Here is the info from netdoctor.co.uk
Lustral
Main Use
Depression
Active Ingredient
Sertraline hydrochloride
Manufacturer
Pfizer How does it work?
This medicine contains the active ingredient sertraline hydrochloride, which is a type of antidepressant known as a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI). This type of medicine acts 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 must be taken for at least 14 days before the benefits of treatment begin to appear and you start to feel better.
What is it used for?
Depression in adults over 18 years of age
Obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults and children aged six years and over
Post-traumatic stress disorder in women
Warning!
This medicine may reduce your ability to drive or operate machinery safely. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how this medicine affects you and you are sure it won't affect your performance.
Avoid suddenly stopping this medicine. Sudden withdrawal may result in headache, nausea, pins and needles, dizziness and anxiety. When it is time to stop taking this medicine it should be discontinued gradually, following the instructions given by your doctor or pharmacist.
This medicine may cause low blood sodium levels (hyponatraemia), which can result in drowsiness, confusion, muscle twitching or convulsions. Consult your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms while taking this medicine.
In people with diabetes, treatment with an SSRI antidepressant may alter control of blood sugar, possibly due to an improvement in depressive symptoms. Your dose of
insulin or antidiabetic medicine may need to be altered. Seek medical advice from your doctor.
It is recommended that you avoid drinking alcohol while taking this medicine.
If you experience seizures (convulsions or fits) while taking this medicine, consult your doctor immediately, as you will need to stop treatment with this medicine. This also applies if you suffer from epilepsy and experience more seizures than normal after starting this medicine.
Following a review of the safety and efficacy of SSRIs to treat depression in children under 18 years of age (unlicensed use), the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has concluded that the risks of sertraline outweigh the benefits for treating depressive illness in this age group. If you are under 18 and taking sertraline for depression you should consult your doctor for advice, but do not suddenly stop taking it as this can cause withdrawal symptoms. Sertraline may still be used for obsessive-compulsive disorder in children aged six years and over.
Use with caution in
Decreased kidney function
Decreased liver function
Diabetes
Epilepsy
History of bleeding disorders
History of mania or hypomania
People receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Not to be used in
Children and adolescents under 18 years of age for the treatment of depressive illness
Manic episodes of manic depression (bipolar affective disorder)
People who have taken monoamine-oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (MAOIs) in the last 14 days
Severely decreased liver function
Uncontrolled epilepsy
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.
Headache
Dry mouth
Difficulty in sleeping (insomnia)
Shaking, usually of the hands (tremor)
Indigestion (dyspepsia)
Pins and needles (paraesthesia)
Dizziness
Loss of appetite
Seizures
Loss of memory (amnesia)
Sleepiness (somnolence)
Sexual problems
Anxiety and agitation
Liver disorders
Increased sweating
Disturbances of the gut such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or abdominal pain
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.
How can this medicine affect other medicines?
Sertraline must not be taken at the same time as monoamine oxidase inhibitor antidepressants (MAOIs). It must not be started until 14 days after stopping treatment with an MAOI, and at least one day after stopping treatment with the reversible MAOI (RIMA), moclobemide. Treatment with moclobemide or an MAOI should not be started until at least 14 days after treatment with sertraline has been discontinued.
Sertraline must not be taken with the antipsychotic medicine, pimozide.
Sertraline should not be taken with other medicines that enhance the effect of serotonin, such as sumatriptan or
tramadol, as there may be an increased risk of side effects.
The herbal remedy St John's wort should not be taken at the same time as this medicine for the same reason.
Sertraline may increase the blood levels of the following medicines:
-
clozapine
- some tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine, desipramine,
nortriptyline and possibly
amitriptyline).
If sertraline is taken with
lithium or tryptophan there may be an increase in side effects, eg tremor due to lithium.
Sertraline blood levels may be increased by cimetidine.
As SSRIs have been associated with bleeding abnormalities, the following medicines, which are known to affect the ability of the blood to clot, should be used with caution with sertraline:
- tricyclic antidepressants
- some antipsychotic medicines
- some antisickness medicines, eg prochlorperazine
-
aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as
ibuprofen
- ticlopidine
- dipyridamole.
Sertraline may increase the anti-blood-clotting effect of
warfarin. Your blood clotting time should be monitored if you start or stop treatment with sertraline while taking warfarin.
Treatment with this medicine may alter control of blood sugar in people with diabetes, who may need an adjustment in their dose of insulin or antidiabetic tablets. Discuss this with your doctor.
sertraline ( LUSTRAL ) 
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