Sertraline hydrochloride CAS 79559-97-0

Description:

Sertraline is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class. Sertraline is primarily prescribed for major depressive disorder in adult outpatients as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder, in both adults and children.

Differences with other newer antidepressants are subtle and mostly confined to side effects. It has a similar tolerability profile to other SSRIs, with the types of adverse events usually including diarrhea, nausea, and sexual dysfunction. The incidence of diarrhea was higher with sertraline-especially when prescribed at higher doses-in comparison to other SSRIs.

Sertraline is used for a number of conditions including: major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), panic disorder and social anxiety disorder.It has also been used for premature ejaculation and vascular headaches but evidence of the effectiveness in treating those conditions is not robust.

Applications:

Sertraline tablets are indicated for the treatment of obsessions and compulsions in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as defined in the DSM-III-R; i.e., the obsessions or compulsions cause marked distress, are time-consuming, or significantly interfere with social or occupational functioning.

The efficacy of sertraline was established in 12-week trials with obsessive-compulsive outpatients having diagnoses of obsessive-compulsive disorder as defined according to DSM-III or DSM-III-R criteria.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by recurrent and persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) that are ego-dystonic and/or repetitive, purposeful, and intentional behaviors (compulsions) that are recognized by the person as excessive or unreasonable.

The efficacy of sertraline in maintaining a response, in patients with OCD who responded during a 52-week treatment phase while taking sertraline and were then observed for relapse during a period of up to 28 weeks, was demonstrated in a placebo-controlled trial. Nevertheless, the physician who elects to use sertraline for extended periods should periodically re-evaluate the long-term usefulness of the drug for the individual patient.