Sertraline

You can drink alcohol while taking sertraline, but it could make you very sleepy

• If you drink alcohol, you can continue to drink alcohol while taking sertraline but having the two together might make you very sleepy and unsteady on your feet.
• So, during the first few days, it might be best to stop drinking alcohol until you see how the medicine affects you or the side-effects pass.
• If you want to drink alcohol, remember that you might be very sleepy and make sure you can get home safely.
• Drinking alcohol every day, or in large amounts, can make your symptoms worse and the sertraline will not get the best chance to act.

Do not drive a car or ride a bike just after you start taking sertraline

• Taking sertraline may make you feel sleepy, dizzy and restless, and could affect your eyesight when you start taking it.

• This could affect you if you drive a car, ride a bike, or do anything else that needs a lot of focus. It might be best to stop doing these things for the first few days, until you know how it affects you and your body gets used to it.

• Do not worry - most people drive as normal while taking sertraline.

Try not to take sertraline for the first time just before your exams

• Sertraline can make you feel very restless in the first few weeks that you take it, and may affect you when you sit or stand still.
• It can also disturb your sleep, and your eyesight.
• You should talk to your doctor about any future exams if you are starting sertraline.
• You might decide together to delay starting it until you have done them.
• If they are more than a month away, however, you might find that it is better to start sertraline to improve your motivation to study.
• Do not worry - most people do exams as normal while taking sertraline.

Sertraline is not a banned substance in sport

• Sertraline is not a banned substance in sport.
• Taking sertraline may affect your concentration to do things like riding a bike, competitive gymnastics, or anything else that needs a lot of focus.
• You may find it difficult to sit or stand still at first.
• It might be best to stop such sports for the first few days, until you know how it affects you.
• Do not worry - most people do sports as normal while taking sertraline.

Sertraline may affect your weight

• A side-effect of sertraline can be weight loss or weight gain.
• This is not usually a lot of weight. But it is very difficult to know how it will affect each person who takes it.
• Talk to your doctor about this if it worries you.

• Do not take sertraline at the same time as weight loss products.

Sertraline may affect your sleep 

• You can feel drowsy in the first few days of taking sertraline. It should, however, get better after the first week or two. If it makes you feel drowsy, try taking it just before you go to bed.
• You could also, strangely, have difficulty getting to sleep (insomnia), and disturbing dreams or nightmares. If this happens, try taking the tablet first thing in the morning.
• If you feel like a zombie, and you’ve been taking it for more than a month, you can go back to the doctor and see what else you could do.

Let your family and friends know you are taking sertraline so they can support you and help you look out for side effects

• The side-effects of sertraline might put a strain on your friendships and relationships, especially in the first few days of taking it.
• You might feel restless, overexcited, anxious, or sleepy.
• These side-effects should get better after a few days.
• You should then be getting the good effects of sertraline, and that should improve your relationships in itself.
• It might actually be a great idea to choose a good friend to tell about your medicine when you start taking it. (Or - even better - to take one with you to the doctor before you start taking it!)
• They could look at the medicine leaflet, or at this website.
• They could help you to understand whether the medicine changes your behaviour, or gives you side-effects (sometimes it is hard for us to see it ourselves).

Sertraline can have side-effects that might affect your sex life

The good effects of sertraline may, after a while, have a good effect on your sex life as your mood lifts and you become interested in life and relationships again.

Some possible negative side effects include:

• You may have a lower sex drive
• Men might get painful erections, or problems with getting hard (getting an erection) and coming (ejaculating)
• Men might get a painful erection that lasts for a long time (priapism), and would need to see a doctor for help straight away
• Women might have some bleeding from their vagina, and might not come (reach orgasm) the same way as before
• Both men and women might see some growth in their breasts, and some milk flow (this is extremely rare)

These effects should pass after the first couple of weeks. If they do not, and this is a problem for you, go back to the doctor and see what else you could try.

Sertraline does not seem to affect human fertility

• In animal tests, sertraline did not have an effect on fertility.
• The SSRI group of medicines have shown some effects on sperm quality in humans, which seems to be reversible if you stop taking the medicine.
• There has not, however, been any report of actual human fertility problems with these medicines.

Women who are trying to get pregnant should not take sertraline unless they have talked about it with their doctor (see below for more information).

Is it safe to take sertraline in pregnancy?

There is no yes or no answer to this question. When deciding whether or not to take sertraline during pregnancy it is important to weigh up how necessary sertraline is to your health against the possible risks to you or your baby, some of which will depend on how many weeks pregnant you are.

Remaining well is particularly important during pregnancy and while caring for a baby. For some women, treatment with sertraline in pregnancy may be the best option for both mother and baby.

Please consult the UK Teratology Information Service’s Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (Bumps) website for more information, including specific information on sertraline in pregnancy.

Is it safe to breast feed while taking sertraline?

• Sertraline can be passed to the baby in breast milk, and side effects have been seen in breastfed babies.
• However, the amount of sertraline that gets into breast milk is quite small (less than 1%) and the risk of side effects in the baby is low.
• Remember that it is important for you to remain well whilst you are bonding with and looking after your baby. For this reason, it may be best to take medicine for your mental health when breastfeeding.
• You may also need to consider bottle feeding with formula milk if there are any problems with breastfeeding whilst taking medicines.
• Talk to your doctor or midwife about your feeding options.
• If you decide to carry on with sertraline, the doctor may prescribe a lower dose to reduce the risk of side effects in the baby.
• Taking the sertraline just before your baby’s longest period of sleep may help to reduce the amount of sertraline passed to the baby through your breast milk, however this is not always practical, especially when feeding on demand.
• Make sure that your doctor, nurse, or health visitor checks your baby for any side effects.
• If there any problems, the doctor may need to reduce your sertraline dose or switch to an alternative medicine.
• If your baby was premature or has health problems, then you will need to be extra careful about taking medicines whilst breastfeeding. It may be best not to breastfeed if this is the case, however you should discuss this with your doctor.
• For more information about breastfeeding when taking antidepressants, please see the Breastfeeding Network website: https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/dibm/anti-depressantsandbreastfeeding.pdf