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Zoloft

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Zoloft: Full Zoloft Description -  Click here - Source: FDA

Zoloft: Increased Risk of Neonatal Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension Click here - Source: FDA ALERT [7/2006]

Zoloft: Patient Information Click here - Source: FDA

Zoloft: How to discontinue Zoloft Click here

Partial Zoloft description:

FDA ALERT [07/2006] – Possible Life- Threatening Serotonin Syndrome When Used With Triptan Medicines

A life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome (serious changes in how your brain, muscles and digestive system work due to high levels of serotonin in the body) can happen when medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Zoloft, and medicines used to treat migraine headaches known as 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists (triptans), are used together.  Signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome include the following:

  • restlessness
  • hallucinations
  • loss of coordination
  • fast heart beat
  • increased body temperature
  • fast changes in blood pressure
  • overactive reflexes
  • diarrhea
  • coma
  • nausea
  • vomiting

Serotonin syndrome may be more likely to occur when starting or increasing the dose of an SSRI or a triptan.  This information comes from reports sent to FDA and knowledge of how these medicines work.  If you take migraine headache medicines, ask your healthcare professional if your medicine is a triptan.

Before you take Zoloft and a triptan together, talk to your healthcare professional.  If you must take these medicines together, be aware of the possibility of serotonin syndrome, and get medical care right away if you think serotonin syndrome is happening to you.

This information reflects FDA’s current analysis of data available to FDA concerning this drug. FDA intends to update this sheet when additional information or analyses become available.


FDA ALERT [07/2006] – Infant Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension

The results of a study that looked at the use of antidepressant medicines during pregnancy in  mothers of babies born with a serious condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) were recently published in a medical journal.

Babies born with PPHN have abnormal blood flow through the heart and lungs and do not get enough oxygen to their bodies.  Babies with PPHN can be very sick and may die.

The study results showed that:

  • babies born to mothers who took selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the family of medicines Zoloft belongs to,
  • 20 weeks or later in their pregnancies,
  • had a higher chance (were 6 times as likely) to have persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN),
  • than babies born to mothers who did not take antidepressants during pregnancy.

The FDA plans to further look at the role of SSRIs in babies with PPHN.

Talk to your doctor if you are taking Zoloft and are pregnant or are planning to have a baby.  You and your doctor will need to talk about the best way to treat your depression during pregnancy. 

This information reflects FDA’s current analysis of data available to FDA concerning this drug. FDA intends to update this sheet when additional information or analyses become available.

What is Zoloft?

Zoloft is in a class of medicines called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).  Zoloft is used to treat:

  • Depression
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Panic disorder
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PTSD)
  • Social anxiety disorder (SAD)

Who Should Not Take Zoloft?

Never take Zoloft if you are taking another drug used to treat depression, called a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI), or if you have stopped taking an MAOI in the last 14 days. Taking Zoloft close in time to an MAOI can result in serious, sometimes fatal, reactions, including:

  • High body temperature
  • Coma
  • Seizures (convulsions)

MAOI drugs include Nardil (phenelzine sulfate), Parnate (tranylcypromine sulfate), Marplan (isocarboxazid), and other brands.

  • Never take Zoloft if you are taking Orap (pimozide), a drug used to treat Tourette’s disorder, because it can result in serious heart beat problems.

     
  • Never take Zoloft oral concentrate if you are taking Antabuse (disulfiram), used to treat alcoholism, because Zoloft oral concentrate contains alcohol.

What Are The Risks?

The following are the major potential risks and side effects of Zoloft therapy.   However, this list is not complete.

  • Possible life-threatening serotonin syndrome when used with triptan medcines:  See FDA Alert [07/2006] above.
     
  • Infant persistent pulmonary hypertension:  See FDA Alert [07/2006] above.
     
  • Suicidal thoughts or actions: Persons taking Zoloft may be more likely to think about killing themselves or actually try to do so, especially when Zoloft is first started or the dose is changed.  People close to persons taking Zoloft can help by paying attention to changes in user’s moods or actions.   Contact your healthcare professional right away if someone using Zoloft talks about or shows signs of killing him or herself.  If you are taking Zoloft yourself and you start thinking about killing yourself, tell your healthcare professional about this side effect right away.
     
  • Stopping Zoloft: Do not stop taking Zoloft suddenly because you could get side effects. Your healthcare professional will slowly decrease your dose.
     
  • Bleeding problems: Zoloft may cause bleeding problems, especially if taken with aspirin, NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen), or other drugs that affect bleeding.
     
  • Mania: You may become unusually hyperactive, excitable or elated.
     
  • Seizures: You may experience a seizure (convulsion), even if you are not taking Zoloft close in time with an MAOI.
     
  • Weight loss:  Zoloft can cause weight loss.  Children who take Zoloft for a long time should have their growth and body weight measured regularly.
     
  • Pregnancy: Tell your healthcare professional if you are or may be pregnant (see FDA Alert [07/2006] above).  In addition to the issue described in the alert, babies delivered to mothers taking Zoloft late in pregnancy have developed problems, such as difficulty breathing and feeding.
     
  • Sexual problems: You may have problems with impotence (erectile dysfunction), abnormal ejaculation, difficulty reaching orgasm, or decreased libido (sexual desire).
     
  • Other side effects include nausea, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping, dry mouth, and sleepiness.

Tell your healthcare professional about all your medical conditions, especially if you have liver or heart disease.  Tell your healthcare professional if you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed your baby.

Are There Any Interactions With Drugs or Foods?

  • Zoloft may interact with medicines other than the ones already mentioned in this information sheet.  These interactions can cause serious side effects.  Tell your healthcare professional about all medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you take, especially those
    • that affect bleeding
    • used to treat anxiety, mental illness, depression, or heart problems
  • If you plan to drink alcohol, talk to your healthcare professional.

How Do I Take Zoloft?

  • Zoloft is taken by mouth, with or without food, once a day.
  • Dilute Zoloft oral concentrate, but only in ½ cup of water, ginger ale, lemon/lime soda, lemonade or orange juice.  Take immediately after mixing.  Tell your doctor if you are allergic to latex because the dropper to measure Zoloft oral concentrate contains natural rubber.

The purpose of this communication is to inform healthcare professionals about a change in the prescribing information for Zoloft ® (sertraline hydrochloride) tablets and oral concentrate. This change, made at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, articulates a pimozide/sertraline interaction and arises from the results of the study entitled, “Phase 1 Open Study Designed to Determine the Potential Interaction of Sertraline With Cisapride or Pimozide in Healthy Male and Female Subjects.”

Based upon these study results, the CONTRAINDICATIONS and PRECAUTIONS sections of the Zoloft prescribing information have been revised as follows (underlined text indicates new text):

CONTRAINDICATIONS
Concomitant use in patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) is contraindicated (see WARNINGS). Concomitant use in patients taking pimozide is contraindicated (see PRECAUTIONS).

PRECAUTIONS—Drug Interactions—CNS Active Drugs
In a study comparing the disposition of intravenously administered diazepam before and after 21 days of dosing with either ZOLOFT (50 to 200 mg/day escalating dose) or placebo, there was a 32% decrease relative to baseline in diazepam clearance for the ZOLOFT group compared to a 19% decrease relative to baseline for the placebo group (p<0.03). There was a 23% increase in Tmax for desmethyldiazepam in the ZOLOFT group compared to a 20% decrease in the placebo group (p<0.03). The clinical significance of these changes is unknown.

In a placebo-controlled trial in normal volunteers, the administration of two doses of ZOLOFT did not significantly alter steady-state lithium levels or the renal clearance of lithium.

Nonetheless, at this time, it is recommended that plasma lithium levels be monitored following initiation of ZOLOFT therapy with appropriate adjustments to the lithium dose.

In a controlled study of a single dose (2 mg) of pimozide, 200 mg sertraline (q.d.) co-administration to steady state was associated with a mean increase in pimozide AUC and Cmax of about 40%, but was not associated with any changes in EKG. Since the highest recommended pimozide dose (10 mg) has not been evaluated in combination with sertraline, the effect on QT interval and PK parameters at doses higher than 2 mg at this time are not known. While the mechanism of this interaction is unknown, due to the narrow therapeutic index of pimozide and due to the interaction noted at a low dose of pimozide, concomitant administration of ZOLOFT and pimozide should be contraindicated (see CONTRAINDICATIONS).

The risk of using ZOLOFT in combination with other CNS active drugs has not been systematically evaluated. Consequently, caution is advised if the concomitant administration of ZOLOFT and such drugs is required.

There is limited controlled experience regarding the optimal timing of switching from other drugs effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder to ZOLOFT. Care and prudent medical judgment should be exercised when switching, particularly from long-acting agents. The duration of an appropriate washout period which should intervene before switching from one selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) to another has not been established.

Zoloft was launched in 1992 for the treatment of major depressive disorder. It is also approved for the treatment of panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). It has been shown to be safe in the long-term treatment of pediatric OCD. Zoloft is the only SSRI approved for the long-term treatment of PTSD. Over the past decade, Zoloft has been used for more than 10.2 billion patient days of therapy worldwide.*

We trust this information is useful in providing guidance on the appropriate use of sertraline concomitantly with pimozide.

Sincerely,

Cathryn M. Clary, MD
Senior Medical Director
Medical and Scientific Affairs
Pfizer Inc.

 

 

 


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