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Zoloft - Drug Description

[Sertraline]



Everyone has a normal substance in the brain called serotonin. It is thought that not having enough serotonin may contribute to depression, panic disorder, OCD and PTSD. How ZOLOFT works for all of these conditions is not known. What is known is that ZOLOFT may help correct the chemical imbalance of serotonin in the brain. This helps relieve your symptoms. It may take several weeks for your symptoms to get better.

While you are taking ZOLOFT, you should never take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) medicine. MAOI medicines are used to treat depression and other conditions. If you have been taking an MAOI, you must stop the MAOI at least 14 days before you start taking ZOLOFT. In addition, you must wait at least 14 days after stopping ZOLOFT before you can safely start taking an MAOI medicine. A very serious reaction or even death could occur if ZOLOFT is taken at the same time as an MAOI medicine. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist if any medicine you are taking is an MAOI.

The liquid form of ZOLOFT contains alcohol and should not be taken if you are taking Antabuse (disulfiram).

Only your doctor can decide if ZOLOFT is right for you. Before you start ZOLOFT, be sure to tell your doctor if you:

are taking or have taken any prescription medicines within the past 14 days
are taking or have taken any over-the-counter medicines you can buy without a prescription, including natural/herbal remedies, within the past 14 days
have had any liver problems have ever had a seizure are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, think you might be pregnant or are breast-feeding are allergic to any medicines or latex have ever had an allergic reaction to sertraline or any of the other ingredients of ZOLOFT tablets or Oral Concentrate. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of these ingredients if you have any questions.
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