Question 1

is there any specific reason why prozac(fluoxetine) wouldn't help at all, but zoloft(sertraline) can significantly improve a person's life in only a few weeks following the first dose?

Accepted Answer

: The effectiveness of each medication within the same group varies a lot among patients. We often interchange medications within a group if one is not effective, not only for behavior disorder but also in many other conditions such as hypertension, GERD, etc.

Question 2

i'm taking 20 mg fluoxetine due to severe anxiety disorder. we want to get pregnant but i worry about the fluoxetine sometimes. tried to stop but i relapsed. is fluoxetine 20 mg ok to take or is zoloft safer? read different stories?

Accepted Answer

: This is a common scenario that we deal with in the office. Without knowing your entire medca situation, I cannot give you personalized advice. You need to continue your medication as prescribed and talk to your primary care doctor or obgyn. They will then discuss continuing your agent or switching to an alternative.

Question 3

my daughter started flapping her hands. her dr took her off straterra and zoloft and replaced both with fluoxetine. shes never flapped her hands before. she was once on fluoxetine and did fine. is it from being taken off the others?? could go away?

Accepted Answer

: This is called a tic and was induced by her use of Zoloft or Strattera.  I think it is most likely from Strattera. It is a side effect that went away when she stopped that medication.  It will likely recur if she takes The meds again.  (Zoloft may have contributed some to the development of the tic as well.)  Tics are well known side effects of the more common meds for ADHD.   The best to you!

Question 4

i was prescribed 10mg of elavil for anxiety. prozac (fluoxetine) gave me palpitations &zoloft made me depressed. i'm so scared of side effects! should i try this?

Accepted Answer

Medication effects: I understand you feeling scared of side effects of medication due to unpleasant experiences with 3 medications.
Discuss with Psychiatrist:
•	Intensity of Symptoms  at that time
•	Diagnosis-Anxiety, Depression, or both
•	Therapy  for stresses of relationships,  separations, school, work, and finances
•	Develop Coping Skills
•	Breathing Relaxation
•	Visual Imagery
•	Meditation 
•	Yoga 
•	Tai Chi

Question 5

i am switching from prozac (was on 80mg for 4 weeks, didn't work lowered back to 40mg for 1 week then will start zoloft (sertraline) 100mg instead) what to expect?

Accepted Answer

Hope for Success: I don't think you will experience any withdrawal symptoms. Prozac has a long half-life and takes a couple weeks to clear from the body. It is common to switch from one SSRI to another. I hope the change works for you. The medication Zoloft (sertraline) is usually well-tolerated with very few side effects. Sometimes it takes up to 8 weeks for med to work. Give it some time. Best wishes!

Question 6

is dosage of zoloft (sertraline) equivalent to dosage of prozac?

Accepted Answer

No: There is not a 1:1 relationship between doses of zoloft (sertraline) and prozac.  Zoloft (sertraline) doses range from 25 to 200mg whereas Prozac ranges from 10mg to 80mg.

Question 7

im taking 200mg of sertraline a day, yet it doesn't help anymore, the same happened when i took citalopram and prozac, (fluoxetine) what others could i try?

Accepted Answer

Antidepressants: Your psychiatrist could consider augmenting your sertraline with other agents including abilify, (aripiprazole) wellbutrin, l-methyl folate, etc.  Could consider changing to Effexor or cymbalta.  For sure, psychotherapy needs to be part of your treatment rather than hoping for pharmaceuticals to manage the entire problem.  Best wishes.

Question 8

how effective is fluoxetine in comparison to sertraline & escitalopram?

Accepted Answer

For what condition?: It's important to know what condition is being treated -- so a good evaluation always comes first.  Then helpful medicines can be selected if they're needed.  Fluoxetine, sertraline, and escitalopram are all excellent ssri antidepressants with good anti-anxiety effects -- but there are some differences.  An individual person may respond to one but not the others. Your psychiatrist can help select.

Question 9

switched from sertraline to fluoxetine was anxious now suicidal, over ten days, what should i do?

Accepted Answer

Notify your Dr - NOW: It may be your circumstances which are worsening your depression, but the current medication certainly isn't helping.
Your doc is always on call, and wants to know about this immediately!

Question 10

switching from 60mg prozac for 4 mnths to zoloft (sertraline). will i switch right over? take both concurrent for awhile? taper then start?

Accepted Answer

Prozac to Zoloft (sertraline): Prozac can stay in your system up to 72 hours, so under supervision of your doctor, it is possible to discontinue Prozac &amp; start low dose Zoloft (sertraline) at 50mg. daily then upgrade the dose every 3 days as tolerated.

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Doctor answers about:

Fluoxetine vs zoloft

A member asked:

Is there any specific reason why prozac(fluoxetine) wouldn't help at all, but zoloft(sertraline) can significantly improve a person's life in only a few weeks following the first dose?

A member asked:

I'm taking 20 mg fluoxetine due to severe anxiety disorder. we want to get pregnant but i worry about the fluoxetine sometimes. tried to stop but i relapsed. is fluoxetine 20 mg ok to take or is zoloft safer? read different stories?

A member asked:

My daughter started flapping her hands. her dr took her off straterra and zoloft and replaced both with fluoxetine. shes never flapped her hands before. she was once on fluoxetine and did fine. is it from being taken off the others?? could go away?

A member asked:

I was prescribed 10mg of elavil for anxiety. prozac (fluoxetine) gave me palpitations &zoloft made me depressed. i'm so scared of side effects! should i try this?

A member asked:

I am switching from prozac (was on 80mg for 4 weeks, didn't work lowered back to 40mg for 1 week then will start zoloft (sertraline) 100mg instead) what to expect?

A member asked:

Is dosage of zoloft (sertraline) equivalent to dosage of prozac?

A member asked:

Im taking 200mg of sertraline a day, yet it doesn't help anymore, the same happened when i took citalopram and prozac, (fluoxetine) what others could i try?

A member asked:

How effective is fluoxetine in comparison to sertraline & escitalopram?

A member asked:

Switched from sertraline to fluoxetine was anxious now suicidal, over ten days, what should i do?

A member asked:

Switching from 60mg prozac for 4 mnths to zoloft (sertraline). will i switch right over? take both concurrent for awhile? taper then start?

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