Common questions about sertraline

Sertraline is one of a group of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs.

These medicines are thought to work by increasing the levels of a mood-enhancing chemical called serotonin in the brain.

Antidepressants like sertraline help to improve your mood so you feel better.

You may notice that you sleep better and get on with people more easily because you're less anxious. You'll hopefully be more relaxed about things that used to worry you.

Sertraline will not change your personality, it will simply help you feel like yourself again.

Do not expect to feel better overnight, though. Some people feel worse during the first few weeks of treatment before they begin to feel better.

You may see an improvement in your symptoms after 1 or 2 weeks, although it usually takes from 4 to 6 weeks before you feel the full benefits.

That's because it takes around a week for sertraline levels to build up in your body, and then a few weeks longer for your body to adapt and get used to it.

Do not stop taking sertraline just because you feel it is not helping your symptoms. Give the medicine at least 6 weeks to work.

For most people, sertraline is safe to take for a long time.

A few people may get sexual side effects, such as problems getting an erection or a lower sex drive. In some cases these can continue even after stopping the medicine. Speak to your doctor if you are worried.

If you have diabetes, sertraline can affect your blood sugar levels. Your doctor may monitor you to check that you're on the right dose of diabetes medicine.

Otherwise there do not seem to be any lasting harmful effects from taking sertraline for many months and years.

Sertraline is not any better or worse than other antidepressants. Sometimes people respond better to one antidepressant than another.

If you are not feeling any better after 6 weeks, talk to your doctor.

Antidepressants, including sertraline, are just one of several approaches to treating depression.

Other potential treatments include:

• talking therapy (such as cognitive behavioural therapy)
• exercise programmes
• help to get a good night's sleep

Choosing a treatment that's most suitable for you depends on:

• how long you have had depression
• your symptoms
• whether you have had any previous periods of depression
• whether previous treatment has worked
• how likely you are to stick with your treatment
• the potential side effects
• your preferences and priorities

Sertraline can make you feel more or less hungry than usual, so you may gain or lose weight when you start taking it.

If you start to have problems with your weight while taking sertraline, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Sertraline will not affect any type of contraception, including the combined pill or emergency contraception.

But if sertraline is not working for you and you get severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours after taking it, your contraceptive pills may not protect you from pregnancy. Check the pill packet to find out what to do.

Find out more:

• what to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the combined pill
• what to do if you're sick or have diarrhoea when taking the progestogen-only pill

The positive effects of sertraline may, after a while, improve your sex life as your mood lifts and you become more interested in life and relationships again.

Some of the possible negative effects may include:

• painful erections and problems with getting an erection and ejaculating
• vaginal bleeding and not reaching orgasm the same way as before
• a lower sex drive

Sexual side effects usually pass after the first couple of weeks. However, very rarely, they can be long lasting and may not get better even after stopping the medicine.

If this happens and it's a problem for you, go back to your doctor to see if there's another treatment you can try.

Some people cannot concentrate properly while they're taking sertraline.

It might be best to stop driving and cycling for the first few days of treatment until you know how this medicine makes you feel.

It's an offence to drive a car if your ability to drive safely is affected. It's your responsibility to decide if it's safe to drive. If you're in any doubt, do not drive.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure whether it's safe for you to drive while taking sertraline. GOV.UK has more information on the law on drugs and driving.

You can drink alcohol while taking sertraline, but it may make you feel sleepy.

It might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine makes you feel.

Do not drink grapefruit juice while you're taking this medicine.

Grapefruit juice can increase the amount of sertraline in your body and increase the risk of side effects.

Using cannabis while you're taking sertraline can give you a fast heartbeat and make drowsiness worse.

Methadone can increase the risk of side effects in people taking sertraline.

It can be potentially dangerous to take sertraline with:

• stimulants like MDMA (ecstasy) or cocaine
• hallucinogens like LSD
• novel psychoactive substances (which used to be known as legal highs) like mephedrone

Find out more about some of the side effects of recreational drugs on the Frank website.