Fluoxetine/Prozac/Zactin problems

[Tigern]

I have been taking fluoxetine for almost 2 months now, I am now up to 60mg a day and will be going up to 80mg in about 4 days, (this is my psychiatrists decision) But as of yet I have noticed no changes, if anything I have gotten worse. I suffer from "Generalised Anxiety Disorder" "Panic Disorder" "Agoraphobia" and "Social Phobia" I have been struggling with this for about 7 years and finally a few months ago got up the courage to seek help. I've gone up slowly in doses I was on 1 tablet for about a week then 2 for about 4 weeks and now I have been taking 3 a day for almost 2 weeks and I still can't leave my room to make a cup of tea or make food if someone is home. I also take diazapam for emergencies, it is meant to help me be able to leave the house but I have had to use it constantly. Even just to get the courage to talk to a friend on MSN. So anyway I was wondering is it possible that my dosage just isn't high enough to feel the effects yet or should I ask to change meds? My psychiatrist is away for another month and I am almost out of diazapam. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance to any responses. =]

 

[jennismortal]

Fluoxetine is administered orally and is well absorbed from the GI tract. The presence of food can delay the rate of absorption, but not the extent. There may be some first-pass metabolism. Peak plasma concentrations occur in 6-8 hours. Steady-state plasma concentrations of fluoxetine and its principal active metabolite norfluoxetine are achieved in 2-4 weeks. Because both fluoxetine and an active metabolite, norfluoxetine, exist as enantiomers. Since these four compounds differ in kinetics and potency, no relationship between serum concentrations and clinical effect has been defined.D Fluoxetine is highly protein-bound (94.5%) to predominantly ›A-acid glycoprotein. The drug is well distributed, and it readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and presumably the placenta. It is distributed into breast milk.
Fluoxetine is demethylated in the liver to several metabolites. The only known active metabolite is norfluoxetine, which appears to be as effective as its parent in the blockade of serotonin reuptake. Fluoxetine has the slowest elimination of the SSRIs. The half-life of fluoxetine is 2-3 days and that of norfluoxetine is 7-9 days. There is considerable individual variation, which may be associated with rates of N-demethylation and hydroxylation. About 60% of an oral dose is excreted in urine within 35 days, and about 12% of the dose is excreted in the feces within 28 days. Renal impairment does not appear to affect elimination half-lives of the parent drug and its active metabolite. Neither drug is substantially removed by hemodialysis.

 

[Noca]

Diazepam is Valium, a benzo, and is one of the best medications for SA. Try maybe switching to Lexapro or Paxil if your Prozac doesnt work after 4-8 weeks of use.