Sertraline - interactions with thyroid meds? - Thyroid UK

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Sertraline - interactions with thyroid meds?

Rainbow-Lover profile image
13 Replies

I’m trying to find out why my FT3 levels have risen alarmingly. This morning, I posted asking whether anyone had any experience of Candersartan affecting FT3.

I’ve had two meds added during a recent hospital admission. The first was Candersartan and the second was Sertraline. I stopped the Sertraline after only three days as the side effects were not tolerable. I was persuaded to “give it a try” when in hospital. I agreed to do this as I do have symptoms of severe anxiety. I knew that there would be “start up” effects but wasn’t prepared for the way they affected me. I don’t want to deal with my anxiety issues with psychotropic drugs.

Any information anyone can give me about the effects of Sertraline on Thyroid meds gratefully received. I’ve been on two grains of NDT since 2018 without any issues until now.

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Rainbow-Lover profile image
Rainbow-Lover
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13 Replies
humanbean profile image
humanbean

According to the NHS Interactions Checker there are no interactions between sertraline and levothyroxine or liothyronine.

bnf.nice.org.uk/interaction...

In the above link just enter the drug name you want to check for interactions with sertraline and it will tell you what you want to know.

Sertraline does have adverse effects like any SSRI. You can read up on those by reading the Patient Information Leaflet that comes with the box of pills. Other sites with info can be found on these links :

bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/sertr...

drugs.com/sertraline.html

Rainbow-Lover profile image
Rainbow-Lover in reply to humanbean

Thank you HB. Checked these a while ago but nothing listed.

Lulu_65 profile image
Lulu_65

hello

I tried sertraline over a year ago and was very unwell with it. I managed 3 months before I had to come off it. I had symptoms of an overactive thyroid but my levels weren’t checked at the time. I went on a different antidepressant with no adverse effects. Sertraline seems incompatible with thyroid disease.

Rainbow-Lover profile image
Rainbow-Lover in reply to Lulu_65

It certainly is.

Interaction checkers give insufficient info about effects which are not reported - and many people have no way of knowing thyroid levels when these terrible effects occur.

samaja profile image
samaja in reply to Rainbow-Lover

Maybe you should use the Yellow Card system and report the side effects as otherwise they will never be added to this information.

CAB92 profile image
CAB92 in reply to Lulu_65

hi, interesting you say that, I’m 4 weeks in to 100mg Sertraline and feel absolutely awful. So much dizziness and brain fog. I’m also on 75mcg levothyroxine due to hypothyroid. There doesn’t seem to be much info out there for a combination of the two x

Rainbow-Lover profile image
Rainbow-Lover in reply to CAB92

No. Indeed not. Sadly there are many interactions and side effects which occur but unless people make a connection and do a ‘yellow card report’ they will remain undocumented.

helen_m profile image
helen_m

Hi, I'm on levo and lio and sertraline. I felt I had more energy, but was starting to feel that I was on too much levo so I've decreased from 112 mcg to 100. Still on 20 mcg liothyronine. I'm going to get a Medichecks test done fairly soon to see what's going on.

Rainbow-Lover profile image
Rainbow-Lover

Something is definitely going on helen.

Have you had a test which shows an increase in FT3?

helen_m profile image
helen_m in reply to Rainbow-Lover

No, but definitely feel like I might be a bit over replaced.

helvella profile image
helvellaAdministratorThyroid UK

Sauvage MF, Marquet P, Rousseau A, Raby C, Buxeraud J, Lachatre G: Relationship between psychotropic drugs and thyroid function: a review. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1998 Apr;149(2):127-35. doi: 10.1006/taap.1998.8367. [Article]

Lai J, Xu D, Peterson BS, Xu Y, Wei N, Zhang M, Hu S: Reversible Fluoxetine-Induced Hyperthyroidism: A Case Report. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2016 Jan-Feb;39(1):60-1. doi: 10.1097/WNF.0000000000000116. [Article]

de Carvalho GA, Bahls SC, Boeving A, Graf H: Effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on thyroid function in depressed patients with primary hypothyroidism or normal thyroid function. Thyroid. 2009 Jul;19(7):691-7. doi: 10.1089/thy.2008.0261. [Article]

Rainbow-Lover profile image
Rainbow-Lover in reply to helvella

Thank you Helvella.

I am fighting to understand how during a recent hospital admission I had a visit from an Endo and her registrar at 8 pm. A real live Endo and no waiting list! She was overcome with excitement and brought her registrar and a med student with her.

She asked about my thyroidectomy and went through the standard speel - suppressed TSH is dangerous; I shouldn’t be self medicating; this is why I have violent diarrhoea. I am hyperthyroid etc etc

I gave as good as I got and then she pulled the rabbit out of the hat. It seems that when I was admitted at 7 pm (12 hours after my dose of 2 grains of Thyroid S at 7 am) my FT3 was 13 and HR 122. I’ve been on this dose for since 2018 and had stable blood results within range since then using the testing protocol.

My medical record now includes the words “Hyperthyoidism induced by self medication of T3”. Until now my GP has been aware and supportive of my use of NDT

I am currently overweight with no appetite, no tremor, constipation and no symptoms of ‘hyperthyroidism’ at all. My heart rate is very low at 60-65.

I have reduced two days ago to 1.75 grains but as I told her this will not increase my TSH to the recommended 0.1 for Thyroid cancer patients.

I am angry, upset and perplexed. When I find out the reason for this anomaly I will get back into fighting mode. For now, I just want to curl up and die. I’ve spent years on this forum fighting for fair treatment for thyroid disease after being over medicated for years myself with Levothyroxine which was not converting.

I’ve always advocated being open with doctors but now I’d say source it yourself, test privately and use the support of these wonderfully knowledgable members to move forward.

1tuppence profile image
1tuppence in reply to Rainbow-Lover

Ooooooh! I'm so very sorry to read of your despair. It's understandable . Whilst you curl up, know you are being virtually hugged and stood by. "This too shall pass" and you will feel better, but just for now, allow yourself to feel as you do, knowing you are not alone. xx

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