Anonymous asked this question on 5/12/2000:

someone here or in another category / forum / whatever told me that prozac is "addictive" it was either "spirit" or "spiritual" or some name like that

is this true? i dont want to take anything taht is addictive

thanks

Desertphile gave this response on 5/12/2000:

Hi. Please note that I am NOT a doctor.

You asked me the same question privately a day or two ago. I'm glad you will not take just one "exper's" word for it. I wish more folks would do the same.

I read your question here and then did a AskMe search on the key words "Prozac+ Spirit+ addictive" and came up with vid=865117 which quotes the statement as "Prozac is a highly addictive serotonin altering drug." Please be aware of the fact that this statement is false: Prozac is not addictive. Nor are the other SSRIs.

Nor is Prozac a "setotonin altering drug." I cannot imagine what such a drug would be, but there is no such drug at the moment. Prozac does not "alter serotonin." It does not increase nor decrease nor modify serotonin. It makes the serotonin already available in the central nervous system remain active long enough for depressed neurotransmitter activity to be increased to normal (average) activity. The theory is that it does this by inhibiting the enzymatic break down of serotonin after the synapse "fires" by blocking the "reuptake" on the pre-synapse side of the axion.

To say that Prozac is "addictive" is to say that normal, healthy, non-depressed people are "addicted" to their normal neurotransmitter activity. That would completely redefine the word "addictive!"

As for why "spirit" wrote what he did, ask me in the Scientology category.

The average rating for this answer is 5.

Anonymous rated this answer a 5.

thats right the name was spirit. I will go to the cat and ask him why. and thank you for the answer. i thought it was good.