Zoloft (Sertraline)

Zoloft is a prescription medicine used to treat depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (also called OCD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (also called PTSD) in adults. Zoloft is also used to treat OCD in children (ages 6-12) and adolescents (ages 12-17).

Zoloft comes as a tablet to take it orally. It is usually taken once daily and may be taken with or without food. Take Zoloft exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of it or take it more often than prescribed by your doctor. Continue to take Zoloft even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Zoloft without talking to your doctor, especially if you have taken large doses for a long time. Your doctor probably will want to decrease your dose gradually. This drug must be taken regularly for a few weeks before its full effect is felt.

Sertraline belongs to a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). Other drugs in this class are Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram) and Luvox (fluvoxamine). Serotonin is a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger) produced by nerve cells in the brain that is used by the nerves to communicate with one another. A nerve releases the serotonin it produces into the space surrounding it. The serotonin either travels across the space and attaches to receptors on the surface of nearby nerves or it attaches to receptors on the surface of the nerve that produced it, to be taken up by the nerve and released again (a process referred to as re-uptake). A balance is reached for serotonin between attachment to the nearby nerves and reuptake. Selective serotonin inhibitors block the reuptake of serotonin and therefore change the level of serotonin in the brain. It is believed that some illnesses such as depression are caused by disturbances in the balance between serotonin and other neurotransmitters. The leading theory is that drugs such as sertraline restore the chemical balance among neurotransmitters in the brain. Sertraline was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December, 1991.

If you take Zoloft once a day in the morning, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. However, if it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. If you take Zoloft once a day at bedtime and do not remember to take it until the next morning, skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.

Store at 25 degrees C (77 degrees F); excursions permitted to 15 degrees F- 30 degrees C (59 degrees C - 86 degrees F).

Before taking Zoloft, tell your doctor if you have liver disease; kidney disease; suffer from seizures; or suffer from mania or have suicidal thoughts. You may not be able to take Zoloft, or you may need a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above. Zoloft is in the FDA pregnancy category C. This means that it is unknown whether it will be harmful to an unborn baby. Do not take Zoloft without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether Zoloft passes into breast milk. Do not take Zoloft without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking sertraline and contact your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical treatment: an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives); an irregular heartbeat or pulse; low blood pressure (dizziness, weakness); high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision); or chills or fever.

If you experience any of the following less serious side effects, continue taking sertraline and talk to your doctor:

• headache;
• tremor, nervousness, or anxiety;
• nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, or changes in appetite or weight;
• sleepiness or insomnia; or
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

Your pharmacist can provide more information about Zoloft.