What are the side effects of Zoloft?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
The NHS common list: nausea, headaches, dizziness or drowsiness, dry mouth, diarrhea, sleep problems, sexual problems like low sex drive, and weight gain - most hardest in the first 1 to 2 weeks and easing after a couple of weeks. Practical: no driving while dizzy or drowsy; no grapefruit juice (a real interaction); alcohol best avoided because it can stop the medicine working. Call-now side effects: worsening mood or self-harm thoughts (especially early, especially under 25), serotonin syndrome signs (agitation, sweating, fast heartbeat, twitching, high temperature), and allergic reactions. Persistent sexual side effects deserve a named conversation - they are common and there are fixes. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you sort a new symptom from an adjustment effect.
What to do
- Give the early stretch two weeks: most common effects fade on schedule.
- Skip grapefruit and go easy on alcohol: both interact, differently.
- Name persistent sexual effects: fixes exist, silence helps no one.
- Self-harm thoughts or serotonin syndrome signs mean call now: 988 in the US for crisis.
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