Prozac vs Zoloft: Competition for Anxiety Drugs

In one of my previous posts, I discussed about of a drug from a group called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). If you were paying attention, it was called Prozac (Fluoxetine). Guess what? If one pharmaceutical company can make it, so can others. So along came Pfizer with Zoloft (Sertraline). It is the most prescribed antidepressant on the market.

Prozac vs Zoloft: How Are They the Same?

Prozac and Zoloft both treat the same symptoms such as major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorders. The side effects are equally similar with the typical common side effects of nausea, diarrhea, headache, drowsiness and still my favorite, decreased sexual function. No matter which you choose – Zoloft or Prozac, you will encounter a lower sex drive. The black warning label is also tagged on this product for 18-24 year olds for suicide. You thought that decreased sexual function wasn’t enough.

Prozac vs Zoloft: How Are They the Different?

This is where it gets interesting. When competing drugs are developed there are two processes that occur. First, the drug is tested against a placebo (sugar pill). I see the first question coming is why a sugar (placebo) pill. Well, in brief terms, there is a psychological effect when someone unknowingly thinks they are taking a working drug. They seem to automatically feel better and think they are getting healed. That is the placebo effect. The second step is to compare it to a drug on the market to see if it performs better or has fewer side effects.

So let’s get down to business. Zoloft (Sertraline) as documented by their studies performed better for patients with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), major depression and panic disorders. It performed better for people who had Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that didn’t involve any combat. Imagine giving our troops daily doses of Zoloft? Consider that most are in the 18-24 range and carry weapons. Based on statistical studies, Zoloft has performed better and improved quality of life.

Competition

So you see all these disorders that can be marketed and affect so many also cause other pharmaceutical companies to join in the pill development. In the SSRI group we have Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), and Luvox (fluvoxamine). There are a few other less known medications and I can be here all day listing them. Needless to say, there is a huge market to help people with depression type disorders. All of these drugs are comparable to one another but have differences in side effects.

If you have used  antidepressants, has one worked better than the other?