Prozac

What is Prozac?

It’s an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) medication that’s often used to treat depression and mood disorders like anxiety, depression, panic attacks, bulimia nervosa, severe phobias and PTSD.

But it can also be used to tackle PE (premature ejaculation). Although the formulation was not initially for this purpose, it helps to slow down the ejaculation process thanks to its effects on serotonin levels in the brain.

How does Prozac work?

The active ingredient in Prozac, fluoxetine, stops the reuptake of serotonin in the body and increases the levels of serotonin in the central nervous system, which improves PE symptoms by desensitising your nerve receptors. This stops you from ejaculating as quickly.

When Prozac is prescribed ‘off-label’, what does that mean?

When a treatment is prescribed for a different condition than is stated in its license, it’s referred to as using it ‘off-label’. It doesn’t mean that it’s unsafe to prescribe it in this way. Clinicians and expert groups have found that it’s effective for another purpose, without the drug manufacturer extending their license to include it. Prozac is one of many medications that are prescribed off-label like this.

How to take Prozac

How to take Prozac may differ depending on what you’re using it for. If you’re unclear on how best to use it, ask our clinician, and they can help you.

You’ll usually be prescribed with the lowest dose (20mg) by our clinician to begin with, to see how your body responds to the treatment. It usually takes about five to 10 days for this kind of medicine to work – but it could be two or three weeks before you notice the effects. If you find that this dose isn’t effective though, our clinician can discuss increasing your dose with you.

Take 20mg Prozac one to three hours before you have sex (or the increased dose if our clinician has boosted it). Some studies have revealed that fluoxetine is more effective at treating PE if you take it for a while before beginning to take it ‘on demand’ for PE. But it can be used daily, or on demand.

Swallow the tablets whole with a full glass of water, with or without food. Our clinician will get in touch with you after the first four weeks of treatment to see if you should continue taking Prozac. If you continue to use Prozac, you should speak to our clinician every six months.

Is Prozac effective?

Research shows that fluoxetine in Prozac can significantly improve PE symptoms and ejaculatory control in men, and ease distress for men and their partners too. Caution has been urged though in prescribing Prozac to younger adolescents with PE, and to men who experience depressive disorders, especially disorders which are linked to suicidal thoughts or behaviours.

What Prozac dosage is right for me?

Prozac is usually taken in tablet form, and you’ll normally be prescribed with the 20mg dose to start off with. Our clinician will monitor the way your body responds to the dose. If you don’t see an improvement in four to six weeks, we can adjust your dose (you shouldn’t adjust your dose without speaking to our clinician first). However, any increase to your dose may depend on whether or not you experience any side effects from the treatment.