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Prozac Dosage

For people who are first starting bulimia treatment with Prozac, dosages generally start at 60 mg once a day. For the treatment of depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder, the recommended starting dose is 20 mg once daily. The suggested starting dosage of Prozac for people with panic disorder is 10 mg once daily, which can be increased to 20 mg after one week. Although the starting Prozac dosage for children and teens is generally 10 mg or 20 mg once a day, your healthcare provider will consider the child's age, weight, and medical conditions before making a recommendation.

 

Prozac Dosing: An Introduction

The dose of Prozac® (fluoxetine hydrochloride) that your healthcare provider prescribes will vary depending on a number of factors, including:
 
  • Your age
  • The medical condition you are being treated for
  • Other medical conditions you may have
  • Other medications you may currently be taking.
     
As is always the case, do not adjust your Prozac dose unless your healthcare provider specifically instructs you to do so.
 

Prozac Dosage for Depression or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

The recommended starting Prozac dose for people with depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is 20 mg once daily. Your healthcare provider may choose to increase the Prozac dosage if symptoms continue or decrease the dose if side effects occur. The maximum dose of Prozac for these conditions is 80 mg per day. Doses above 20 mg can be taken once a day or divided into two doses and taken twice a day.
 
Prozac Weekly, the long-acting form of Prozac approved for depression, can be used to replace daily doses of Prozac 20 mg. Because all Prozac stays in your system for so long, the first dose of Prozac Weekly should be taken one week after stopping Prozac 20 mg daily. As you might guess, Prozac Weekly is taken once a week (on the same day each week).
 
(Prozac Dosage Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;