Some products that may interact with this drug are: pimozide, other drugs that can cause bleeding/bruising (including antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel, NSAIDs such as ibuprofen/naproxen, "blood thinners" such as warfarin/dabigatran).
Drug Interactions
Patients who are allergic to ingredients in Zoloft should not take it. In addition, Zoloft can cause interactions with other drugs or supplements. Taking Zoloft with NSAID pain relievers or blood thinners such as warfarin (Coumadin) may increase the risk of stomach bleeding.
Rare but serious side effects of sertraline include an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviors, a higher risk of bleeding, and serotonin syndrome. If you experience any symptoms of serious side effects, contact your healthcare provider right away.
Zoloft (sertraline) can affect the natural rhythm of your heart and cause it to beat abnormally. If you experience symptoms such as fast heart rate, dizziness, difficulty breathing or chest pain, go to the emergency room right away.
Nausea, constipation, or diarrhea. Gaining or losing weight. Feeling the opposite of how the medication is supposed to make you feel—like feeling more depressed when you take an antidepressant, or more anxious when you take an anti-anxiety med. If a medication makes you feel suicidal, tell your doctor right away.
Drug or alcohol use.
Illicit drug use and alcohol can cause strong mood changes, which can make antidepressants ineffective.
There are no known interactions between Zoloft and caffeine, but it's important to consider the effects that caffeine can have on the mental health conditions that Zoloft treats. “It should be safe to drink coffee with Zoloft,” says David Schaefer, MD, psychiatrist at Southwest Behavioral Health Center in St.
Do not take St John's wort, the herbal remedy for depression, while you're being treated with sertraline as this will increase your risk of side effects. There's very little information about taking other herbal remedies and supplements with sertraline.
Should you avoid taking Zoloft and ibuprofen together? “The short answer is that there is a very small likelihood of increased risk of bleeding when taken in combination, but it is likely safe for use for short periods of time,” says Dr. Carly Snyder, MD, a psychiatrist based in New York.
More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions, but these drugs have a common and mysterious side effect: they can worsen anxiety in the first few weeks of use, which leads many patients to stop ...
Both Prozac and Zoloft are considered powerful mental health medications, comparably effective at treating depression and reducing anxiety for the patients who take them. A few clinical trials suggest that Zoloft may have less serious side effects than Prozac.
Driving and operating machinery. Some SSRIs can cause dizziness, drowsiness and blurred vision, particularly when you first start taking them. If you do experience these symptoms, you shouldn't drive or use heavy tools and machinery. The symptoms should be temporary, but speak to your doctor if you're unsure.
“Your sertraline is working if you feel calmer. Your negative moods or anxiety will not be as intense. You should be enjoying activities more. And your sleeping and eating habits should be more stable,” says Doughty.
Another one of the more common Zoloft side effects is called akathisia. “It's like feeling amped up or restless, like you need to move, or like you're unable to calm down,” explains Dr. Hermann. In some cases, akathisia can even feel like a panic attack.
Possible reasons why your antidepressant is no longer working include: using another medication that interferes with its effects, using alcohol or other drugs, having another medical condition, undergoing added stress, and more.
A 2014 study published in International Clinical Psychopharmacology suggested that Lexapro may be more effective and better tolerated than Zoloft or Paxil. Lexapro has different binding site interactions which may lead to better efficacy and tolerability.
A study in The Lancet Psychiatry found that taking sertraline leads to an early reduction in anxiety symptoms, commonly found in depression, several weeks before any improvement in depressive symptoms.
Many patients report an improvement in their symptoms within the first two weeks, however, most do not report a complete difference until at least four to six weeks. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, many patients first report an improvement in their energy levels, sleep, and appetite.
Report any new or worsening symptoms to your doctor, such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.
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).
Depression and the use of antidepressants can increase the risk of life-threatening blood clots forming in vital veins, a first-of-its-kind study has found.