According to the World Health Organization, depression will become one of contemporary society’s major ailments in the next few years.
It now affects over 264 million individuals worldwide (mainly women), with some terrible figures.
Believe it or not, 76% to 85% of people do not receive any form of depression treatment.
That wouldn’t be so weird if there weren’t so many various kinds of successful therapies available. You can, for example, pick CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), IPT (Interpersonal Psychotherapy), or medications.
Of course, utilizing drugs is the most convenient alternative, so most individuals do that. Your doctor can prescribe either SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or TCAs (tricyclic antidepressants) to treat your depression.
So, what happens if one of these drugs is taken? Can they combine it with marijuana? As an example, we will look more closely at Prozac, a prominent prescription medicine that belongs to the SSRI class of antidepressants.
To begin, we must state that the solution to this issue is not that straightforward. There are several studies that reveal both beneficial and harmful consequences of mixing Prozac with cannabis, so let’s get to some explanations right now.
Are you familiar with Prozac?
Before we begin, there are a few things you should know about this medicinal treasure.
Bryan Barnet Molloy, David T. Wong, and Klaus Schmiegel should be thanked for developing this antidepressant. They were the three chemists that devised it. So, in addition to everything else that the 1990s brought us, we can now add Prozac to the list.
Prozac was supposed to be the cure-all for high blood pressure. As it turned out, it didn’t do a particularly good job at it (they tested it on both animals and humans). However, it had an effect on anxiety and sadness, and it has since become one of the world’s leading drugs.
How does Prozac function in practice? We’ll strive to simplify the procedure so that you can comprehend it better.
Our mood is controlled by three hormones in our bodies. Serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline are the three.
When we experience sadness, it indicates that our body is deficient in one of these hormones, since neurotransmitters are not transmitting enough of it to our brain (typically serotonin).
When you take Prozac, it really prevents serotonin until there is enough of it, at which point it is released, making you feel calm and content.
It improves our mood, gives us more energy, and helps us in general. As a result, it’s used to treat a wide range of ailments, including:
- Anxiety attacks
- Obsessive-compulsive syndrome
- Bipolar disorder is related to depression.
- Binge eating disorders, for example.
When we consider all that Prozac can do for us, it’s no surprise that it’s one of the most popular medications on the market. It is not hazardous when used alone, but what happens when combined with weed? Sometimes nothing happens, yet other times a lot happens.
From top to bottom in no time
As previously said, you might combine Prozac with marijuana without adverse effects.
However, you are taking a significant risk because the negative effects of this combination are unavoidable. They are considered low to moderate, although they do exist.
Weed is thought to make individuals feel less anxious and calmer in general. Prozac is the same thing.
Having said that, you might easily get hypomania, which is the most prevalent bad impact of combining those two. We’d want to educate you about this disease so you’re completely aware of the bad symptoms you can encounter.
Hypomania is a mental illness with symptoms that are diametrically opposed to depression. It may appear unusual at first to state that overexcitement is a condition, but it is. Hypomanic episodes can be extremely dangerous not just for the sufferer but also for others around them.
Lack of sleep, a continual urge to talk about everything, an enthusiastic outlook on everything, but also an overwhelming need to fight and cause events are all symptoms of this disease.
When all of these symptoms are considered, the disease does not appear to be one to be concerned about. But when you delve further, you’ll notice it becomes more serious.
Hypomania is not to be neglected. You may experience happiness at certain moments, but in the end, it will leave you in complete misery and suicidal thoughts. This condition does not include hospitalization, since it appears in episodes and it’s not constant, but it can still change someone’s behavior long term.
Prozac and weed: Are you willing to take a risk?
When you combine Prozac with marijuana, you run the risk of heartbeats quickly and unevenly. Finally, keep in mind that if you use the two together, you are unlikely to be totally awake.
The doctor’s opinion matters
If you enjoy the way marijuana makes you feel and don’t want to stop using it, inform your doctor before they prescribe Prozac. The best thing you can do is briefly abstain from marijuana since this will allow Prozac to have the most impact. You may even consider taking simply marijuana to treat depression, which you should discuss with your doctor.