Sertraline: What Is It And What Are Its Effects?

Sertraline is a drug that belongs to the antidepressant family. Consequently, it is mainly used for the treatment of depression. It falls into the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which we will see more carefully in the course of this article.

In addition to its antidepressant effects, it also has effective effects in the treatment of various clinical conditions, such as, for example, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder or phobia.

It must also be said that the laboratory responsible for its commercialization was the US pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which launched it on the market in 1991.

Advantages of sertraline over other antidepressants

The differences between setralin and other latest generation antidepressants are very obvious. Most of the benefits this drug offers are determined by the fewer side effects it causes.

The result of the various researches suggests that sertraline may work better than fluoxetine, in some forms of depression.

On the other hand, it has been shown that when sertraline is administered in case of panic and phobia attacks, this drug is able to reduce the number of them and improve the quality of life of patients.

What is depression?

Since this drug is mainly indicated for depression, we will focus on explaining what it consists of. In this sense, depression is an emotional disorder that manifests itself with a feeling of constant sadness and with a very strong loss of interest when it comes to carrying out certain activities.

Depression therefore affects:

• Feelings.
• Thoughts.
• Behaviors.

As for the origin of the disease, except in some cases where depression is associated with other diseases, such as Parkinson’s, the main cause of this disorder is an alteration of the neurotransmitters of the central nervous system.

Serotonin is considered by some researchers to be  the chemical responsible for balancing our mood. For this reason, a serotonin deficiency induces depressive states.

However, there are also neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline or dopamine which, by changing their levels, favor the appearance of this mood disorder.

Yet, it is usually the result of the interaction of several factors:

• Biological: hormonal changes or abnormalities of the neurotransmitters mentioned.
• Psychosocial: constant stress for work, personal life, etc.
• Personal.

How does sertraline affect the body?

As already indicated, sertraline is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Additionally, it is highly selective with some minimal effects on norepinefin reuptake, unlike many tricyclic antidepressants.

In other words, serotonin – like other neurotransmitters – is secreted by one neuron to join the membrane receptors of another neighboring neuron to cause a certain effect.

Later, it detaches from this receptor and some molecules return to the neurons that had previously separated it through a reuptake process. It is during this process that sertraline exerts its effect, inhibiting the hormone. In this way, serotonin is not re-taken up and increases its concentration in the presynaptic space which is located between one neuron and another.

In the presence of a higher concentration of serotonin, this can rejoin the membrane receptors of neurons and release a greater effect.

Furthermore, as we have seen, this drug has a low affinity with other types of biogenic amine receptors, such as norepinephrine. This fact would explain why it would have fewer side effects than other serotonin reuptake inhibitor drugs.

Side effects

In general, the nature and incidence of adverse reactions caused by sertraline in all its forms are similar regardless of the patient’s age.

The most common side effects are those that develop along the gastrointestinal tract, including some of the following:

• Nausea and vomit.
• Diarrhea.
• Anorexia.
• Dyspepsia.
• Others.

Conclusions

The main indication of sertraline is the treatment of depression. However, it is also indicated in the treatment of other disorders, such as panic attacks or obsessive-compulsive disorders.

You should always follow the doctor’s instructions and contact him or the pharmacist in case of any doubt about the pathology or the prescribed therapy.