Positives

• One patient noted that after starting Zoloft (sertraline) at 100mg, they experienced significant relief from “debilitating derealization/confusion/disorientation” within a week, marking a turning point in recovery Reddit.
  
  
• In another report, a patient, dealing with primarily neurological symptoms, found unexpected relief with sertraline, describing it as a “life-saving” intervention that they credit with their survival Reddit.
  
  

Negatives

• A patient with severe Long COVID symptoms, including muscle weakness and orthostatic hypotension, reported that sertraline led to “increased weakness” and worsened nasal congestion, suggesting it may not be suitable for everyone Reddit.
  
  

Hurdles & Side Effects

• Generic sertraline is on the Walmart $4 list, but patients still report sticker shock at brand-name Zoloft pricing if their pharmacy doesn’t auto-substitute the generic.
• Patients stopping sertraline commonly experience withdrawal symptoms, with brain zaps, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, and nausea typically beginning 3-5 days after the last dose Lancet Psychiatry.
• Patients on Zoloft commonly describe sexual side effects that don’t fade with time: up to 65% of users report decreased libido, delayed orgasm, or erectile dysfunction, and a subset develop post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) that persists after stopping Hers.
• Sertraline carries hundreds of documented drug interactions, particularly with MAOIs, triptans, tramadol, and other serotonergic agents that can trigger serotonin syndrome Drugs.com.