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About sertraline

Delight note

This folio will give you full general data about sertraline. Information technology is not medical advice.

Always talk to your doctor well-nigh your situation and whether this medication is for you.

How sertraline works

Sertraline is a type of antidepressant chosen a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Research suggests that depression or depression mood is more than likely to occur when the brain doesn't take enough serotonin.

Serotonin (as well called '5HT') is a naturally-occurring chemical messenger (or 'neurotransmitter') that has an of import role in areas of the brain that command mood and thinking.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - like sertraline - are thought to piece of work by increasing levels of serotonin in the encephalon. They do this by blocking the recycling of released serotonin back into the nerve endings.

Sertraline is often prescribed alongside a talking therapy.

Read our guide to anxiety

Sertraline and everyday life

Oft asked questions

Antidepressants like sertraline tin commencement to piece of work on depression within the starting time 2 weeks of handling, and the improvement continues over the post-obit few weeks.

Information technology may take four weeks or longer for you to go the full effect.

For anxiety, antidepressants like sertraline can take slightly longer to work. For some people, anxiety briefly increases at the start of treatment, only the feet does subtract with continued treatment.

Your doctor volition commencement with a low dose, which they increase slowly to a dose that is effective for you. This may accept several days or weeks.

A side consequence of sertraline may be weight loss or weight gain.

Gaining some weight is more likely, simply information technology is very hard to know how it will affect each person who takes it.

Talk to your doctor nearly this if it worries you.

Do non take sertraline at the aforementioned time as weight-loss products.

You lot may want to let your family unit and friends know you are taking sertraline then they can support you and help you await out for side effects.

For guidance on this, check out our page on getting support with your medication.

You tin can experience drowsy in the first few days of taking sertraline. This should become improve afterwards the first week or two. If it makes you feel drowsy, try taking it just before you go to bed.

You could also, strangely, get indisposition (difficulty getting to slumber), and disturbing dreams or nightmares. If this happens, try taking the tablet outset thing in the morning.

If you feel like a zombie, and yous've been taking it for more than a month, you tin can go dorsum to the doc and see what else y'all could practise.

Alcohol

You tin go on to potable alcohol while taking sertraline, just having the 2 together might make you very sleepy and unsteady on your anxiety.

During the outset few days, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you run into how the medicine affects yous, or the side effects pass.

If you want to drink alcohol, call up that y'all might be very sleepy and make sure yous tin get home safely.

Drinking alcohol every mean solar day, or in large amounts, can make your symptoms worse and the sertraline will not get the all-time chance to human activity.

Street drugs

Methadone and heroin can make drowsiness worse with sertraline. The sertraline could increase the concentration of methadone in your trunk.

SSRIs may reduce the effects of ecstasy and so might brand people try higher doses and therefore get more side effects.

Taking sertraline with cocaine, ecstasy or amfetamines could bring on serotonin syndrome. You lot could get a high temperature/fever, agitation, defoliation, trembling or weird muscle movements. You need to go to hospital if this happens. Tell the doctor that you are taking sertraline.

Sertraline does not seem to be affected by cannabis, although it may make you a fleck drowsier.

Cannabis and other drugs may take their own side effects on your mental health, like feet or psychosis. For more data, take a look at our drugs and alcohol page.

There are many other street drugs, simply we don't know what effect taking them with sertraline will have.

Sertraline does non mix well with some other medicines and drugs.

Do not take sertraline if you lot are on or have taken MAOIs (drugs like phenelzine, isocarboxazid, tranylcypromine or moclobemide) in the last fourteen days; you must await until 14 clear days have passed before you tin can take sertraline.

Tell your medico if y'all are taking whatever other medicines.

Tell the pharmacist you are taking sertraline if you buy medicines over the counter (including things y'all put on your skin) for common illnesses.

Do not drink grapefruit juice while you are taking sertraline - the juice increases the amount of sertraline absorbed from your gut.

Taking sertraline may make y'all feel sleepy, light-headed and restless, and could impact your eyesight when y'all starting time taking it.

This could bear upon you lot if you drive a car, ride a bike, or do anything else that needs a lot of focus. Information technology might be best to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you lot know how it affects you and your body gets used to it.

Do not worry - most people drive as normal while taking sertraline.

Pregnancy

When deciding whether to accept sertraline during pregnancy it is important to weigh up how necessary sertraline is to your wellness confronting the possible risks to you or your baby, some of which will depend on how many weeks pregnant you are.

Remaining well is particularly of import during pregnancy and while caring for a baby. For some women, treatment with sertraline in pregnancy may exist the best option for both mother and baby.

If you do become significant while you are on sertraline, you should carry on taking the medicine and go back to your doctor as presently as possible, to see if you should cease or change your medicine.

If you lot and your md agree that y'all will deport on taking sertraline, you should tell your midwife that you are taking it before you lot give birth.

Mail-natal

In that location are another symptoms that can occur in newborn babies if sertraline is taken in the concluding three months of pregnancy, so practise look out for these and get assistance if they happen:

fits or shaking
beingness besides hot or cold
feeding difficulties or being sick
having stiff or floppy muscles, or overactive reflexes
being jittery, irritable or having constant crying
being very sleepy or finding it hard to sleep

These are ordinarily mild and become away in a few days without treatment.

If sertraline is taken in the terminal five months of a pregnancy, it can cause a serious condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the new-born (PPHN). This can make the baby breathe faster and look a fleck blue in colour. PPHN affects around three in 1,000 babies born to mums who take SSRIs. This compares with a rate of two in 1,000 among babies born to mums who do non take SSRIs.

PPHN appears in the showtime 24 hours after birth. You will need help from the midwife and doctors, and so it is improve if they are looking out for symptoms.

Breastfeeding

Sertraline passes to the baby through breast milk in small amounts.

Breastfeeding may help offset any withdrawal symptoms.

Delight talk to your midwife, doctor or pharmacist if you lot want to breastfeed while taking sertraline.

Talk to your medico or midwife about your feeding options.

If your baby was premature or has health problems, then you lot will need to exist actress careful nearly taking medicines while breastfeeding. It may be all-time non to breastfeed if this is the instance, but you should discuss this with your doctor.

Sex activity

Sertraline can have side effects that might impact your sex life. These might include:

a lower sexual activity drive
problems getting an erection (getting hard) and ejaculating (coming)
a painful erection that lasts for a long time (priapism). If this happens to yous, see a doctor for help directly abroad
bleeding from the vagina and difficulty reaching orgasm (coming) the same way every bit earlier
some growth of the breasts and milk menstruation, regardless of gender (this is very rare)

These effects should pass after the beginning couple of weeks. If they do not, and this is a problem for you lot, get dorsum to the doctor and run into what else yous could endeavour.

The skilful effects of sertraline may, after a while, have a positive impact on your sex life as your mood lifts and y'all become interested in life and relationships again.

Fertility

There have not been any concerns almost fertility issues with sertraline.

If yous are trying to get meaning, you should non accept sertraline unless y'all accept talked about it with your physician.

Sertraline is not a banned substance in sport.

Taking sertraline may touch on your ability to practice things like riding a bike, competitive sports or anything else that needs a lot of focus.

Yous may also find it difficult to sit or stand up still at first.

It might be all-time to stop such sports for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.

Do not worry - most people play sports as normal while taking sertraline.

Effort not to take sertraline for the first time just earlier your exams.

Sertraline tin can make you feel very restless in the first few weeks that you have information technology and may affect you when you lot sit or stand yet.

It tin also disturb your sleep, and your eyesight.

You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting sertraline. You lot might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them.

If they are more than a calendar month away, however, you might notice that it is better to start sertraline to ameliorate your motivation to study.

Do non worry - most people take exams as normal while taking sertraline.

Your doctor should know

You demand to talk to your doc or pharmacist before starting treatment with sertraline if you lot have (or have had) whatsoever of the following:
- seizures (fits)
- bipolar disorder
- schizophrenia
- thoughts of harming yourself or taking your own life
- serotonin syndrome (your doctor might take this on your records)
- low sodium level in your blood
- liver illness
- diabetes
- bleeding disorders
- if you are having electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- eye problems, such as glaucoma (increased pressure in the heart)

Uses, warnings, safety and side effects of sertraline

Taking sertraline

How long volition I demand to take sertraline for?

Y'all volition need to have sertraline for several months after you feel better, otherwise your symptoms can come back.

Your medico will advise you lot how long to accept sertraline for, equally it depends on why you are taking it. For depression it might be six months, for OCD information technology might be 12 months and for other feet related conditions such equally PTSD and panic disorder it might be up to 18 months.

If you stop taking the sertraline too before long, at that place is more than chance that your symptoms will come back.

If you have bipolar disorder, it is probable that the doctor will propose for the sertraline to be stopped sooner. This is because, in bipolar disorder, in that location is a risk of your mood becoming also loftier if an antidepressant is used for too long.

See your doctor if yous want to terminate sertraline.

You should only have sertraline as agreed with your doctor

Y'all will go the best effects from your medicine if you lot take it every solar day at the dose prescribed by your doc.

Make sure that you know your dose. If it is not written on the label, check with your chemist or dr..

Y'all will usually take it once a day. When you offset treatment, information technology is recommended that you take information technology in the morning and not at night, in case it affects your sleep.

To assistance you to have yous tablet regularly you should choose a fourth dimension that you will think. This could exist a mealtime or when you lot brush your teeth.

You will start with a low dose, which will be increased slowly to a dose that is constructive for you. This may take several days or weeks.

You tin can take information technology with or without food.

Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water - it tastes biting if you lot chew information technology.

Do not drink grapefruit juice while you lot are taking sertraline - the juice increases the amount of sertraline absorbed from your gut.

What should I do if I miss a dose of sertraline?

If you lot remember afterwards during the day, take information technology equally shortly as possible.

If you forget to have it past bedtime, simply first once again on the adjacent 24-hour interval. Do non take a double dose.

What volition happen if I forget to take my sertraline?

If you forget to take your tablets for a few days, you may starting time getting your sometime symptoms back, or get withdrawal symptoms (feeling dizzy or shaky, slumber problems [including difficulty sleeping and intense dreams], feeling irritable or broken-hearted, feeling or being ill, and headaches). If this happens yous should talk to your doctor virtually it.

It is of import to have sertraline every day, otherwise it will not work.

Stopping the employ of sertraline

Stopping this medicine quickly, or reducing the dose too much at one time, may crusade uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

Once y'all start taking an SSRI, the brain adjusts to having a new level of serotonin around. If you stop taking the SSRI all at one time, the balance starts to change again. Yous could get some symptoms from the change.

Sertraline is non addictive, just you lot may go uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms if you end sertraline of a sudden, as your torso begins to miss it. It is better to agree stopping with a dr. who will reduce you gradually over about four weeks.

Some of the withdrawal symptoms include:

dizziness or headaches
tingling feelings like pins and needles or numbness - some people describe electric stupor-like feelings downward their head and back
slumber disturbances (vivid dreams, nightmares, not being able to sleep)
feeling anxious or agitated
feeling sick or beingness sick
shaking

These symptoms should stop after two to three weeks for almost people, but a very few people can become them for 2 to three months or more than.

Most people become balmy symptoms, but for a very few people they can exist very intense.

Go and speak to your doctor if you have decided to stop taking your medication.

Warnings and safe

Prophylactic headlines

If you have taken more than sertraline than the dosage recommended past the dr. who prescribed it to you lot, you lot must go medical help immediately –even if you practice not experience any different.

While taking sertraline, some people may remember near hurting themselves or taking their ain lives. You must get straight to infirmary with your tablets if you lot have any of these thoughts.

Sertraline tin also cause rare but serious side furnishings: allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, swelling of your face or pharynx, itching skin lumps), a seizure (fit), serotonin syndrome (run across 'Side Effects' tab for description), and liver problems (which may nowadays as yellowing of pare and eyes). Get to a hospital with your medicine if you become any of these symptoms.

Do not have sertraline if you accept taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI) like moclobemide, phenelzine, isocarboxazid or tranylcypromine in the concluding 14 days.

Stopping sertraline of a sudden tin can cause unpleasant withdrawal effects. Go to your physician if you want to cease, or if you are having these effects.

Sertraline is not addictive, but stopping information technology suddenly can cause problems such equally: feeling giddy or shaky, sleep bug (including difficulty sleeping and intense dreams), feeling irritable or anxious, feeling or being sick, and headaches.

Go to your md if you desire to stop, or if y'all are having these effects.

Y'all might feel sleepy or restless, and may not be able to see as conspicuously, in the beginning few days after taking sertraline. Do not drive a car, ride a bike or operate machines until y'all come across how this affects you lot.

If you lot are meaning, or thinking of becoming pregnant, please read the pregnancy section (see 'Side Furnishings' tab) because sertraline may affect the developing baby.

When to go to the hospital

If yous have taken more sertraline than the dosage recommended by the doctor who prescribed it to you lot, you must get medical help immediately –even if you do non feel whatsoever different. Go to A&E. Take your medicine with you to show to the doctors. Tell them how much you have taken. Get a friend to go with you, if you can, just in case you feel sick on the style.

You might get some of the post-obit signs:

drowsiness
feeling or being sick
fast heartbeat
shaking
agitation
dizziness
in very rare cases, going unconscious

You lot are also at take a chance of getting serotonin syndrome. Symptoms include a loftier fever, agitation, confusion, trembling, or weird movements of your muscles. This is rare, simply you should watch out for it.

If you accept any thoughts of taking your own life or of other ways of hurting yourself, go direct to a hospital with your medicine. This may be a side event of taking sertraline, and you need urgent aid. This can happen to anyone but is more than likely to happen if you lot are under 25 years old.

Go to a doctor or hospital straight away if you lot become any of the post-obit symptoms:

any combination of the post-obit symptoms: loftier fever, agitation, confusion, trembling, sweating, diarrhoea (loose poo), fast heartbeat or weird movements of your muscles – this could be serotonin syndrome
allergic reaction or allergy, which may include symptoms such every bit an itchy skin rash, breathing problems, wheezing, bloated eyelids, face or lips
jaundice (yellowing of your peel or the whites of your eyes) which may mean liver damage
if you feel restless and are not able to sit or stand still after you starting time to have sertraline
if yous have a seizure (fit)
if you feel overexcited or very happy, as this may be a manic episode
a painful erection that lasts for a long time (priapism)

Side furnishings of sertraline

Side effects of sertraline

Some sertraline side effects that appear should go away or get better after a few days. If they exercise not, you lot should go dorsum to your doctor.

Don't stop taking sertraline until you talk to your doctor or you may get withdrawal symptoms too.

Very common side effects of sertraline, affecting more than than one in ten people, include:

dizziness or headache
sleepiness, feeling very tired, or difficulty getting to sleep
diarrhoea (loose poo)
feeling ill
dry mouth
issues with ejaculating (coming)

Common sertraline side effects, affecting up to one in 10 people, include:

sore throat, teeth grinding, or a funny taste in your mouth
changes in your ambition (feeling hungrier or less hungry)
having nightmares
feeling anxious, agitated, depressed, nervous, or just foreign
less involvement in sex, or problems having sex - like difficulty getting an erection
numbness and tingling, tense muscles, having muscle pain, or shaking
bug with focusing and concentration
effects on your eyesight
ringing in your ears
palpitations, chest pain, hot flushes and sweating
yawning a lot
being ill or having stomach and gut pain
having constipation, an upset stomach, lots of wind
getting a rash

In clinical trials, young people anile nether 25 were more probable than adults to get the following side effects from SSRI medicines:

thoughts of self-damage and/or taking their own lives
being hostile or aggressive

The most mutual side effects of sertraline reported in children and adolescents are headache, insomnia, diarrhoea and nausea (feeling sick).

About this information

The information on this page was reviewed past the College of Mental Health Chemist's in March 2020.

Visit the CMHP website

CMHP. College of Mental Health Pharmacy

More information and advice

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Source: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/young-person/medications/sertraline/