Xanax vs Prozac: Key Differences, Uses & Side Effects

The leading health problems in the world are mental health issues. The cases of mental health issues are rising by the day due to a hectic day-to-day life, excessive stress, and a poor lifestyle. The global health report by the World Health Organisation indicates that 1.1 billion individuals in the world are affected by different mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. Both Xanax and Prozac are broadly used in the treatment of Mental health problems.
Xanax and prozac are prescription drugs used to treat the same and different mental health diseases. Yet, their mechanisms of action vary and are primarily recommended by physicians to treat anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. The Xanax and Prozac were invented in the 1960s and 1970s, respectively, by J.B. Hester in the Upjohn Company and Eli Lilly and Company.

What are Xanax and Prozac?

What is Xanax?

Xanax or Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine drug that acts fast on your brain. The generic name of Xanax is “Alprazolam”. It increases the (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) system and gives you a quick relief from anxiety and panic disorder. Xanax is an approved medicine from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States, but only for adults. It was created by J.B. Haster in the Upjohn Company to treat anxiety-related issues. Xanax is the best medicine for anxiety, and it is also an approved medicine for some other panic disorders like GAD and CINV.

What is Prozac?

The generic name of Prozac is “fluoxetine”. This medication is an antidepressant medication of the SSRI type. SSRI stand for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor is a class of medication. This increases serotonin levels in the brain and gives you long-term relief from depression without any addiction. Prozac is the approved medicine from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States for both adults and underage individuals. It was created by Eli Lilly and Company to treat mental health disorders like OCD and panic attacks.

How Do Xanax and Prozac Work on The Human System?

Xanax and Prozac are two drugs that are of different classes. Xanax supplements the GABA(It is responsible for emotions, memory, and basic functions of the brain) chemical in your organism and minimises the impact of anxiety, and calms your body. The reaction in your brain requires between 15-60 minutes.

Prozac is the SSRI antidepressant, which increases serotonin(Serotonin is the chemical that transmits the messages between the nerve cells in the brain and in the whole body) by inhibiting its reabsorption in the brain. It contributes to the minimisation of anxiety and mental health-related problems. This medication does not cause any withdrawal symptoms.

Uses of Xanax and Prozac

Xanax and Prozac are both used for the same and different purposes. The following uses of Xanax and Prozac are:

Uses of Xanax

Xanax is mainly used to treat anxiety, but doctors also prescribe for in such cases:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder and different from normal anxiety attacks.
• Panic disorder is a mental disorder. The cause of the panic disorder is sudden panic attacks. Xanax is also used to treat panic disorder.
• The usual side effect of cancer treatment is Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting(CINV).

Uses of Prozac

Prozac is mainly used for depressive disorders and panic disorder, but doctors also prescribe it in such cases:

• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD) is an obsessive mental health condition. In this condition, you are suffering from unwanted thoughts, obsessions, and fear. Prozac also helps in the treatment of OCD.
• Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder(PMDD) in which women experience severe depression symptoms, mood changes the week before their periods. Prozac is also used in other types of disorders.
• Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which people eat too much food at one time and gain abnormal weight, but sometimes with bulimia are at normal weight and higher risk for mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Prozac helps to treat bulimia nervosa.

Side effects of Xanax and Prozac

Xanax and Prozac, both medicines, have some side effects that are important to know before use. Here we discuss common and rare side effects of Xanax and Prozac:

The Common side effects of Xanax

• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Skin rash
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Headache and Tiredness
• Blurred vision
• Changes in appetite
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of balance
• Forgetfulness
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea and Sleep problems
• High blood pressure

Rare side effects of Xanax:

• Depression
• Difficulty speaking
• Suicidal thoughts

The Common side effects of Prozac

• Loss of appetite: Not feeling hungry
• Nausea
• shivering and shaking
• Restlessness
• High blood pressure
• fever
• excessive hunger
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Trouble sleeping
• Dry mouth
• Confusion
• Changes in vision, including blurred vision or tunnel vision
• Sexual dysfunction

Rare side effects of Prozac:

• Weight loss
• Hair loss
• Sweating
• Red spots on the skin
• Mania or irritable mood
• Abnormal dreams
• Frequent urination
• Stomach behaviour, pain, and gas
• menstrual pain
• Seizure
• Increased risk of suicidal behaviour
• Increased risk of bleeding
• Serotonin syndrome

If you are taking these two medicines and you experience any side effects mentioned above we mention or new or other side effects, then please contact your doctor first.

Precautions for Xanax and Prozac

If you are taking these medicines, here are some safety tips and precautions that you must follow:

For Xanax

• If you take this medication, then you should not drive because they have side effects like blurred vision and confusion.
• Don’t use heavy machinery if you take xanax.
• At the same time, you should not take xanax with alcohol.
• Do not change and take it abruptly.
• Do not use the time of pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Store the medicine in a safe place where no one can access it.

For Prozac

• Talk to your physicians about your medical history.
• Report to your doctor in case of any allergic reactions.
• Report in case of presence of dangerous symptoms or side effects when taking prozac.
• Do not quit taking prozac without asking first to your doctor to cut the dose.
• Self-taking the prescribed dose of the doctor.
• Do not use prozac with other medicines like pimozid (Orap) and MAO inhibitors.

Interactions between Xanax and Prozac

Xanax vs Prozac: Which is effective?

Both are effective, but this is based on the purposes of the drugs. Xanax has a quicker reaction time as compared to prozac. There are the best medicines for treating anxiety in the initial stages of treatment. It can quickly get out of it in the initial stages of the treatment. It remains in your system for 10-12 hours, in comparison with prozac.
Prozac is a good drug to treat depression, OCD, and panic attacks, as well as being prescribed for long-term use. Prozac has a slow reaction time as compared to Xanax, although it has a prolonged presence in the system, which is why it is used in the middle and final stages of the treatment after xanax. The prozac effect lasts for 3-5 weeks.

Is more addictive and dependable, xanax or prozac?

Xanax is addictive compared to prozac. Xanax is a benzodiazepine are controlled substance. The benzodiazepine drugs work fast in the brain and respond rapidly in the brain, providing you with quick pain relief. But this medicine is not prescribed for long-term use because it has a dependency and addiction risk. If you compare Xanax, prozac has zero-risk addiction.

Should Xanax Be Taken with Prozac?

The answer to the question is yes, you can take Xanax and Prozac together, only if the doctors prescribe you, although there are rare circumstances when the doctor prescribes you to take these medicines together. Without the consent of a doctor, it is dangerous to your health.

Quick comparison between Xanax and Prozac?

Here, we describe the quick comparison between Xanax and Prozac :

Functions	Xanax	Prozac
Class of the drug	Benzodiazepine drug	Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor
Mainly use for	Anxiety and panic attacks	MDD, OCD, Bulimia Nervosa and Panic Disorder
Other uses	GAD, CINV, Psychomotor agitation, and Agoraphobia.	OCD, bipolar disorder, Bulamia nursova, and PDD
Which one is fast	The reaction time of xanax is faster than Prozac.	The reaction time of Prozac is slower than Xanax.
Reaction time	15-60 minutes	3-4 weeks
Effect of duration	10-12 hours	In weeks
Certified or not	Certified by the FDA, but only for adults.	Certified by the FDA, both adults and children.
Minimum age limit for use	18 years and above	MDD: 8 to 18 years. OCD: 7-17 years. Depressive Episodes associated with Bipolar Disorder:10-17 years. Bulimia Nervosa and PMDD: Approved for adults.
Maximum age limit	60 years	65 years and older
Cost	30 Tablets of 0.20 mg are $570	60 Tablets of 0.25 mg are $350
Main difference	Xanax is faster than Prozac.	The duration of time of prozac is long
Risk of addiction	Xanax is a controlled drug, which is a Schedule IV controlled drug.	It is not a controlled substance and does not have physically addictive or abuse properties.

Conclusion

The conclusion is that xanax and prozac both work differently. Xanax is used in the initial stages, and Prozac is used in the final stage in the treatment of anxiety and depression. Xanax is used to treat the worst cases of anxiety, and prozac is used in the normal cases. The Xanax works quicker, and prozac stays longer in your body. The half-life of xanax is 10 hours, and the half-life of prozac is 7-12 days.
We suggest that if you have symptoms of anxiety, depression, and OCD, please consult a doctor first. If you take this medicine without consulting a doctor, or do not take the doctor’s prescribed dose, or take an overdose, it is dangerous for you and it affects your health.