What Is Zoloft Used For?
Zoloft is a common brand name for “sertraline,” an SSRI antidepressant drug. It’s often prescribed for major depressive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and social anxiety disorder.
What Are The Common Side Effects of Zoloft?
Zoloft side effects are common. These can be different for one person than another. In many cases, we see patients who wish to discontinue Zoloft use because the adverse side effects are more bothersome and uncomfortable than their mental illness was.
Common Zoloft side effects include:
- Dry mouth
- Upset stomach, nausea, and/or diarrhea
- Sweating
- Trouble sleeping
- Dizziness
- Decreased interest in sex/diminished sexual capacity
More rarely, Zoloft can lead to an increase in suicidal thoughts among young adults (under the age of 25). Such side effects can create chaos in many areas of a person’s life. Zoloft use may temporarily decrease mental illness symptoms but can cause a concerning increase in other adverse conditions.
What Is an SSRI?
SSRIs, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, are a classification of drugs that are designed to manipulate the levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is one of the brain’s naturally occurring hormones. SSRIs are theorized to create an excess of serotonin in the brain so that more can be absorbed. The thought is that low serotonin levels lead to mental illnesses.
However, clinical studies show that the chronic use of SSRI medications actually depletes serotonin.16
What Does Serotonin Do?
Serotonin is one of the naturally produced chemicals called hormones or neurotransmitters that exist throughout the body. Neuroscientists have so far discovered well over 100 of these, and discovery is ongoing.18 Each of these natural chemicals plays uncountable roles within an intricate and extensive network in a healthy body.
The functions of these chemicals,17 are wide-ranging, as shown in these examples:
Serotonin
According to the research of Berger et al.,3 it is hard to find a single aspect of human life that is not regulated or modified by serotonin, including the heart and other organs, mood, digestion, sleep, energy, circulation, and numerous others. While drug advertising describes serotonin primarily as a brain chemical, 95% of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut.15
Dopamine
Dopamine is often considered the reward or pleasure chemical, but dopamine also monitors motivation, cognitive function, maternal and reproductive behaviors, and motor control. Some drugs manipulate dopamine to such a degree, that the person becomes ensnared in addiction.20
Glutamate
This naturally occurring amino acid is often forgotten, but it is extremely important as it is the most abundant of all neurotransmitters. Glutamate plays numerous critical roles including producing GABA, assisting memory, cognition, learning, blood vessel repair in wound healing, and many others.13
Noradrenaline
Noradrenaline, also called norepinephrine, is charged with the urge to “get up and go.” It is associated with motivation, vigilance, memory, learning, perception, attention, and is associated with the “fight or flight” response.14
Each of these neurotransmitters has nearly innumerable functions in the central nervous system, including the brain, and each plays vital roles in both physical and mental health conditions. Zoloft is advertised as an agent that increases serotonin levels, which is specifically associated with happiness. A “happy pill” — sounds great, right? Not quite.
Can You Have Too Much Serotonin?
Yes. This is one of the many negative side effects of Zoloft and other medications like it. Though it aims to help individuals, there are dangerous consequences of having too much serotonin in the body. A cluster of these serious side effects is called “serotonin syndrome.”
These side effects include:
- Shivering
- Sweating
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Diarrhea
- High fever
- Losing consciousness
- Seizures
- Death
Because Zoloft is aimed to artificially increase serotonin levels in the body, these side effects are a serious concern. The medication can cause a flood of serotonin, which can be fatal.20 The risk of serotonin syndrome is heightened if you take Zoloft and a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), such as Nardil or Parnate.
Why Is Zoloft Prescribed?
Traditional western medicine, sadly, has not particularly focused on overall, long-term health. Rather, doctors are pressured to find a quick fix for the problem at hand and move on to the next patient. This is what makes the most money for the drug companies, medical complexes, and doctors themselves. Actually, physicians are legally obligated to obtain informed consent before treatment is given, except when the patient is incapacitated and someone else may need to be called on to give full informed consent.21
Unfortunately, if this trend continues, less and less information can be disclosed during primary visits. This means that a significant number of patients on Zoloft are not adequately informed about the drug’s side effects and withdrawal symptoms, as well as alternative non-drug-based solutions, as stipulated in the medical-legal literature on informed consent, and haven’t been empowered to make the best-educated decisions about their own health and safety.
Is Zoloft Addictive?
Zoloft is commonly described as non-addictive because it does not produce cravings, intoxication, or compulsive drug-seeking behavior associated with addiction. However, addiction differs from physical dependence. Discontinuation syndrome has been well documented in medical literature, and its symptoms can be significant for some individuals. While these effects are not evidence of addiction, they do indicate that the brain and nervous system can adapt to long-term SSRI use. Many patients report that these withdrawal-like symptoms are not fully discussed before prescribing, leaving them unprepared for the challenges that may arise when attempting to reduce or stop the medication.
Doctors and mental health practitioners continue to prescribe Zoloft and other SSRIs without discussing the entire picture of potential dependence and addiction, leaving, many patients facing the decision to either stay on the drug forever or potentially suffer through withdrawal symptoms like these:
- Auditory and visual hallucinations
- Muscle pain and sweating
- Agitation or anxiety
- Insomnia and vivid dreams
- Blurred vision
- Irritability and fatigue
- “Electric-shock-like” sensations
Despite the drug industry downplaying potential addiction and dependence, the overall medical consensus advises slowly weaning off antidepressant medications like Zoloft, rather than abruptly stopping.
Does Zoloft Cause Permanent Damage?
Studies on long-term consequences of SSRIs are conspicuously absent in the medical literature. Drug trials are typically too short to investigate the subject, harmful reactions are selectively reported, and follow-up reporting is underutilized, according to a broad review of these topics published in The International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine.23 What we do know is that higher rates of cardiovascular damage, gastrointestinal bleeding, injuries from falls, birth defects, and other adverse effects from SSRI drugs such as Zoloft have been documented.24 Like any other drug dependency, you will need more and more of a drug to achieve the same effect. and the results, once you stop, can be more devastating, and may linger for long periods of time.
We also know prolonged use of SSRIs 10,11,16 creates serotonin deficiencies that can result in lingering and debilitating withdrawal symptoms. Whether these adverse events become permanent may be less likely if one adopts healthy alternative treatments, and proper guidance for holistic tapering and withdrawal management.9-11
Who Should Not Take Zoloft?
According to the drug’s label issued by the FDA, some specific populations are known to be at risk for adverse reactions to Zoloft and should avoid it.
7 People who experience the following should not use Zoloft:
- Seizures
- Liver problems
- Manic behavior or manic depression
- Closed-angle glaucoma
- Bleeding in the digestive tract
- Serotonin syndrome
This is not an exhaustive list. Remember, some people are at extra risk for damage from Zoloft, but negative side effects and significant damage can affect a much wider number of persons.
I Want to Get Pregnant, Should I Be on Zoloft?
Zoloft has been shown to present a higher likelihood of birth defects by 3-5%. If you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, Zoloft may risk both you and your child’s health.7,8
However, immediate and abrupt withdrawal from Zoloft is not recommended at any time, especially during pregnancy. If you discover that you are pregnant, or are planning a pregnancy, discuss the subject thoroughly with your medical caregivers. It may be safer to wait and taper off the drug carefully and slowly to avoid withdrawal damage to yourself and your baby.
If you are not yet pregnant, prepare to safely taper from Zoloft first, to reduce the risk of birth defects and ensures that your body is in a healthy place to create new life.
Are There Alternatives to Zoloft?
Many doctors would suggest that the only alternatives to Zoloft are other similar SSRIs. These other alternatives, such as Lexapro, Celexa, Prozac, etc., have many of the same side effects and concerns that come with using Zoloft.
Fortunately, there are natural and holistic healing alternatives that do not have the dangerous side effects and withdrawal symptoms that Zoloft and other SSRIs can create.
How Do You Get Off Zoloft?
As we have discussed, Zoloft is a serious prescription that has a significant impact on the body’s natural balance. It is dangerous to stop taking Zoloft abruptly or too quickly to be tolerated, and especially without any medical advice from a doctor, or without oversight from a professional who is familiar with drug withdrawal.
Medication tapering is the most effective system for getting off of Zoloft. Tapering involves moving from your prescribed dose, slowly down the dosage ladder and down to zero, or at least to the lowest tolerable dose possible.
Can Neurotransmitter Rehabilitation Help Me?
Drugs manipulate and disable neurochemistry. Drugs like Zoloft that can damage brain function in these ways can be gradually discontinued, while addressing neurotransmitter rehabilitation. Natural neurochemicals such as serotonin are heavily linked to the gut microbiome, so one of the most important strategies is to repair the gut.15 The first step to rebuilding your brain and your brain’s essential chemicals is healing the gut.
In order to do this, we prescribe a diet that is free of:
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Soy
- Sugar
- Caffeine
- Chemical preservatives, neurotoxic additives and taste enhancers
We replace those toxins with a diet that is rich in nutrients, probiotics, and amino acids, to build the gut’s microbiome and help your body heal from the damage done by Zoloft.
We also prescribe activities that help to remove heavy metals and toxins from the body. Sauna therapy is a wonderful way to do this, which is why we offer spa services at our facility. We believe that holistic detoxification is an essential part of healing, and we provide the holistic resources at our facility to do so.
Learn More About Healing Your Neurotransmitters After Drug Use
Ready To Get Off of Zoloft?
Here at ATMC, we provide holistic programs that can act as an effective replacement for mental health prescriptions. We have seen our clients achieve immense success from safe tapering and replacing their Zoloft prescription with a combination of natural therapies. While gently tapering off their prescription under our supervision, we watch our clients blossom, as these natural and holistic practices support their bodies’ natural rhythms, and free them from debilitating medication side effects.
If you are concerned about whether Zoloft can harm the brain, or experiencing harmful side effects, help is available. We provide our clients with science-based-class holistic detox and treatment to recover. Our goal is to help our clients rebuild natural mental health without relying on prescription medications.
For more information, or to ask any questions, contact us today.
