Sertraline
Sertraline, sold under the brand name Zoloft among others, is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. The efficacy of sertraline for depression is similar to that of other antidepressants, and the differences are mostly confined to side effects. Sertraline is better tolerated than the older tricyclic antidepressants, and it may work better than fluoxetine for some subtypes of depression. Sertraline is effective for panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, for OCD, cognitive behavioral therapy, particularly in combination with sertraline, is a better treatment. Although approved for post-traumatic stress disorder, sertraline leads to only modest improvement in this condition. Sertraline also alleviates the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder and can be used in sub-therapeutic doses or intermittently for its treatment.
Sertraline shares the common side effects and contraindications of other SSRIs, with high rates of nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, and sexual side effects, but it appears not to lead to much weight gain, and its effects on cognitive performance are mild. Similar to other antidepressants, the use of sertraline for depression may be associated with a higher rate of suicidal thoughts and behavior in people under the age of 25. It should not be used together with MAO inhibitor medication: this combination causes serotonin syndrome. Sertraline taken during pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in congenital heart defects in newborns.
Sertraline was invented and developed by scientists at Pfizer and approved for medical use in the United States in 1991. It is available as a generic medication. In 2016, sertraline was the most commonly prescribed psychiatric medication in the United States and in 2018, it was the fourteenth most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with over 38 million prescriptions.
Q76560
antidepressant
Concept
Q334477
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
Concept
Q42844
depression
Concept
Q908843
tricyclic antidepressants
Concept
Q422244
fluoxetine
Concept
Q741713
panic disorder
Concept
Q281928
social anxiety disorder
Concept
Q845224
generalized anxiety disorder
Concept
Q178190
obsessive–compulsive disorder
Concept
Q1147152
cognitive behavioral therapy
Concept
Q202387
post-traumatic stress disorder
Concept
Q2728811
premenstrual dysphoric disorder
Concept
Q410954
MAO inhibitor
Concept
Q616181
serotonin syndrome
Concept
Q939364
congenital heart defect
Concept
Q206921
Pfizer
ORG
Q506319
generic medication
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
Q407617
Sertraline
Concept
1991-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1991
DATE
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2016
DATE
2018-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2018
DATE
+25^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
25
NUMBER
+38^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
38
NUMBER
medical condition treated
medical condition treated
medical condition treated
medical condition treated
subclass of