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When you act on the decision to start taking Zoloft, it is in your own interests to monitor how your body reacts. You can be reassured. The vast majority of people who have taken Zoloft according to the instructions given by their doctor have not experienced side-effects, or the side-effects that did arise were mild and do not last long. But, one issue has become very significant.
In a very small number of cases involving children, teenagers and young adults under the age of twenty-four years taking antidepressants such as Zoloft, a risk of suicide was detected. The research experts are not sure how great the risk is. Taking any drug designed to affect your mood can change your mental health in unexpected ways. Although the core chemistry of the human body is common to all people, there are some variations as individual as fingerprints. These minute differences may cause you to react differently to any drug.
It appears the risk that you will become suicidal is higher if you or anyone in your family has ever had bipolar disorder, a manic condition or has previously thought about or attempted suicide. When you discuss taking any of the antidepressants with your doctor, you must be honest about your personal and family medical history. If the decision is taken to take any of the antidepressants, you should monitor your mood carefully both at the beginning of this course of treatment and whenever your dosage is changed. You, a family member or caregiver should call your doctor immediately if:
- your existing depression grows suddenly worse;
- new symptoms of depression emerge;
- you begin to experience more extreme anxiety or panic;
- you become more aggressive or unusually excited; or
- you begin thinking about harming yourself or committing suicide.
When you start taking Zoloft, your doctor will want to monitor your health. You must make sure that you keep all your appointments and that you are honest in reporting how you feel. It is also particularly important that your family, friends and other people who know you are aware of what to look out for in your behaviour. You should give them permission to call a doctor if they see alarming signs in you.
Before you begin any course of treatment with any of the antidepressants currently on the market, you and your family should discuss the risks and benefits of taking a medication for your condition. It is entirely possible that your doctor may advise you that your case does not require any treatment. In other cases, your doctor will recommend counselling or therapy either alongside the use of an antidepressant or instead of any drug therapy.
For the vast majority of people taking Zoloft, the most common side-effects to look out for include:
- headache, drowsiness or tiredness;
- nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea;
- any increase in your anxiety;
- any tremors or sensation of tingling in the hands and feet;
- loss of appetite or any change in your weight;
- a change in your interest in, or your ability to have, sex.
If any of these effects continue for a worrying length of time or they begin to grow worse, you should consult your doctor. Should you experience any of the following symptoms, you should call a doctor immediately:
- in rare cases, seizures and convulsions are experienced by those who have alcohol or other drugs in their system, head injuries, epilepsy, etc.;
- if there are symptoms suggests an allergic reaction including itching, heavy sweating, a rash or a blistering of the skin, etc.;
- if you experience blurred vision, dizziness and excessive drowsiness;
- there are episodes of unusual bleeding or bruising; or
- if you begin to hallucinate or hear voices.
When seeing your doctor or attending hospital, tell whoever is treating you that you have taken Zoloft. You should also understand that it is dangerous to stop taking Zoloft abruptly. This drug works by achieving a stable level in your blood stream. Unless you gradually reduce your intake of this drug, you may experience withdrawal symptoms including headache, dizziness, anxiety, anger, crying, difficulty sleeping and bad dreams. Again, you should seek proper medical advice before discontinuing treatment. Similarly, you should get emergency attention if you think you have taken an overdose. A Zoloft overdose can be serious. To the list of serious symptoms above, you add extreme weakness, irregular heartbeat, fainting or unconsciousness.
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