Prozac

[ proh-zak ]

Pharmacology, Trademark.

1. a brand of fluoxetine hydrochloride.

Prozac

/ ˈprəʊzæk /

noun

1. fluoxetine; a drug that prolongs the action of serotonin in the brain; used as an antidepressant

Prozac®

1. This widely used antidepressant drug works by modifying the behavior of neurotransmitters in the brain . It is the first of a series of psychoactive drugs that work in this way.

Notes

The high degree of effectiveness of Prozac in treating depression has spurred debate over whether such drugs should be used for milder problems, such as shyness, or even used simply to improve an otherwise normal mood.

References to Prozac are sometimes mildly derogatory, indicating a psychological state in which true feelings have been replaced by a drug-induced tranquility.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Prozac¹

First recorded in 1988

Example Sentences

“If I’m testing Prozac for depression, or Prozac for any other disease, I can do my research without waiting” for the committee, he said, but “If I’m testing Prozac for addiction, I have to wait.”

From Los Angeles Times

Future studies will examine how the voles rebound from depression-like experiences and how they respond to antidepressant medications like Prozac or ketamine.

From Science Daily

Most of all, she loves her own despair — if the film had come out today, it would be easy to imagine her posting about Prozac, stomach aches and Ottessa Moshfegh novels.

From New York Times

But anyone who thought “The Sopranos” was “The Godfather” on Prozac, or a paean to therapy as a solution to violent crime, realized, in “College,” that this was much more than a mob opera.

From Los Angeles Times

The drug helped, and she stayed on it after her daughter went into remission, eventually switching to Prozac.

From Seattle Times