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Zoloft Withdrawal

When people abruptly stop taking Zoloft, withdrawal symptoms can occur. Symptoms of Zoloft withdrawal may include such things as agitation, anxiety, and headache. In most people, these symptoms improve with time and do not require treatment. To help you avoid or minimize these withdrawal symptoms, your doctor will likely wean you off of Zoloft slowly.

 

Zoloft and Withdrawal: An Introduction

Zoloft® (sertraline hydrochloride) and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs for short) are known to cause withdrawal symptoms in those that quickly stop their medicine.
 

Zoloft Withdrawal Symptoms

Certain Zoloft withdrawal symptoms can include, but are not limited to:
 
In most people, these symptoms of Zoloft withdrawal improve with time, without the need for any treatment.
 

Limiting Zoloft Withdrawal

When a person is going to be taken off of Zoloft, the doctor will usually wean him or her off the drug slowly, to minimize the chances of withdrawal symptoms occurring.
 If withdrawal symptoms do occur, the doctor may return the person to his or her original Zoloft dosage and then wean the person even more slowly off the medication.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;