ZOLOFT and other antidepressant medicines may cause serious side effects. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, or call 911 if there is an emergency.
Suicidal thoughts or actions:
• ZOLOFT and other antidepressant medicines may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some people 24 years of age and younger, especially within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed.
• Depression or other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts or actions.
• Watch for these changes and call your healthcare provider right away if you notice new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, actions, thoughts, or feelings, especially if severe.
- Pay particular attention to such changes when ZOLOFT is started or when the dose is changed.
- Keep all follow-up visits with your healthcare provider and call between visits if you are worried about symptoms.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, or call 911 if an emergency, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:
• acting on dangerous impulses
• attempts to commit suicide
• thoughts about suicide or dying
• acting aggressive or violent
• new or worse anxiety or panic attacks
• new or worse depression
• trouble sleeping
• feeling agitated, restless, angry or irritable
• other unusual changes in behavior or mood
• an increase in activity or talking more than what is normal for you
Serotonin Syndrome. This condition can be life-threatening and symptoms may include:
• agitation, hallucinations, coma, or other changes in mental status
• nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• racing heartbeat, high or low blood pressure
• sweating or fever
• coordination problems or muscle twitching (overactive reflexes)
• muscle rigidity
Increased chance of bleeding: ZOLOFT and other antidepressant medicines may increase your risk of bleeding or bruising, especially if you take the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs, like ibuprofen or naproxen), or aspirin.
Manic episodes. Symptoms may include:
• greatly increased energy
• severe trouble sleeping
• excessive happiness or irritability
• racing thoughts
• reckless behavior
• talking more or faster than usual
• unusually grand ideas
Seizures or convulsions.
Glaucoma (angle-closure glaucoma). Many antidepressant medicines including ZOLOFT may cause a certain type of eye problem called angle-closure glaucoma. Call your healthcare provider if you have eye pain, changes in your vision, or swelling or redness in or around the eye. Only some people are at risk for these problems. You may want to undergo an eye examination to see if you are at risk and receive preventative treatment if you are.
Changes in appetite or weight. Children and adolescents should have height and weight monitored during treatment.
Low salt (sodium) levels in the blood. Elderly people may be at greater risk for this. Symptoms may include:
• headache
• weakness or feeling unsteady
• confusion, problems concentrating or thinking, or memory problems
Sexual problems (dysfunction). Taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including ZOLOFT, may cause sexual problems.
Symptoms in males may include:
• Delayed ejaculation or inability to have an ejaculation
• Decreased sex drive
• Problems getting or keeping an erection
Symptoms in females may include:
• Decreased sex drive
• Delayed orgasm or inability to have an orgasm
Talk to your healthcare provider if you develop any changes in your sexual function or if you have any questions or concerns about sexual problems during treatment with ZOLOFT. There may be treatments your healthcare provider can suggest.
Do not stop ZOLOFT without first talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping ZOLOFT too quickly may cause serious symptoms including:
• anxiety, irritability, high or low mood, feeling restless or changes in sleep habits
• headache, sweating, nausea, dizziness
• electric shock-like sensations, shaking, confusion