In this episode, I discuss a medication known as sertraline or Zoloft.
Everybody welcome to another episode of drug talk as always i’m your host garrett campbell today we’re gonna be talking about another antidepressant medication known as sertraline it has a brand name of zoloft now before i start talking about the medication itself just keep in mind that this channel is for information purposes only and not to be used as a source
For recommendations for your personal healthcare now i did mention that the major indication for search lenore zoloft is major depressive disorder or mdd however there are some other indications where it could be used as well it can be used prophylactically for recurrent mdg can be used to treat the depressed phase in bipolar as long as there’s a mood stabilizer
On board with search lane virtually may be used to treat bulimia nervosa can be used in ocd or obsessive compulsive disorder it’s been shown to be effective to treat panic disorder with or without agoraphobia can be used in ptsd or post-traumatic stress disorder as well as premenstrual dysphoric disorder many people have had success treating generalized anxiety
Disorder with zoloft as well as treating premature ejaculation now before somebody was to use sertraline or zoloft for the first time there are some precautions or warnings that they should be made aware of the first and perhaps most crucial is that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as sertraline are known to sometimes cause an increase in suicidal
Ideation as well as hostility this is more prevalent in younger individuals however all patients must be monitored while using these medications for worsening of depression as well as the appearance of the suicidal ideation this would usually happen more often in the beginning of therapy however it can happen anytime throughout the course of therapy especially
During a change in dose whether that be an increase or a decrease when starting this medication it may impair your physical or mental ability to perform hazardous tasks such as driving an automobile or operating heavy machinery it’s a good idea to avoid doing these tasks until you really know how the medication makes you feel medications in this class may cause
Mania and about 20% of people with bipolar who uses medication it’s important to note as well that because search lien has an effect on serotonin if it was to be used with other medications that affect serotonin levels as well this could put a patient at an increased risk of experiencing serotonin syndrome virtually niz one of the three ssris that may affect
Other medications that are highly protein bound though search lane is not one of the primary ssris that does have an effect on the cytochrome p450 system in doses over a hundred milligrams search lane does affect these enzymes and the last precaution to note is just that we typically try to give the lowest possible dose to individuals who have hepatic or renal
Disease i want somebody is made aware of the precautions and they start using sertraline more often than not they’d be using it in capsule form it’s available as a 25 a 50 of 100 a 150 as well as 200 milligram capsule there is also an oral solution which comes in a strength of 20 milligrams per mil in terms of the dosing for this medication the cardinal rule is
That patients would start off on a low dose and an increase that dose slowly over time with the guidance of their physician and pharmacist i’m starting off on a low dose it’s thought that you can decrease your risk of having adverse reactions the most important thing to be understood when initiating this kind of medication is that they do take some time to work
It can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months to find that max benefit that you desire unfortunately many patients when first starting the medication experienced many side effects but not much benefit a lot of these individuals would stop taking the medication however if you make patients aware of this situation the likelihood of them continuing
To take the medication long enough to get to that point where they can reach benefit is increased one landmark trial known as the star d trial showed that 30% of individuals using citalopram an ssri similar to search lane reached remission after 10 weeks of therapy it should also be noted that sometimes you do have to try several medications before you find the
Medication that works best for you so don’t give up if the first medication you try is not successful class with all medications there are some side effects or adverse reactions that people may experience while using sertraline so a list some of those effects here for you now browsing this and sedation as well as insomnia happens over 10% of the time headache as
Well as a feeling of excitement or hypomania may happen 10% of the time as well disorientation or confusion happens in less than 2% of people some people may experience anticholinergic side effects the most prominent of these would be dry mouth coming in at 10% lured vision constipation and sweating come in at 2% over 10 percent of people may experience some
Extrapyramidal side effects such as a tremor over 10% of individuals may experience orthostatic hypotension or a drop in blood pressure when going from a seated to a standing position over 2 percent of people may notice a rapid heart rate or palpitations and less than 2 percent may experience changes on an ecg most common side effects with sertraline or zoloft
Would be gi distress this happens in 30% of people and nearly as common happening about 30% of individuals as well would be sexual side effects which can present as either a decrease in desire or a decrease in performance and lastly just about 2 percent of people may notice a rash with sertraline as well same percentage 2 percent may notice a weight change of
Over 6 kilograms that’s all we’re going to talk about today with sertraline or zoloft as always i’m thanks that you took the time to come by and watch one of my videos if you found that the information was valuable and you’d like to help me grow this channel you can like the videos share the videos or most importantly subscribe to the youtube channel there’s also
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Transcribed from video
SERTRALINE (ZOLOFT) – PHARMACIST REVIEW – #43 By Drug Talk
