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Zoloft is the market name for sertraline hydrochloride. Classified as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor depressant, or SSRI, it works by increasing the body’s quantity of serotonin, a natural monoamine neurotransmitter produced by the brain that helps maintain one’s mental stability. Zoloft has recently become the subject of lawsuits, as the medication has been linked to birth defects when taken by pregnant women.
What is it Used For?
Zoloft is often prescribed to treat a number of disorders, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety. It can also be utilized to relieve the symptoms of women’s menstrual cycles, namely mood swings, breast sensitivity and bloating. It is usually prescribed to particularly severe cases of premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
Possible Side Effects
Like all medications, Zoloft comes with many side effects that differ in number and severity depending on the individual. The most common side effects may include:
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Sexual dysfunction
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Drowsiness
- Shakiness
- Loss of appetite
In addition to the above, less common side effects that reportedly happen to less than two percent of people that ingest Zoloft include the following:
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Constipation
- Abdominal pain
- Increased sweating
- Burning sensations in the upper body
- Weight loss
Effects vary from person to person. It is important that you speak with your doctor to see if Zoloft is right for you.
Birth Defects
The possibility of birth defects is perhaps the greatest danger to face when using many SSRI antidepressants, including Zoloft. Most notably, children may develop several structural problems in their anatomy if it exposed to it while in the womb. The most serious of these defects include malformed limbs, imperforation of the anus, holes in the interior lining of the heart, or an omphalocele that results in the intestines sticking outside the child’s naval region. The embryo can also undergo spina bifida, a congenital disorder where the spinal cord ends up being exposed due to incomplete formation of the vertebrae meant to enclose it.
Due to the risks involved, women that undergoing pregnancy or who wish to bear children in the near future are strongly recommended to contact their doctor if they should continue using Zoloft or consider using an alternative medication.
Heart Defects
While exposed to Zoloft in the womb, newborn children are especially susceptible to numerous heart problems. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is one, characterized by the left ventricle of the heart failing to fully develop; without a heart transplant, it is often fatal. Atrial septal defect is another, which results in the mixing of oxygen-rich arterial blood with oxygen-deficient venous blood. Zoloft can also cause coarctation of the aorta, pulmonary atresia and tetralogy of Fallot, all of which often result in the usually fatal “blue baby syndrome.”
Lung Defects
Among the most serious threat posed to newborns exposed to Zoloft is pulmonary hypertension, otherwise known as PH. It is characterized as an increase in blood pressure around the lung vasculature, resulting in breathing difficulties. The worst thing about PH is how gradual in severity it increases over time, leading to eventual death by asphyxiation to those who may unknowingly have it.
Skull Defects
Cases are rare, but Zoloft can indeed result in defects to the child’s skull as well. The most prominent of these is craniosynostosis, which results in abnormal cranial growth and formation. Aside from imposing an oddly shaped head, it also runs the risk of putting greater amounts of pressure on the child’s brain, or not leaving it enough physical room to grow. Fortunately, the condition can be relieved or corrected through surgery with few, if any, complications in the future, provided it’s diagnosed early enough.
