This is an unofficial archive of PsychonautWiki as of 2025-08-08T03:33:20Z. Content on this page may be outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate. Please refer to the original page for the most up-to-date information.
It may contain incorrect information, particularly with respect to dosage, duration, subjective effects, toxicity and other risks. It may also not meet PW style and grammar standards.
Serotonin syndrome and/or a prolonged heart QT interval can occur with using SSRIs (such as citalopram, paroxetine, or sertraline) with SNRIs, SRAs (such as MDMA), DXM, serotonergic stimulants (such as cocaine), MAOIs, and RIMAs.
It is strongly discouraged to consume moderate to heavy dosages of these substances together.
WARNING: Always start with lower doses due to differences between individual body weight, tolerance, metabolism, and personal sensitivity. See responsible use section.
DISCLAIMER: PW's dosage information is gathered from users and resources for educational purposes only. It is not a recommendation and should be verified with other sources for accuracy.
A tablet of brand-name Zoloft. Dose is 50 miligrams.
Sertraline (also known as Zoloft) is an SSRI substance and pharmaceutical of the substituted tametraline chemical class that produces anxiolytic and antidepressant effects when administered. Sertraline is primarily prescribed for major depressive disorder in adult outpatients as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder, in both adults and children.
Sertraline is a selective reuptake inhibitor of serotonin; a class of drug that increases levels of extracellular serotonin, meaning that more serotonin is present in the brain. Sertraline is used for depression and anxiety disorders because it is hypothesized that people with these disorders may have low serotonin levels.
Sertraline promotes neurogenesis (the growth of neurons). This is a useful property in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Huntington's disease.[1][2][3]
Its metabolite, norsertraline, also inhibits reuptake of serotonin, but more weakly than sertraline. [4][5]
Subjective effects
Disclaimer: The effects listed below cite the Subjective Effect Index (SEI), an open research literature based on anecdotal user reports and the personal analyses of PsychonautWikicontributors. As a result, they should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism.
It is also worth noting that these effects will not necessarily occur in a predictable or reliable manner, although higher doses are more liable to induce the full spectrum of effects. Likewise, adverse effects become increasingly likely with higher doses and may include addiction, severe injury, or death ☠.
Sedation or Stimulation - Sertraline can be somewhat sedating or mildly stimulating. As with other SSRIs, sedation, if present, is usually more pronounced at night.
Mania - Particularly a problem with higher doses or for those who take Sertraline for prolonged periods. Sertraline can trigger a manic episode in people with bipolar disorder.
Suicidal ideation - Sertraline and other SSRIs can cause suicidal ideation, particularly in young people. This is more likely in the early stages of use.[6]
There are currently no anecdotal reports which describe the effects of this compound within our experience index. Additional experience reports can be found here:
↑Anacker, C., Zunszain, P. A., Cattaneo, A., Carvalho, L. A., Garabedian, M. J., Thuret, S., ... & Pariante, C. M. (2011). Antidepressants increase human hippocampal neurogenesis by activating the glucocorticoid receptor. Molecular psychiatry, 16(7), 738.
↑Peng, Q., Masuda, N., Jiang, M., Li, Q., Zhao, M., Ross, C. A., & Duan, W. (2008). The antidepressant sertraline improves the phenotype, promotes neurogenesis and increases BDNF levels in the R6/2 Huntington's disease mouse model. Experimental neurology, 210(1), 154-163.
↑Duan, W., Peng, Q., Masuda, N., Ford, E., Tryggestad, E., Ladenheim, B., ... & Ross, C. A. (2008). Sertraline slows disease progression and increases neurogenesis in N171-82Q mouse model of Huntington's disease. Neurobiology of disease, 30(3), 312-322.
↑Koe, B. K., Weissman, A. L. B. E. R. T., Welch, W. M., & Browne, R. G. (1983). Sertraline, 1S, 4S-N-methyl-4-(3, 4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydro-1-naphthylamine, a new uptake inhibitor with selectivity for serotonin. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 226(3), 686-700.
↑Wong, D. T., Bymaster, F. P., & Engleman, E. A. (1995). Prozac (fluoxetine, Lilly 110140), the first selective serotonin uptake inhibitor and an antidepressant drug: twenty years since its first publication. Life sciences, 57(5), 411-441.
↑Didham, R. C., McConnell, D. W., Blair, H. J., & Reith, D. M. (2005). Suicide and self‐harm following prescription of SSRIs and other antidepressants: confounding by indication. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 60(5), 519-525.
