What is Sertraline?
Sertraline is an antidepressant drug that is part of a class of medications known as selective serotonin receptor inhibitors (ssris). It is prescribed to treat major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and post-traumatic anxiety disorder (PTSD).
Sertraline can also be employed to treat premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Warnings
It is not recommended to use sertraline when you are also taking pimozide or receiving Methylene Blue injections.
Patients suffering from mental illness or depression may contemplate suicide. Young people might experience an increased risk of suicide when they first take medication to treat depression. Talk to your doctor promptly if you notice sudden changes in your mood and behavior or if you have thoughts of suicide.
Don't stop using sertraline until you have your doctor's guidance.
You should seek medical attention immediately if you experience signs of serotonin-related syndrome, for example, hallucinations, agitation, sweating, fever, and shivering. You may also experience a rapid heart rate, muscle stiffness and twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Before you Take this Drug
It is not recommended to use sertraline when you have an allergy to it or also use pimozide. Do not take the liquid version of this medication if you also take disulfiram (Antabuse).
If you've used an MAO inhibitor in the last 14 days, an unsafe drug interaction may occur. MAO inhibitors are isocarboxazid, linezolid, methylene blue injection, phenelzine, and tranylcypromine. Make sure you wait at least fourteen days after stopping any MAO inhibitor prior to taking sertraline.
Inform your physician if you also take stimulant medication such as opioid medicines, herbal remedies, medication for mental illness, depression such as Parkinson's disease, chronic infections, or for the prevention of vomiting and nausea. A reaction to sertraline can cause a serious health condition known as serotonin syndrome.
To ensure that sertraline is suitable for you, ask your doctor if you have ever experienced:
- Allergies or sensitivities to tartrazine or aspirin (food color) and latex (oral solution; the dropper dispenser has organic rubber);
- Bipolar Disorder (manic depression);
- Heart disease, hypertension, or a stroke
- Kidney disease or liver failure;
- Seizures;
- Glaucoma;
- Bleeding issues or if you're taking warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven);
- Long QT syndrome; or
- The sodium levels are low in your blood.
A few young people may experience an increase in suicidal ideas when they first begin treatment for depression. Your physician will monitor your improvement frequently. Family members or caregivers are also required to be on the lookout for abrupt shifts in behavior.
Sertraline has been approved to be used by children who are at least 6 years old and is used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is not approved for depression.
The use of sertraline during pregnancy can affect the baby's health; however, stopping the medication may not be suitable for you. Do not begin or stop taking this medicine without consulting with your physician.
If you're pregnant, then your name might be added to the pregnancy registry to monitor how sertraline affects the baby. For the baby.
Check with your doctor for advice on whether it is safe to breastfeed while taking this medication.
How to Take Sertraline?
Follow the exact dosage of sertraline as directed by your physician. Follow the directions on your prescription label and go through all medication guides and instruction sheets. Your doctor may alter your dosage.
Take sertraline either with or without food at the same times each day.
Sertraline liquid (oral concentrate) should be diluted by adding liquid before you begin taking it. Follow the mixing instructions that come with your prescription. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you require assistance.
Make sure to measure the mixed medicine using the syringe that comes with it or the dosing device (not an ordinary spoon).
Suck the capsule whole, but don't crush, chew, or break it.
Sertraline could cause false results in the urine test for drug screening. Inform the lab personnel that you are taking this medication.
Stop taking sertraline abruptly, as you could experience uncomfortable symptoms (such as anxiety, tingling, or electric shock sensations). Consult your physician before stopping the medication.
Keep tightly sealed in a cool, dry place far from heat and humidity.
Details on Dosage:
Usual Adult Dose for Depression:
The first dose is 50 mg, taken orally every day.
The Maintenance Dose is 50 - 200 mg once orally per day.
Usual Adult Dose for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
The first dose is 50 mg orally, once a day.
Maintenance Dose: 50-200 mg taken orally every day
Usual Adult Dose for Panic Disorder:
Initial dosage: 25 mg daily orally, followed by a week of increasing to 50 mg once every day.
Maintaining dose: 50–200 mg taken orally every day.
Usual Adult Dose for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
Initial dosage: 25 mg daily orally, and then increased after a week to 50 mg orally per day.
Maintenance dose: 50–200 mg taken orally, once a day.
Usual Adult Dose for Social Anxiety Disorder:
Initial dosage: 25 mg orally every day, increasing over a week to 50 mg orally per day.
Dosage for maintenance: 50 to 200 mg once a day.
Usual Adult Dose for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder:
Continuous regimen:
Initial dosage: 50 mg orally at least once per day during the menstrual cycle.
Maintaining dosage: 50–150 mg taken orally every day during menstrual cycles.
Cyclic regimen
Initial dosage: 50 mg taken orally every day, beginning 14 days before the date of menstrual flow up to the first day of menses. This is repeated for each cycle.
Maintaining dosage: 50–100 mg once or twice a day.
Usual Pediatric Dose for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
6–12 years old:
Initial dosage: 25 mg daily, orally
Maintaining dosage: 25 to 200 mg once orally, every day
13–17 years old:
The initial dose is 50 mg once orally every day.
Maintenance dosage: 50 to 200 mg once or twice a day.
What Happens if I miss the dose?
Do not take the medicine for as long as you can. However, avoid any missed doses if you are close to the time of the next dose. Don't take two doses at a time.
What Happens If I Overdose?
For medical emergencies, seek emergency medical attention or contact the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What Should be Avoided?
Drinking alcohol with sertraline may result in adverse side effects.
Avoid driving and other hazardous activities until you are aware of the effects of this medication on your body. Your reaction could be affected.
Side Effects of Sertraline
Contact emergency medical assistance. If you are experiencing symptoms that are warning signs of an allergy reaction to sertraline, the appearance of a rash on your skin or hives (with or without joint pain or fever) or breathing difficulties or swelling of your lips, face, and tongue.
Inform your doctor about any new or more severe symptoms, for example, changes in your behavior or mood, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you experience anger, irritability, or impulsiveness, are aggressive, active, restless (mentally and physically), are more depressed, are contemplating suicide, or are harming yourself.
See your doctor right away if you are suffering from:
- Unusual bleeding or swelling;
- A seizure;
- Vision changes vision changes, eye pain, redness, or swelling;
- Lower blood sodium Low blood sodium, headache or confusion, issues with memory or thinking, weakness, unsteadiness, or
- Mad episodes such as racing thoughts, an increase in energy, behaviors that involve risking extreme happiness, not being angry or arousing
Get medical attention immediately. If you experience indications associated with serotonin syndrome, for example, hallucinations, agitation, sweating, fever, or shivering, an increase in heart rate, muscle stiffness and twitching, loss of coordination, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea,
Sertraline can affect growth in children. The child's weight and height can be measured frequently.
Common sertraline side effects are:
- Ingestion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and loss of appetite.
- Nose bleeds;
- An increase in sweating
- Tiredness, sleep problems, and insomnia;
- Anxiety;
- Loss of bladder control
- Shakes or movements; or
- Sexual issues.
This isn't a complete list of all the side effects. Others could happen. Contact your physician for advice regarding medical effects. You can report any side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Interaction with Other Drugs.
Sertraline could cause serious heart conditions. Your risk may be greater if you take other medications to treat infections, asthma, heart conditions, high blood pressure, mental illness, depression, cancer, malaria, or HIV.
Talk to your physician prior to using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAID) like naproxen, aspirin, ibuprofen, Advil, Aleve, Motrin, and more. When you take an NSAID with sertraline, it could cause bleeding or bruises easily.
Other medications can be incompatible with sertraline, such as medications that are prescribed and available over the counter, vitamins, and herbal products. Discuss with your physician all other medicines you are taking.
