Doctors at the College Health Service are prescribing Prozac, what some have termed as the anti-depressant "wonder drug," for many of the students suffering from clinical depression.
Approximately one-quarter of College students go to Dick's House for counseling for depression, according to Dr. Mark Reed, assistant profesor of psychiatry at Dick's House.
Prozac is one of three drugs which Dick's House doctors prescribe for extreme cases of depression, Reed said. The other drugs prescribed are Paxil and Zoloft.
Prozac is popular because it produces minimal side effects, Reed said. The drug lets students go on with their lives while curing their depression, said Reed.
In light of the recent national publicity concerning Prozac, Bruce Baker, a pyschologist at Dick's House, said he is weary of students who assume Prozac is the perfect drug to solve all their problems.
"I've had one or two students who have come in and think it'd be easier to just take Prozac," said Baker, who said he does not feel that Prozac is the right answer for all students.
Reed said most students are not prescribed anti-depressants, but agreed Prozac is not for patients who are just having a bad couple of days.
"Prozac is not for someone who is having a bad hair day or just ended a relationship," Reed said.
Mike DiPietro '95 said he went to Dick's House for counseling when he encountered depression just over a year ago. At the first meeting the counselor suggested Prozac, and at the second, gave him a three month prescirption with an option for a refill, DiPietro said.
DiPietro said he thinks Prozac is an effective tool in fighting depression, especially with the ten-week terms at the College, adding that this was a reason the counselor felt he should try Prozac.
"When you're depressed, you don't have time to go to counseling. You stop functioning, homework, practices, food - it's the last thing in your mind," DiPietro explained.
"If you are taking a medication like Prozac, it will help you along with counseling," he said.
Baker said he has seen an increase in the student use of Prozac and other anti-depressants in his 22 years at the College.
But neither Reed nor Baker would give an estimate of the number Prozac prescriptions issued by the College.
John Turco, director of the College Health Service, who Reed and Baker said might give out the number, could not be reached for comment.
Both Reed and Baker said they are not quick to prescribe Prozac, because they prefer students learn how to deal with their emotional problems without medical assistance.
"My main thing is that we don't use it as a personality make over. When we use it, we just don't give it alone," said Baker. "It is used as an adjunct to regular therapy."
Reed and Baker both said Prozac allows a person to not be depressed, so the patient is able to learn how to evaluate his or her problems and develop coping skills.
"Someone who is really depressed, to the point that it is hard for them to get out of bed, it can be hard for them to do the talking," Reed said.
"Once they feel better with Prozac, they don't become a superman or woman, they return to a normal level," he said. "It can be pretty dramatic, especially if the depression has been going on for a long time."
Prozac, like any medication, can cause side efforts, Reed said. But with Prozac, the side effects are extremely mild and only occur in about 10 percent of patents, he said.
"It is not habit-forming," Reed said. "It is easy to get off of because it has a long half-life. If you took a pill on a Monday, the next Monday you'd still have half the pill in your system."
Possible side effects include edginess and slight headaches, Reed said. A few patients also complain of nausea, he added. Baker said side effects of Prozac vary from patient to patient.
"It's not a mood alternating drug, it's not a quick fix," Baker said. "We're talking about biochemistry and an individual's metabolism, so each person experiences different side effects."
Reed said he recommends patients stay on the anti-depressant for at least six months. The discontinuation of Prozac does not produce an immediate change in personality of the patient, Reed said.
DiPietro, who consulted with his family doctor and his mother, who is a nurse, did not have a problem with using Prozac as an aid to combat his depression.
DiPietro said what did not impress him was the lack of follow-up by Dick's House.
"What I found to be unprofessional and left a lot to be desired was the gentleman who prescribed the Prozac never followed up," DiPietro said.
DiPietro said when he returned from winter break, he blitzed his counselor saying he would like to come in and talk.
"I got a letter from his secretary telling me to make an appointment." DiPietro said.
DiPietro said the literature that comes with Prozac specifically states it should be used while under the supervision of a physician.
Prozac was approved for usage by the Food and Drug Administration in 1987.
It works by allowing two nerves to commuinicate with each other, Reed said. When they cannot communicate, a person experiences severe depression, he said.
A low level of a neurotransmitter called serotonin is responsible for the inability to communicate, Reed explained.
The lack of a connection creates extreme anxiety or depression, Reed said.
Prozac binds to the first nerve where the serotonin is, allowing the serotonin to remain in the space between the nerves to transmit the message to the next nerve.
