Zoloft is the trade name for Sertraline hydrochloride. Zoloft is a famous antidepressant which comes under the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The drug was invented in 1970s by the effort of famous chemists like Reinhard Sarges, Kenneth Koe and Willard Welch. Zoloft is mainly used for the treatment of major depression and other disorders like panic and social anxiety in both children and adults. In 2007, Zoloft was the most prescribed antidepressant which was recommended to about 30 million patients in United States.

Although the efficiency of Zoloft is not very different to that of older antidepressants but it has less side effects when compared to any other antidepressants. Research has proved that Zoloft can work even better than Prozac for some categories of depressions. Zoloft is highly recommended for the treatment of panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and social phobia. Symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder can also be reduced by the use of Zoloft. Due to its least side effects, the drug has become very popular among the consumers over the years.

Zoloft is taken by the patients under the supervision of a doctor. The daily doses are decided as per the prescription. However, in normal conditions 50-200mg of drug per day is more than enough to cure the disorder. Zoloft, when taken orally is absorbed slowly and attains its optimum concentration in plasma after 4-6 hours. Its average half-life in men body and women body is about 22 and 32 hours, respectively.

Similar to other drugs of same category, Zoloft acts adversely when its overdose is taken. It may lead to ataxia, emesis, seizures, lethargy and tachycardia. The adverse effects of the drug also include birth defects and effect on breast-fed infants. In addition to this, it may also lead to sexual side effects. However, if the treatment is done with proper care under the supervision of experts, only the positive aspects of the drugs like Zoloft are observed.