More severe symptoms may include seizures, hallucinations, muscle rigidity, and comas. The Poison Control hotline is free for anyone to use and offers callers expert and confidential advice. Being prepared to experience potential side effects is an important part of taking any medication, and knowing what to expect can remove some of the anxiety that oftentimes comes from taking a new medication. As mentioned throughout this article, more serious side effects like confusion, hallucinations, allergic reactions, seizures, and vomiting require medical attention.
If you start to experience worsening depression or anxiety, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks, severe irritability or aggression, then you should seek immediate medical help.
Clinical trials have shown that depression symptoms will completely go away for about 1 out of every 3 people who take SSRIs, but more research still needs to be done on why SSRIs work for some people and not for others. Here are some of the most popular alternatives to Zoloft:. Talking with your healthcare provider is the best way to come up with a treatment plan that will work best for you and cause the least amount of side effects for you on your journey to find relief from your symptoms.
Skip to main content Search for a topic or drug. Zoloft side effects: What to expect in the first week of taking Zoloft. By SingleCare Team Feb. Torres, Pharm. Top Reads in Drug Info. Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein. The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein.
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Missing doses of sertraline may increase your risk for relapse in your symptoms. Caution is advised with breastfeeding since sertraline does pass into breast milk.
Symptoms of your condition that bother you the most If you have thoughts of suicide or harming yourself Medications you have taken in the past for your condition, whether they were effective or caused any adverse effects If you experience side effects from your medications, discuss them with your provider. Some side effects may pass with time, but others may require changes in the medication. Some people feel worse during the first few weeks of treatment before they begin to feel better.
You may see an improvement in your symptoms after 1 or 2 weeks, although it usually takes between 4 to 6 weeks before you feel the full benefits. That's because it takes around a week for sertraline levels to build up in your body, and then a few weeks longer for your body to adapt and get used to it. Do not stop taking sertraline just because you feel it is not helping your symptoms. Give the medicine at least 6 weeks to work. If you have been feeling better for 6 months or more, your doctor may suggest coming off sertraline.
Your doctor will probably recommend reducing your dose gradually over several weeks, or longer if you have been taking sertraline for a long time. This is to help prevent any extra side effects you might get as a reaction to coming off the medicine. Do not stop taking sertraline suddenly, or without talking to your doctor first. Once you're feeling better it's likely that you'll continue to take sertraline for several more months.
Most doctors recommend that you take antidepressants for 6 months to a year after you no longer feel depressed. A few people may get sexual side effects, such as problems getting an erection or a lower sex drive. In some cases these can continue even after stopping the medicine.
Speak to your doctor if you are worried. Taking sertraline for more than a year has also been linked to a small increased risk of getting diabetes. You'll be regularly checked for this. Sertraline is not any better or worse than other antidepressants.
Sometimes people respond better to one antidepressant than another. Sertraline can make you feel more or less hungry than usual, so you may lose or gain weight when you start taking it. If you start to have problems with your weight while taking sertraline, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Sertraline will not affect any type of contraception, including the contraceptive pill or emergency contraception. There's some evidence that sertraline can reduce the quality of sperm.
This should reverse once you stop taking the medicine. It's not known whether this reduces male fertility. Talk to your doctor if you're concerned. There's no firm evidence to suggest that taking sertraline will reduce fertility in women.
But speak to a pharmacist or your doctor if you're trying to get pregnant. They may want to review your treatment. The positive effects of sertraline may, after a while, improve your sex life as your mood lifts and you become interested in life and relationships again.
Sexual side effects usually pass after the first couple of weeks. However, very rarely, they can be long lasting and may not get better even after stopping the medicine. If these happen and are a problem for you, go back to your doctor to see if there's another treatment you can try. Some people cannot concentrate properly while they're taking sertraline. It might be best to stop driving and cycling for the first few days of treatment until you know how this medicine makes you feel.
You can drink alcohol while taking sertraline, but it may make you feel sleepy. It might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine makes you feel. Grapefruit juice can increase the amount of sertraline in your body and increase the risk of side effects. Antidepressants, including sertraline, are just one of several approaches to treating depression. Cannabis with sertraline can give you a fast heartbeat. Cannabis can also make drowsiness worse with sertraline, especially in people who have just started taking it.
Methadone can increase the risk of side effects in people taking sertraline. Talk to your doctor if you think you might use recreational drugs while taking sertraline. Page last reviewed: 12 December Next review due: 12 December Sertraline - Brand name: Lustral On this page About sertraline Key facts Who can and cannot take sertraline How and when to take it Side effects Pregnancy and breastfeeding Cautions with other medicines Common questions about sertraline.
These medications work by increasing the level of available serotonin in the brain. Low levels of serotonin in the brain are linked to a depressed mood as well as other psychiatric symptoms. Besides major depressive disorder, Zoloft is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration FDA to treat the following psychiatric conditions:. Learning how Zoloft works and what to watch out for when taking it can help you better cope with your illness and stick to your treatment plan.
For example, it's important not to expect immediate results when taking Zoloft. People typically notice some improvement within a week or two, but it may take several weeks until you feel the full effects of the drug.
Also, when you start taking Zoloft, you may experience some side effects. The most common ones include nausea or upset stomach, diarrhea, sweating, tremor, or a decreased appetite.
Sexual side effects may also occur, most notably delayed ejaculation and decreased libido. If any of these side effects don't go away or are causing significant problems, contact your doctor. Sometimes simple remedies can ease Zoloft side effects, like taking it at a different time of day or changing the dose. Or your doctor may also recommend switching to a different SSRI or a different class of medication altogether.
In addition to the common side effects mentioned above, there are some serious effects to be aware of if you are taking Zoloft.
If you experience any of these, contact your doctor right away. A "black-box warning" refers to a serious notice made by the FDA about a medication.
The black-box warning for Zoloft indicates it may cause or increase thoughts of suicide in children and young adults. Monitor your loved one, or yourself if you're in this age group, for any signs of such thoughts, and seek help immediately if they occur.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. Taking Zoloft may put you at risk for a rare, possibly life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome.
This risk is higher if you are also taking other serotonin-related medications like triptans a common migraine medication , tricyclic antidepressants, or the pain medication Ultram tramadol.
But the syndrome can occur when taking Zoloft alone, as well. Signs and symptoms of this condition include:. To be proactive in avoiding this rare syndrome, be sure to tell your doctor all the medications you are taking, including any over-the-counter drugs or supplements. There is an increased chance of bleeding when taking Zoloft along with medications that block platelets or medications that thin your blood.
Notify your doctor right away of any bleeding events, like nosebleeds or increased bruising. Seek medical attention immediately if you notice more serious bleeding events, such as blood in your stool.
Zoloft can trigger a hypomanic or manic episode in a person with bipolar disorder.
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