Depression Symptoms Treatment
Archive for the ‘Zoloft (Sertraline)’ Category
Drug Approvals
(British Approved Name Modified, US Adopted Name, rINN)
International Nonproprietary Names (INNs) in main languages (French, Latin, and Spanish):
Synonyms: CP-51974-01; CP-51974-1; Sertralina, hidrocloruro de
BAN: Sertraline Hydrochloride [BANM]
USAN: Sertraline Hydrochloride
INN: Sertraline Hydrochloride [rINNM (en)]
INN: Hidrocloruro de sertralina [rINNM (es)]
INN: Sertraline, Chlorhydrate de [rINNM (fr)]
INN: Sertralini Hydrochloridum [rINNM (la)]
INN: Сертралина Гидрохлорид [rINNM (ru)]
Chemical name: (1S,4S)-4-(3,4-Dichlorophenyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1-naphthyl(methyl)amine hydrochloride
Molecular formula: C17H17Cl2N,HCl =342.7
CAS: 79617-96-2 (sertraline); 79559-97-0 (sertraline hydrochloride)
ATC code: N06AB06
Note. The following terms have been used as 'street names' or slang names for various forms of sertraline: Z's Zloft Zoomers.
Pharmacopoeias. In Europe.
European Pharmacopoeia, 6th ed. (Sertraline Hydrochlonde). A white or almost white, crystalline powder, ft exhibits polymorphism. Slightly soluble in water freely soluble in anhydrous alcohol Read more [...]
January 19th, 2010 by admin
Drug sertraline (Zoloft) therapy for controlling symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
A new study suggests that the antidepressant drug sertraline (Zoloft), from Pfizer Inc., may be effective in controlling symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
* Researchers at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas, randomized 57 women diagnosed with moderate-to-severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS) to treatment with Zoloft or a placebo at 14 days prior to the expected onset of menses to collect data; participants were switched to the other therapy after two months.
* Found that Zoloft-treated women showed significant improvement in PMS-related symptoms, compared to placebo recipients, and that while most women improved in their first cyle of Zoloft therapy, the benefits were greater after the second cycle of treatment.
* There were no serious side effects among Zoloft users, but about 10% of women complained of insomnia.
* Researchers say that since Zoloft is eliminated from the body in about 26 hours it is suitable for short-term use. - authors note that further study is needed to confirm the findings and to assess the long-term effects of Zoloft therapy in women with premenstrual Read more [...]
January 18th, 2010 by admin
The antidepressant drug sertraline (Zoloft) may be effective in panic disorder
A recent study concludes that the antidepressant drug Zoloft (Sertraline) appears to be effective in reducing the number of panic attacks in patients with panic disorder.
* Researchers at Detroit’s Wayne State University randomized 168 patients with panic disorder to receive either sertraline or a placebo for 10 weeks to collect data.
* Found that the average number of panic attacks suffered weekly by patients treated with sertraline dropped 88%, compared to a 53% drop seen in placebo recipients. – authors further note that patients treated with sertraline showed significant improvements in measures of quality of life enjoyment and on personal assessments of the severity of their illness.
* The report notes that sertraline treatment was not associated with “jitteriness,” which is a common side-effect of older antidepressants used to treat panic disorder.
Zoloft
Brand Name:
Zoloft
Active Ingredient:
sertraline hydrochloride
Indication:
Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder; also indicated for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder
Company Name:
Pfizer Inc.
Availability:
This new indication was approved by FDA on December 7, 1999
Introduction
More than 100 million prescriptions for Pfizer's Zoloft have been written since its launch in 1992, helping patients with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder. Now Zoloft is the first medication to be approved for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which may develop in an individual following any extreme traumatic event in which there was threatened death or serious injury, and the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Such events may include physical and sexual abuse and natural disasters.
Some 50% of the general population is exposed to a traumatic event in their lifetimes, and 10% to 20% of those people develop PTSD. The disorder is twice as common in women as in men, and is associated with symptoms Read more [...]
Helps 3 in 5 people even without psychotherapy
The antidepressant drug sertraline can provide relief from the disabling emotions that follow a traumatic experience, a study shows.
The study was instrumental in gaining Food and Drug Administration approval for sertraline to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), says Dr. Jonathan R.T. Davidson, a professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center who directed the trial. Marketed as Zoloft, it is the only drug in its class to have FDA approval for treatment of PTSD.
While post-traumatic stress disorder was first given formal designation in 1980, it was often seen before that in military personnel who experienced the hells of war ("shell shock" was a common term). It can cause severe psychological problems, including flashbacks to the traumatic experience, depression, emotional numbness, alcoholism and panic attacks, increasing the probability of suicide. Its physical symptoms can include stomach trouble, crippling headaches and a feeling of perpetual exhaustion. Those problems can last for up to five years without treatment.
Any act Read more [...]
Antidepressant relieves severe menstrual symptoms.
Women suffering from a severe form of premenstrual syndrome were helped by Zoloft, according to a study of 200 women in a dozen medical centers. About 62% of the women showed “much or very much improvement” compared with 34% given a placebo. The PMS symptoms experienced by the women included poor concentration, depression and anger.
Research question
Is sertraline (Zoloft) effective at improving the symptoms and reducing the functional impairment associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)?
Type of article and design
Prospective, multicentre, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Relevance to family physicians
As defined by DSM-IV criteria, PMDD has a group of physical and behavioural symptoms that occur during the premenstrual period and are severe enough to interfere with work, usual activities, and relationships. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), on the other hand, has milder physical and behavioural symptoms (breast tenderness, bloating, headache, and minor mood changes). Studies have documented that about 20% to 40% of women experience premenstrual symptoms, but only about 4% to 8% of women have PMDD. The quality of life of patients with PMDD would improve substantially if medical therapy could alleviate its physical and psychological symptoms and reduce functional impairment.
Recent clinical trials suggest that progesterone (Prometrium) or oral contraceptives are no more effective than Read more [...]
Cardiovascular
In the current Zoloft labeling, it is noted that analysis of ECG data from 774 patients receiving sertraline in clinical trials revealed no pattern of significant ECG abnormalities.
In this database, cardiovascular adverse experiences were not important causes of discontinuation from treatment and were not among the common, drug related adverse events. A slight decrease in mean heart rate was observed, as noted above. No serious adverse events involved the cardiovascular system. One Japanese subject withdrew for palpitations; two subjects withdrew for hypertension but both had previous histories of high blood pressure, and one subject withdrew for tachycardia.
These data do not provide evidence that sertraline treatment of panic disorder patients presents any unique cardiovascular risk.
Gastrointestinal
Nausea, diarrhea and dyspepsia are recognized adverse reactions to sertraline treatment, as described in the current Zoloft labeling. In these clinical trials, no serious adverse events involved the gastrointestinal system. There were a total of 27 adverse gastrointestinal events Read more [...]