Antidepressant Asentra: instructions for use and opinions of people

Asentra is a specific inhibitor of reuptake in neurons of serotonin.

At the same time, it has a negligible effect on the metabolism of dopamine and norepinephrine. In therapeutic dosages, the drug blocks the capture process in serotonin platelets. This drug does not have a sedative, stimulating, anticholinergic effect on the human body.

On this page you will find all information about Asentra: full instructions for use on this medication, average prices in pharmacies, complete and incomplete analogs of the drug, as well as reviews of people who have already applied Asentra. Want to leave your opinion? Please write in the comments.

Clinical and pharmacological group

Antidepressant.

Conditions of leave from pharmacies

It is released on prescription.

Price list

How much does Asentra cost? The average price in pharmacies is at the level of800 rubles.

Form of issue and composition

Medicinal form of release Asents - tablets covered with a film sheath: round, white, on one side have bevelled edges and a notch; on the fracture - a rough white mass (7 pcs. in blisters, 4 blisters in a cardboard bundle).

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Composition of 1 tablet:

active substance: sertraline - 50 or 100 mg (sertraline hydrochloride - 55.95 or 111.9 mg);
auxiliary components: hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate, calcium dihydrogenphosphate, sodium starch glycolate, talc, microcrystalline cellulose;
Shell: Opadry 03H28758 (talc, hypromellose, titanium dioxide, propylene glycol).

Pharmacological effect

Antidepressant. Specific inhibitor of reuptake of serotonin (5-HT) in neurons. The metabolism of norepinephrine and dopamine affects slightly. In therapeutic doses, sertraline blocks the seizure of serotonin in human platelets.

The drug does not have a stimulating, sedative or anticholinergic action. Has no affinity for serotonin, dopamine, histamine, benzodiazepine, GABA, cholino- and adrenoreceptors. The antidepressant effect is noted towards the end of the second week of the regular intake of Asentra, while the maximum effect is achieved only after 6 weeks. Unlike tricyclic antidepressants in the appointment of Asentra, there is no increase in body weight; in a number of cases, its decrease was noted. The drug does not cause mental or physical drug dependence.

Indications for use

Asentra is effective in the following disorders:

depression of different genesis;
depressive anxiety disorder;
compulsive-obsessive disorder;
stress disorder on the background of a previous mental or physical trauma;
panic disorder.

Contraindications

Absolute:

pregnancy (safety profile of Asentra in this category of patients has not been studied);
the period of breastfeeding (sertraline is detected in breast milk);
age up to 6 years;
combined use with fenfluramine / tryptophan;
simultaneous administration with monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and a period of 14 days after their withdrawal;
unstable epilepsy;
hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.

Relative (should be taken with extreme caution):

neurological disorders (including mental retardation);
epilepsy;
decreased body weight;
hepatic and / or renal insufficiency;
manic states;
children age over 6 years.

Application in pregnancy and lactation

Controlled results of the use of sertraline in pregnant women do not exist, so prescribe them a drug costs only if the expected benefit to the mother exceeds the potential risk to the fetus.

Sertraline is found in breast milk, and therefore treatment with this drug during breastfeeding is not recommended. In this case there are no reliable data on the safety of its application. If treatment is still necessary, then breast-feeding should be stopped.

Instructions for use

The instructions for use indicate that, with depression and OCD in adults, the median starting dose of the Asentra drug is 50 mg 1 time / day, morning or evening. The daily dose can be gradually, not earlier than a week, increase from 50 mg to a maximum daily dose of 200 mg.

In panic disorders and PTSD, the initial dose of Asentra is 25 mg 1 time / day, in the morning or in the evening. In a week, you can increase the dose to 50 mg 1 time / day, and then gradually, not earlier than a week, increase to a maximum daily dose of 200 mg.

The initial dose of Asentra for children aged 6 to 12 years is 25 mg sertraline 1 time / day, morning or evening. After a week, you can increase the dose to 50 mg 1 time / day. For children aged 12 to 17 years, the initial dose is 50 mg 1 time / day in the morning or evening. If necessary, the daily dose can be gradually, not earlier than a week, increased from 50 mg to a maximum daily dose of 200 mg. To avoid overdose, less weight in children should be taken into account compared with adults, and with an increase in dose more 50 mg / day, careful monitoring of this category of patients is necessary: at the first signs of an overdose, the drug should be discontinued.

A satisfactory therapeutic result is achieved usually after 7 days from the start of treatment. However, in order to achieve the full therapeutic effect, the drug should be taken regularly for 2-4 weeks. In patients with OCD, it may take 8-12 weeks to achieve a good result. The minimum dose providing the therapeutic effect is preserved as a supporting one in the future.

For violations of liver function, the drug should be administered with caution. In case of severe violations of the liver function, the dose of the drug should be reduced or the intervals between doses should be increased.

Side effects

This drug may cause the following side effects:

Central and peripheral nervous system: insomnia, drowsiness, motor anxiety, dry mouth, increased sweating, hypomania, headache, tremor, dizziness, agitation, anxiety, weakness, mania, a decrease in appetite (in rare cases - an increase) right up to anorexia;
Laboratory indicators: reversible hyponatremia (in most cases in elderly patients, and also with diuretic therapy or some other drugs) associated with the syndrome of inadequate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH);
Digestive system: diarrhea, flatulence, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain; rarely (with prolonged therapy) - asymptomatic increased activity of transaminases in the blood serum (is transient, occurs after withdrawal of treatment);
Others: decreased libido, redness of the skin, visual impairment, ejaculation disorder, weight loss.

The withdrawal syndrome after discontinuation of treatment usually occurs rarely. Symptoms: aggressive reactions, psychomotor agitation, paresthesia, symptoms of depression / psychosis, hypoesthesia, hallucinations, anxiety. These disorders are difficult to differentiate from the symptoms of the underlying disease, and they can develop with the use of other antidepressant drugs.

Overdose

With an overdose of sertraline, there is an increase in its side effect due to an increase in the toxic effect of the drug.

Symptoms:

Agitation;
Dizziness;
Anxiety;
Psychomotor agitation;
Diarrhea;
Serotonin syndrome - nausea;
Vomiting, drowsiness;
Changes on the ECG;
Mydriasis;
Tachycardia;
Increased sweating;
Myoclonus and hyperreflexia.

Treatment: symptomatic maintenance of normal patency of the respiratory tract (oxygenation and ventilation of the lungs) and monitoring of heart rhythm and vital organs and systems.

special instructions

The use of Asentra medication during pregnancy and breast-feeding is strictly contraindicated, the kind that the drug has a pronounced toxic effect on the growth and development of the child. Women in their reproductive age are recommended the combined use of an antidepressant with hormonal contraceptives to prevent an unwanted pregnancy at the time of taking the drug.
For people who are deficient in the functioning of the liver or kidneys, the use of Asentra should be carried out according to a strictly individual plan. This feature is associated with a delayed filtration of the main active substance. If the patient takes any medications for a long time, then the doctor in charge must know about this.
The peculiarity of this drug is that it does not have a depressing effect on the person's consciousness, the ability to work and the ability to drive vehicles also has no influence.
With combined conservative treatment with psychotropic drugs and antidepressants, work capacity is reduced.

Drug Interactions

Possible reactions in the combined use of sertraline with other drugs / substances:

Desipramine: its plasma concentration in the blood increases when sertraline is taken in a daily dose of 50 mg;
Wycomedidine: significantly decreases the clearance of sertraline;
Fenfluramine, tryptophan: interaction reactions are possible (this combination should be avoided);
Tolbutamide, diazepam, warfarin (preparations that bind to blood plasma proteins): interaction can be noted;
Antipyrine: there may be a decrease in its half-life with sertraline 200 mg;
drugs that depress the central nervous system, ethanol and ethanol-containing drugs: it is possible to develop interaction reactions, requiring special care (combination with ethanol and ethanol-containing drugs is contraindicated);
Coumarin derivatives (indirect anticoagulants): there is a significant increase in prothrombin time (at the beginning of the course sertralina and after its completion, prothrombin time control is recommended);
Lithium and other agents that affect serotonergic transmission: pharmacodynamic interaction is possible (it must be combined with caution);
MAO inhibitors: serious complications arise, including the development of serotonin syndrome - lability in the autonomic nervous system (sudden fluctuations parameters of the cardiovascular and respiratory system), myoclonus, hyperthermia, rigidity, changes in mental status, marked excitement, increased irritability, confusion with possible development of delirious condition or coma; similar complications (in some cases with lethal outcome) may also occur with the use of MAO inhibitors against the background of antidepressant therapy that inhibit neuronal capture of monoamines, or immediately after its withdrawal.

Reviews

Opinion of patients about the drug is not always so positive. Although, for the sake of justice, it must be said that negative feedback is rare. More often than not, people say that the medication helped them in a certain life situation.

Patients who take pills for a long time, fully confirm the opinion of doctors about the drug "Asentra". The patients' testimonies testify that the medicine perfectly relieves anxiety, fears and panic conditions. Effective means in the fight against psychosis. People argue that treatment with the drug allows you to return a good mood, improve your mood.

However, special attention is paid by patients to the accumulative ability of the drug. After all, many people who started treatment with this medication say that the tablets of "Asentra" do not help. Patients who felt the beneficial effect of treatment, indicate that the first results were felt only after 2 weeks. And some people much later. After all, most often the question of increasing the dosage is decided after 2 weeks. This helps to avoid such an unpleasant condition as an overdose.