Zoloft and Alcohol. Can you combine?

Autor admin | 16.01.2008 | Category Uncategorized, zoloft alcohol

Can I Drink Alcohol on Zoloft?

According to the Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) prescribing information, drinking alcohol while taking Zoloft is not recommended. Zoloft and alcohol act upon similar chemicals in the brain. So the concern is that Zoloft will increase the effects of alcohol — whether this is increasing depression symptoms or affecting motor skills.

Practically, when many healthcare providers are asked whether or not it is okay to drink alcohol on Zoloft, they make the following recommendation: If a person chooses to drink alcohol while taking Zoloft, he or she should only drink light to moderate amounts — and only after he or she understands the effects that Zoloft (and other medicines he or she may be taking) can have on the body.

Alcohol and Zoloft: What Is Moderate Drinking?

When healthcare providers recommend moderate alcohol drinking, they mean one drink a day for women; two drinks a day for men. Because the alcohol content in drinks varies, what counts as one drink also varies. When healthcare providers talk about one alcoholic drink, they are referring to one of the following examples:

• 12 ounces of beer
• 5 ounces of wine .
• This doesn’t sounds good but its the true.:))

Both alcohol and
Zoloft are metabolized in the liver, and taking both can stress the
liver. The manufacturer of Zoloft, Pfizer, states that one should not
drink alcohol while using Zoloft. Alcohol alone can induce depression,
and alcohol consumed  with Zoloft can render Zoloft useless. Taking
Zoloft with alcohol can even make some people crave more alcohol!

Consumption of alcohol can also interact with the Zoloft you are
taking, affecting its metabolism, as well as affecting its ability to
control the depression, or other condition, for which it was
prescribed.

Zoloft and Pregnancy

Autor admin | 16.01.2008 | Category zoloft pregnancy

Zoloft and Pregnancy: An Overview

Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) is a pregnancy Category C medicine, meaning that Zoloft could potentially cause harm to your unborn child. This is especially true during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Zoloft and Pregnancy Category C

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category C refers to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies. Also, medicines that have not been studied in any pregnant women or animals automatically are given a pregnancy Category C rating.

Zoloft and Pregnancy: Final Thoughts

If you are pregnant (or are thinking of becoming pregnant) while taking Zoloft, let your healthcare provider know. Your healthcare provider will consider both the benefits and risks of taking Zoloft during pregnancy before making a recommendation. It is possible he or she may recommend reducing your Zoloft dosage, or weaning you off Zoloft during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Medical experts say its important to recognize that Pfizer promotes Zoloft for many disorders besides depression, meaning women may be taking the drug even though they have never been diagnosed with depression. According to the FDA, in addition to depression, Zoloft is approved to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Is Zoloft safe during pregnancy?

There has been some recent acceptance of allowing mothers to stay on prozac and zoloft during pregnancy to reduce the risk of postpartum depression in susceptible women. I think your plan of decreasing your dosage sounds reasonable.

I would ask your obstetrician to consult a mental health expert and see if they can come to a mutual decision about your plan of care.

I wish you well and hope all goes well with your pregnancy and birth.