Manufacture: Phizer

Zoloft is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Generic Name:   Sertraline
Brand Name: Zoloft

This medication description is not meant for treatment prescription without the intervention of a specialist

Common Uses:
Zoloft is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Zoloft affects chemicals in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Zoloft is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

 

How to use:
Take Zoloft exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from the medication.
Take the Zoloft tablet with water.
Zoloft may be taken with or without food.
Try to take the medicine at the same time each day. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

 

Warning and Precautions:
Before taking Zoloft, tell your doctor if you are using any of the following medicines:

• tramadol (Ultram, Ultram ER, Ultracet);
• digitoxin (Crystodigin);
• phenytoin (Dilantin), valproate (Depacon, Depakene);
• lithium (Lithobid, Eskalith);
• a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin);
• any other antidepressant such as amitriptyline (Elavil), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), fluvoxamine (Luvox), imipramine (Tofranil), nortriptyline (Pamelor), or paroxetine (Paxil);
• almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova), sumatriptan (Imitrex), naratriptan (Amerge), rizatriptan (Maxalt), or zolmitriptan (Zomig); or
• heart rhythm medication such as flecainide (Tambocor), propafenone (Rhythmol), and others.

This list is not complete and there may be other drugs that can interact with Zoloft. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use.

 

Important safety information:
Do not take Zoloft together with pimozide (Orap), or a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as isocarboxazid (Marplan), phenelzine (Nardil), rasagiline (Azilect), selegiline (Eldepryl, Emsam), or tranylcypromine (Parnate). You must wait at least 14 days after stopping an MAOI before you can take Zoloft. After you stop taking Zoloft, you must wait at least 14 days before you start taking an MAOI.
You may have thoughts about suicide when you first start taking an antidepressant, especially if you are younger than 24 years old. Zoloft is FDA-approved for children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It is not approved for treating depression in children. Your doctor will need to check you at regular visits for at least the first 12 weeks of treatment.
Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. SSRI antidepressants may cause serious or life-threatening lung problems in newborn babies whose mothers take the medication during pregnancy. However, you may have a relapse of depression if you stop taking your antidepressant during pregnancy. If you are planning a pregnancy, or if you become pregnant while taking Zoloft, do not stop taking the medication without first talking to your doctor.

 

Side Effects:
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

• very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes;
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination; or
• headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, confusion, hallucinations, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops.

Less serious Zoloft side effects may include:

• drowsiness, dizziness, tired feeling;
• mild nausea, stomach pain, upset stomach, constipation;
• dry mouth;
• changes in appetite or weight;
• sleep problems (insomnia); or
• decreased sex drive, impotence, or difficulty having an orgasm.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.

Overdose:
Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have taken too much of this medication. Symptoms of a Zoloft overdose may include dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, agitation, tremor, confusion, seizures, and coma.


Missed Dose:
Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if it is almost time for the next regularly scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and take the next one as directed. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

Storage conditions:
Zoloft  should be kept away from heat, direct light, water, moisture at a room temperature (approximately 23 degrees C). The medicine should be kept in a place unreachable for children.

All information given above is a summary. You must visit your doctor, pharmacies or health care provider can provide more information about this medicine. Do not share this medicine with others for whom it was not prescribed. Do not use this medicine for other health conditions. Do not store medication with end term of storage.