Source-backed half-life profile
Sertraline half-life calculator
Sertraline is an antidepressant entry where parent compound, metabolite, and steady-state questions need to be read together.
Every curve begins at 100%. No dose or measured body concentration is assumed.
X-axis: elapsed time. Y-axis: modeled percentage of the relative starting point remaining. This is a mathematical visualization, not a personal concentration estimate.
What a careful reader should notice first
The curve can explain persistence, but it does not predict treatment response, discontinuation symptoms, or switching timelines.
Source angle
Read labeling for metabolite language, population details, and steady-state context rather than stopping at the headline half-life.
Do not use it for
Do not use this page for starting, stopping, tapering, switching, or combining medications.
Best next step
Compare with fluoxetine and escitalopram, then read steady-state and active-metabolite guides.
Sertraline: evidence and interpretation notes
The parent drug sets this curve
The linked labeling reports an average terminal elimination half-life of about 26 hours for plasma sertraline, which is the input used here. Its principal metabolite, desmethylsertraline, declines more slowly and is substantially less active. Keeping those analytes separate prevents a common reading error: the chart shows the parent-drug model, not every sertraline-related compound in the body.
At 26 hours, the normalized curve reaches 50% a little beyond one day, 25% after 52 hours, and about 3% after 130 hours. The percentages describe an idealized first-order decline from an arbitrary 100% starting point. They are not measured concentrations and cannot predict clinical response or side effects.
Reading the evidence
DailyMed is the primary support for the approximately 26-hour value. The clinical pharmacokinetics review adds population, metabolism, and repeated-administration context. PubChem is useful for identity and synonyms, but it should not be read as the source of the curve’s numerical input.
| Evidence source | What it contributes | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| DailyMed labeling | Approximately 26-hour parent value and desmethylsertraline context | Product labeling does not predict treatment response |
| Clinical pharmacokinetics review | A 22-to-36-hour range, first-pass metabolism, and population variability | Review-level ranges combine different study conditions |
| PubChem identity record | Compound identity | It is not numerical support |
The review reports wide variation in steady-state plasma concentrations and describes N-desmethylsertraline as a weakly active metabolite that accumulates to higher plasma concentrations than the parent. Those observations reinforce why the parent line cannot stand in for the full clinical picture.
Use the line to understand persistence, not treatment
The page is most useful for seeing why once-daily repeated administration can create overlap and why steady state takes several half-lives. It is not a tool for deciding when to start, stop, taper, or change sertraline; those decisions require a prescriber or pharmacist who can evaluate the full clinical context.
The linked sources are the right place to examine formulation, population, and metabolite details beyond this simplified parent-drug curve.
Reading this curve
HalfLifeDB uses 26 h as a representative input for Sertraline. In the simplified model, about 52.7% remains after 24 hours and about 3% remains after five half-lives, or roughly 5.4 days.
This is a day-scale half-life. Repeated exposure, timing, and source context start to matter more than a single snapshot of the curve. The curve is relative: it does not estimate a person's measured concentration, effects, impairment, or time to clearance.
antidepressant context
Antidepressant half-life values often need source context because parent compounds, active metabolites, enzyme interactions, and steady-state timing can all matter.
- Half-life is not a treatment-response timeline.
- Active metabolites can make parent-compound curves incomplete.
- Stopping, tapering, switching, or combining medications requires qualified medical guidance.
Sertraline timeline checkpoints
| Elapsed time | Modeled remaining | Reading note |
|---|---|---|
| 24 h | 52.7% | Meaningful modeled decline, not near-zero |
| 3.0 days | 14.7% | Long-tail portion of the model |
| 5.0 days | 4.08% | Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee |
| 7.0 days | 1.13% | Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee |
| 14 days | 0.01% | Low modeled remainder, not a clearance guarantee |
Nearby profiles by half-life
These entries sit near Sertraline within the antidepressant group when sorted by representative half-life. That makes them curve comparisons, not statements about equal potency, effects, or risk.
- Fluoxetine (4.0 days)
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
| Representative half-life | 26 h |
|---|---|
| Curve type | Normalized, first-order decline |
Selection note: The linked labeling reports an average terminal half-life of about 26 hours for sertraline; its less-active metabolite declines more slowly.
Sources and evidence context
A linked record is not automatically proof of the displayed value. Study, labeling, review, and compound identity sources serve different purposes; notes below identify limitations when they are known.
- Official labeling DailyMed label: SERTRALINE HYDROCHLORIDE TABLET, FILM COATED [COUPLER LLC].Official labeling used for the approximately 26-hour parent-drug value and metabolite context.
- Identity record PubChem Compound Summary: Sertraline.Compound identity record; background only.
- Research abstract PubMed: Clinical pharmacokinetics of sertraline.Clinical review reporting a 22-to-36-hour parent range, first-pass metabolism, and wide steady-state concentration variability.
What this page does not answer
- It does not estimate impairment, intoxication, or fitness to drive.
- It does not predict urine, blood, saliva, or hair test results.
- It does not model repeated exposure, tolerance, withdrawal, or interactions.
- It does not replace clinician, pharmacist, toxicologist, or emergency guidance.
Continue with context
- All substance profiles
- Browse the antidepressant group
- Compare this curve
- Clearance and volume of distribution
- Bioavailability, route, and formulation
- Active metabolites and parent compounds
- First-order vs nonlinear kinetics
- Detection windows vs half-life
- Reading labels and source quality
Read the medical disclaimer, methodology, and profile review log before using the model for comparison.