Hi. It’s Jenny at AnxietyBoss.com. Our question today is from Alison in Portland, Oregon. Can I take Zoloft and Gabapentin together?
Yes. Sometimes Zoloft and Gabapentin are prescribed to be taken together if the Zoloft is not quite doing the trick. Before taking them, however, it’s important to understand what each one is and does.
Gabapentin, also referred to as Neurontin, was initially distributed for the treatment of epilepsy. Over the years, researchers found that Gabapentin also has a positive effect on the relief of neuropathic pain, restless leg syndrome, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, insomnia, and several other disorders.
Zoloft, on the other hand, is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SSRI. This one is most commonly prescribed to treat depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD. One may feel relaxed when combining the two; however, it’s not unusual to experience drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and dizziness when taking these medications together. It’s important not to operate any machinery and to stay off the roads when consuming these. It’s also important to understand that it’s crucial to only take the prescribed amount of each medication to avoid any excess anxiety or even hallucinations.
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I’m on Valproate acid 1500mg zoloft 150mg, Trazadone 400mg, Pramipexol 0.125mg , for bipolar disorder. My Dr, has also prescribed me with hydro-morphone 2mg and Gabapentin 200mg 3 times a day for a herniated L4-L5, L5-S1. I have severe nerve and sciatic pain. That’s why I’m curious if I may experience any depression, or suicidal thoughts. He said I shouldn’t, however the reviews I’m reading suggest otherwise.
Thanks,
John
Dear John, I can only answer questions in a general manner. Please follow-up with your doctor on your medical questions for your treatment.
I was taking zoloft alone and my sex drive was lowered. Then my doctor added gabapentin for my chronic pain. Now that my body is getting used to the gabapentin, my sex drive has increased back to normal. Is this a side effect or is this normal? Or am I just lucky that it is back to normal
Sexual dysfunction is a common side effect of SSRIs such as Zoloft (sertraline). The reason for this is that the stimulation of serotonin receptors in the pleasure centers of the brain can lead to decreased dopamine activity, thus causing apathy and reducing libido. Ways to counteract this sexual side effect of Zoloft include adding a drug that boosts dopamine, norepinephrine, and/or GABA. In your case, your doctor added gabapentin, which increased GABA activity, thereby leading to a reduction of the SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction.
I’m currently taking gabapentin and sertraline for almost 3 months now. My question is, are there any side effects to taking the two drugs at the same time? I’m currently fasting and I only have 5 hours to eat in a day. Is that enough time to separate the two drugs?
Thanks
Combining gabapentin and sertraline can cause more sedation. There are no drug-drug interactions, so it is safe to combine them. Can you further clarify your last question, about enough time to separate the drugs?
Thank you for your clear reply. What I meant about the last question is, if I take sertraline at 10 pm (my first meal of the day) and took gabapentin at 3 am (after the last meal) would that cause drug-drug interaction or any other effects?
You can take sertraline and gabapentin at the same time- there is no need to separate them. Both reach steady blood levels with daily use, so there is no need to take them at different times. Taking them at the same time is just easier and convenient. If the medications make you sleepy, then take them right before bedtime. Please confer with your doctor before making changes to your medication regimen.
Cab gabapetin and sertraline cause hair loss my hair getting shorter but i cant find it i have some shedding like a hair in the wind also i permed my hsr so i can tell whats doing what i have been riding with my husband in his truck for two mths until i ho see doctor when get back any ideas i also read about anemia
Hair loss is not a common side effect of gabapentin or sertraline. Your doctor will have to figure out if there are medical causes for your hair loss.
Can Zoloft 50 mg and trileptal 150mg and 300 of gabapentin cause interactions?
After about 2.5 months my uncle who has dementia with bad PTSD started getting scared of the dark and didn’t recognize himself in the mirror. So the doctor raised his Zoloft to 75mg and the trileptal to 300 and that same day he started Hallucinating and crawling and getting aggressive. They lowered the Trileptal to 3 times a day 150 now but added depokate and he stopped eating and was sleeping all the time. So they finally discontinued the depokate but lowered his Zoloft to 25mg and left the Trileptal but he’s having massive flash backs and anxiety which is leading to anger because they are restraining him. Then in between they are using injections of Ativan and Geodon which knocks him out temporary but the side effect of the detox are nasty anxiety and hallucinations leading to out burts of anger. Could it be the Zoloft and Trileptal or Gabapentin interacting making it worse rather than better ?
Together, these 3 drugs can cause dizziness, confusion, drowsiness, poor concentration, poor thinking, and poor judgment. I suggest you get a second opinion from another psychiatrist regarding the multiple medications your uncle is taking, as polypharmacy can make symptoms worse.
I am currently taking xanax 1mg twice daily and zoloft 50mg daily my doctor wants to add neurotin 309mg twice a day bwcause the olan is to start decreasing my xanax ..can I take all three if these medications safely
I can only answer general questions, and specific questions about a specific treatment needs to be addressed by your doctor. What I can say in general is that taking 3 drugs for anxiety is polypharmacy. The problem with taking too many drugs is that you increase your risk for drug-drug interactions and side effects.
neuorogist gave 300mg.gabapentin for PSP. it has not removed the pain by any means, but it seems to have changed the quality of the pain to a way that is more manageable. it makes me remember the way acupuncture affected my neck pain years ago. what is the way that SSRI drugs work with gabapentin for post-stroke pain? he pharmacology? efficacy?
Taking SSRIs with gabapentin for pain would address any depression/anxiety that is co-occurring with the pain, thereby making the pain less intense.
was taken both medication mbut stop gabentin i think i would be better off going back due to back pain
Talk to your doctor.
Hi Dr.Carlo,
I have been prescribed daily Sertraline of 100mg for anxiety and depression but I have a history of alcohol abuse, so I was also prescribed gabapentin 300mg 2-3 times daily. Even though I don’t necessarily have withdrawals from alcohol, besides anxiety which I have always had. I guess my question is are there any long term effects which you are aware of and who should be aware before mixing these two drugs? Also, what organs are most at risk? Any other advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Hi Kate, that combination is safe.
Hi
Would Gabapentin 100mg 3xs daily work for anxiety and neck pain (I have a herniated disc in my neck)?
I was prescribed 300mgs 3X daily, but I’m also on Zoloft 200mg (depression, AM), Adderall XR 20mg (AM and PM, for ADHD), and guanfacine .5mg (at night, for dermatilomania), I find that the dose of Gabapentin seems to make my blood pressure fall quite a bit. Will I get the same pain results with a lower dose, or is there no clinical value to using 100mg Gabapentin for my neck pain? I will of course ask my Dr before making any changes but I was just curious if you had any useful information to share.
Gabapentin is helpful for both anxiety and neuropathic pain.
My neurologist prescribed for Migraines, depression and anxiety and elevated BP
150 mg Zoloft
900 mg of GABAPENTIN
50 mg of Losartan
500 mg of Magnesium
Is that OK?
That’s a lot of medications…make sure to consult with a psychiatrist as well.
suffering from Bipolar anxiety and depressions specially during dialysis days
taking 500mg of Tegretol 4mg of Risperedone and 100mg of Gabapentine all at bed time
experiencing confusions that comes and go
doctor added 25mg of zoloft morining along with 3/4 of clonazepam under tongue during dialysis wich helped with anxiety but caused confusions
will taking too many drugs at once will increase confusions?? please let me know
Polypharmacy can lead to confusion. You may need to get a second opinion, from a psychiatrist that is expert at psychopharmacology.