Talk therapists can also help patients to find more satisfaction can be achieved with their own actions rather than taking medication. Talk therapies can allow depressed individuals to look at their problems from another perspective and find strategic resolutions for these problems through talking with the talk therapist. For example, many different forms of psychotherapy, such as CBT can help people manage symptoms of depression and help them to make consistent, proactive steps toward their desired mental health goals. 11 We recommend Prozac alternative therapies in drug-free formats for individuals experiencing complications from prescription antidepressants. Many of the adverse effects of Prozac may also occur with other prescription drug treatments. Simply substituting other antidepressant drugs as alternatives to Prozac for depression or anxiety may not be the best answer for most people. Depression and other mental conditions are very often a result of physiological, lifestyle, occupational, and overlooked nutritional factors. 4-7,13Ī thoughtful selection of Prozac alternatives can avoid the pitfalls of unwanted consequences associated with prescription medication. But the problem could be solved by transitioning to natural Prozac alternatives. Prozac’s adverse effects make treatment untenable. Coming off antidepressants using natural alternatives can considerably ease the process and improve natural mental health. This is the trap that keeps many stuck on endless prescriptions, yet are still suffering.

These medications can cause dependence and will cause undesirable symptoms when discontinued. 9 All of these drugs can come with their own adverse events and may be similarly ineffective. perhaps in desperation to help their patients, doctors often prescribe multiple pharmaceutical products such as SSRIs - Paxil© (paroxetine), selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) such as Cymbalta© (duloxetine), tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil© (amitriptyline), and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as Nardil© (phenelzine). This is likely because doctors get little to no education in nutrition or other alternative treatments for depression during their medical education. Many of our patients who were considering alternatives to Prozac for anxiety or depression claim that their doctor wanted to keep them on medication by suggesting another similar drug. In contrast to that approach, at Alternative to Meds, we employ evidence-based alternatives to Prozac for anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems, and have done so successfully for nearly 20 years. 22,36,37 But they advertise to the public and to prescribers as if they do know, if only by the use of childlike images and abstract visual aesthetics. At Alternative to Meds Center, we observe that there are effective alternative solutions besides continuing to be medicated with prescribed depression drugs.ĭrugmakers clearly state in their internal and industry-facing documents that they don’t know how antidepressants like Prozac work. 11 Fortunately, antidepressant alternatives to Prozac are available for those who want to avoid unsatisfactory results from drug-based therapy. 3,11,21,34 And in many cases, mental conditions don’t resolve by taking antidepressants. 22 Prozac is associated with certain untenable adverse effects. Prozac, also known as fluoxetine, is part of a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that are frequently prescribed to treat depression and other mental health conditions. There are a number of safer and equally or more effective alternatives to Prozac for depression or other symptoms. But Prozac itself has been the subject of much controversy due to severe adverse events, increased depression, and the risk of suicide. doi:10.1136/bmj.Prozac came on the market in January 1988 and was perhaps launched as a better alternative to earlier drugs used in the treatment of depression. Antidepressant use and risk of suicide and attempted suicide or self harm in people aged 20 to 64: cohort study using a primary care database. Fluoxetine (Prozac).Ĭoupland C, Hill T, Morriss R, Arthur A, Moore M, Hippisley-Cox J. Suicidality in children and adolescents being treated with antidepressant medications. Label for PROZAC (fluoxetine).įood and Drug Administration. Comparative efficacy and tolerability of antidepressants for major depressive disorder in children and adolescents: A network meta-analysis.

The serotonin theory of depression: A systematic umbrella review of the evidence. Moncrieff J, Cooper RE, Stockmann T, Amendola S, Hengartner MP, Horowitz MA. Depression: How Effective Are Antidepressants?. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.

Treating pica in cats with prozac