Sertraline

Sertraline tablets: what they are for

Sertraline belongs to the SSRI group of antidepressants — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It raises the level of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps regulate mood, by slowing how quickly nerve cells take it back up, so more stays available between them. The shop's sertraline is a film-coated tablet in 25mg, 50mg and 100mg strengths. It is taken for depression, for panic disorder (repeated sudden attacks of fear) and for obsessive-compulsive disorder, where unwanted thoughts and rituals become hard to ignore. Social anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder are treated with it as well.

How to take sertraline

One tablet a day, swallowed with water, at a fixed time — morning works for some, evening for others. Food is not a problem either way; the tablet can be taken with breakfast or on an empty stomach. Treatment usually begins at a low strength and is stepped up later, often after a week or more, which lets the body get used to it. If a dose is missed, the next one is taken as normal; two tablets together are not. In their original pack, in a cool spot out of the sun, the tablets keep well.

When the effect shows up

Nothing much happens in the first days. Sleep and appetite may shift before mood does, and the effect on low mood and anxiety builds over several weeks rather than hours. Because of that, sertraline is taken every day rather than as needed. Courses often run for months. Stopping all at once can produce dizziness, tingling, headache, nausea and irritability, so the dose is lowered in steps instead.

Side effects to know about

Headache, feeling sick, loose stools, a dry mouth, drowsiness, dizziness and trouble sleeping are the ones people notice most, and they tend to fade within a couple of weeks. Lower sex drive and weight gain are slower to settle. Drowsiness in the early weeks makes driving and machinery risky. Rarely, sertraline can trigger serotonin syndrome, in which too much serotonin causes a racing pulse, sweating, trembling, muscle twitching and confusion; that combination needs urgent treatment, particularly when another serotonin-raising medicine is being taken. A swollen tongue or throat, an itchy rash or difficulty breathing also needs emergency care. Feeling unusually elated, or having thoughts of self-harm, should be taken seriously.

Medicines and alcohol

Other serotonin-raising medicines — MAO inhibitors, tramadol, triptans, St John's wort — add to sertraline's effects. Ibuprofen and similar anti-inflammatory painkillers, and the blood thinner warfarin, make bleeding more likely, particularly in the gut. Alcohol increases drowsiness and dizziness.