Sertima 50 Mg (Sertraline)

Sertima 50 is a prescription antidepressant tablet.

Each tablet contains sertraline 50 mg.

Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ahmedabad, manufactures it.

It is sold in strips of 10 and strips of 15.

Sertima 25 mg is an SSRI.

SSRI means selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.

The original brand of this molecule is Zoloft.

Sertraline is on the WHO list of essential medicines.

Major depressive disorder in adults.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in children aged 6 to 17.

Panic disorder in adults.

Post-traumatic stress disorder in adults.

Social anxiety disorder in adults.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder in adult women.

It is not a tranquilliser and does not work on demand.

It is not addictive in the way benzodiazepines are.

It still cannot be stopped abruptly.

It is not a sleeping tablet.

It is not approved for depression in children.

Nerve cells in the brain talk using serotonin.

Serotonin crosses the small gap between two nerve cells.

The sending cell then pulls the serotonin back in.

A protein called the serotonin transporter does this.

Sertraline 100 mg blocks that transporter.

Serotonin therefore stays in the gap for longer.

Receiving cells receive a stronger, longer signal.

Over weeks, these circuits adapt and symptoms improve.

Serotonin levels rise within hours of the first dose.

Mood does not improve within hours.

Receptors first need to reset their sensitivity.

Nerve cells also grow new connections over time.

This remodelling takes two to six weeks.

Side effects appear first. Benefits appear later.

That mismatch is why many patients stop too early.

Depression is usually treated for at least six months after recovery.

Many doctors continue for twelve months after a first episode.

OCD often needs longer treatment and higher doses.

Stopping early is a common cause of relapse.

The stopping plan should be agreed with the prescriber.

Swallow the tablet whole with water.

Take it once daily, at the same time each day.

It may be taken with or without food.

Food slightly increases absorption, which is not a problem.

Taking it after food may reduce nausea in the first week.

Morning dosing suits patients who get insomnia.

Evening dosing suits patients who feel sleepy on it.

Keep the same timing once you choose one.

Do not raise the dose yourself.

Continue even after you start to feel better.

Take it as soon as you remember that day.

Skip it if the next dose is nearly due.

Never take two tablets at once.

Sertraline has a long half-life, so one missed dose rarely causes withdrawal.

Known hypersensitivity to sertraline.

Current use of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Within 14 days of stopping an MAOI.

Current treatment with linezolid.

Current treatment with intravenous methylene blue.

Current treatment with pimozide.

Disulfiram, for the oral solution only, which contains alcohol.

Any liver disease, and its severity.

Kidney disease.

Bipolar disorder or any past manic episode.

Epilepsy or any history of seizures.

Any heart rhythm problem or long QT syndrome.

A family history of sudden cardiac death.

Low blood potassium or magnesium.

Glaucoma, especially narrow-angle glaucoma.

Any bleeding disorder, or use of blood thinners.

Low blood sodium, or treatment with diuretics.

Diabetes, as blood sugar control may shift.

Pregnancy, planned pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Any history of suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

Upcoming drug screening for work, sport or legal reasons.

All other medicines, including painkillers and herbal products.

Confirm the prescription names sertraline 50 mg.

Confirm the condition being treated starts at 50 mg, not 25 mg.

Confirm no MAOI has been taken in the last 14 days.

Confirm pimozide is not being taken.

Declare any liver disease and its severity.

Declare any heart rhythm problem.

List every other medicine, including painkillers.

Agree who to contact if mood worsens in the first weeks.

Mention any planned drug screening.

Agree the review date and the eventual tapering plan.

New or worsening thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Fever with tremor, muscle stiffness, agitation and a racing heart.

A seizure.

Fainting, or a pounding irregular heartbeat.

Sudden eye pain, halos around lights, or blurred vision.

Black stools, vomiting blood, or heavy unexplained bruising.

Severe confusion, marked weakness or unsteadiness.

A spreading rash, blistering or peeling skin.

Sudden elevated mood with racing thoughts and no need for sleep.

Severe restlessness with an inability to sit still.

Prolonged painful erection in men.

Sertraline covers seven licensed conditions with one molecule.

It has the widest approved dose range among common SSRIs.

That range allows careful upward titration to 200 mg.

It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.

It is a preferred SSRI during breastfeeding in NHS guidance.

It has relatively few significant drug interactions.

Its long half-life makes missed doses less disruptive.

Intas is one of India’s largest formulation manufacturers.

Sertima 50 is widely available in 10 and 15 tablet strips.

It is priced around ₹129 to ₹132 per strip on major portals.

Nausea and loose stools are common in the first week.

Sexual side effects are common and often persist.

Benefit takes two to six weeks to appear.

It is not recommended in moderate or severe liver disease.

It cannot be stopped suddenly.

It can cause a false-positive benzodiazepine urine test.

Store below 30 °C.

Keep in a dry place.

Avoid storing in the bathroom.

Protect from direct sunlight.

Keep tablets in the original strip until use.

Do not refrigerate or freeze.

Keep well out of reach of children.

Do not use after the expiry date printed on the strip.

Return unused tablets to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

Do not share the medicine with anyone else.