Depending on the condition it is being prescribed for, the maximum recommended dose may be up to 80 mg daily, though some people need a higher dose than that for symptom relief.
If needed, your doctor or prescribing nurse may increase your dosage gradually over the course of several weeks. Prozac (fluoxetine) is available in multiple forms and doses:Ī starting dose of dose of fluoxetine or Prozac usually is 20 mg. Serotonin helps balance your mood, affects your overall sense of wellbeing, and can improve feelings, such as contentment, optimism, and satisfaction. SSRIs increase the amount of serotonin available in your brain by preventing it from being reabsorbed and deactivated by the nerves in your brain (called neurons). SSRIs work by boosting the brain’s level of serotonin (a type of neurotransmitter, or small molecule that sends messages between nerves). SSRIs, including Lexapro (escitalopram), Zoloft (sertraline), and Celexa (citalopram), are a type of medication typically used to treat depression, though they also treat anxiety. Prozac is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Off-label use is a common and acceptable practice among healthcare providers. When a medication is prescribed for “off-label” use, this means it is being taken to treat a condition other than one that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved. It is approved to treat bulimia nervosa, major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder (PD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Prozac is the brand name of the generic medication fluoxetine.