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THE PHARMACY
Drug Lesson #1: Fluoxetine
Let’s talk about one of my favorite medications.
This will be the first lesson of many in a new series to highlight important information about individual drugs. Get ready to soak in all this knowledge.
What is fluoxetine?
Fluoxetine belongs to a drug class called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).¹ You may recognize the brand name of this medication, Prozac. What fluoxetine does is prevent serotonin from being taken back up into the neuron that it was released from.¹ This means that serotonin will stay where it can do its action longer.
The more serotonin released, the more serotonin can do its job. This mechanism is the basis for all medications like fluoxetine.
When do we use it?
The action of fluoxetine is helpful in disease states such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).¹ Fluoxetine is also used for various other disease states, which you can read the list below.² By increasing how much serotonin is in the brain, your mood should be more elevated.
