Zoloft Side Effects

The most common side effects of Zoloft include nausea, diarrhea, tremor, insomnia, drowsiness. These are usually mild. Only a small number of patients have discontinued treatment because of side effects.

The following table enumerates the most common treatment-emergent adverse events associated with the use of Zoloft for the treatment of adult patients with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and social anxiety disorder in placebo-controlled clinical trials.

Adverse Event	% of Patients Reporting Event
Autonomic Nervous System Disorders
Ejaculation Failure	14
Dry Mouth	14
Increased Sweating	7
Central and Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
Headache	25
Somnolence	13
Dizziness	12
Tremor	8
Paresthesia	2
Disorders of Skin and Appendages
Rash	3
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Nausea	25
Diarrhea	20
Dyspepsia	8
Anorexia	6
Constipation	6
Vomiting	4
Psychiatric Disorders
Insomnia	21
Decreased Libido	6
Agitation	5
Nervousness	5
Anxiety	4
General
Fatigue	12

Sexual Side Effects of Zoloft

Some patients may experience treatment-induced sexual dysfunction. In contrast to the Gastrointestinal and CNS side effects, sexual dysfunction can persist or emerge after 1 month of treatment.

The following table displays the incidence of sexual side effects reported by at least 2% of patients taking Zoloft in placebo-controlled trials.

Adverse Event	% of Patients Reporting Event
Ejaculation failure (primarily delayed ejaculation)	14
Decreased libido	6

The conventional view has been that once the drug is stopped, sexual functioning comes back to normal. There are indicators however that this may not be true for everyone. If sexual functioning remains abnormal, this should be brought to the attention of your physician.

Several methods for managing treatment-emergent sexual dysfunction have been successful. One method is to reduce the current antidepressant dose while maintaining the medication at a therapeutic level. Drug holidays can be useful in some patients who are compliant and don't have significant problems with discontinuation. In general, adjunctive pharmacotherapy with stimulants can be extremely helpful. Switching to treatment with an antidepressant medication that is associated with a low incidence of sexual side effects should also be considered.

Zoloft and Weight Gain

There is an interesting and not yet understood phenomenon in some SSRI-induced weight changes. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors often cause people to lose weight during the first few weeks of treatment and may then cause weight gain during long-term treatment. Weight gain is less likely with SSRIs when they are used for 6 months or less.

Recovery from depression or clinical improvement, appetite increase or carbohydrate craving, and changes in 5-HT 2C receptor activity are the possible mechanisms for SSRI-induced weight gain.