What Is Sertraline And How Does It Work?
Sertraline is a drug that belongs to the antidepressant family. People use it mainly to treat depression. It falls into the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which we will discuss in more detail in this article. Find out exactly what sertraline is and how it works!
In addition to its antidepressant effects, sertraline is also effective in the treatment of various medical conditions, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and even phobia, among others.
The laboratory responsible for marketing this substance was the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The drug was launched in 1991.
What is sertraline and what are its advantages over other medicines?
The differences between sertraline and other newer antidepressants are substantial. One of the main advantages of this drug is that it produces fewer side effects. Several scientific studies suggest that this drug may work better than fluoxetine in certain types of depression.
In addition, studies show that when used for episodes of panic and phobia, sertraline reduces their incidence and improves the quality of life of the affected person.
What is depression?
- Thoughts
- behavior
How does Sertraline affect the body?
As mentioned above, sertraline is an inhibitor of serotonin reuptake. In addition, it is highly selective and has minimal effects on norepinephrine reuptake, unlike many tricyclic antidepressants.
Serotonin, like other neurotransmitters, is secreted by a neuron to bind to the membrane receptors of another adjacent neuron and to trigger a certain effect.
Serotonin is then released by this receptor. Some molecules return to the neuron that previously secreted them through a reuptake process. Sertraline exerts its effect during this process, inhibiting it. Therefore, serotonin is not recaptured, but increases its concentration in the presynaptic space between neurons.
The higher amount of serotonin can re-enter the receptors of the neuronal membrane and can trigger a wider effect. In addition, as we have already noted, sertraline has a low affinity for other types of biogenic amine receptors, such as norepinephrine. This may explain why it has fewer side effects than other serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Side effects
In general, the nature and incidence of side effects caused by sertraline do not depend on the patient’s age or the condition being treated.
- Anorexia
- Other
