Fluoxetine

Fluoxetine is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) used in the treatment of Major Depressive Disorderplugin-autotooltip__plain plugin-autotooltip_bigMajor Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), also known simply as 'depression', is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood.

Current estimates are that severe depression affects around 2% of the global population at any given time, currently more than 150 million. The majority of cases don't appear to have an obvious personal and/or societal cause.and Obsessive-Compulsive disorderplugin-autotooltip__plain plugin-autotooltip_bigObsessive-Compulsive disorder

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental condition in which a person feels the need to perform certain routines repeatedly (called "compulsions"), or has certain thoughts repeatedly (called "obsessions"). The sufferer is unable to control either the thoughts or activities for more than a short period of time. etc.. It's marketed under the trade names Prozac, Sarafem, Fontex and many others.

SSRIs are believed to act by inhibiting the re-uptake of the hormone serotonin after being released in the brain synapses. The exact mechanism for their operation is unknown.

Quote from the prescribing information datasheet for Prozac™, from manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company.

"Although the exact mechanism of PROZAC is unknown, it is presumed to be linked to its inhibition of CNS neuronal uptake of serotonin"

source

In addition, the theory that manipulating serotonin levels may help in treatments is itself also unproven :

… there exists no rigorous corroboration of the serotonin theory, and a significant body of contradictory evidence."

Source : PloS Medicine 2005 Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature

Although SSRIs definitely do increase serotonin levels, a comprehensive review study published in 2022 found no evidence that serotonin levels are in fact linked to depression.

The main areas of serotonin research provide no consistent evidence of there being an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations.

Source : Molecular Psychiatry, 2022

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