# Zoloft and Cold Meds



## ShyFrancis

Ugh, my doc is out of the office... I'm catching a dang cold. Is it okay to take Advil or Tylenol with Zoloft? What about Nyquil? I like to take Theraflu, too.

Also, I've been having a really hard time falling asleep at night. once I'm asleep I'm okay. Can I take OTC sleep aids, or maybe Tylenol PM?

Thanks.  I will still try to get in touch with my doc.


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## Nae

Ask the pharmacist.


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## korey

When I was on Lexapro (another SSRI) and came down with a cold, my mom called my psych's office to ask if over the counter cold and cough medicine would interfere with the Lexapro. She said that my psych told her that I could take anything OTC except Nyquil because it has alcohol in it, which is contraindicated with antidepressants anyway. I think I took Nyquil at some point, though. All it did was sedate me more than usual. I think it actually knocked me out, which was very rare because when I was on Lexapro, I was first starting psych treatment, and at that time, I had terrible insomnia, so anything that could cause even a glimpse of sleep for me was invaluable.


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## Speak Easy

i'm pretty sure there's no contraindications between OTC cold meds and SSRIs


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## korey

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



LDG 124 said:


> i'm pretty sure there's no contraindications between OTC cold meds and SSRIs





http://www.walgreens.com/'s article on Zoloft said:


> DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE if you are also taking pimozide, weight loss medicines such as fenfluramine or sibutramine, cyproheptadine, *dextromethorphan*, tryptophan, terfenadine, astemizole, pimozide, or St. John's wort.


Dextromethorphan is apparently strictly contraindicated with the usage of Zoloft (as I suspect too much of it could cause serotonin syndrome, as rare as it may be). Cold medications (ie, Nyquil) that contain alcohol are contraindicated against with treatment of Zoloft because alcohol in general is somewhat of a no-no while on antidepressants (but most our doctors are probably drunks themselves )

Just because it's OTC doesn't mean it's safe to take. Screw asking a pharmacist. Ask your prescribing doctor. I've yet to come across a pharmacist that does anything other than count pills and deny prescriptions. The day a pharmacist actually asks me if I have any questions or concerns about my medications will be the day the world blows up.

Needless to say, I can't wait. :evil


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## ShyFrancis

Thanks for the info.


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## foxtrot

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



korey said:


> Screw asking a pharmacist. Ask your prescribing doctor. I've yet to come across a pharmacist that does anything other than count pills and deny prescriptions. The day a pharmacist actually asks me if I have any questions or concerns about my medications will be the day the world blows up.


Im sure that there are some useless pharmacists out there and no doubt youve clearly seen a bunch of them; but theyre not all like that: some that Ive seen have been very knowledgable and helpful; they generally need a degree in pharmacy so gotta know their meds, just sayin


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## Nae

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



korey said:


> Just because it's OTC doesn't mean it's safe to take. Screw asking a pharmacist. Ask your prescribing doctor. I've yet to come across a pharmacist that does anything other than count pills and deny prescriptions. The day a pharmacist actually asks me if I have any questions or concerns about my medications will be the day the world blows up.
> 
> Needless to say, I can't wait. :evil


Pharmacists are trained to spot contraindications between different medications, moreso than doctors perhaps. True, doctors should know as well if they are prescribing a type of medication, but in the OP case her doctor isn't available.


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## korey

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



foxtrot said:


> Im sure that there are some useless pharmacists out there and no doubt youve clearly seen a bunch of them; but theyre not all like that: some that Ive seen have been very knowledgable and helpful; *they generally need a degree in pharmacy* so gotta know their meds, just sayin


I realize that not all pharmacists are pieces of ****, but it seems that the nicest pharmacist in the world can turn into a cold, calculating judge looking down on you whenever you hand over your prescriptions for psych meds. That's just been my experience, though. They go from "Hi, how can I help you today? " to "Last name? Your total is $$$ :bah"

Silly social stigmas. A friend of mine works as a pharm tech at a local, privately owned pharmacy. He told me that one of his coworkers, a young woman who actually had professional training in pharmacy, told him that the medication Effexor was, and I quote, "for crazy people." :roll If I had been there when she said that, I'd have her license revoked and her job snatched out from under her (or I'd give it strong consideration, at least :hide).

It seems the level of training one has in any area of pharmacy doesn't mean a thing when it comes to their moral/ethical views of certain areas of their trade, namely psychiatric pharmaceuticals.

Also, while pharmacists are probably trained moreso than doctors to spot contraindications, every pharmacy has a continually changing shift of pharmacists, and unless you have a really good relationship with every pharmacist at your main pharmacy, then it's not likely that they all know your medication history, etc. The only person who does (or should more than anyone else) know your medical history is your prescribing doctor. Fortunately, your doc doesn't take shifts like your pharmacists :b.

I'm not trying to be disagreeable by saying these things. I just think that some options are better than others.


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## Speak Easy

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



korey said:


> LDG 124 said:
> 
> 
> 
> i'm pretty sure there's no contraindications between OTC cold meds and SSRIs
> 
> 
> 
> [quote="http://www.walgreens.com/'s article on Zoloft":d310c]DO NOT TAKE THIS MEDICINE if you are also taking pimozide, weight loss medicines such as fenfluramine or sibutramine, cyproheptadine, *dextromethorphan*, tryptophan, terfenadine, astemizole, pimozide, or St. John's wort.
Click to expand...

[/quote:d310c]

the alcohol percentage in niquil is at a fairly minimal level so i personally really wouldn't be worried about taking it in combination with an SSRI or any med for that matter (apart from maybe benzos). the entire contraindication message is solely for legal purposes. the occasional drink here and there once someone has been on an SSRI for a fair amount of time is fine, and i have drinken heavily while on an array of anti depressants and other meds and have been fine (not recommended, though). from personal experience, the only psychotropic meds that i would strictly recommend not doing any kind of drugs/alcohol on are ANTIPSYCHOTICS.


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## foxtrot

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



korey said:


> *They go from "Hi, how can I help you today? " to "Last name? Your total is $$$ :bah"*


I totally get that too and Im in and out asap but I was only saying many have been helpful when Ive enquired.



korey said:


> Silly social stigmas. A friend of mine works as a pharm tech at a local, privately owned pharmacy. He told me that one of his coworkers, a young woman who actually had professional training in pharmacy, told him that the medication Effexor was, and I quote, "for crazy people." :roll If I had been there when she said that, I'd have her license revoked and her job snatched out from under her (or I'd give it strong consideration, at least :hide).
> 
> It seems the level of training one has in any area of pharmacy doesn't mean a thing when it comes to their moral/ethical views of certain areas of their trade, namely psychiatric pharmaceuticals.


There is an awful social stigma attached to mental illness by society as a whole and pharmacists etc certainly shouldnt be potentiating this. Id have given that effexor girl a hard time if Id heard that, I'll tell ya.



korey said:


> I'm not trying to be disagreeable by saying these things. I just think that some options are better than others.


Agreed.


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## UltraShy

I thought they got rid of all the alcohol in Nyquil. I remember back in the 1980s it used to be 40-proof.

I agree the warnings are often there for legal reasons only. You can't sue Jack Daniel's when you wrap your car around a tree without getting laughed out of court, so you sue the "evil" pill that you washed down with a bottle of JD.

I just mixed beer & Xanax and I'm still alive & posting.


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## UltraShy

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



foxtrot said:


> There is an awful social stigma attached to mental illness by society as a whole and pharmacists etc certainly shouldnt be potentiating this. Id have given that effexor girl a hard time if Id heard that, I'll tell ya.


It's chronic pain patients who really get it from pharmacists. I've read plenty of horror stories from them about some jackass of a pharmacist who treated them like a criminal for daring to bring in a fully legitimate script from their doctor. Pain patients are sometimes given hell when they bring in a script for a huge (and legitimately needed) amount of narcotics. I've heard of some doctors ripping pharmacists a new one over the phone, telling them to just count the damn pills and put them in a bottle and not to question their medical judgement.


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## korey

*Re: re: Zoloft and Cold Meds*



LDG 124 said:


> the alcohol percentage in niquil is at a fairly minimal level so i personally really wouldn't be worried about taking it in combination with an SSRI or any med for that matter (apart from maybe benzos). the entire contraindication message is solely for legal purposes. the occasional drink here and there once someone has been on an SSRI for a fair amount of time is fine, and i have drinken heavily while on an array of anti depressants and other meds and have been fine (not recommended, though). from personal experience, the only psychotropic meds that i would strictly recommend not doing any kind of drugs/alcohol on are ANTIPSYCHOTICS.


My bottle of Nyquil said "Contains 10% alcohol" in the bottom left corner of the front label. That's apparently enough to make my psychiatrist tell me not to take it while on an SSRI :stu I leave the contraindications up to the docs.


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## Caedmon

I have a cold too! I stayed home from school today (first time in 13 days...). You can take Zoloft with all cold meds as well as with NSAID painkillers. Same with OTC sleep meds. 

The only cold medicines worth much are guafenesin and oxymetazoline. Guafenisen is the active ingredient in Mucinex and in various cold medicine combos. Oxymetazoline is in the nasal spray, Afrin. You could try antihistamines if you're in the acute runny-nose stage. ("Oh my God I'm already out of kleenex!")

Nothing beats plenty of sleep and hydration. 
Hi to a fellow Utahn, although I guess I am technically a former-Utahn at this point.


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## BJH1988

I didnt take the time to read any of this discussion but im just responding to tha title of tha thread.

Zoloft + Cold medicines = a no go

At least Nyquil I know for sure cause their is a risk for seritonin syndrome between the two, extremely slim threat, but still a threat and doctors will tel yyou its alright to take them together tho!


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## korey

:? If you want to run the risk of mixing an SSRI and tripping out/hallucinationg or developing serotonin syndrome from the dextromethorphan in most all OTC cold and cough medications, then go right ahead. If you want to sleep for 15 hours (and I do from time to time, but that's just me), take some alcoholic Nyquil :sigh.

You'd think people would listen to what appear to be legitimate contraindications :stu.


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