Does Zoloft increase heart rate?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
Does Zoloft increase heart rate?
Zoloft may or may not increase your heart rate. This antidepressant is generally considered cardiac protective, but it can affect cardiac functions in some people. Studies have reported that Zoloft can cause QT elongation and can cause arrhythmia or heart palpitations.
This irregular heart rate can become quite significant in some patients, which may also lead to the discontinuation of treatment with this antidepressant.
If you feel like your heart is racing right after taking Zoloft, reach out to your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Although it is a rare side effect and affects very few people, it can lead to life-threatening complications.
What does research suggest?
There is no proper explanation as to why Zoloft increases heart rate in some people. Some studies have suggested that as it works on the excitatory system in your brain and enhances the activity of serotonin, this may trigger harder and faster contraction of your cardiac muscles.
A 2007 study monitored the effects of Sertraline on the heart rates of cardiac patients and indicated that the antidepressant can increase heart rate variability in such patients. Although it may not trigger a significant change, care must be taken in such people (1).
A research review indicated that antidepressants generally can affect heart rate because of increased sympathetic nervous system activity, which can trigger heart muscles to contract (2). However, antidepressants that work on more of such excitatory chemicals possess a greater risk.
Zoloft is an SSRI, which selectively works on serotonin. There are several other antidepressants that increase the availability of serotonin as well as other chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine. Such meds are more commonly associated with cardiac adverse events.
However, Zoloft may not be the best choice of antidepressant for every other person. There are other factors that can also affect how Zoloft works like your dose, frequency of drug administration, age, genetics, and any underlying health condition.
Zoloft may also affect thyroid functions in some people. Although it is rare, increased thyroid functions or hyperthyroidism can also increase heart rate. So, make sure you monitor your side effects and report them to your healthcare provider.
Zoloft may also interact with some medications that can be used to manage heart rate, like Flecainide. However, these medications may help manage Zoloft-induced increased heart rate in some individuals.
What to do if Zoloft increases your heart rate?
As I stated earlier, the first and most important thing to do is to talk to your healthcare provider. Only your doctor can help you determine if Zoloft is the culprit behind your increased heart rate and will rule out any underlying health condition that may interact negatively with your antidepressant.
In some cases, the dose of Zoloft is higher than the body can bear and this causes rare side effects. If that’s the case with you, your doctor will most likely reduce your dose and ask you to report back in a week or two.
If your side effects subside, it’s a good sign. If it doesn’t and it continues to make your heart beat faster and harder, Zoloft may not be the right choice of antidepressant for you.
The most important point:
Do not stop Zoloft abruptly. If you think discontinuing the medication right away will normalise your heart rate, you are absolutely wrong. Sudden Zoloft withdrawal can open a new door to disturbing symptoms for you.
It is even more important if you are a cardiac patient. Abrupt Zoloft withdrawal can trigger your heart condition and increase the risk of heart attacks. So make sure you always report your side effects to your doctor, you can help you out in the best possible way.
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References
1.-
Glassman AH, Bigger JT, Gaffney M, Van Zyl LT. Heart rate variability in acute coronary syndrome patients with major depression: influence of sertraline and mood improvement. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007 Sep;64(9):1025-31. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.9.1025. PMID: 17768267. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17768267/
2.-
Yekehtaz H, Farokhnia M, Akhondzadeh S. Cardiovascular considerations in antidepressant therapy: an evidence-based review. J Tehran Heart Cent. 2013 Oct 28;8(4):169-76. PMID: 26005484; PMCID: PMC4434967. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4434967/
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