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Drug Name
Zoloft (Sertraline)
Drug Uses
Zoloft is a prescription medication used to treat depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (also called OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD also called) in adults. Zoloft is also used for treating OCD in children (ages 6 to 12 years) and teenagers (ages 12-17).
How Taken
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.
Drug Class and Mechanism
Sertraline belongs to a class of drugs called selective inhibitors of serotonin reuptake (SSRI). Other drugs in this class are Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram) and Luvox (fluvoxamine), and many others. This neurotransmitter serotonin (chemical Messenger), produced in nerve cells of the brain, which is used to make nerve cells were able to communicate with each other using pulses. Neuro-release serotonin, it produces into the space around it. Serotonin travels through space and attached to receptors on the surface of nearby nerves or it activates receptors on the surface of nerve that should be taken by the nerve, (a process called re-uptake). The balance will be achieved between serotonin attachment to nearby nerves and reuptake. Selective inhibitors block serotonin reuptake of serotonin, and thus change the level of serotonin in the brain. It is believed that some illnesses such as depression, caused by the disorder in the balance between serotonin and other neurotransmitters. The leading theory is that drugs such as sertraline restore the chemical balance between neurotransmitters in the brain. Sertraline has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration in December 1991.
Missed Dose
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.
Storage
Store at 25 degrees C (77 degrees F); excursions permitted to 15 degrees F-30 degrees C (59 degrees C - 86 degrees F).
Warnings / Precautions
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.
Possible side effects:
If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking Zoloft 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 Zoloft 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. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
More Information
If you experience any of the following serious side effects, immediately stop taking sertraline and contact your doctor or seek medical help: an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closure of the throat, swelling of lips, tongue or face or hives); Irregular heartbeat or pulse, low blood pressure (dizziness, weakness), high blood pressure (severe headache, blurred vision), chills and fever.
If you experience any of the following less serious side effects, which vyzvanny from receiving sertraline, talk to your doctor:
headaches;
tremor, nervousness or anxiety;
nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, or changes in appetite or weight;
drowsiness or insomnia, or
snizizhenie demand for sex, impotence, or difficulty with orgasm.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effects that seems unusual or, more particularly troubled.
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