Study of Anti-depressants show Zoloft as One of the Top Drugs
A recent study done by Andrea Cipriani, M.D., of the University of Verona in Italy gave results showing that Zoloft is one of the best drugs currently on the market for treating depression. In the analysis of 12 drugs, two came out on top as the most effective and best tolerated as first-line treatments: sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro). Venlafaxine (Effexor) and mirtazapine (Remeron) were also included in the top for effectiveness, but venlafaxine was also among the four drugs patients were most likely to quit taking because of side effects. The 12 drugs that had been included in the study were: bupropion, citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, milnacipran, mirtazapine, paroxetine, reboxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine.No funding from any of the drug manufactures was used by the authors to conduct the study.
This study used a new technique called multiple-treatments meta-analysis to make head-to-head comparisons among the 12 drugs, incorporating 117 randomized controlled trials including 25,928 patients in all. According to Dr. Cipriani “There has been little scientific evidence of the relative effectiveness of these drugs, because most studies compare one against a handful of others or a placebo, and are often funded by the maker of a particular drug, which can bias the findings in its favor.” Dr. Cipriani goes on further stating “that the findings of this study don't mean that everyone should be put on Zoloft or Lexapro, and they shouldn't be seen as suggesting that people who are on other drugs should go off them.”
In fact Zoloft has several side effects that users must be aware of, Zoloft use has been linked to several birth defects which include: Craniosynostosis, enlarged heart, Gastrochisis, clubbed foot and cleft lip or palate to name a few. Zoloft is also a drug that cannot be stop abruptly as severe withdraw symptoms can also begin to manifest.
Zoloft is a prescription drug that is to treat patients of depression, and although the study done by Dr. Cipriani showed the positive aspects of Zoloft use, the drug does has its side effects and anyone who would like to start taking the drug should visit their doctor before beginning use.In any case that you have been injured or begun to show any of the adverse side effects Zoloft can cause then perhaps visiting a Zoloft lawyer would be your next logical step. As many Zoloft lawyers will give a free consultation and may not even charge you unless your case sees compensation.