Can’t remember if I took my Zoloft (5+ tips to help remember)

In this blog, we will discuss what happens if you don’t remember whether you have taken your zoloft or not. We will talk about complications that might arise from missing your dose and how you can protect yourself from overdosing. 

In this blog post we will also cover tips to help you remember taking your zoloft on time.        

Can’t remember if you took your zoloft? 

If you’re not sure whether you have taken your zoloft or not and it’s way past the usual time at which you take your med, just let it go and look forward to taking the next dose on time. 

Not remembering if you took your antidepressant is pretty nerve-racking. You can try asking for family members or look for signs, like the amount of pills left in your bottle or if the bottle is moved from its usual place. 

If nothing works and you remain clueless, it’s best not to take it. This situation leaves you with two choices, missed dose and overdose. Missed dose is considered much better than overdosing on your zoloft.

Let’s talk about what happens if you miss your dose or accidentally end up taking double the usual dose. 

Zoloft missed dose

Antidepressants are not that simple when it comes to missing a dose. It’s a common practice among people who have busy schedules to forget taking their meds. But antidepressants, including zoloft, are a bit typical in case of missing a dose. 

Most people can experience symptoms similar to those of discontinuation syndrome, especially those who are at higher doses. Symptoms are much more intense in people using antidepressants with shorter half-lives.

Symptoms

For people on lower doses, symptoms associated with missing a dose are mild but it’s still hard to predict as people have different tolerance levels. Common symptoms include:

• Anxiety 
• Vomiting 
• Nausea
• Vivid dreams
• tremors
• Headaches 
• Excess sweating/night sweats
• Disturbed sleep, insomnia, nightmares
• Dizziness or vertigo
• You might feel something called brain zaps, which feels like a shock firing in your brain 
• Heightened anxiety and nervousness
• Mood swings

Other rare symptoms include:

• Brain zaps
• Auditory or visual hallucinations
• Hypertension
• Arrhythmia 
• Heart palpitations

The above mentioned are possible symptoms of missing a dose. They rely on several factors, including the duration of your antidepressant use and your dose. You will not necessarily go through these symptoms but it is possible for some people to experience them.

What to do if you miss the dose

If you’re way past the usual time at which you take your med, do not take it. It will cause you to overdose when you take your next dose, which is not too far away. It’s better to skip the missed dose and take the next one. If you remember your missed dose earlier, it’s safe for you to take it.

Zoloft overdose

Zoloft overdose depends on a lot of factors. Research shows different responses to overdose. Some people tolerate it pretty well and some find it extremely difficult to deal with the symptoms. 

There are two most important elements which can contribute to this variation, your dose and how well you generally tolerate zoloft. 

If you accidentally overdose on a 25 mg zoloft, you are less likely to suffer from intense side effects as compared to the effects you might experience after overdosing on a 100 mg zoloft.

Symptoms

Following are the symptoms associated with zoloft overdose:

• Excessive sweating 
• Restlessness and fatigue
• Headache, which often feels like your head is pounding
• Changes in blood pressure and/or temperature
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Bradycardia
• Tremors
• Muscle twitching and muscle pain
• Shivering and goosebumps

Now, one thing to note here is that these side effects can vary from person to person and are much more pronounced in people taking higher doses of zoloft. People who tolerate zoloft well and are at lower doses might get away with just a little discomfort. 

Tips to help you remember to take your zoloft

There are a few tips that might help you remember taking your meds. These include:

Take your antidepressant at the same time, everyday.

It’s best to take your zoloft at the same time everyday. This way you will perfectly take it ‘once a day’. This practice also makes taking zoloft a part of your routine like other daily life activities and you’re more likely to remember taking it. 

Use technology

The use of technology is the easiest way of reminding yourself to take your zoloft. You can set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to help you remember taking your med. You can also find apps on app stores which can help remember your medication schedule.

Use a pill box

Pill boxes are boxes with small compartments, which are labelled for storing your medication day wise. You can use one for zoloft and fill it up with a week of doses. 

In case you forget if you have taken your zoloft or not, you can simply go check your pill box and see if the compartment labelled with the present day is empty or not.

Add it in your to-do-list

If you like crossing things off your to-do-list, you can try adding your antidepressant in it as well. It is advised to do it only if you keep and strictly follow your to-do-list. If not, then this hack will not work for you.

Ensure you never run out of it

Make sure you never have to miss a dose of your zoloft simply because you don’t have it. Always refill your prescriptions on time so you never run out of it. 

Turn your bottle upside down

After you’re done taking your zoloft, turn your prescription bottle upside down. Day by day, try to make it a habit so you won’t ever forget doing that.  If you forget it someday, just go check the position of your bottle from which you can check whether you’ve taken your medication or not.

Try taking your med with some other daily activity 

The best way to always remember taking your med is combining it with your daily activities. For example, if your doctor has advised you to take your zoloft every morning, try taking it with your breakfast. 

This way, you will always remember taking it as it becomes a part of your breakfast routine. You can also link your zoloft to some other daily activity. 

Conclusion

In this blog, we discussed the dangers of missing your zoloft dose and how this missed dose sometimes becomes an overdose when people take their missed dose close to their next dose. Taking your missed dose this way can increase the amount of zoloft in your body. 

This effect is pretty dramatic when you take higher doses like 100 or 150 mg. Make sure you read the precaution carefully and always inform your healthcare provider of any allergy you may have. 

Also, inform your doctor about any other medication you might take as not all medicines could be used together. Drug interactions are pretty common and can be avoided pretty easily. 

FAQs: Can’t remember if i took my zoloft

What do I do if I can’t remember if I took my Zoloft?

If you’re way past the usual time at which you take your med, do not take it. It will cause you to overdose when you take your next dose, which is not too far away. It’s better to skip the missed dose and take the next one. If you remember your missed dose earlier, it’s safe for you to take it.

There are a few things you can try to remember taking your zoloft:

• It’s best to take your zoloft at the same time everyday. This way you will perfectly take it ‘once a day’.
• You can set an alarm or a reminder on your phone to help you remember taking your med. You can also find apps on app stores which can help remember your medication schedule.
• You can use a pill box for zoloft and fill it up with a week of doses. In case you forget if you have taken your zoloft or not, you can simply go check your pill box and see if the compartment labelled with the present day is empty or not.
• If you like crossing things off your to-do-list, you can try adding your antidepressant in it as well
• Make sure you never have to miss a dose of your zoloft simply because you don’t have it. 

What happens if you accidentally take two Zoloft?

If you’re on a low dose of zoloft, you might get away with little discomfort. It you’re on higher doses, you may suffer from following symptoms:

• Excessive sweating 
• Restlessness and fatigue
• Headache, which often feels like your head is pounding
• Changes in blood pressure and/or temperature
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Bradycardia
• Tremors
• Muscle twitching and muscle pain
• Nervousness 
• Shivering and goosebumps

Can’t remember if I took my pill. Should I take another?

Not remembering if you took your antidepressant is pretty nerve-racking. This situation leaves you with two choices, missed dose and overdose. Missed dose is considered much better than overdosing on your zoloft. So simply skip it and must remember to take your next dose on time. 

Can I switch Zoloft from morning to night?

Shifting zoloft from morning to night should only be done only if approved by your healthcare provider. Doctors usually recommend to drop one dose in order to switch your timing.  

For example: if you take zoloft in the morning, your doctor might recommend you drop your morning dose and take it at night instead, from where you can continue taking it at night everyday.

Is 100mg of Zoloft a lot?
100 mg of zoloft is not a lot but it is higher than the most commonly prescribed dose, that is 50 mg. The highest dose of zoloft is 200 mg. It is not recommended to take more than 150-200 mg.

Can you cut sertraline in half?

Yes, you can cut your sertraline in half if your doctor has advised you to take half of what’s available in the market. For example: if your doctor suggests you start taking zoloft from12.5 mg, you can split 25 mg zoloft in half as 25 mg is the lowest available dose in the market.

References

• Don’t Mess With Your Antidepressant https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20000504/dont-mess-with-your-antidepressant
• ZOLOFT- sertraline hydrochloride tablet, film coated sertraline hydrochloride solution, concentrate https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=fe9e8b7d-61ea-409d-84aa-3ebd79a046b5
• C Lindsay DeVane et al. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2002. – Clinical pharmacokinetics of sertraline https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12452737/
• James M. Ferguson, M.D. – SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse Effects and Tolerability https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC181155/