Package Leaflet: Information for theuser
Besitran100mg film-coated tablets
Sertraline
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine because it contains important information for you.
Contents of the pack
Besitran contains sertraline as the active ingredient. Sertraline belongs to a group of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs); these medicines are used to treat depression and/or anxiety disorders.
Besitrancan be used to treat:
Depression is a clinical condition with symptoms such as feelings of sadness, inability to sleep well or to enjoy life as you used to.
OCD and anxiety disorders are conditions related to anxiety, with symptoms such as being constantly worried about recurring ideas (obsessions) that lead to performing repetitive rituals (compulsions).
PTSD is a disorder that can occur after a highly traumatic emotional experience, and has some symptoms similar to depression and anxiety. Social anxiety disorder (social phobia) is an anxiety-related condition. It is characterized by intense anxiety or fear in social situations (e.g., talking to strangers, speaking in public, eating or drinking in front of others, or worrying about behaving in a shameful way).
Your doctor has considered that this medicine is suitable for treating your condition.
If you are not sure why you have been prescribed Besitran, you should ask your doctor.
Do not take Besitran:
Warnings and precautions
Consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with Besitran.
Medicines are not always suitable for everyone. Before starting treatment with Besitran, tell your doctor if you have or have had any of the following:
Restlessness/Akathisia:
The use of sertraline has been associated with unpleasant restlessness and a need to move, often accompanied by an inability to sit or stand still (akathisia). This occurs more often during the first few weeks of treatment. An increase in dose may be harmful, so if you develop these symptoms, you should contact your doctor.
Withdrawal symptoms:
Side effects related to stopping treatment (withdrawal symptoms) are common, especially if treatment is stopped abruptly (see section 3. If you stop taking Besitran and section 4. Possible side effects). The risk of experiencing withdrawal symptoms depends on the duration of treatment, dose, and rate at which the dose is reduced. Generally, these symptoms are mild or moderate. However, in some patients they can be severe. These symptoms usually occur during the first few days after stopping treatment. In general, these symptoms usually resolve on their own and normally disappear within two weeks. In some patients, they can last longer (2-3 months or more). It is recommended that when stopping treatment with sertraline, the dose should be gradually reduced over a period of several weeks or even months, and you should always agree with your doctor on the best way to stop treatment.
Thoughts of suicide and worsening of your depression or anxiety disorder:
If you are depressed and/or have an anxiety disorder, you may sometimes have thoughts of harming yourself or committing suicide. This may increase at the beginning of treatment with antidepressants, due to the fact that all these medicines take time to work, which is usually a few weeks but can sometimes be longer.
This is more likely to happen:
If you have thoughts of harming yourself or committing suicide at any time, contact your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.
It may be helpful for you to tell a relative or close friend that you are depressed or have an anxiety disorder, and ask them to read this leaflet. You can also ask them to tell you if they think your depression or anxiety is getting worse, or if they are worried about changes in your behavior.
Sexual problems:
Some medicines in the same group as Besitran (called SSRIs) may cause symptoms of sexual dysfunction (see section 4). In some cases, these symptoms persist after stopping treatment.
Children and adolescents:
Normally, sertraline should not be used in the treatment of children and adolescents under 18 years of age, except in the case of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Patients under 18 years of age have a higher risk of side effects such as suicidal attempts, thoughts of self-harm or suicide (suicidal ideas), and hostility (mainly aggression, confrontational behavior, and anger) when they are being treated with this class of medicines. Nevertheless, it is possible that your doctor may decide to prescribe Besitran to a patient under 18 years of age if they consider it to be in the best interest of the patient. If your doctor has prescribed Besitran to you and you are under 18 years of age and wish to discuss this decision, please go back to your doctor. You must inform your doctor if any of the symptoms mentioned above appear or worsen when you are taking Besitran. The long-term effects on safety and related to growth, maturity, and learning (cognitive development) and behavioral development of Besitran were evaluated in a long-term study in over 900 children aged 6 to 16 years who were monitored for a period of 3 years. In general, the results of the study showed that children treated with sertraline developed normally, except for a slight increase in weight in those treated with a higher dose.
Other medicines and Besitran:
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines.
Some medicines may affect the way Besitran works, or Besitran itself may reduce the effectiveness of other medicines that are being taken at the same time.
Taking Besitran with the following medicines may cause serious side effects:
Tell your doctor if you are taking the following medicines:
Taking Besitran with food, drinks, and alcohol:
Besitran tablets can be taken with or without food.
You should avoid drinking alcohol while being treated with Besitran.
You should not take sertraline in combination with grapefruit juice, as it can increase the levels of sertraline in your body.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding, and fertility:
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.
The safety of sertraline in pregnant women has not been fully established. If you are pregnant, sertraline will only be given to you if your doctor considers that the benefit to you outweighs any possible risk to the developing baby.
If you take Besitran during the last trimester of pregnancy, there may be an increased risk of heavy vaginal bleeding shortly after delivery, especially if you have a history of bleeding disorders. Your doctor or midwife should know that you are taking Besitran so that they can advise you. When taken during pregnancy, especially during the last 3 months, medicines like Besitran may increase the risk of a serious condition in babies called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), which makes the baby breathe faster and have a bluish appearance. These symptoms usually start within the first 24 hours after birth. If this happens to your baby, contact your midwife and/or doctor immediately.
Your newborn baby may have other conditions, which usually appear within the first 24 hours after birth. The symptoms include:
If your baby has any of these symptoms at birth, or you are concerned about your baby's health, consult your doctor or midwife for advice.
There are indications that sertraline passes into breast milk. Therefore, sertraline can only be used in breast-feeding women if the doctor considers that the benefit outweighs any possible risk to the baby.
In animal studies, it has been shown that some medicines like sertraline may reduce sperm quality. Theoretically, this could affect fertility; however, the impact on human fertility has not yet been determined.
Driving and using machines:
Psychotropic medicines like sertraline may affect your ability to drive or use machines. Therefore, do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how this medicine affects your ability to perform these activities.
Besitran contains sodium:
This medicine contains less than 23 mg of sodium (1 mmol) per tablet; this is essentially "sodium-free".
Follow your doctor's or pharmacist's administration instructions for this medication exactly. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
The recommended dose is:
Adults:
Depression and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
For depression and OCD, the usual effective dose is 50 mg per day. The daily dose can be increased in increments of 50 mg, at intervals of at least one week, and so on for several weeks. The maximum recommended dose is 200 mg per day.
Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder:
For anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment should be started with a dose of 25 mg per day and increased to 50 mg per day after one week.
The daily dose can be increased in increments of 50 mg over a period of several weeks. The maximum recommended dose is 200 mg per day.
Use in Children and Adolescents:
Besitran should only be used to treat children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years who have OCD.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
Children aged 6 to 12 years:The recommended starting dose is 25 mg per day. After one week, your doctor may increase the dose to 50 mg per day. The maximum dose is 200 mg per day.
Adolescents aged 13 to 17 years:The recommended starting dose is 50 mg per day. The maximum dose is 200 mg per day.
If you have liver or kidney problems, inform your doctor and follow the instructions they give you.
Method of administration:
Besitran tablets can be taken with or without food.
Take your medication once a day, either in the morning or at night.
Your doctor will indicate the duration of treatment with this medication. The duration will depend on the nature of your illness and your response to treatment. It will take several weeks for your symptoms to start improving. Treatment of depression usually needs to continue for 6 months after improvement.
If you take more Besitran than you should
If you accidentally take too much Besitran, contact your doctor or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital. Always carry the medication packaging with you, whether or not there is still medication left in it.
You can also call the Toxicology Information Service, phone 91 562 04 20, indicating the medication and the amount ingested.
Overdose symptoms may include drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, tremors, agitation, dizziness, and rarely, loss of consciousness.
If you forget to take Besitran
Do not take a double dose to make up for forgotten doses. If you forget to take a dose, do not take it when you remember. Take the next dose when it is due.
If you stop treatment with Besitran
Do not stop treatment with Besitran unless your doctor tells you to. Your doctor will want to gradually reduce the dose of Besitran over several weeks before you stop taking this medication altogether. If you stop treatment abruptly, you may experience side effects such as dizziness, numbness, sleep disturbances, agitation or anxiety, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and tremors. If you experience any of these side effects, or any other side effects during the interruption of your treatment with Besitran, please inform your doctor.
If you have any other questions about the use of this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medications, this medication can cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
The most common side effect is nausea. Side effects depend on the dose and often disappear or decrease as treatment continues.
Tell your doctor immediately:
If you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medication, as these symptoms can be serious.
The following side effects were observed in clinical trials in adults and after marketing.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 patients):
Insomnia, dizziness, drowsiness, headache, diarrhea, feeling unwell, dry mouth, ejaculation problems, and fatigue.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 patients):
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 patients):
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 patients):
Frequency not known: cannot be estimated from available data:
*Side effects reported after marketing.
Other side effects in children and adolescents
In clinical trials in children and adolescents, side effects were generally similar to those reported in adults (see above). The most common side effects in children and adolescents were headache, insomnia, diarrhea, and nausea.
Symptoms that may appear when stopping treatment
If you stop treatment with this medication abruptly, you may experience side effects such as dizziness, numbness, sleep disturbances, agitation or anxiety, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and tremors (see section 3. If you stop treatment with Besitran).
An increased risk of bone fractures has been observed in patients taking this type of medication.
Reporting side effects
If you experience any side effects, consult your doctor, pharmacist, or nurse, even if they are possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly through the Spanish Medicines and Health Products Agency's (AEMPS) website: https://www.notificaram.es. By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medication.
Keep this medication out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medication after the expiration date shown on the packaging after CAD. The expiration date is the last day of the month indicated.
Do not store above 30°C.
Medications should not be disposed of in wastewater or household waste. Deposit the packaging and any unused medication in the pharmacy's SIGRE collection point. If in doubt, ask your pharmacist how to dispose of the packaging and any unused medication. This will help protect the environment.
Besitran Composition
The other ingredients are:
calcium phosphate dibasic dihydrate (E341), microcrystalline cellulose (E460), hypromellose (E463), sodium starch glycolate (type A, potato), (see section 2 "Besitran 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).
Product Appearance and Packaging
Besitran 100 mg is presented in white, film-coated tablets with a capsule shape (13.1 x 5.2 mm), engraved with "VLE" on one side and "ZLT 100" on the other.
Besitran is available in blister packs containing 10, 14, 15, 20, 28, 30, 50, 56, 60, 84, 98, 100, 200, 294, 300, or 500 tablets, and in blister strips containing 30x1.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer
Marketing Authorization Holder:
Viatris Healthcare Limited
Damastown Industrial Park
Mulhuddart, Dublin 15
Dublin
Ireland
Manufacturer:
TOWA Pharmaceutical Europe, S.L.
C/ de Sant Martí, 75-97,
Martorelles,
08107 Barcelona,
Spain
or
Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH
Mooswaldallee 1
79108 Freiburg Im Breisgau
Germany
or
Mylan Hungary Kft.
Mylan utca 1
Komárom, 2900
Hungary
You can request more information about this medication from the local representative of the marketing authorization holder:
Viatris Pharmaceuticals, S.L.U.
Calle General Aranaz, 86
28027 Madrid
Spain
This medication is authorized in the Member States of the European Economic Area and in the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) under the following names:
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 |
Date of last revision of this leaflet: July 2025
Detailed and updated information on this medication is available on the website of the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS) http://www.aemps.gob.es/
The average price of BESITRAN 100 mg FILM-COATED TABLETS in October, 2025 is around 11.66 EUR. Prices may vary depending on the region, pharmacy, and whether a prescription is required. Always check with a local pharmacy or online source for the most accurate information.