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Remeron vs. Zoloft

Are Remeron and Zoloft the Same Thing?

Remeron (mirtazapine) and Zoloft (sertraline) are antidepressants used to treat depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Remeron is also used to treat nausea, and as an appetite stimulant.

Zoloft is also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Remeron and Zoloft belong to different drug classes. Remeron is a tetracyclic antidepressant and Zoloft is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant.

What Are Possible Side Effects of Remeron?

Common side effects of Remeron include:

  • drowsiness
  • increased appetite
  • weight gain
  • dizziness, and
  • nausea

Tell your doctor if you experience serious side effects of Remeron including agitation, hallucinations, fever, fast or uneven heart rate, loss of coordination or feeling unsteady, stiff muscles, confusion, tremors, flu symptoms, memory problems, weakness, overactive reflexes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, sweating, feeling like you might pass out, chills, body aches, white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips, headache, or trouble concentrating.

What Are Possible Side Effects of Zoloft?

Common side effects of Zoloft include:

What is Remeron?

Remeron is a prescription medicine used to treat depression. It is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the risks of treating depression and also the risks of not treating it. You should discuss all treatment choices with your healthcare provider.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not think that your condition is getting better with Remeron treatment.

What is Zoloft?

Zoloft is a prescription medicine used to treat a certain type of depression called Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Zoloft belongs to a class of medicines known as SNRIs (or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors).

Zoloft is also used to treat or manage:

It is important to talk with your healthcare provider about the risks of treating depression and also the risks of not treating it. You should discuss all treatment choices with your healthcare provider.

Zoloft is safe and effective in treating children with OCD age 6 to 17 years.

It is not known if Zoloft is safe and effective for use in children under 6 years of age with OCD or children with other behavior health conditions.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you do not think that your condition is getting better with Zoloft treatment.

 

What Drugs Interact With Remeron?

Remeron may interact with other drugs that make you sleepy (cold or allergy medicine, sedatives, narcotic pain medicine, sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, and medicine for seizures or anxiety), cimetidine, lithium, blood thinners, other antidepressants, or migraine headache medicines.

Remeron may also interact with conivaptan, imatinib, isoniazid, St. John's wort, tramadol, antibiotics, antifungal medications, heart or blood pressure medications, HIV/AIDS medicines, or seizure medications.

What Drugs Interact With Zoloft?

Do Not take Zoloft if you:

  • take a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI). Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist if you are not sure if you take an MAOI, including the antibiotic linezolid.
  • have taken an MAOI within 2 weeks of stopping Zoloft unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.
  • have stopped taking an MAOI in the last 2 weeks unless directed to do so by your healthcare provider.
  • take any other medicines that contain sertraline (such as sertraline HCl or sertraline hydrochloride).
  • take the antipsychotic medicine pimozide (Orap®) because this can cause serious heart problems.
  • are allergic to sertraline or any of the ingredients in Zoloft. See the end of this Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in Zoloft.
  • take Antabuse® (disulfiram) (if you are taking the liquid form of Zoloft) due to the alcohol content.

People who take Zoloft close in time to an MAOI may have serious or even life-threatening side effects. Get medical help right away if you have any of these symptoms:

  • high fever
  • uncontrolled muscle spasms
  • stiff muscles
  • rapid changes in heart rate or blood
  • confusion
  • loss of consciousness (pass pressure out)

How Should Remeron Be Taken?

  • Take Remeron exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of Remeron until it is the right dose for you.
  • Take Remeron at the same time each day, preferably in the evening at bedtime.
  • Swallow Remeron as directed.
  • It is common for antidepressant medicines such as Remeron to take up to a few weeks before you start to feel better. Do not stop taking Remeron if you do not feel results right away.
  • Do not stop taking or change the dose of Remeron without first talking to your doctor, even if you feel better.
  • Remeron may be taken with or without food.
  • If you miss a dose of Remeron, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses of Remeron at the same time.
  • If you take too much Remeron, call your healthcare provider or poison control center right away, or get emergency treatment. The signs of an overdose of Remeron (without other medicines or alcohol) include:
    • confusion,
    • memory problems
    • drowsiness
    • increased heart rate.

The symptoms of a possible overdose may include changes to your heart rhythm (fast, irregular heartbeat) or fainting, which could be symptoms of a life-threatening condition known as Torsades de Pointes.

How Should Zoloft Be Taken?

  • Take Zoloft exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may need to change the dose of Zoloft until it is the right dose for you.
  • Zoloft Tablets may be taken with or without food.
  • Zoloft Oral Solution may look cloudy or hazy after mixing, this is normal.
  • Zoloft Oral Solution must be diluted before use:
    • Do not mix Zoloft until you are ready to take it.
    • When diluting Zoloft Oral Solution, use only water, ginger ale, lemon/lime soda, lemonade, or orange juice.
    • The oral dropper contains latex. If you are sensitive or allergic to latex, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the best way to measure your medicine.
  • If you miss a dose of Zoloft, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time.Do not take two doses of Zoloft at the same time.

If you take too much Zoloft, call your healthcare provider or poison control center right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.