Sertraline chemical structure
Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Zoloft

Sertraline hydrochloride (Zoloft®, Lustral®, Apo-Sertral®, Asentra®, Gladem®, Serlift®, Stimuloton®, Xydep®, Serlain®) is an orally administered antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) type. more...

Home
Diseases
Medicines
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Zafirlukast
Zagam
Zalcitabine
Zaleplon
Zanaflex
Zanamivir
Zantac
Zarontin
Zelnorm
Zerit
Zestoretic
Zestril
Zetia
Zevalin
Ziagen
Zidovudine
Zileuton
Ziprasidone
Zithromax
Zocor
Zofran
Zoladex
Zoledronic acid
Zolmitriptan
Zoloft
Zolpidem
Zometa
Zomig
Zonegran
Zonisamide
Zopiclone
Zosyn
Zovia
Zovirax
Zyban
Zymar
Zyprexa
Zyrtec
Zyvox

Uses

Sertraline is used medically mainly to treat the symptoms of depression and anxiety. It has also been prescribed for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder. It was first approved by the FDA in 1991. The patent for this brand-name drug expired in December 2005.

Side effects

Sertraline can have a number of adverse effects, including insomnia, asthenia, gastrointestinal complaints, tremors, confusion, dizziness, anorgasmia, and decreased libido; it can induce mania or hypomania in around 0.5% of patients. It has also been known to cause minor weight loss. Sertraline also has dopamine reuptake properties at high doses. It is contraindicated in individuals taking MAOIs or undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.

Forms and dosages

Sertraline is manufactured by Pfizer and sold as Zoloft in the United States as small green 25 mg tablets, blue 50 mg tablets, and orange 100 mg tablets (Generic 100mg sertraline tablets are yellow), each of which is scored to allow easy halving. In Australia, only the 50 mg and 100 mg strengths are available, both as white tablets. Sertraline is an odorless, white, sparingly soluble crystalline solid. The minimum effective dose is 50 mg per day, but lower doses may be used in the initial weeks of treatment to acclimate the patient's body, especially the liver, to the drug and to minimize the severity of any side effects. Patients who do not experience relief of symptoms at 50 mg a day may have their dose increased, up to 200 mg a day.

Precautions

Because of its metabolism, liver impairment can affect the elimination of this drug from the body. If someone with liver impairment is treated with sertraline, lower or less frequent dosage should be used. Similarly, patients should limit their alcohol intake while on sertraline (or any antidepressant). Because the liver is doubly taxed with processing both substances (in addition to any other drugs the patient may be taking), alcohol remains in the bloodstream longer, so the effects of alcohol may be more strongly and quickly felt by people taking sertraline or other antidepressants.

Controversy

In June 2003, Britain banned the use of sertraline for children under 18 after studies showed a link to increasing suicidal rates. Similar concern has prevailed in the United States, where only the anti-depressant fluoxetine (another SSRI) is officially endorsed by the FDA for the treatment of depression in minors. However, because the antidepressant-suicide link is correlational, scientists do not know whether the increased suicide risk for people taking antidepressants occurs because the drugs make people suicidal, whether suicide occurs because the drugs un-depress the people enough to motivate the energy required to commit suicide (a popular theory), or because of a third, unknown factor.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Zoloft - New & Approved
From OB/GYN News, 7/15/02 by Elizabeth Mechcatie

(sertraline, Pfizer)

A selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for treating premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), the second SSRI and second drug approved for this indication.

* Recommended Dosage: 50 mg/day throughout the menstrual cycle or during the luteal phase. If necessary, dose may be increased at 50-mg increments per cycle, up to 150 mg/day when taken throughout the cycle or 100 mg/day when taken during the luteal phase.

* Special Considerations: Effectiveness beyond 3 months has not been evaluated.

* Comment: Approval was based on two studies of Zoloft vs. placebo over three menstrual cycles. In a study of 251 patients, those who took Zoloft 50 mg/day during the first cycle, then 50-150 mg/day during later cycles, had significantly greater improvements, compared with placebo. In an intermittent dosing study of 281 patients, those on Zoloft 50 mg/day in the late luteal phase during the first cycle, and 50-100 mg/day in later cycles, also had significantly greater improvements.

See comments below in Sarafem section for clinician's perspective on both drugs.

COPYRIGHT 2002 International Medical News Group
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

Return to Zoloft
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay