Does prozac work for general anxiety disorders?
On One Hand: Prozac As an AntidepressantFluoextine hydrochloride, or Prozac, is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an antidepressant. As such, it is used to treat major depressive disorder and has years of research and randomized, controlled trial results to support its use.On the Other: Off-Label and Related Prozac UsesProzac is also approved to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder; both of these conditions are characterized primarily by specific types of anxiety and have been studied with Prozac in clinical trials. Prozac and other antidepressant medications are used without FDA approval (i.e., off label) to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). GAD and depression are both caused by imbalances in neurologic chemicals, which is why antidepressants are commonly used to treat GAD.Bottom LineAlthough Prozac is not approved for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder specifically, its successful use in treating other types of an
