Fluoxetine Hydrochloride

Adults: Initial treatment Recent studies suggest that 20 mg/day of Fluoxetine may be enough to get a satisfactory antidepressant response. So the recommended starting dose is 20 mg/day, taken in the morning. If there's no clinical improvement after several weeks, a dose increase may be considered. Any dose above 20 mg/day should be given twice a day (bid), in the morning and at noon, and the total should not go above the maximum of 80 mg/day. As with other antidepressants, the full antidepressant effect may be delayed until 4 weeks of treatment or longer. As with many other medicines, patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment should be given a lower or less frequent dosage. A lower or less frequent dosage should also be considered for patients such as the elderly, those with concurrent disease or those on multiple medicines. The recommended maximum dose for elderly patients is 60 mg per day. Maintenance treatment Expert psychopharmacologists generally agree that an acute episode of depression needs sustained drug therapy for several months or longer. Fluoxetine is also used at a dose of 60 mg daily for the management of bulimia nervosa. Use in children Fluoxetine is not recommended for children, because its safety and efficacy have not been established.