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Article: The One-Size Dose Does Not Fit All: Physicians and patients should look beyond the guidelines recommended by drug manufacturers.(Focus on Health)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Newsweek
- Article date:
- December 6, 1999
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When I began prescribing Prozac 10 years ago, I found that about half my patients responded well while the other half didn't. One woman became psychotic within five days. Another developed panic attacks so severe she couldn't work. Though I'd given them the lowest recommended dose--20mg a day--it was simply more than they could tolerate. Then, in the medical library, I found a study that shocked me. It showed that even before the Food and Drug Administration approved Prozac, testing had shown that 54 percent of depressed patients required only 5mg. No wonder so many of my patients reacted badly. They were getting four times the medication they needed.
It's clear ...