Fluoxetine: dosing, timing and what to expect
The original SSRI, with the longest half-life in the class — which makes it forgiving of misses and slow to leave the system.
Also known as Prozac
Fluoxetine quick start
- Route
- Oral
- Typical dose
- Physician-set — commonly 20–60 mg/day
- Frequency
- Daily
- Half-life
- 4–6 days (active metabolite 4–16 days) — changes take weeks to wash out.
- Cycle
- Continuous under physician supervision.
How to run it
- How often
- Daily
- Cycle length
- Continuous under physician supervision.
- Half-life
- 4–6 days (active metabolite 4–16 days) — changes take weeks to wash out.
- Route
- Oral
What to expect
Most people tolerate Fluoxetine well. Here is what is worth knowing going in, so nothing catches you by surprise.
Known interactions
Interactions involving Fluoxetine's drug class that DoseIQ screens for. Each one cites where it comes from — an FDA label section or the published record — because an interaction warning you can't trace is just noise.
Each additional serotonergic agent (SSRI, trazodone, buspirone) adds to total serotonergic load; interactions range from mild to, rarely, serotonin syndrome.
What to do: This combination is usually deliberate and fine — but every prescriber involved should know the full list.
Source: FDA labels, SSRI class §7
Both act centrally; the community reports stronger nausea and blunted or altered response on the combination.
What to do: Start at the low end of melanocortin dosing and judge your own response.
Source: Community reports; melanocortin pharmacology
Preparing it
This page is an educational research reference and is not medical advice. Dose figures reflect the published record and what the community has converged on — starting points to weigh, not instructions. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any protocol.