HOW LONG SHOULD I TAKE PROZAC?

Mar 23, 2009

Many psychopharmacologists suggest that Prozac (or any other antidepressant) be continued for three or four months after a single initial episode of depression has been alleviated. A smaller number of expert psychopharmacologists believe that the medicine should be continued as long as six to eight months.

In the case of recurrent unipolar depression, Prozac should be continued indefinitely to prevent future depressive episodes, if episodes occur yearly.

Similarly, patients who have suffered from bipolar manic depression (lithium treated) must be continued on Prozac for longer periods of time. In these instances, Prozac plus lithium may be used in the acute depressive phase, in the subsequent continuation phase for several months, and finally in the maintenance or prophylactic phase, often for years or a lifetime, to prevent future depressions from breaking through, if lithium alone does not prevent future depressions as well as future manic episodes.

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