Fluoxetine (Prozac) for depression
 

What dose are you on/have you been on for depression? My GP says that it's only licensed for 20mg in depression but I really think that I need an increased dosage.

I was only on 20mg but I've heard of quite a few people being on higher doses.

Really? I've been on 80mg before, but weird.

Different doses affect people differently. I was asleep all the time on 40mg, but when I was awake I felt much better. On 60, I was able to be awake and feel better.

I really don't get why your doctor is saying that. It's clearly licensed to be taken at a higher dosage if need be.

Your GP may be unwilling to up your dosage because he doesn't feel qualified to do so. I know my GP was unwilling to switch meds for me even when what I was taking was having no effect. Now I see a psychiatrist and he changes and tinkers with meds much more (well that's what he specialises in I guess!). You could ask for a second opinion from another GP in the surgery. It may be that it is only licensed in the UK to that dosage or it may be that those are what the NICE guidelines say, but lots of meds are used off label or at higher/lower dosages than the info says.

Im on 40mg, and its ****. I'm more suicidal then anything. Spose it affects others differently.

I actually started taking it because of my bulimia. I started on 10mg, then 20mg, and I'm now at 30mg but I really don't think it's doing anything but making me manic.

I'm more than positive that you can get a higher dosage if need be. Perhaps seek a second opinion from another GP?

im on 40mg. makes me sleepy

As Heidi said, some GP's can't or won't mess with meds too much as they feel that it requires further knowledge (that a psychiatrist - a doctor who specialises in the mind) will. If that's the case, then they may refer you. But give the meds a shot at what they offer.

im on 40mg a day but sumtimes i take more than i should

40mg and yeah suicidal

I was on 20mg, but it just made everything much worse...

I am on 40mg a day, not really sure its doing anything helpful! They might have different laws in Scotland or like other people have said perhaps your doctor is not confident enough to prescribe more! xx

im on 20mg although i do often take more than that.

I used to be on 20mg/d but am now on 40mg/d. For depression the (new) highest licensed dose is 80mg/d.

Some GP's feel very risky about perscribing AD's to those who are under 25 due to su tendencies etc however when perscribed fluoxetine (and sometimes others) they wont raise the dosage of 20mg unless needed. The press around prozac causing increased su/ si behaviour might be why he's doing so?? Can you explain why you want it increased to him?
I know medication varies for different people in this age group but it really depends on the GP you get some are more happy to change meds regularly etc until they find one that works others however might be wary of psychological effects of fast withdrawal etc.. I am on 20mg prozac which is perscribed by a Psychiatrist. However when i was on anti-anxieties perscribed by my GP i was on 20 mg Diazapam and he definately would not increase dosage for these reasons. Maybe yours is doing similar?
I also agree with what heidi said when your GP might not feel professional enough to perscribe higher.

Yea i was on 20mg, but refused to take after a couple of months, wasnt doing anything for me, but i guess that was probably my own fault by not telling anyone. Either way, ive heard 20mg dosnt do a lot for most people, so don't worry. Personally i think it's just a docters 'safe ground' so at least then they can say theyve done something to help you,, I think you can only point out to someone that its not working, and see how it go's from there

X

I was on 60mg a day once but it didnt do anything for me.
xx

I can't remember what I was on. All I know is it made me almost kill myself so def not good for me!

I'm on 20 mg. hope you work it out, good luck:)

I started out on 20mg, them 40mg and now 60mg. Hard to say whether it is helping or not as I've been on them for 9 years and am now taking an anti psychotic and moodstabiliser as well. I am in Scotland if it makes any difference. It was my GP who described the fluoxetine and gradually increased it. The psychiatrist prescribed the other two and to be honest I do feel a lot better that I did 2 or 3 years agio but I still have a long way ti go. I usually am better in the summer months.

I had mine increased to 40mg during a crisis, and i went manic. I think they prefer to keep you on the lowest dose possible for as long as possible

your doc may be just trying you out on the 20mg at first.

I was on 60mg for ages but it didn't work and made me sleep all the time and it was useless so he took em Off It.

If its really not helping and he doesn't Want to up it then ask if he could change it?

I was started on 10mg/day, then bumped up to 20mg/day after a month. Still didn't help... I lost all capacity to feel sadness, and all capacity to feel anything else, too. That was more distressing than the depression, so rather than ask the psychiatrist to up the dose or put me on something else, I just stopped taking it and asked her to let me go off it so I wasn't wasting money on pills I wasn't taking.

Hmmm, on this one I believe the GP prescribed up to 20 but I was then bouncing back and forth between GP and Psych, who both liaised on my meds. I think GPs often feel safer with a Psych in tow on this med.

I went up to 60mg, but as it was not having any effect at all (it was like taking a sugar pill) they did not bother putting it up to 80mg. 60-80mg tends to be the max advised dose, but there are some very rare cases of going higher if needed.

I am not on it anymore... thank heavens... it led to a bad crash and me in hospital from an od.... as it wasn't helping me at all...

Roiben x

I'm on 60mg a day. That's for depression, anxiety and bulimia though. I was originally prescribed it for depression last year. It helps me a lot.
x

Yeah,

I'm on 40 mg per day (or as in my case 2*5ml spoons of liquid version) but as has been said they try u on the lowest dose for as long as possible and then increase it as required! as has been said max dose is 80, but think they use that few and far between, have been up as far as 60 though! I find it has helped me greatly along with psychology and alternative measures such as massage!

Hope this helps Linds x

i was on 40mg it made me really agitated

was on 60mg until recently, it really didnt feel like it was doing anything other than numbing me, so i stopped taking it, though soon started getting really really depresed once off it

If you think you need a higher dose, could you go to a different doctor and ask them to increase it for you?

Are you under 18? Because it's certainly licensed for higher doses in "adults" - and often used at higher doses.

So I suspect the person above who mentions the increased SI/suicide risk in younger patients has got it right, and your doctor is following guidelines and erring on the side of caution.

But yes if it isn't working maybe get a second opinion (preferably from a psychiatrist.)
Take care xx

ps. just occurred to me: how long have you been on it? - because it takes a couple of weeks (even up to a month) to have an effect.

I am on 20mg but I know someone whos had it at 40mg

I was on 80mg, but it didn't work, so I've stopped taking them. Supposed to start on some other meds soon.

I'm on 20mg though at one point they wanted to put me up to 30mg but a psych stopped them. Mum has been on 40 I think and it helped her.

I'm on 20mg per day and they havent help at all. X

I took 80 for a while, I dont remember why it was stopped but I was in the hospital when they took me off it.

Changes need to be closely monitored so I can see why a GP would be hesitant.

I am currently on 60mg and find it helps a lot

I am on 20mg, and it works very well for my. I have quit on Prozac one time, and I was freaking scared all the time, having anxiety attacks constantly. I was on 40mg for a while, but now 20 works good for me.

I'm on 40, I've always been on that. I'm not sure if it helps, I guess it does a bit compared to some others I've been on but I'm very depressed at the moment with stuff going on.