Medication specialist answers your most pressing questions about Zoloft and its long-term effects

00:00 - Intro
00:23 - Can Zoloft Cause Permanent Damage?
0:53 - How Many Years Can You Stay On Zoloft?
02:45 - Can You Stay On Medication Long Term?
04:02 - Does Zoloft Change Your Personality?
04:56 - Will I Gain Weight On Zoloft?
05:23 - Does Zoloft cause Hair Loss?
05:31 - Can I Drink Alcohol While taking Zoloft?
06:47 - Does Zoloft Permanently Change The Brain?
07:37 - What Does Zoloft Do To The Brain?
08:37 - Does Zoloft Cause Dementia?
09:03 - Does Zoloft Affect Memory?
09:39 - Can Zoloft Cause Manic Behavior?
11:54 - Does Zoloft Help With Intermittent Explosive Disorder?
12:13 - Outro

Research suggests staying on antidepressants for life or even using them long term, can be harmful to your mind and body. In many instances, extended use can leave you worse off than before. Like all SSRIs, the FDA requires a suicide warning on the package label. Fortunately, there are other holistic treatment plans that can effectively help treat your mental illness without the possible adverse side effects of Zoloft.

Limited Potential for Reduction in Symptoms
Using antidepressants like Zoloft should theoretically increase your mood and mitigate your symptoms. However, these theories have never been proven to be true. In fact, over time, most patients find they need to continue to increase their Zoloft dosage to attain even minor results. Even those results may be a part of a placebo effect. Zoloft’s side effects will also likely outweigh any positive changes you may have experienced.

Disadvantages of antidepressant use include the following.
Serotonin Syndrome
Taking an SSRI causes an artificial accumulation serotonin, that may lead to the development of serotonin syndrome. While serotonin is naturally present in your body, unnaturally high levels of this neurotransmitter can cause serious health complications. Ranging from mild symptoms such as chills and gastrointestinal issues to seizures and even death, excess serotonin buildup from sertraline use can be life threatening.3

Worsening of Symptoms
No SSRI will fully relieve any mental illness. However, prescription drug companies often claim otherwise. For that reason, patients often experience a very arduous process during their attempts to find an antidepressant that addresses their symptoms. While trying different prescriptions, the severity of your symptoms can be dramatically worsened due to unhelpful medications, leaving you in a more vulnerable position than you were previously. In the time it takes for you to begin an antidepressant regime, realize the medication is incompatible with you, and start another medication, your symptoms could grow increasingly worse than before you started taking SSRIs.

Harmful Drug Interactions
As with any new prescriptions, potential interactions with your current medications are a known potential risk. An example of an adverse drug interaction is Zoloft and aspirin, which can cause increased, heavy bleeding in patients taking regimens of both. In fact, there are so many possible adverse drug interactions with SSRIs that often it is left up to the pharmacist to determine the risks for patients, as doctors have been under-educated in the subject.
Check Out Medscape.Com To Learn More

Zoloft Dependence and Withdrawal
Since Zoloft blocks the natural reuptake of serotonin by the nervous system and forces unnatural levels of the hormone to accumulate, your body can become dependent on its effects to sustain a feeling of normalcy. Zoloft is a mind-altering chemical and can cause you to feel withdrawals when you discontinue its use—even if you’ve done so to avoid the negative side effects of long-term use listed above. For this reason, it is critical to consult with a healthcare provider who has familiarity with the subject to gradually taper your use of Zoloft to zero. Doing so can mitigate the severity of your dependence and potentially reduce the withdrawals you feel when ceasing use of the drug.

As you can see, the various drug interactions, harmful side effects, and life-threatening conditions tied to prolonged use of antidepressants like Zoloft outweigh the minimal benefits. As with any condition, there are numerous alternative treatment plans available for depression and other mental health conditions Zoloft was approved to treat. These offer a safer, more holistic option for addressing your mental health.

More Information About Zoloft :
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