Antidepressant

Before discussing Lexapro vs Zoloft, let’s talk about health. Health is a very important aspect of our life and without health, there is no fun in the life. There shouldn’t be any compromise with the health either physical or mental health. To stay healthy we should take part in the healthy activities and stay around the people that are good for the mental health.

But in the today’s world, every person suffering from the health problem wither physical or the mental. The ratio of mental illness is increasing day by day because our attitude towards a healthy life is so negligent and most of the people in the underdeveloped countries don’t even consider the mental health at all and that is why most of such medical problems stay unresolved throughput there life. So this is why there should be more awareness about the mental health so people who are undergoing such sicknesses can seek help.

There are a lot of mental health problems that are found in the society these days land the most common among all of them is the depression. Most of the people in our society due to the burdens of life are going through depression and this ratio is increasing day by day.

Depression

Depression is a mental disorder in which our central nervous system becomes depressed and this mental disorder is occurring in a lot of people and the reasons behind this disorder a lot and mostly the current state of our society where everyone is busy doing their own thing and no one have time for each other and in this mad race of being better most of the people are suffering from depression. The symptoms of depression can help us realize the problem in the very early stage but the problem is that most people pay no attention to these signs and symptoms and some of them even don’t know the signs and symptoms. Following are the symptoms of the depression.

• Anger
• Sleep changes
• Loss of energy
• Loss of interest
• Concentration problem
• Weight loss
• Self-loathing etc.

So these were some of the symptoms that are found in the people that are suffering from the depression. Depression must be diagnosed because in most of the people depression leads to that stage where they start considering suicide and most of the people even opt for the suicide. The studies have shown that depression is more common among the teenagers as compared to the adults and gender-wise it is more common among the women as compared to the men.

Treatment of depression

A lot of drugs are suggested for the treatment of depression by now and Lexapro and Zoloft are among those drugs. Both of the drugs are used for the treatment of depression which is why we will further discuss the Lexapro vs Zoloft comparison to help you understand which one is best for you in the case of depression. Lexapro is an antidepressant that contains the drug escitalopram and Zoloft is the anti-depressant that contains the drug known as sertraline.

The Lexapro vs Zoloft comparison will help us understand the difference between these two drugs and will help us make the better decision. The escitalopram is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and the sertraline is same too and the fact they both are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor they are considered the exact same but it’s not the way it is.

The SSRI drugs act in such a way that they inhibit the reuptake of serotonin thus increasing the amount of serotonin in the brain and serotonin is the chemical that lightens the mood of a person and this help with the treatment of depression. In depression, the level of serotonin gets unbalances and these two drugs help in the balancing of this chemical in the brain. These drugs are similar too but there are also some differences that support the Lexapro vs Zoloft argument.

Lexapro vs Zoloft

The first thing that we should know in the Lexapro vs Zoloft comparison is that both of the drugs not only are used in the treatment of depression but several other disorders too and in that respect, they are quite different. Zoloft is used in the treatment of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, on the other hand, Lexapro vs Zoloft is used in the treatment of the depression and the generalized anxiety disorder.

Zoloft is also used for the treatment of panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder. The other differences that also supports the Lexapro vs. Zoloft argument is that the strength of the Zoloft tablets is 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg while in oral solution the strength is 25mg/ml and on the other hand the strength of Lexapro tablets are 5, 10 and 20 mg while the oral solution is 1mg/ml. Lexapro versus Zoloft can be used in people that are above 12 years of age while the Zoloft can be used in patients that are above 18 in age.

Cost

The cost difference also helps us with the Lexapro vs Zoloft comparison. The cost of the monthly supply of the Zoloft is $201 while on the other hand the cost of the Lexapro is $180 per month and this shows that cost wise Lexapro is better than the Zoloft but since the cost of these anti-depressant medications is covered by the insurance companies so both are equal cost wise but now you know your priorities even if you don’t have the insurance.

Side effects

The side effects also help us with the Lexapro vs Zoloft comparison and according to it the both of them have same side effects like

Diarrhea

Indigestion

Sexual problems

Sleeping troubles

Anxiety

Seizures

Migraines

Serotonin syndrome

Dizziness etc.

And the only symptom different is constipation that occurs by the use of Lexapro. We should only use one of these two antidepressants at a time because this may lead to interaction like the elevated level of serotonin thus leading to serotonin syndrome.

So this was just an overview of these two drug features and the difference between these two medications will help you understand it better and you should discuss it in detail with your doctor before you start the treatment.

Zoloft and Alcohol combination is never a good idea and this whole article is the explanation of all the reasons why these two drugs should not be taken together. Zoloft, as you all know, is a medicine that is prescribed by the health practitioners to the people suffering from depression. Depression is a psychological disorder that has been seeming to be increasing a lot since the past few years and it is most likely to be found among teenager.

Depression is something that keeps eating a person emotionally and most of the people going through it choose to end their life when the depression stays unaddressed so this is why it is important to address the needs of the people around us and in the whole society. Zoloft and other such medications are prescribed by the doctors in the depression but in some situations, even these medications fail to help the person and those such situations include mixing of Zoloft and alcohol.

Symptoms of depression

Depression is a very important issue in today’s society and the more we talk about it the less it is and we as an active member of our society should take part in spreading awareness about depression. Depression is one of the reasons the suicidal ratio increasing day by day.

When you are depressed you lose all the hope in your life and then you see no purpose of your life so you just decide the world is better off without you and this is exactly why we need to fight depression. Depression is most likely to occur in teens as compared to the adults and in females as compared to the males. Following are some of the symptoms of the depression

• Helplessness or hopelessness
• Changes in appetite and weight
• Anger or irritability
• Self-loathing and self-destructive attitude
• Short attention span
• Sleep changes and loss of interest in activities of life.

So these were some of the symptoms and if you see them in yourself then you should definitely visit a doctor.

What is the impact of alcohol and Zoloft in the depression?

Zoloft and Alcohol are two opposite drugs. Alcohol itself is a drug and it is one of those drugs that depress our central nervous system. Even though it activates our nervous system for a little while but then it starts depressing it and if the person is already suffering from the depression you can imagine what the intake of Alcohol can do to them. Zoloft versus Zahra is used as an antidepressant which shows that it has opposite of action.

Zoloft is basically the brand name of the generic drug known as the sertraline. Sertraline is the serotonin reuptake inhibitor and serotonin being a chemical that helps in elevation of your mood upon being blocked from the reuptake can help you get over your depression. So this is how the generic drug sertraline works in the form of capsule Zoloft.

Zoloft and alcohol

Zoloft and Alcohol should not be taken together because both of these drugs are the antagonist of each other. By antagonist to means that action of one drug will be the exact opposite of what other drug is doing and in such way, none of the drugs will be able to produce their action.

Since the situation, we are dealing here is depression we should definitely opt for the drug that helps to recover depression which in this case is Zoloft and not the one that further pulls you in the depression that in this case is the alcohol. The difference between both of these drugs is huge and this is exactly why they are not a perfect combination to be used together.

Drinking while you are in depression will pull you further into it so instead of doing that you should try to get yourself recovered from depression which has the potential to eat up your whole life and your career. If the person is already in a depression and the doctor has prescribed him with the Zoloft then according to U.S Food and Drug Administration guidelines you should not be taking Alcohol at all because then the purpose if your therapy will be futile otherwise.

So due to this type of interaction you should avoid the use of Alcohol at all, in fact, you shouldn’t even look at Alcohol when you already are in the depressed stage because the side effects in such cases are endless and the risk to the life is even greater then.

Interactions

You must have heard of drug-drug interactions. There are two types of drug-drug interaction and that are synergistic or antagonist. Antagonist means the complete opposite of each other and Zoloft and alcohol has that kind of interaction with each other. Alcohol makes the potential side effects of the Zoloft even worse and they are as follows.

• Dizziness,
• A headache
• Depression
• Suicidal thoughts
• Diarrhea etc.

So these symptoms can get elevated upon the combined use of Zoloft and Alcohol. So while you are on the medications like Zoloft you should avoid drinking beer or any other alcoholic beverages and this isn’t only because alcohol affects the activity of Zoloft it is also because Zoloft makes the effects of Alcohol like drowsiness even worse so you should never consider mixing Zoloft and Alcohol together.

What to do?

What you should do is that you should never mix Zoloft and alcohol as they will alleviate the side effects of each other and if you think you have no control over your drinking then you should probably discuss it through with the doctors so they can suggest you better alternatives and also they can help you with your drinking problem if it’s going out of hand. So now you know how dangerous it is to use the combination of the Zoloft and alcohol and you know how side effects can go even worse and you will then put your own life at the risk and before you know you will be the most depressed person.

Ever wonder about what antidepressant you should take? There are many, but let’s talk about Prozac vs Zoloft. Prozac and Zoloft both are the antidepressants that are used to treat the depression as well as other conditions like the obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic attacks etc. In all such conditions, these antidepressants are prescribed by the doctors. Prozac and Zoloft are the brand names and even though are the antidepressants have different generic drugs.

The generic drug fluoxetine goes by the brand name Prozac and the sertraline hydrochloride is another generic drug that goes by the brand name Zoloft. The end results of both of these drugs are the same but the mechanism of action of Prozac vs. Zoloft is a little different, Prozac’s generic drug is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor it inhibits the serotonin reuptake in such a way that it inhibits the serotonin transporter protein and it’s also a 5HT2C antagonist while the sertraline inhibits the serotonin reuptake by inhibiting the 5HT1A receptor.

Serotonin is basically a chemical in our body that produces the feeling of well-being and happiness so when the serotonin is depleted in our body due to more reuptake it could result in depression, anxiety etc. So when these antidepressants are used they will increase the amount of serotonin in the body by blocking its reuptake and this is how they will help with your mood, good appetite and also balance your sleep.

Depression is a very dangerous disorder and it can have a very negative impact on a person’s life and this is why this disorder must be addressed and medications should be taken as prescribed to reduce and completely eliminate the depression and anxiety from your life.

Features of Prozac and Zoloft

Features of Prozac vs Zoloft will help us understand better which drug is better than the other one and whether your medications need switching or not b the prescriber. Prozac and Zoloft bot is used for the treatment of the obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD and the panic disorder while Prozac only is used for the Bulimia nervosa which is the eating disorder in which the frequent episodes of the binge eating followed by the episodes of trying to lose weight by inducing vomiting.

On the other hand, Zoloft is only used for the post-traumatic stress disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (sudden changes in the mood before menstruation), social anxiety disorder or social phobia. These medications are also used for some other sleeping and eating disorders but these are just some of the off-label uses and these off-label uses are those uses for which the drug can be prescribed by the doctor but it's not the use of the drug was approved by the FDA.

Dosing differences between these two

Prozac was prescribed in the children below 7 years for Obsessive-compulsive disorder and for the rest of the purposes it is prescribed in the adults only and Zoloft is prescribed in the children below 6 years for the OCD and for the other reasons in adults only. Prozac comes in the form of oral capsules of 10mg, 20mg, 40mg and 90mg only Zoloft comes in the form of oral capsules of 25mg, 50mg & 100mg and the oral liquid concentrate solution of 20mg/ml. the good thing that is common about both of these drugs is that patients don’t have to go through the withdrawal upon discontinuing of these medications and also they don’t have the addictive potential for the medication users and this is why people font go through the withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation. And they both also don’t fall on the list of the controlled substances so there is no potential harm upon the use of these medications.

Side effects

All the medications that we use have some side effects too and there is no medication in the entire world that doesn’t come with a side effect. The side effects caused by both of these drugs are same but there are few side effects that vary in Prozac vs Zoloft. The common side effects that can possibly arise from the usage of these medications are

• Nausea and vomiting,
• Diarrhea,
• Weight gain,
• Weight loss,
• Insomnia,
• A headache,
• Dry mouth and
• Sexual dysfunctions like the erectile dysfunction.

So these were some of the common side effects while the side effects that we observe in the Prozac vs Zoloft are that Zoloft is most likely to be the reason of diarrhoea than the Prozac so when the patient is undergoing many problems the medical practitioner upon other factors consideration can think about switching to Prozac. Similarly, Prozac versus Zoloft is most likely to be the reason for the dry mouth and the sleep disturbance so in such situations consider switching to the Zoloft to provide the patients maximum comfort. Suicidal thoughts can also initiate in the head of both these substance users between treatments so care should be given to them.

Drug interactions

Drug-drug interactions are a really worse thing so the medical practitioners should check the current medication history of the patient and void prescribing medicines that have a possible interaction with any of the previous medications. The drug-drug interaction of these drugs are with

• Monoamine oxidase inhibitor,
• Methylene blue injection,
• Pimozide,
• Linezolid

So make sure to inform the practitioner about your current medications in use. Both of these drugs are also contraindicated in the pregnancy and the breastfeeding stage.

Price variable

The price of both Prozac vs Zoloft varies even though they are used for the same purpose and the price difference is in such a way that the monthly supply of the Prozac is almost $100 more expensive as compared to the Zoloft so when it comes to the pricing Zoloft is better than the Prozac because it is in within the reach of all the classes of society.

Prozac vs Zoloft

Now coming to the final review the Prozac vs Zoloft are better than each other when we are considering only in certain aspects and to check the efficacy of both of them what you need to do is that you can read the reviews of the patients that are already using these medications which will help you to make a better judgment in Prozac vs Zoloft.