to decrease by half of its original dose) is about a week, compared to about a day for paxil and Zoloft. Up to six weeks after you stop taking the drug, you will still have traces of Prozac in your body. Because it is so long actioning, it is probably the safest SSRI for kids and young teenagers. Prozac was the first of a new class of drugs, called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), to be approved in 1987 by the FDA. This new type of medication is believed to help patients with depression and disorders such as ADHD by increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain.

However, if you have a bad reaction to Zoloft or paxil, the unpleasant symptoms may linger for a week or two. But, adverse reactions from this drug can last for up to six weeks after stopping it. There are also benefits to a long half-life. Missing a dose or two of of this medication is unlikely to cause withdrawal effects..

Side Effects of Prozac

Common:

sexual dysfunction (40 percent), nausea (21 percent), headache (20 percent), insomnia (14 percent), diarrhea or drowsiness (12 percent)

Less common:

anxiety, dry mouth, appetite loss, tremor, upper respiratory infection, dizziness

Infrequent:

fatigue, constipation, abdominal pain, rash, flu-like symptoms, vision problems, congestion, sinus infection, cough, mania

Other side effects:

nervousness, weakness, tremors, yawning, nervousness, drowsiness, fatigue, asthenia, dizziness, lightheadedness, anorexia, excessive sweating, chills and fever

Counter Indications:

seizures or epilepsy, even if you're taking anti-seizure medication, serious problems with your liver or kidney

Dosage

Dosage usually starts out at 10 to 20 milligrams daily. If your symptoms have not improved within a month, the dosage may be increased to up to 40 milligrams. Few people need more than 80 milligrams. However, and some studies suggest that lower doses actually work better. Higher dosages are usually associated with an increased incidence of adverse reactions.

During maintenance therapy, the dosage should be kept at the lowest effective level.

Supplied:

Liquid:

Each 5 mL clear, colorless, syrup solution, with an odor of mint, contains: Fluoxetine HCl equivalent to fluoxetine 20 mg.

Capsules:

Each green and grey capsule, printed with Lilly 3104
20 mg: Each green and white capsule, printed with Lilly 31 Prozac Weekly,

Drug Interactions

MAO inhibitor (such as Parnate® or Nardil®) within the past 2 weeks, alcohol, blood thinners such as Coumadin®, digoxin (Lanoxin®), Tryptophan; medicines that can make you sleepy, such as sleeping pills; some cold or allergy medicines, strong pain killers, muscle relaxers, or tranquilizers such as Thioridazine
Since Prozac can substantially elevate the level of caffeine in your blood, people who continue their same level of coffee, tea, or cola ingestion while taking this drug could suffer caffeine intoxication