Depression is one of the mental disorders that cripple the brain and body. Zoloft, in particular, is one of the most common prescriptions for depression. However, as more states are approving the use of recreational and medicinal marijuana, it also became a popular treatment for depression. But what will happen if you mix these two drugs?
It would be smart to know the different possibilities, such as the effects and responses when taking a new prescription medication. This is even more applicable if you intend to use the medication for long-term use. You owe yourself this kind of awareness. Although it rarely happens, the interaction between Zoloft and marijuana is possible. However, there should be some caution when doing it.
What to Know About Zoloft?
Zoloft is a kind of antidepressant, and patients would often ask how this prescription might collaborate with other entities or what the probable side effects. Its generic name is Sertraline Hydrochloride, and it is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)
The function of Zoloft is to stabilize the level of serotonin found in the brain, which leads to the enhancement of mood. It can also help in boosting energy levels and addressing some sleeping disorders. Furthermore, Zoloft may also be utilized in treating panic disorders and anxiety. In some patients, this prescription can also be used to alleviate premenstrual dysphoric disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
When a patient is being prescribed Zoloft, the doctor will normally begin prescribing at the lowest applicable dose that is enough to manage and treat the manifestations but reduce side effects – and as time passes, the dose can be modified if necessary.
Some known side effects of using Zoloft are sexual problems, vomiting, nausea, weight loss or weight gain, nervousness, dizziness, and diarrhea. Zoloft appears to be just like other SSRIs that triggers diarrhea. In younger users, this medication may cause extreme side effects like suicidal tendencies.
What to Know About Marijuana?
Medicinal marijuana is mostly used to treat different health concerns, such as Alzheimer’s disease, PTSD, inflammation, chronic pain, migraines, cancer, and concussive traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Many patients believe that medicinal marijuana is more certain than other drugs.
However, it is essential to know, in some medicinal patients, marijuana may and does influence the penetration rates of certain prescription drugs. Some patients opt to use marijuana because it is quite more affordable than Zoloft. However, it is always good to remember that one should always consider the quality of the medication in terms of efficiency over the price.
What Should You Learn About Mixing Zoloft and Marijuana?
Zoloft interacts with marijuana. However, the said interaction is quite clinically essential, which means that mixing Zoloft and marijuana should be inhibited under common circumstances. Mixing the drugs may encourage or worsen the side effects. This can occur because marijuana forbids some enzymes found in the liver that assimilate SSRI. As an output, the user is left with a greater concentration of Zoloft in the system and get a higher possibility of gaining adverse effects. It is a similar reason why your physician would advise you not to consume grapefruits while using antidepressants.
There is another factor why this mixture may heighten the probability of side effects. Marijuana and Zoloft both heighten the production of serotonin, which can lead to serotonin syndrome. Although this manifestation can be easily treated, it can be deadly if not treated immediately. Medical experts talk about the destructive effects of Zoloft with marijuana. They said that there is a possibility that these effects may remain unnoticed at first but can be deadly. Some experts discovered that bringing Zoloft and marijuana together would heighten the risk of a heart attack. Further, they said that this mixture could also trigger suicidal thoughts.
Effects of Mixing Zoloft and Marijuana
There is no clinical proof or study that interacting with Zoloft and marijuana can be fatal. Nonetheless, caution must be practiced. People may utilize marijuana for different reasons. Some may use it for the sake of recreation, while some use it to treat their medical problems. The medicinal usage of marijuana was legalized in many states, while only a few states have approved the use of marijuana for recreation. Although marijuana is known to be safer than other kinds of drugs, it does not imply that there are no probable side effects when using it.
So, what should you learn about mixing marijuana and Zoloft? The first thing you should learn is that if you combine the two, it can direct to greater absorption of Zoloft in the blood. This is the same with what develops when you mix grapefruit and antidepressants – which physicians do not recommend. If you accumulate a higher volume of Zoloft in the blood, there is a greater tendency that you will develop more serious side effects – the same as what happens if you consume a greater dose of the drug than what was advised.
There is also a possibility that if you get higher levels of Zoloft in your system, it can heighten the chance of serotonin syndrome, which can create harsh or even noxious manifestations in certain cases. There were therapeutic proofs of patients combining Zoloft and marijuana going through panic attacks; however, this can be an exclusive effect of marijuana in certain people. Zoloft, exclusively, can trigger nervousness and anxiety in certain users; hence, it creates a logic that if you mix Zoloft and marijuana, it can be a bigger danger. With the combination of Zoloft and marijuana, users may also have more distinct gentle side effects like more drowsiness.
Ultimately, another thing to consider if you are to discover the more effects of combining Zoloft and marijuana is the fact that it will be challenging to determine how your body responds to one or both medicines. People may react uniquely to both Zoloft and marijuana. Hence, it can be perilous to mix them because there would be no actual way of determining exactly what the results will be.
It will be hard to know whether the Zoloft is working well if you are also absorbing marijuana. It may lead Zoloft to appear less efficient when in actuality, these are the reactions and effects that you get from combining the two.
Who will be Mostly at Risk?
Some people are particularly sensitive to the effects brought by mixing Zoloft and marijuana. Aging patients may suffer faulty thinking, motor coordination, and judgment.
People who operate heavy machines or do driving as their job should not consider mixing these drugs too because the combination can create disturbance in their mental alertness. If you want to be very reasonable with your decision, the least that you can do is to find out how the medications influence you before heading to your work.
Patients suffering from bipolar disorder or any other similar health issues should also avoid mixing Zoloft and marijuana. Marijuana may only worsen the manic episodes.
Other Consideration why you should Avoid Mixing Zoloft and Marijuana
Despite the potential risks, there are limited reports and data of notable detrimental effects emanating from the use of Zoloft and marijuana. Many users can handle the use of both medications in moderate doses without going through awful side effects. The reason why many SSRIs are recommended by doctors is that they can be compatible with other medications.
The biggest problem is not the probability of the side effects. Rather, the most important reason to inhibit mixing Zoloft and marijuana is that it places your medication at a detriment. If there are numerous mood-amending medicines in the body, the doctor cannot determine how effective – or if – the antidepressant is functioning. That will ultimately make it harder for the doctor to prescribe you the right amount and boost your overall mental health.
Conclusion
There are legitimate explanations for developing Zoloft and weed. But if Zoloft was prescribed, can you still use marijuana? Ok, it seems to be a personal question you can answer frankly. Possibly your life won’t be threatened. Many people still work well after using Zoloft and marijuana. Many patients reported adverse side effects.
Research on medicinal marijuana, is still limited. Thus, further adverse effects and dangers of combining Zoloft and weed could yet be discovered.
Finding the actual reason you should be vigilant to combine Zoloft and marijuana, it would be wise to believe that you should stop eating Zoloft and marijuana together. Your doctor would probably recommend you quit using marijuana, particularly after Zoloft was administered. This would help the doctor to recognize how well it performs to relieve the symptoms.
The effects of mixing Zoloft and marijuana can be mild, and the current data is primarily based on corrective proof; nevertheless, it is still necessary to talk with your physician to receive the best professional advice.
