Women are affected differently than men are by addiction, mental illness, and trauma. That’s part of why we here at Villa Kali Ma believe so deeply in our mission: to provide healing and treatment services by and for women.
Women’s bodies respond differently to substances like alcohol and medications, too. One common medication, Prozac, frequently prescribed for conditions like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, and eating disorders, has stronger side effects for women than for men.
In this post, we’ll explore the topic of Prozac, Prozac abuse, side effects, and more.
Why does Prozac affect women differently?
Women’s bodies are composed of different ratios of water, fat, and hormones than men’s bodies. Women are also subject to a greater degree of fluctuation, due to the menstrual cycle, as well as pregnancy and menopause. All of these factors can influence a woman’s ability to metabolize Prozac.
What is Prozac?
Prozac is the brand name for fluoxetine, an SSRI-class drug (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor).
Prozac was one of the original “happy pills”, pioneered by early proponents of expanding the use of psychiatric medication. SSRIs are believed to help with depression. Since its introduction to the market, the list of conditions Prozac is prescribed to treat has expanded to include other mental health disorders as well.
Prozac, like other SSRIs, is believed to increase serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is theorized to have a primary role in the operations of mood, thus contributing to happiness and unhappiness.
Since the skyrocketing popularity of anti-depressants in the 1990s and early 2000s, more and more people in the United States have been prescribed drugs like Prozac, to treat more and more mental health conditions. Further research is needed to validate the theory of serotonin deficiency being the origin of depression, as well as into the longer-term safety and efficacy of SSRIs.
More recently, a percentage of the population misusing SSRIs has gained attention within the addictions and mental health field. This trend suggests that the psychoactive effects of antidepressants, widely believed to be nonaddictive and safe at appropriate doses, may after all represent potential for abuse.
What are the side effects of Prozac for women?
Prozac has numerous side effects, generally considered acceptable by the psychiatric and medical community, traded against a lessening of painful mental health symptoms.
Whether or not the side effects feel acceptable in comparison to the symptom-suppressing effects of the medication is a personal decision for each woman to make. The journey of finding the right medication and level of medication to take is generally ongoing, as most mental health patients will end up being guided into switching psychiatric drugs, adding additional drugs, and/or upping and lowering doses many times over the years.
It is noteworthy that some side effects are stronger for women than men. These side effects include:
- gastrointestinal impacts like diarrhea, weight changes, nausea, constipation, loss of appetite and digestion problems
- headaches, fatigue, dizziness, dry mouth
- anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia
- sexual dysfunction
What are the effects of Prozac on pregnancy?
More research is needed into the impacts of SSRIs like Prozac on mother and baby during pregnancy. Prozac is believed by some doctors to be safe to take throughout pregnancy at low doses, while others believe there is an increased risk of complications.
Given that all doctors agree that whatever substance ingested by a pregnant mother is also ingested by the fetus, it is wise to research and discuss options with your trusted health person before deciding what’s best in your case.
What are the effects of Prozac on female hormones?
Prozac interacts with female hormones and may disrupt your menstrual cycle. Side effects of Prozac that relate to hormones include an increase in premenstrual mood syndrome symptoms (headaches, irritability, moodiness, and cramping), cycle irregularity, and changes to the amount of blood (having a heavier or lighter period).
What are the serious side effects of Prozac in women?
Some side effects of Prozac are more serious and are important to be aware of. The risk of these side effects is greater at higher doses, and for the same reason, it is also more likely to occur when abusing the substance to get a psychoactive effect. So if you are on a high dose or you are using more Prozac than prescribed, look out for these.
Serious side effects include:
- Abnormal bleeding
- Seizures
- Heart Palpitations, increased heart rate
- Tremors and shakes
- Nervousness and agitation
- Suicidal thoughts
- Mood swings
- Allergic reactions
- Serotonin syndrome (serotonin toxicity, potentially fatal)
Can Prozac cause seizures?
In concentrated doses, yes, Prozac can cause seizures. People with a history of epilepsy may want to avoid Prozac. Seizures are reported to be rare when taking Prozac as directed by a doctor, but the risk increases when put on a high dose and/or when intentionally taking more than prescribed, for recreational or self-medicating motives.
What are the signs of Prozac abuse?
The distinctions between chemical dependence on a high dose of Prozac, Prozac abuse, and Prozac addiction are somewhat fine and semantic. In general, signs of addiction to Prozac taking root include:
- Taking pills more frequently, or more of them, than prescribed
- Finishing prescriptions early
- Obsessive thinking about the medication, including preoccupation with obtaining it or undue fear of running out of it
- Taking pills at unscheduled times, spontaneously or in response to an emotional trigger
- Moodiness, irritability, mania, or social withdrawal
- Flu-like symptoms
- Other addiction signals, including financial or legal trouble, life consequences, and so on
Women’s treatment for Prozac abuse
Stopping the use of Prozac, like any psychoactive substance, should be done carefully with trained health personnel supporting and supervising the process. Prozac withdrawal is a medical event that needs to be monitored for your own safety.
If you have been over-using your prescribed Prozac or abusing Prozac without a prescription, it is highly advised to seek substance abuse treatment. The stages of detoxification from Prozac, getting through the mental and emotional challenges of post-acute withdrawal (which can include a severe uptick in mental health symptoms like suicidal feelings and anxiety), as well as adjustment to sobriety as a permanent positive lifestyle, are best supported by a team of professionals.
Villa Kali Ma can assist women with prescription addiction
As more research about SSRIs like Prozac emerges, it’s apparent that addiction to these medications is growing in some portion of the population.
From the beginning of the use of SSRIs, chemical dependence, evidenced by withdrawal syndromes, has been documented though not widely discussed in the public forum.
Most vulnerable to developing SSRI dependence or addiction are those with pre-existing mental health disorders, (aka the people being prescribed these medications), and those with an active addiction or addiction history.
Our opinion at Villa Kali Ma is, if you would like to free yourself from reliance on a particular substance, including a prescription drug you no longer want to take for whatever your personal reasons are, that is a valid goal and we support you. Many prescription drugs are patently addictive. Whether you count SSRIs on the list of addictive prescriptions is a matter of debate and definitions of addiction, but if you want to get off your SSRI, we’ll help you.
To us, any substance that harms you physically while it suppresses your emotional symptoms creates dependence and is hard to get off because when you do, you go into withdrawals, and may not be a trustworthy medication in the long run.
Whatever your opinion is, we are here to help people get through chemical withdrawals from any substance, legal or illegal, and to reorient themselves towards positive, healthy, holistic, happy lives without chemistry.
