Sertraline
Sertraline hydrochloride (trade name Zoloft®, Lustral®) is an orally administered antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) type. Sertraline is used medically mainly to treat the symptoms of depression.
Sertraline is manufactured by Pfizer as purple 25 mg capsules, white, blue, and yellow 50 mg capsules, or orange 100 mg capsules. (In Australia it is available as white tablets in 25, 50 or 100mg doses.) It is used in dosages of between 25 mg and a maximum of 200 mg per day. It has also been prescribed for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric mood disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety. It was first approved by the FDA in 1997.
It has a number of adverse effects including insomnia, asthenia, gastrointestinal complaints, tremours, confusion, and dizziness; it can induce mania or hypomania in around 0.5% of patients. It is contraindicated in individuals taking MAOIs or undergoing electroconvulsive therapy. In June of 2003, Britain banned the use of Zoloft for children under 18 after studies showed a link to increased suicide.
The complete chemical name for Sertraline is (1S-cis)-4-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-N-methyl-1-nanphthalenamine hydrochloride, C17H17NCl2ยทHCl). It is an odorless, white, sparingly soluble crystalline solid with a molecular weight of 342.7.
