Can you take Prozac at night? 

Can you take Prozac at night?

Yes, you can take Prozac at night if it doesn’t cause insomnia. Prozac is known for causing insomnia, especially during the early course of your treatment. 

If Prozac affects your sleep, taking it at night can intensify this side effect. This is why most doctors recommend taking Prozac in the morning. 

However, you can take it at night if insomnia is not a side effect in your case. Make sure you ask your healthcare provider before switching Prozac from morning to night. 

What are the benefits of taking Prozac at night? 

Antidepressants, including Prozac, affect people in a number of ways. Although insomnia is common with this med, Prozac can also cause fatigue and drowsiness in some individuals (1). 

Such people complain of low energy levels during the day when they take Prozac in the morning. This is when taking Prozac at night can actually be beneficial for you. 

Some people may also experience nausea and loss of appetite, which may also become easy to manage if you take Prozac at night. Make sure you talk to your healthcare provider to determine the best possible time of the day to take Prozac. 

It’s not the same for everyone and is mostly patient-specific. Once you do start taking Prozac at night or in the morning, make sure you take it at the same time every day. It is also important to check what other medications you are taking with Prozac, especially if it causes sleepiness.

Some medications, like benzodiazepines, antiepileptics (Gabapentin, Pregabalin, etc), non-benzodiazepines, and other antidepressant can also cause sedation.

What are the drawbacks of taking Prozac at night?

Prozac Is associated with some side effects that may become more prominent if you take this medication at night.  these include:

  • Insomnia 
  • Sexual side effects – loss of libido, inability to release in men, inability to achieve climax in women, etc.
  • Frequent urination – bed-wetting.
  • Nightmares 

For people who experience the above-mentioned side effects, it is recommended by their doctors to take Prozac in the morning. This can reduce the intensity of the side effects which can affect the quality of your life if you take the medication at night time. 

Insomnia, for instance, can cause lethargy and low mental alertness during the daytime. Bed-wetting associated with frequent urination can also affect sleep quality in some people – especially children and elderly individuals.

Final words

You can take Prozac at any time of the day. Just make sure the time at which you take this medication is suitable to mitigate some of the side effects you experience. If your current time does not seem appropriate, talk to your doctor about switching.

Just make sure you closely monitor your side effects and discuss them with your doctor. It is also important to ensure the safe and effective use of Prozac and to not skip any doses. 

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References

1.-

PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 3386, Fluoxetine; [cited 2023 Feb 9]. Available from: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Fluoxetine

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