The Pros & Cons of Prozac

Your doctor has described your Prozac, what's next? Do your research and see if the anti-depressant is right for you.

Prozac in children?

• Prozac generally isn't used for children, as Prozac can increase suicidal thoughts. In fact, the FDA required the manufacturer to put "may cause suicidal thoughts in children younger than 25" on the bottle. Various medical journals and studies have shown that the increase in suicidal thoughts by children in excess of 20 percent, while they dropped 20 percent in adults.

Physical side effects

• The side effects of Prozac are pretty common. Some may suffer dizziness, nausea or headaches, others may experience diarrhea or a rapid heart rate. Usually, however, after the patient is first prescribed Prozac (hopefully by gradually building the drug into the patient's system), after a week or so, many of these side effects will go away.

Sexual appetite

• Prozac may decrease one's appetite for sex. However, this side effect is very common with all anti-depressants. Wellbutrin is known to be less troublesome in the libido department.

Stopping Prozac

• Tapering off any anti-depressant is the safest and most doctor-advised way to stop a prescription. However, it's not always that easy. Prozac is not weened out of the body as quickly as most other drugs, and can cause a constant headache.

Prozac isn't the only answer

• If you are depressed, it's essential to work with your doctor. But the drug will not solve all the problems. It's important to work with a therapist to really pinpoint what is causing your depression, and if it's not just a chemical imbalance.