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dave101
10-20-2006, 03:39 PM
just got started on this with 50mg pills and just curious if anyone else out there has been on it or is on it. And if it was positive or negative.

In addition to my first question, anyone know why you cant drink grapefruit juice or eat it when on this? its killing me, i gotta know. it says it on the label
Pacman
10-20-2006, 04:38 PM
Originally posted by dave101
In addition to my first question, anyone know why you cant drink grapefruit juice or eat it when on this? its killing me, i gotta know. it says it on the label

I don't have a product monograph for Zoloft handy, but when I sold antidepressant drugs, many of them had the same restriction.

This was because the drug molecule is metabolized via the CYP-450 pathway which grapefruit juice just happens to inhibit....which can lead to side effects or adverse events.
Zero102
10-22-2006, 09:44 PM
I was put on zoloft in the past. Strange that they would start you on a 50mg dose. Usually they step it up starting at 25mg. I was on it for about a year until I started to feel better then worked my way off of it. I couldn't stand the idea of being on meds for the rest of my life so once I had adjusted and things were going well I would step my doses down slowly. I was on 100mg/day and I took it down 25mg/day at 2 week intervals.
I found it was a very effective anti-depressant, but it made me very indifferent to things that should have been important. It also had a huge impact in my sex drive, and the combination of those 2 things was enough for me to get off of it as soon as was reasonable.
00redLUDE
10-23-2006, 10:55 PM
Originally posted by dave101

In addition to my first question, anyone know why you cant drink grapefruit juice or eat it when on this? its killing me, i gotta know. it says it on the label

The reason for this is that grapefruit affects the enzyme system that metabolies the zoloft, the cytochrome P450 system, making zoloft stay in your system longer. As a result the 50mg will stay in your system longer which could lead to a negative effect.

Theoretically you could try to adjust your diet to when you are taking your zoloft. For example, if you take your zoloft in the evening then if you really want a grapefruit you should have it in the morning then by the time you take your zoloft in the evening there would be no grapefruit in your system to affect the cytochrome P450 system.