Maria has struggled with people for most of her adult life. Did you fight your parents, your neighbors, your husband? The 39-year-old woman suffered from depression and bulimia, substance abuse and attempted suicide twice. her the antidepressant doxepine, but she did not like the effects of this medicine. Two years ago, his psychiatrist suggested trying a new drug: Prozac. That’s what Maria did.
After a month, Maria had already replaced her psychotherapy with school and a full-time job, she also threw away tranquilizers and other drugs from the pharmacy, she said she felt ‘100% better’. Now he has a good relationship with his parents. She feels appreciated at work and doesn’t think negatively all day long. “I don’t have tantrums anymore. Is my marriage five times better than it was? (Cowley, 1990a, p . 39).
- When the use of a drug generates positive testimonials from those who have experienced it and even appears on the cover of Newsweek magazine.
- It is necessary to stop to analyze it in depth.
- But.
- Ignoring the reaction of the media.
- Is it as revolutionary as those who defend it claim?.
In some respects, it seems that Prozac deserves the distinctions it has received, introduced in 1987, is currently the most prescribed antidepressant drug, although it is very expensive, the truth is that it seems to have changed the lives of thousands of depressed people. However, although Prozac’s patent expired in 2001 in the United States, there is still a debate about its therapeutic relevance.
There was a time when depression was mainly treated by psychiatrists, who used known tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, clomipramine) for these treatments. The side effects of these drugs, in many cases, were as unpleasant as they were unknown, so many patients and doctors abused their use without measuring the consequences of high and recurrent use.
When Prozac appeared, it was almost as effective as existing medications, but apparently with fewer side effects, so primary care doctors began prescribing it, so somehow fear of using antidepressants has diminished, even if, at first, professionals were not in favor of their prescription.
Prozac is the trade name for an antidepressant: fluoxetine. Prozac works by blocking Serotonin reuptake. It is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRS. Unlike other antidepressant medications, Prozac appears to have few side effects and the likelihood of an overdose is very low. For example, we found that many people who didn’t respond to other types of antidepressants used them before Prozac.
On the other hand, it should be noted that the Prozac may have its dark side; In fact, some people who use Prozac experience agitation and intense tremors, while others develop suicidal thoughts. Finally, other patients say that Prozac makes them prone to violent attacks, it is true that the defense in various homicide trials has used it as a defense strategy, claiming that the drug provoked homicidal behavior (Marcus, 1991).
Many trained professionals do not accept the findings of these reports. A U. S. government panel, commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration, found no evidence of the side effects of Prozac (FDA, 1991). However, some experts suggest that up to 15% of consumers have some kind of side effect. Unfortunately, public enthusiasm for Prozac is a problem for health professionals.
Wide publicity about the drug increases the possibility that patients experiencing episodes of sadness or discouragement may not consider taking more appropriate alternative measures. One of these proven clinically effective treatment alternatives is psychotherapy.
Although Prozac can make us feel better, the truth is that we may end up paying the price of improving our mood beyond the pharmacy, in our own body and in our own health. Like the common cold, there’s still no cure?Depression in the immediate future.
Prozac, the dedicated antidepressant as a symbol of the 21st century, with 40 million consumers worldwide, is being seriously questioned. According to the results of a meta-analysis published by PLoS Medicine, fluoxetine, the active ingredient in the so-called “happiness pill”, has the same effect as taking sugar-based pills.
This means that Prozac is a placebo (when it comes to people with mild to moderate depression). The same would be true of two other best-selling antidepressants, venlafaxine (Efexor) and paroxetine (Serotax). The study concludes that there would only be the expected effects of them when the depression is very profound.
So are we dealing with an effective antidepressant medication or is it just a placebo?Let’s not forget that there are millions of people who say it has helped them. According to Spiegel, 1989 “Although antidepressants cause side effects, their overall margin of success is very good. One way or another, before taking a step towards medication, it is ideal to consult a specialist who wants to propose different alternatives, because as already mentioned, there is no magic cure for depression.