Zoloft Side Effects

If you are currently breastfeeding or pregnant, or if you plan to become pregnant, discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your physician. Your risks from Zoloft may be higher if you have certain medical conditions, including diabetes, low blood sodium levels, seizures, and liver disease. Wait at least 14 days after your last dose of any MAOI before beginning sertraline treatment. Your doctor may start you at a lower dose and gradually increase the amount you take to achieve the desired effects. However, some people have the opposite effect and experience increased energy and sleeping problems.

Zoloft, like other SSRIs, works by blocking the reabsorption of serotonin into neurons in the brain. It also covers important precautions to be aware of before taking this medication. This article discusses how Zoloft works and possible side effects you might experience.

Weight Gain

Common side effects often last one to two weeks until you get used to your medication. Side effects from Zoloft tend to be manageable and often go away on their own as your body adjusts to your medication. Always tell your care provider about any other medications, supplements, or substances you take to avoid potentially dangerous drug interactions. When prescribed in children or adolescents, Zoloft can cause a slightly different range of side effects, some of which are less common in adults. Also, many people lose their appetite and lose weight when they’re depressed, so weight gain may just be a result of them feeling better when they’re on the drug. Participants were also 29% more likely to move up a weight category—from normal to overweight or overweight to obese—than those not on antidepressants.

Finding the right antidepressant

This interaction also applies to a chemically similar drug called Cerebyx (fosphenytoin). It is known as a narrow therapeutic index (NTI) drug, which means that there is a small window between the drug’s effectiveness and potential toxicity. If you’re on sertraline, avoid these products and consult your healthcare provider for safer alternatives.

According to the prescribing information, people who take sertraline should avoid drinking alcohol. Triptans are a class of drugs used to treat migraine. Taken together, then, the risk of bleeding, including gastrointestinal bleeding, could increase. Sertraline can increase the risk of bleeding, as can NSAIDs.

• Many kinds of antidepressants are available, and chances are you’ll be able to find one that works well for you.
• This result compares favorably with placebo, where, according to the literature, 3–6% of patients gained more than 7% of their initial weight.
• Although there could be a role for the σ1 receptor in the pharmacology of sertraline, the significance of this receptor in its actions is unclear.
• Several notable analogues sertraline are known, including desmethylsertraline, dasotraline, tametraline, and lometraline.

Less Common Zoloft Side Effects

CYP2C19 inhibitor esomeprazole increased sertraline concentrations in blood plasma by approximately 40%. This effect is dose-dependent; for example, co-administration with 50 mg of sertraline resulted in 20% greater exposure to desipramine, while 150 mg of sertraline led to a 70% increase. Accordingly, in human trials it caused increased blood levels of CYP2D6 substrates such as metoprolol, dextromethorphan, desipramine, imipramine and nortriptyline, as well as the CYP3A4/CYP2D6 substrate haloperidol.

Taking this supplement with sertraline can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. Taking lithium with sertraline may increase the risk of serotonin syndrome. Zoloft (sertraline) is an antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety and one of the most prescribed psychiatric drugs in the U.S. Sertraline used for the treatment of depression in elderly (older than 60) patients is superior to placebo and comparable to another SSRI fluoxetine, and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) amitriptyline, nortriptyline and imipramine.

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If you find you are unable to cope with the side effects, call your healthcare provider immediately. They can suggest ways to cope or make medication changes if needed. Most symptoms tend to be minimal and generally improve over time. The type and severity of Zoloft side effects can vary from person to person. It typically takes several weeks for an antidepressant to begin working, so it is important to give it this time.

Of the sertraline group, 4.5% gained a large amount zoloft and pepcid of weight (defined as more than 7% gain). The incidence of diarrhea is higher with sertraline – especially when prescribed at higher doses – in comparison with other SSRIs. Those that most often result in interruption of the treatment are nausea, diarrhea, and insomnia. Due to the slower elimination of sertraline in these groups, their exposure to sertraline may be as high as three times the average exposure for the same dose. Sertraline, when taken daily, can be useful for the treatment of premature ejaculation.

Zoloft Drug Interactions

• Taking multiple antidepressants, especially SSRIs like sertraline, can increase serotonin levels and the risk of serotonin syndrome.
• There is an approximate 2-fold accumulation of sertraline with continuous administration and steady-state levels are reached within one week.
• With depression in dementia, there is no benefit of sertraline treatment compared to either placebo or mirtazapine.
• Using it with other serotonin-increasing medications, like the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) medication Adderall, can raise your risk.
• Healthcare providers will typically try to avoid prescribing these antipsychotic drugs with sertraline due to the serious risk.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires all antidepressants, including sertraline, to carry a boxed warning stating that antidepressants increase the risk of suicide in persons younger than 25 years. Sexual arousal disorder, defined as “inadequate lubrication and swelling for women and erectile difficulties for men”, occurred in 12% of people on sertraline as compared with 1% of patients on placebo. For example, a meta-analysis of 12 new-generation antidepressants showed that sertraline and escitalopram are the best in terms of efficacy and acceptability in the acute-phase treatment of adults with depression.

Side Effects When Taking Zoloft

Certain antipsychotic medications are contraindicated with sertraline, meaning they should never be used together. Some people may be prescribed more than one antidepressant. Suddenly stopping your medication can lead to withdrawal or a return of your symptoms. Talk to your physician about your symptoms if you are concerned about side effects.

Other anxiety disorders

Most antidepressants are generally safe, but the U.S. Many kinds of antidepressants are available, and chances are you’ll be able to find one that works well for you. But if it doesn’t relieve your symptoms or it causes side effects that bother you, you may need to try another. Antidepressants are a popular treatment choice for depression. The prescribing information for sertraline includes several contraindications, or specific situations where the medication should not be used.

Somewhat contrary to the above suggestions, a meta-analysis of sertraline clinical trials for PTSD found it to be statistically superior to placebo in the reduction of PTSD symptoms but the effect size was small. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommends it for patients who prefer drug treatment to a psychological one. Sertraline is effective in alleviating the symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder, a severe form of premenstrual syndrome. The combination of sertraline and cognitive behavioral therapy appears to be more effective in children and young people than either treatment alone. All three major domains of the disorder (fear, avoidance, and physiological symptoms) respond to sertraline. The patients rated as “improved” on sertraline reported better quality of life than the ones who “improved” on placebo.

A 2019 systematic review suggested that sertraline may be a good way to control anger, irritability, and hostility in depressed patients and patients with other comorbidities. A disadvantage of sertraline is that it requires continuous daily treatment to delay ejaculation significantly. There are both negative and positive clinical trial results for sertraline, which may be explained by the types of psychological traumas, symptoms, and comorbidities included in the various studies. Continuous treatment with sub-therapeutic doses of sertraline (25 mg vs. usual 50–100 mg) is also effective. Taking sertraline only during the luteal phase, that is, the 12–14 days before menses is not as effective as continuous treatment.

It works by preventing the reabsorption of serotonin (the “feel good” neurotransmitter) so more is available in the system. For example, in some cases, Zoloft may trigger or exacerbate psychiatric symptoms. If you’re experiencing weight gain, don’t stop taking the drug on your own.

Serotonin Syndrome

Each type of antidepressant affects these neurotransmitters in slightly different ways. The first antidepressant you try may work fine. The prescribing information also states that you should avoid alcohol while taking sertraline. Check with a healthcare provider before combining Saint John’s wort and sertraline. Check with your healthcare provider before taking an NSAID if you take sertraline. Lithium is a mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder.

If you take either sertraline or an MAOI, your healthcare provider will not prescribe the other drug. Sertraline is contraindicated with MAOI drugs, meaning they should never be used together. People who take both Dilantin and sertraline will need to have their Dilantin levels closely monitored, with a possible lowered Dilantin dosage, if needed. Dilantin, a common brand of phenytoin, is a prescription drug used to prevent certain types of seizures. When taken together, the risk of bleeding may be significantly increased. Blood thinners (anticoagulants) are prescribed to prevent blood clots, but they can also increase the risk of bleeding.