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How does it work?Lustral tablets contain the active ingredient sertraline hydrochloride, which is a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). (NB. Sertraline tablets are also available without a brand name, ie as the generic medicine.)
Antidepressant medicines act on nerve cells in the brain. In the brain there are numerous different chemical compounds called neurotransmitters. These act as chemical messengers between the nerve cells. Serotonin is one such neurotransmitter and has various functions that we know of.
When serotonin is released from nerve cells in the brain it acts to lighten mood. When it is reabsorbed into the nerve cells, it no longer has an effect on mood. It is thought that when depression occurs, there may be a decreased amount of serotonin released from nerve cells in the brain.
SSRIs work by preventing serotonin from being reabsorbed back into the nerve cells in the brain. This helps prolong the mood lightening effect of any released serotonin. In this way, sertraline helps relieve depression.
Sertraline may also be used in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is not fully understood how it works in these conditions.
It may take between two to four weeks for the benefits of this medicine to appear, so it is very important that you keep taking it, even if it doesn't seem to make much difference at first. If you feel your depression has got worse, or if you have any distressing thoughts or feelings in these first few weeks, then you should talk to your doctor.
What is it used for?
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Depression in adults
- A psychiatric disorder in which tasks are excessively repeated (obsessive-compulsive disorder) in adults and children aged six years and over
- Post-traumatic stress disorder in adult women
Warning!
- Depression and other pschiatric illnesses are associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and suicide. You should be aware that this medicine may not start to make you feel better for at least two to four weeks. However, it is important that you keep taking it in order for it to work properly and for you to feel better. If you feel your depression or anxiety has got worse, or if you have any distressing thoughts, or feelings about suicide or harming yourself in these first few weeks, or indeed at any point during treatment or after stopping treatment, then it is very important to talk to your doctor.
- This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.
- Children and adolescents under 18 years of age for the treatment of depressive illness
- People who have taken a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor antidepressant (MAOI) in the last 14 days
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Manic episodes of manic depression
- Severely decreased liver function
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Uncontrolled epilepsy
- People taking the antipsychotic medicine pimozide
This medicine should not be used if you are allergic to one or any of its ingredients. Please inform your doctor or pharmacist if you have previously experienced such an allergy.
If you feel you have experienced an allergic reaction, stop using this medicine and inform your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Certain medicines should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. However, other medicines may be safely used in pregnancy or breastfeeding providing the benefits to the mother outweigh the risks to the unborn baby. Always inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, before using any medicine.
- The safety of this medicine in pregnancy has not been established. It should therefore be used with caution during pregnancy, and only if the benefits to the mother outweigh any risks to the foetus. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
- This medicine passes into breast milk, however the effect of this on the nursing infant is unknown. For this reason women who need to take this medicine should consider not breastfeeding. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
Side effects
Medicines and their possible side effects can affect individual people in different ways. The following are some of the side effects that are known to be associated with this medicine. Because a side effect is stated here, it does not mean that all people using this medicine will experience that or any side effect.
- Disturbances of the gut such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal pain
- Indigestion (dyspepsia)
- Loss of appetite
- Shaking, usually of the hands (tremor)
- Dizziness
- Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
- Sleepiness (somnolence)
- Increased sweating
- Dry mouth
- Sexual problems
- Headache
- Anxiety and agitation
- Pins and needles (paraesthesia)
- Changes in blood pressure
- Seizures
- Loss of memory (amnesia)
- Liver disorders
The side effects listed above may not include all of the side effects reported by the drug's manufacturer.
For more information about any other possible risks associated with this medicine, please read the information provided with the medicine or consult your doctor or pharmacist.
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