Sertraline
Zoloft contains the active substance sertraline. Sertraline belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors; these medicines are used to treat depression and (or) anxiety disorders.
Zoloft can be used to treat:
Depression is a disorder whose symptoms include: sadness, difficulty sleeping or lack of joy in life.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder are anxiety disorders with accompanying constant anxiety due to persistent thoughts (obsessions), which cause the performance of repetitive rituals (compulsive actions, compulsions).
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a condition that can occur after a very traumatic experience and is characterized by symptoms similar to depression and anxiety. Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) is an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by intense anxiety or stress in social situations (such as talking to strangers, speaking in front of a group of people, eating or drinking in the presence of others, or fear of potentially embarrassing behavior).
The doctor has decided that this medicine is suitable for treating the disorder that you are suffering from. You should consult a doctor if you are not sure why you are taking Zoloft.
Before starting to take Zoloft, you should discuss it with your doctor or pharmacist.
Medicines do not always suit everyone. You should tell your doctor before taking Zoloft if you currently have or have had any of the following:
Sertraline use has been associated with the occurrence of a state characterized by psychomotor restlessness and a compulsion to move – often with an inability to sit or stand still (akathisia). This condition usually occurs within the first few weeks of treatment. You should contact your doctor if you experience an increase in dose, as it may be harmful to patients with these symptoms.
After stopping treatment, side effects often occur, especially if treatment is stopped abruptly (see section 3. Stopping Zoloft and section 4. Possible side effects). The risk of withdrawal symptoms depends on the duration of treatment, dosage, and rate of dose reduction. These symptoms are usually mild or moderate, but in some patients, they can be severe. They usually occur within the first few days after stopping treatment. They usually resolve on their own within two weeks, but in some patients, they may persist for longer (for 2-3 months or longer). If you decide to stop taking sertraline, it is recommended to gradually reduce the dose over several weeks or months and consult your doctor on the best way to stop treatment.
People with depression and (or) anxiety disorders may sometimes have thoughts of self-harm or suicide. Such symptoms or behavior may worsen at the beginning of treatment with antidepressant medicines, as these medicines usually start working after a few weeks, and sometimes later.
It may be helpful to inform your relatives or friends about your depression or anxiety disorder and ask them to read this leaflet. You can ask your relatives or friends for help and ask them to inform you if they notice that your depression or anxiety has worsened or if there are any worrying changes in your behavior.
Medicines like Zoloft (so-called SSRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see section 4). In some cases, these symptoms persisted after stopping treatment.
Generally, sertraline should not be used in children and adolescents under 18 years of age, except for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). In patients under 18 years of age taking medicines from this group, an increased risk of side effects such as suicidal attempts, self-harm, or suicidal thoughts (suicidal thoughts) and hostility (mainly aggressive, defiant, and angry behavior) has been observed.
Your doctor may, however, decide to prescribe Zoloft to a patient under 18 years of age if it is in the patient's interest. If your doctor prescribes Zoloft to a patient under 18 years of age and the child's caregiver wants to discuss this, they should contact the doctor.
Moreover, if any of the above symptoms appear or worsen while taking Zoloft, you should inform your doctor.
In a long-term observational study lasting three years with over 900 children aged 6-16 years, the safety of long-term use of Zoloft was evaluated in terms of its effect on growth, maturation, learning (cognitive functions), and behavior. In general, the study results showed that children treated with sertraline developed normally, except for a slight increase in body weight in children treated with a higher dose.
You should tell your doctor about all medicines you are currently taking or have recently taken, as well as medicines you plan to take.
Some medicines may affect how Zoloft works or Zoloft may reduce the effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time.
Taking Zoloft with the following medicines may cause serious side effects:
You should inform your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
Zoloft tablets can be taken with or without food.
You should not drink alcohol while taking Zoloft.
You should not take Zoloft with grapefruit juice, as it may increase the level of sertraline in the body.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or plan to have a child, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.
The safety of sertraline use in pregnant women has not been fully established. The medicine can be used in pregnant women only if the doctor considers that the benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the fetus.
Taking Zoloft at the end of pregnancy may increase the risk of severe vaginal bleeding occurring shortly after delivery, especially if you have a history of bleeding disorders. If you are taking Zoloft, you should inform your doctor or midwife so that they can give you appropriate advice. Taking medicines like Zoloft during pregnancy, especially in the last trimester, may increase the risk of a serious condition in the baby called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), characterized by rapid breathing and blue skin color in the baby. These symptoms usually appear within the first day of life. If your baby experiences any of these symptoms, you should immediately contact your midwife or doctor.
Newborns may also experience other complications, which usually appear within the first 24 hours after birth. Symptoms include:
If your baby experiences any of these symptoms or if their condition is worrying, you should contact your doctor or midwife.
Sertraline passes into breast milk. The medicine can be used in breastfeeding women if the doctor considers that the benefits of the medicine outweigh the potential risks to the baby.
In animal studies, some medicines similar to sertraline have been shown to decrease sperm quality. This could theoretically affect fertility, although no effect on fertility has been observed in humans.
Psychotropic medicines, such as sertraline, may affect your ability to drive or use machines. You should wait until you know how Zoloft affects you before performing these activities.
The medicine contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) of sodium per tablet, i.e. the medicine is considered "sodium-free".
This medicine should always be taken exactly as directed by your doctor. If you are unsure, you should consult your doctor or pharmacist.
The usual effective dose for the treatment of depression and OCD is 50 mg/day.
The daily dose can be increased gradually by 50 mg at intervals of at least one week over several weeks. The maximum recommended dose is 200 mg/day.
Treatment of panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder should be started with a dose of 25 mg/day, which can be increased to 50 mg/day after one week.
The daily dose can then be increased gradually by 50 mg over several weeks. The maximum recommended dose is 200 mg/day.
Zoloft can be used in children and adolescents only for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients aged 6-17 years.
Children aged 6-12 years:The recommended initial dose is 25 mg/day. After one week, the doctor may increase the dose to 50 mg/day. The maximum dose is 200 mg/day.
Adolescents aged 13-17 years:The recommended initial dose is 50 mg/day.
The maximum dose is 200 mg/day.
Patients with liver or kidney disease should inform their doctor and follow their instructions.
Method of administration:
Zoloft tablets can be taken with or without food.
The medicine should be taken once a day, in the morning or evening.
Your doctor will tell you how long you should take the medicine. The treatment period depends on the type of disease and the patient's response to treatment. Improvement may occur only after several weeks of treatment. Treatment of depression should usually last for six months from the time of improvement.
If you accidentally take too much Zoloft, you should immediately inform your doctor or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. You should always take the packaging with the label with you, regardless of whether there is medicine left in it or not.
Symptoms of overdose may include drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, agitation, dizziness, and in rare cases, loss of consciousness.
You should not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you forget to take a tablet, you should not take the missed tablet. You should simply take the next tablet at the right time.
You should never stop taking Zoloft on your own. Your doctor should gradually reduce the dose of Zoloft over several weeks until you finally stop taking it. If you suddenly stop taking Zoloft, you may experience side effects such as dizziness, numbness, sleep disturbances, agitation or anxiety, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and muscle tremors. If you experience any of these side effects or any other side effects after stopping Zoloft, you should contact your doctor.
If you have any further doubts about taking the medicine, you should contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The most common side effect is nausea. Side effects depend on the dose and usually disappear or decrease as treatment continues.
If you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine, as they can be serious.
The following side effects have been observed in clinical trials in adults and after the medicine was placed on the market.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
insomnia, dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, diarrhea, nausea, dry mouth, ejaculation disorder, fatigue.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people):
Frequency not known (frequency cannot be estimated from the available data):
side effects reported after the medicine was placed on the market
In clinical trials in children and adolescents, side effects were generally similar to those in adults (see above). The most common side effects in children and adolescents were headaches, insomnia, diarrhea, and nausea.
After stopping treatment, side effects may occur, such as dizziness, numbness, sleep disturbances, agitation or anxiety, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and muscle tremors (see section 3. Stopping Zoloft).
Patients taking this type of medicine have been observed to have an increased risk of fractures.
If you experience any side effects, including those not listed in this leaflet, you should tell your doctor or pharmacist. Side effects can be reported directly to the Department of Drug Safety Monitoring of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products
Jerozolimskie Avenue 181C
02-222 Warsaw
phone: +48 22 49 21 301
fax: +48 22 49 21 309
Website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl
Side effects can also be reported to the marketing authorization holder or its representative.
Reporting side effects will help to gather more information on the safety of the medicine.
The medicine should be stored out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the packaging after EXP.
The expiry date refers to the last day of the month stated.
Do not store above 30°C.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. You should ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines that are no longer needed. This will help protect the environment.
Zoloft, coated tablets:
Zoloft, 50 mg
Each coated tablet contains 50 mg of sertraline in the form of sertraline hydrochloride.
Zoloft, 100 mg
Each coated tablet contains 100 mg of sertraline in the form of sertraline hydrochloride.
Other ingredients are:
calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate (E341), microcrystalline cellulose (E460),
hydroxypropyl cellulose (E463), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (type A) (see section 2: "Zoloft contains sodium"), magnesium stearate (E572), hypromellose 2910/3 mPas (E464), hypromellose 2910/6 mPas (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), macrogol 400 (E1521), macrogol 8000 (E1521), and polysorbate 80 (E433).
Zoloft, coated tablets:
Zoloft, 50 mg: white, oblong (10.3 x 4.2 mm), scored coated tablets with "ZLT 50" on one side and "VLE" on the other side of the tablet. The tablet can be divided into two halves.
Zoloft, 100 mg: white, oblong (13.1 x 5.2 mm) coated tablets with "ZLT 100" on one side and "VLE" on the other side of the tablet.
The tablets are available in aluminum/PVC blisters containing 10, 14, 15, 20, 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 84, 98, 100, 200, 294, 300, or 500 tablets, as well as blisters containing 30x1.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing authorization holder:
Upjohn EESV, Rivium Westlaan 142, 2909 LD Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands
Manufacturer:
Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Mooswaldallee 1, 79108 Freiburg Im Breisgau, Germany
Mylan Hungary Kft., Mylan utca 1, Komárom 2900, Hungary | ||
TOWA Pharmaceutical Europe, S.L., C/ de Sant Martí, 75-97, Martorelles, 08107 Barcelona, | ||
Austria | Tresleen | |
Belgium, Luxembourg | Serlain | |
Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden | Zoloft | |
Ireland, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) | Lustral | |
Spain | Besitran |
To obtain more detailed information on this medicine, you should contact the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
phone: 22 546 64 00
Date of last revision of the leaflet: 04/2025
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