[curlyq]

I was wondering about Prozac weekly that I've seen advertised on t.v. lately. Is it time released over the period of a week? Does everyone take it weekly? Different dosages for kidney, liver impairment and elderly? I wonder if many people are using it and what are the benefits vs. regular Prozac (I gathered by its name that it's a weekly dose, I think), side effects, what it is being used for (MDD-Major Depressive Disorder, OCD-Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ? and ?) regular dosages and anything else about it. Also, how is it metabolized mainly?

[splash]

hi curlyq,

here's some links to some info. hope it helps.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.centerwatch.com/patient/drugs/dru685.html>centerwatch.com info</A>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.prozac.com>prozac.com</A>

splash

[curlyq]

Thanks, Splash. I couldn't get through to Prozac.com but got through to the first link. They have a lot of information there. They also give the Lilly link for more information on it which I'll check out, too, because I couldn't get through to them right now either. That one is:

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.lilly.com>http://www.lilly.com</A>

I wonder if it is ever used for the first time treatment instead of in the maintenance way.

Thanks again!

[splash]

hi curlyq,

you're welcome. i have a fast internet connection and the prozac site takes a long time to download.

on the prozac.com site it says:

"Before taking Prozac Weekly, a person should be stabilized on 20-mg Prozac daily. Once 20-mg Prozac daily is working and symptoms have improved, a person may be ready to switch to Prozac Weekly. You and your doctor will choose a day to start Prozac Weekly. Your doctor may recommend that you start Prozac Weekly one week after you stop taking Prozac daily. "

so i guess they recommend being on daily first, which kind of makes since. if you have any bad side effects, the daily leaves your body quicker than the weekly.

take care,

splash

[curlyq]

Hi Splash,
I guess one of the problems with the prozac weekly is remembering to take it from what I hear. There is a lot of good information in the links you provided. I asked my M.D. about it and decided on a different antidepressant that I really hadn't tried. I tried prozac before and recall it made me very nauseated and for as long as I took it which was around 6 mos. I was also very nervous on it. I thought I might be suited for the weekly one but changed my mind with the information I got on it. I am one who probably would forget the weekly one as I almost forget the daily. I have to put my medicines in a spot where I remember them. There is only one place that helps me remember and that's on the kitchen table.

Thanks for the reply.

[CamW]

CQ - I really wasn't going to post on this (the old, "if you can't say something nice....). I read the early reports and articles when they were testing the weekly Prozac. Even the reports by scientists working for the company (when you read the articles closely - ie. read between the lines; watched how they said something, etc.), but nothing exceedingly terrible.

The side effects can be worse and, as has been said, remembering to take the drug was a problem. Also, concerns were raised about extending the half-life of a drug that already has a long half-life. This could be significant in cases of life-threatening adverse reactions (eg. allergy to the drug). The drug would not be easy to remove from the body.

I have also read studies where the regular Prozac, and perhaps some of the other SSRIs may really only need to be taken weekly. There is research being done to see if continuous steady state blood levels of antidepressants are really needed to maintain depression remission. The article said, that after remission is attained, certain antidepressants may only have to be taken weekly. I would still like to see the findings of subsequent studies before putting any faith into this idea.

I suspect that the real reason that Prozac Weekly is being marketed is to retain patent protection. This is one way brand-name companies can try to offset the losses they will incur when generic versions of their drugs hit the market. Eli Lilly is trying to retain some of their antidepressant market share. In a similar vein, watch for escitalopram (the levo isomer of citalopram - Celexa) to be released, just as the patent runs out on Celexa.

I hope tha this is of some help. - Cam

[curlyq]

Thanks, Cam. I wasn't aware of the SSRI information you posted and found that very interesting. So, I'm glad you posted. Taking them every day is also because it's easier to remember if it's on a daily basis in other words. I like to know all the information on a drug, good or bad so I can make an informed decision about taking it. There probably would be some good way to remember to take a drug weekly but daily seems more feasible to me at this point. The point you made about allergy and or a horrible reaction to a drug makes good sense. Taken on a daily basis, a person can get the drug out of his system quicker when he stops a daily regimen. Thanks again!