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Lustral Patient Information

Lustral
(sertraline)

What type of medicine is Lustral?

This medicine is one of a group of medicines called Selectrive Serotonin Re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

What is your medicine for?

Lustral is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The tablets are not sleeping tablets or tranquilizers. Your doctor has decided that this medicine is suitable for treating your illness.

Does your medicine cause undesirable effects?
Your medicine may cause some undesirable effects.
The most common are:
  • Dry mouth
  • Feeling sick
  • Upset stomach
  • Diarrhoea
  • Reduced appetite
  • Shaky feeling (tremor)
  • Sweating
  • Change in sex drive or function eg ejaculatory delay
  • Dizziness
  • Not being able to sleep
  • Excessive sleepiness
  • Indigestion
  • Headache

    • These undesirable effects are mild and tend to wear off as you take the tablets for longer.

    If they cause you discomfort or are long lasting, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

    Symptoms such as dizzyness, tingling, headache, anxiety and nausea may occur if Lustral treatment is stopped too quickly. These symptoms are generally non-serious and disappear within a few days. If you experience symptoms on stopping treatment, contact your doctor.

    Rare undesirable effects:

    Alergic reactions such as:

  • Wheezing, breathing problems or a tight chest.
  • Swollen eyelids, face or lips.
  • Skin lumps or itchy red spots
  • Itching all over your body.
  • Mania/hypomania
  • Abnormalities in liver function tests
  • Lower sodium content of the blood

    • The following undesirable effects have also been reported in patients taking Lustral, but may not be due to the medicine:

  • Uncontrollable twitching, jerking or writhing movements
  • Convulsions
  • Menstrual irregularities
  • Increase in the hormone prolactin, which could lead to symptoms such as abnormal production of breast milk or breast enlargement
  • Rash, rarely with bruising
  • Faintness, especially on getting up
  • High or low blood pressure
  • Increased heart rate
  • Hair loss
  • Vomiting
  • Stomach pain
  • Liver problems (eg hepatitis or jaundice)
  • Changes in the bloods ability to clot

    • Agitation, confusion, hallucinations, nervousness and a feeling of being unreal or strangely altered have also occurred in patients taking Lustral. However, these symptoms may be due to the illness you are being treated for.

    Tell your doctor straight away if you get any of these effects, or any other discomfort you do not understand.

    Further information

    This leaflet does not contain all the information about this medicine. If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

    Source
    Pfizer
    Patient Information Leaflet on Lustral.
    Date Lustral, Republic of Ireland Leaflet, last revised March 1999
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