Zoloft is from a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that balances the body’s serotonin. Serotonin is a kind of hormone that influences the overall condition of our well-being. It regulates mood, moderates anxiety and alleviates depression. Zoloft is simply known as an antidepressant. Last week, the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published an article saying that seniors under medication are at ahigher risk of having car crash. Medication refers to sedatives and antidepressants or SSRIs.

Ontario, Canada healthcare and transportation databases were the references for the data used in the study. The study was co-authored by an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, Dr. Mark Rapoport.

“Antidepressants did increase the risk of crash significantly but that increased risk was only restricted to at-fault crashes and only restricted to crashes where there was another strong centrally acting medication on board as well, so a benzodiazepine or a strong anticholinergic medication,” says Dr. Rapoport.

The sleeping medication, benzodianzepines, and antidepressants are usually prescribed together for insomnia accompanies depression or vice versa.

Pfizer is the manufacturer of Zoloft, brand name for setraline.  Media reports say that when Zoloft was out on the market, it quickly became one of the largest-selling, globally available antidepressant drugs.

Zoloft withdrawal symptoms are triggered when a patient fails to take a scheduled dose or completely taper off from the drug. The most severe health complications brought about by Zoloft discontinuation are related to the heart, according to medical specialists.

The most common Zoloft withdrawal symptoms are insomnia, tiredness, irritability, dizziness, confusion and headache.

The more severe withdrawal symptoms that need immediate attention include bleeding, bruising, diarrhea, constipation, unusual weakness, shortness of breath, swelling of abdomen or legs, joint pains, erectile dysfunction, edema of the lungs and gastrointestinal problems.  These serious withdrawal symptoms also include erythema, which is the swelling of blood vessels and dysphalgia, which is the inability to swallow.

Over the past 15 years, a 400 percent increase in antidepressant usage was observed by Center for Disease Control (CDC). This scenario plays up despite the warnings about antidepressant side effects and withdrawal symptoms from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medical researchers and other institutions.

Dr. Rapoport and his colleague’s stress that all patients, especially seniors, need to be cautioned about potential interactions between the medications they are prescribed to.

Medical professionals may offer safer alternatives instead of antidepressant drugs.  To those taking antidepressant drugs, it is safe for them to consider that several Zoloft lawsuit filed against its manufacturer imply that antidepressant drugs may not be the best way to deal with their problems.