Zoloft with food or without

How and when to take sertraline

Dosage and strength

Sertraline is available as 25mg, 50mg or 100mg tablets.

The usual dose of sertraline is 50mg a day in adults. But your doctor may start you on a lower dose, then increase it gradually to a maximum dose of 200mg a day.

If you have liver problems, your doctor might give you a lower dose.

The usual dose of sertraline for children aged 6 to 12 is 25mg a day, but this may be increased to 50mg a day after a week.

The usual dose of sertraline for children aged 13 to 17 is 50mg a day.

Children aged 6 to 17 might have their dose increased up to 200mg a day, if needed.

How to take it

Take sertraline once a day. You can take it with or without food.

You can choose to take sertraline at any time, as long as you stick to the same time every day.

If you have trouble sleeping, it's best to take it in the morning.

How long to take it for

Once you're feeling better it's likely that you'll continue to take sertraline for several more months. Stopping before that time can make depression come back.

Most doctors recommend that you take antidepressants for 6 months to a year after you no longer feel depressed.

If you forget to take it

If you occasionally forget to take a dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose the next day at the usual time.

Never take 2 doses at the same time to make up for a forgotten one.

If you forget doses often, it may help to set an alarm to remind you. You could also ask your pharmacist for advice on other ways to help you remember to take your medicine.

If you take too much

The amount of sertraline that can lead to an overdose varies from person to person.

Taking too much can cause symptoms such as:

being sick (vomiting)
shaking
feeling sleepy
feeling dizzy
fast heart rate
fits or seizures

Urgent advice: Contact 111 for advice now if:

you take more than your prescribed dose of sertraline

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111

If you need to go to A&E, do not drive yourself. Get someone else to drive you or call for an ambulance.

Take the sertraline packet, or the leaflet inside it, plus any remaining medicine with you.

Stopping sertraline

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 withdrawal symptoms you might get as a reaction to coming off the medicine.

These can include:

feeling dizzy
feeling sick
numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
trouble sleeping
feeling agitated or anxious
headaches
shaking

Page last reviewed: 2 February 2022
Next review due: 2 February 2025

Sertraline (Zoloft) | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

Brand name: Zoloft®

Tablets: 25 mg, 50 mg, 100 mg
Liquid: 20 mg/mL

Generic name: sertraline (SER tra leen)

All FDA black box warnings are at the end of this fact sheet. Please review before taking this medication.

What Is Sertraline And What Does It Treat?

Sertraline is an antidepressant medication that works in the brain. It is approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder. It is also approved to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults, children and adolescents aged 6-17 years.

Symptoms of depression include:

Depressed mood - feeling sad, empty, or tearful
Feeling worthless, guilty, hopeless, and helpless
Loss of interest or pleasure in your usual activities
Sleep and eat more or less than usual (for most people it is less)
Low energy, trouble concentrating, or thoughts of death (suicidal thinking)
Psychomotor agitation (‘nervous energy’)
Psychomotor retardation (feeling like you are moving and thinking in slow motion)
Suicidal thoughts or behaviors

PTSD occurs when a person experiences a traumatic event (e. g., assault, combat experience) and then later feels on edge; avoids situations that remind them of the event; and experiences flashbacks or nightmares.

PMDD is a condition where a woman experiences depression, tension, and irritability for a few days prior to menstruation that end when menstruation begins. These symptoms are more severe than those of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Panic Disorder occurs when a person experiences unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear. These episodes have physical symptoms including chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, and nausea. Fear of future episodes is also part of panic disorder.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) occurs when a person experiences the following symptoms at the same time:

Obsessions (unwanted, recurrent, and disturbing thoughts)
Compulsions (repetitive, ritualized behaviors that the person feels driven to perform in order to lessen the anxiety produced by the obsessions)

Social phobia/social anxiety disorder is a fear of situations where one may feel as if they are being judged by others. Symptoms include:

Blushing
Difficulty talking
Nausea
Sweating
Shaking

Sertraline may also be helpful when prescribed “off-label” for binge-eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). “Off-label” means that it hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this condition. Your mental health provider should justify his or her thinking in recommending any “off-label” treatment. They should be clear about the limits of the research around that medication and if there are any other options.

What Is The Most Important Information I Should Know About Sertraline?

Do not stop taking sertraline, even when you feel better. With input from you, your health care provider will assess how long you will need to take the medicine.

Missing doses of sertraline may increase your risk for relapse in your symptoms.

Stopping sertraline abruptly may result in one or more of the following withdrawal symptoms: irritability, nausea, feeling dizzy, vomiting, nightmares, headache, and/or paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation on the skin).

Depression is also a part of bipolar illness. People with bipolar disorder who take antidepressants may be at risk for "switching" from depression into mania. Symptoms of mania include "high" or irritable mood, very high self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, pressure to keep talking, racing thoughts, being easily distracted, frequently involved in activities with a large risk for bad consequences (for example, excessive buying sprees).

Medical attention should be sought if serotonin syndrome is suspected. Please refer to serious side effects for signs/symptoms.

Are There Specific Concerns About Sertraline And Pregnancy?

If you are planning on becoming pregnant, notify your health care provider to best manage your medications. People living with MDD who wish to become pregnant face important decisions. Untreated MDD has risks to the fetus, as well as the mother. It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of treatment with your doctor and caregivers. For women who take antidepressant medications during weeks 13 through the end of their pregnancy (second and third trimesters), there is a risk that the baby can be born before it is fully developed (before 37 weeks).

For mothers who have taken SSRIs during their pregnancy, there appears to be less than a 1% chance of infants developing persistent pulmonary hypertension. This is a potentially fatal condition that is associated with use of the antidepressant in the second half of pregnancy. However, women who discontinued antidepressant therapy were five times more likely to have a depression relapse than those who continued their antidepressant. If you are pregnant, please discuss the risks and benefits of antidepressant use with your health care provider.

Caution is advised with breastfeeding since sertraline does pass into breast milk.

What Should I Discuss With My Health Care Provider Before Taking Sertraline?

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.
Any other psychiatric or medical problems you have, including a history of bipolar disorder
All other medications you are currently taking (including over the counter products, herbal and nutritional supplements) and any medication allergies you have
Other non-medication treatment you are receiving, such as talk therapy or substance abuse treatment. Your provider can explain how these different treatments work with the medication.
If you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding
If you drink alcohol or use drugs

How Should I Take Sertraline?

Sertraline is usually taken one time per day with or without food.

Typically patients begin at a low dose of medicine and the dose is increased slowly over several weeks.

The dose usually ranges from 50 mg to 200 mg. Only your health care provider can determine the correct dose for you.

If you are taking it for PMDD, sertraline can be taken once daily (everyday) or intermittently (usually starting 14 days prior to menstruation through the first full day of menses of each cycle).

The liquid should be measured with an oral syringe or dropper which you can get from your pharmacy. It should be added to 4 ounces of water, ginger ale, lemon/lime soda, lemonade, or orange juice immediately prior to taking the medication. It should not be mixed in advance.

Consider using a calendar, pillbox, alarm clock, or cell phone alert to help you remember to take your medication. You may also ask a family member or friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication.

What Happens If I Miss A Dose Of Sertraline?

If you miss a dose of sertraline, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your health care provider. Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed.

What Should I Avoid While Taking Sertraline?

Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking antidepressant medications. They may decrease the benefits (e.g., worsen your condition) and increase adverse effects (e.g., sedation) of the medication.

What Happens If I Overdose With Sertraline?

If an overdose occurs, call your doctor or 911. You may need urgent medical care. You may also contact the poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

A specific treatment to reverse the effects of sertraline does not exist.

What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Sertraline?

Common side effects

Headache, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth, increased sweating
Feeling nervous, restless, fatigued, sleepy or having trouble sleeping (insomnia)

These will often improve over the first week or two as you continue to take the medication.

Sexual side effects, such as problems with orgasm or ejaculatory delay often do not diminish over time.

Rare/serious side effects

Low sodium blood levels (symptoms of low sodium levels may include headache, weakness, difficulty concentrating and remembering), teeth grinding, angle closure glaucoma (symptoms of angle closure glaucoma may include eye pain, changes in vision, swelling or redness in or around eye).

Serotonin syndrome (symptoms may include shivering, diarrhea, confusion, severe muscle tightness, fever, seizures, and death), seizure

SSRI antidepressants including sertraline may increase the risk of bleeding events. Combined use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g., ibuprofen, naproxen), warfarin, and other anti-coagulants may increase this risk. This may include gums that bleed more easily, nose bleed, or gastrointestinal bleeding. Some cases have been life threatening.

Are There Any Risks For Taking Sertraline For Long Periods Of Time?

To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of sertraline. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.

What Other Medications May Interact With Sertraline?

Sertraline should not be taken with or within two weeks of taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). These include phenelzine (Nardil®), tranylcypromine (Parnate®), isocarboxazid (Marplan®), rasagiline (Azilect®), and selegiline (Emsam®).

Although rare, there is an increased risk of serotonin syndrome when sertraline is used with other medications that increase serotonin, such as other antidepressants, migraine medications called “triptans” (e.g., Imitrex®), some pain medications (e.g., tramadol (Ultram®)), and the antibiotic linezolid (Zyvox®).

Sertraline should not be taken with pimozide (Orap®).

Sertraline may increase the effects of other medications that can cause bleeding (e.g., ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), warfarin (Coumadin®) and aspirin).

Sertraline liquid should NOT be taken in combination with disulfiram (Antabuse®) due to the alcohol content of the concentrate.

How Long Does It Take For Sertraline To Work?

Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve.

Summary of FDA Black Box Warnings

Suicidal thoughts or actions in children and adults

Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), both adult and pediatric, may experience worsening of their depression and/or the emergence of suicidal ideation and behavior (suicidality) or unusual changes in behavior, whether or not they are taking antidepressant medications. This risk may persist until significant remission occurs.

In short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidality in children, adolescents, and young adults when compared to placebo. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age 24. Adults age 65 and older taking antidepressants have a decreased risk of suicidality. Patients, their families, and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggressiveness and insomnia. If these symptoms emerge, they should be reported to the patient’s prescriber or health care professional. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should watch for and notify their health care provider for worsening symptoms, suicidality and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the first few months of treatment.

Provided by

(December 2020)

©2020 The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). CPNP and NAMI make this document available under the Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives 4. 0 International License. Last Updated: January 2016.

This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions. 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.

Zoloft customer reviews and experience

Zoloft reviews

Sort by:

new first first old first positive first negative first

new first

Thinks great

Pros: Everyone

Cons: Prescription.

Comment: In general, everything becomes indifferent, everything and everything, life is beautiful))

Thinks the product is good

Advantages: I have been taking it for 3 months already, side effects disappeared after the first 2 weeks (headache, lethargy, vision problems), the drug stabilized my condition. It stabilized, did not awaken in me the joy of life and good mood - I just became normal (probably, it should be so)

Disadvantages: Most likely increased anxiety But so, a good and not sharp drug. It affects me, but not much, although the dosage is not small

Thinks the product is excellent

Advantages: Positive effect, good result, excellent price

Disadvantages: the drug is not for everyone, a selection of drugs is needed

Advantages: The drug works, the anxiety disorder was cured in 2 months. Psychosomatics passed on the 3rd week. The dosage was 25 mg, half a tablet. Take the original drug, you will not regret it!

Disadvantages: It must be understood that the drug is psychotropic, in the first 1-2 weeks there will be side effects, anxiety may increase, panic attacks, loose stools, but you need to endure it, it's worth it, don't stop taking it!

Thinks the product is excellent

I had depression for two years and I got so used to this condition that I considered it normal. Everyday tears for no reason, apathy, unwillingness to live and work. Then overeating and bulimia were superimposed on all this, I tried to seize emotions and look for joy in food. I think I would have died if I had not sought help from a therapist earlier. He just prescribed Zoloft + teraligen. Together they began to help me 1.5 months after taking it. I can’t explain the state I’m in, but I can say with certainty that before that I lived in depression. Now I get up early, I do everything much faster, I have more strength and a good mood, my relationship with people in general has improved. I am satisfied with the drug and definitely recommend it to people with depression. Do not be afraid to talk about your problems and do not belittle their significance, otherwise you will ruin your life, as I almost ruined it.

Thinks the product is terrible

I take Zoloft for 2 weeks. So far it's only getting worse! Of the side effects: dry mouth, everyday nausea (weight loss in 2 weeks 6 kg), which I don’t need at all (from 54 to 48), I don’t feel like eating anything! I can hardly force myself !!! also: fussiness, increased tearfulness, anxiety, tics and shudders of the whole body, lethargy, mental confusion, headache! The doctor says that everything will go away soon, but every day it only gets worse. I don't want to take this drug again!

Thinks the product is excellent

I have been taking it for 2 days now, constant yawning, dizziness is rare .. lethargy is present, appetite disappeared as soon as I started drinking, apparently I need to get used to the drug

He thinks that the product is excellent

I have taken Zoloft more than once in my life. In general, the drug is not bad. The effect of taking is felt quite quickly, after about 1-1.5 weeks. Easy to use, as you need to drink only 1 time per day. For me personally, this is a huge plus, since I do not like drugs that need to be taken 10 times a day strictly by the clock. It's very difficult. But the body must get used to Zoloft. At first, it makes you a little sick, and you don’t want to eat anything at all. Therefore, be prepared for the fact that you will definitely throw off a couple of kilograms. For me, the end result is important. And after taking Zoloft, he is worthy. He completes his assigned task. Therefore, despite all the shortcomings, I am satisfied with the drug.

Thinks the product is terrible

I could not get out of depression for a long time, so I had to see a doctor. The doctor prescribed me Zoloft at a dosage of 100 mg. The first 2-3 days of taking everything was fine, and then I started having severe panic attacks. I felt terrible. It was so bad that I even had to call an ambulance. The ambulance doctor said something because the dosage was too high. But I won't drink this crap anymore. It only gets worse from him.

Thinks the product is excellent

There are times in life when everything comes crashing down at once. And sometimes these periods of the “black streak” are so prolonged that it is simply impossible to do without the help of drugs. That happened to me once too. Circumstances drove me into a severe depression. When I realized that a little more and I would break down, I turned to a doctor I knew. He advised me Zoloft. The drug is amazing. I feel great now. I again enjoy life, “breathe deeply”, I am grateful for every new day given to me. There are no side reactions. No drowsiness, no lethargy, no nausea - none of that I have. I am completely satisfied with the drug.

whether they help, treat or relieve symptoms, cause addiction, make them gain weight

Daniil Davydov

medical journalist

Author profile

million people.

At the same time, the cures for this disease are surrounded by many myths. Antidepressants are accused of ineffectiveness and severe side effects, but often the problem is not with the drugs themselves, but with their misuse.

We collected 8 myths about antidepressants and found out how close they are to the truth.

Go see a doctor

Our articles are written with love for evidence-based medicine. We refer to authoritative sources and go to doctors with a good reputation for comments. But remember: the responsibility for your health lies with you and your doctor. We don't write prescriptions, we make recommendations. Relying on our point of view or not is up to you.

Myth 1

Antidepressants almost never help

Most likely, this myth arose due to the fact that antidepressants do not work in all patients - so even some doctors and scientists doubt their effectiveness. However, antidepressants cannot be called ineffective, there are just important nuances in the use of these drugs.

Antidepressants are a class of drugs that normalize the level of neurotransmitters, that is, chemicals that help nerve cells in the brain exchange information.

What are Antidepressants - International Drug Database RxLis

What Medications Help Clinical Depression in Adults - International Primer for Physicians UpToDate

How Antidepressants Help Pain - Mayo Clinic Bulletin

All Antidepressants Used to Treat Depression in Adults , work - The Lancet

Who Antidepressants Help and Who Don't - Clinical Guidelines for British PhysiciansPDF, 141 KB

These medicines help people whose problems are due to a deficiency or excess of neurotransmitters. Antidepressants reduce symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar affective disorder.

There is evidence that antidepressants are effective for chronic pain. Antidepressants increase the amount of neurotransmitters in the spinal cord, which reduces pain signals.

Most specialists have no doubts that antidepressants work. For example, according to the British Royal College of Psychiatry, 50-65% of people with depression who take antidepressants feel better - compared with 25-30% of those who take a placebo.

However, there are situations where the benefit of antidepressants is questionable. For example, antidepressants are good for treating moderate to severe depression, but do not work well for people with mild depression - psychotherapy is more suitable for them.

And there are situations when these medicines were prescribed by mistake. Then antidepressants really won't help.

When antidepressants don't help

Sergey Divisenko

psychotherapist

There are three cases when antidepressants most often cause problems.

The antidepressant didn't work because the doctor prescribed the wrong dose. Minimum doses of these drugs do not help in half of the cases. Then competent doctors increase the doses to those recommended in clinical guidelines, while illiterate ones refuse them.

Sometimes, in order for antidepressants to work, they need to be augmented—i.e., enhanced—with other classes of drugs. For example, second-generation antipsychotics, or normothymics, that is, drugs that stabilize mood. If this is not done, the person taking antidepressants will not feel relief.

The antidepressant didn't work because the doctor misdiagnosed and was trying to treat a condition that these drugs don't work for. To help a person, one had to either use other drugs or use non-drug methods of treatment: for example, psychotherapy, transcranial stimulation, or electroconvulsive therapy.

For example, in bipolar disorder, symptoms can be very similar to depression or anxiety. But with bipolar disorder, antidepressants help only if they are used together with other drugs - mood stabilizers. By themselves, they will either work for a short time, or they will not work, or they can cause a phase inversion - that is, a person will switch from a depressive phase to a manic one.

The patient was not helped by a particular antidepressant, but another might. Antidepressants differ in the principle of action - on this basis they are divided into classes. It happens that one antidepressant does not work, but another from the same or another class helps. If the treatment does not work, you should not stop drug therapy, but continue to look for a drug that will help this particular patient.

Myth 2

Antidepressants only relieve symptoms, but do not eliminate the cause of the disorder

In most cases, this is not a myth. However, in some situations, antidepressants act on the cause of the disorder.

Depression is a heterogeneous disease. Experts identify a different number of subtypes of depression - from 4 to 12. But for our purposes, depression can be divided into two large subtypes.

American Criteria for Depressive Disorders - A Handbook for Psychiatrists DSM-5PDF, 32 MB

What Depression Is - An International Primer for Physicians UpToDate

associated with depression. Disorders that can be attributed to this group are more common.

If these causes affect a person long enough and he does not understand how to deal with them, depression may develop. In this situation, antidepressants act as drugs that alleviate the symptoms of the disease. To influence the cause of the problem, psychotherapy is needed.

Depression provoked by internal causes. Approximately 7% of people with depression have the correct way of thinking, there are no internal conflicts and injuries, and there are no serious illnesses. In this situation, the cause of depression is the lack of neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in the synapses of brain nerve cells. In such people, the antidepressant acts precisely on the cause of the disease, that is, it corrects the production of serotonin in neuronal synapses.

Myth 3

As soon as it gets better, you can stop taking the antidepressant

This is also not exactly a myth - it would be more correct to call it a belief that is true only for some, but not for all patients with depression.

It is generally advised to continue taking antidepressants for at least six months after remission. If the duration of the disease is short, that is, the person was ill for about two weeks, then for the onset of remission, one or two months usually need to take medication. If the duration of the disease is long, from several months or years, then more time is required for the onset of remission. It’s impossible to say exactly how much: different people with depression have different recovery times.

Some people have recurrent depression. In this case, the period during which you need to take the medicine depends on how many bouts of depression have already been during your life. If more than three, it is recommended to take antidepressants for several years or for life.

Myth 4

Antidepressants cause addiction

Perhaps the roots of this myth are that some people need to take depression medication for life. And at the beginning of treatment, some patients have to increase the dose. But in fact, antidepressants do not cause either true physical or drug dependence.

True physical dependence on a drug is a situation where a person becomes so addicted to a drug that when it is withdrawn, the symptoms of the disease sharply increase. People who are dependent on the drug have to increase the dosage, otherwise the drug stops helping.

What is True Drug Addiction—Bulletin of the National Institute for the Study of Drug AbusePDF, 7 MB

What is Drug Addiction—Bulletin of the American Psychiatric Association

Drug dependence may include physical dependence on a drug. But this addiction has a unique feature. Dependence can also develop in a healthy person who used the drug not to recover, but to enjoy it. But when he tries to quit the drug, he still experiences physical suffering, which is called the withdrawal syndrome. As a result, a person is forced to look for a new dose of a drug.

Although a person who takes antidepressants to treat depression gets better, the drugs themselves are neither pleasurable nor addictive. Taking them as drugs is useless.

Of all the drugs that are used in psychiatry, true physical dependence can only be caused by psychostimulants that activate mental activity and anti-anxiety, that is, benzodiazepine tranquilizers. Antidepressants are not included in this list, because there is no need to increase the dosage of correctly selected drugs from this group.

However, some people who stop taking antidepressants early sometimes experience withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, hand tremors, and some feel “shocks” in the head, similar to the sensations of an electric shock. Depressive symptoms return to patients who need to take the medicine for a very long time.

Antidepressants are sometimes abused, but they cannot cause addiction - Journal of Modern Psychiatry

To avoid unpleasant consequences, stop taking antidepressants only if the attending physician says that they are no longer needed. But even in this situation, it is necessary to cancel antidepressants slowly, that is, gradually reducing the dose. This will help avoid unpleasant side effects.

Myth 5

A person on antidepressants becomes lethargic and loses interest in life

This popular myth is based on real but outdated data.

These mental changes are seen in patients taking first-generation tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline. It has a sedative, that is, a sedative effect. A person who takes high doses of amitriptyline can indeed become sleepy and indifferent to the outside world.

Amitriptyline - Sedative - Drugs.com International Drug Database

SSRIs do not sedate - Drugs.com International Drug Database

Current second-generation antidepressants that are recommended to start treatment with, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs almost never cause drowsiness and apathy.

On the contrary, in most people with depression they return interest in life.

Sometimes SSRIs do cause drowsiness, but this has not yet been proven

Sergey Divisenko

psychotherapist

It is believed that in rare cases, modern antidepressants can provoke SSRI-induced apathy. But this condition is extremely rare.

And even then psychiatrists still doubt that the cause is precisely in the drugs, and not in the patient's condition. After all, some people during the time of taking antidepressants may develop other adverse mental states in which apathy occurs: for example, schizotypal disorder, which was not noticed before.

Myth 6

Antidepressants have many side effects

This is partly true: both SSRIs and antidepressants from other groups have side effects. But it is quite possible to deal with them.

At the beginning of treatment, when people first start taking antidepressants, many complain of increased anxiety, dry mouth, nausea, and trouble sleeping. But after a few days or weeks after the start of the course of treatment, these symptoms usually disappear. If the side effects do not stop, it makes sense to consult a doctor - he will replace the antidepressant.

Dealing with antidepressant side effects - tips from the Mayo Clinic staff

Here's what to do before the side effects go away:

take your antidepressant with meals, unless the instructions say otherwise, so the antidepressant will be less annoying stomach;
put a bottle of clean water on the desktop - if your mouth is dry, you can take a sip. Unsweetened lollipops and chewing gum also help with dry mouth;
take a walk for at least half an hour before going to bed - this will make it easier to fall asleep. If you can’t sleep at all, you can ask your doctor to pick up sleeping pills.

The second most common side effect is increased anxiety at the beginning of antidepressant use. To avoid this problem, psychiatrists resort to two effective methods:

titrate the dose - that is, start with the minimum dose of the antidepressant and then gradually increase it;
at the beginning of the reception, sedatives - tranquilizers are prescribed together with the antidepressant.

The third common side effect of SSRIs, especially sertraline, known as Zoloft, and escitalopram, better known as Cipralex, is decreased libido. Approximately 20-30% of people taking antidepressants from this group experience a decrease in sexual desire to one degree or another. At the same time, it is difficult to say how much the drugs are to blame, because approximately 35-50% of people with depression have already experienced sexual dysfunction.

Many people with depression experience sexual dysfunction before starting antidepressants - Harvard Medical School Bulletin

Switching to another antidepressant usually helps, but many people prefer to wait until the medication can be stopped. In some cases, psychiatrists prescribe antidepressants from other groups in addition to the libido-lowering antidepressant. Sometimes it helps to regain interest in sex.

Myth 7

Weight gain due to antidepressants

This is not a myth, but a half-truth. There are both antidepressants that contribute to weight gain, and those that do not have a similar effect.

The most common complaint about weight gain during treatment is people taking the tetracyclic antidepressant mirtazapine, which actually increases appetite. Another weight gaining antidepressant is paroxetine, better known by the trade name Paxil. But "Zoloft" and "Cipralex" do not contribute to weight gain.

If a patient feels that an antidepressant is causing them to overeat, it is wise to consult a doctor and discuss a change of drug.

Myth 8

Antidepressants are expensive

True, but not for all patients. Most people can cure depression and not go broke.

Antidepressants from different groups vary greatly in price. There are both very expensive drugs and relatively low-cost drugs among them. At the same time, both of them work equally well. However, there are situations when a cheap antidepressant cannot be dispensed with.

On the left - inexpensive "Zoloft" for 327 R, a drug based on sertraline, on the right - the most expensive antidepressant "Ixel" based on milnacipran for 2453 R

For example, there is a good antidepressant venlafaxine. The maximum dose of venlafaxine can reach up to 375 mg per day. If these are inexpensive tablets of a domestic manufacturer, then a course of treatment for a month costs about 2000 R. But sometimes inexpensive tablets are not very well tolerated: they cause headache, nausea, sweating, tachycardia, that is, rapid heartbeat. In such cases, you need to switch to a prolonged form of venlafaxine - "Venlafaxine Retard", or "Velaxin XR".

Learn more