I started taking zoloft a couple of months ago and since then I have noticed an increased urge to pee. It is pretty constant. Even if I haven't had much/anything to drink I will need to go.

I looked at the leaflet and it is listed as one of the rare side effects. I was just curious if anyone here had experienced this and if there is anything I can do to reduce the need..?

[Verity81]

I've just started back on Zoloft and haven't had that side effect. I would advise you to speak to your Dr first and rule out a water infection first. Then speak to your pdoc if things don't improve

[Yoda]

Zoloft rarely causes hyperglycemia which can present with increased frequency of voiding. Have you ruled that out yet?

I also agree you should mention this change to your doctor.

[TheOriginalMe]

Don't get me started on SSRI's and bladder problems! I am somewhat of a reluctant expert in this area. Before I go off on one, the previous posters are right and you should speak to your doc to rule out other causes.

Unfortunately, SSRIs can cause bladder problems ranging from incontinence, through frequent peeing, to complete inability to pee. The reason for this is that serotonin controls the bladder's ability to contract. If the bladder can't contract properly then any of the above problems could occur. The problem can also occur with the older tricyclic anti-depressants and the SNRIs too. Basically nearly every anti-depressant works on serotonin and theoretically could cause urinary disturbance.

If you rule out other causes and conclude that Zoloft is the problem then changing meds might resolve the problem, but if Zoloft is working then it comes down to the decision of whether you can live with the inconvenience versus a different med might not work as well for you.

The worst meds for me were Effexor and Cymbalta, both of which caused urinary incontinence. At the moment, one of the meds I'm taking is Prozac, which causes me partial urinary retention, so I don't empty my bladder fully and then after a few days I have the constant urge to pee (every 15 minutes or so) and eventually this calms down and I go back to not peeing properly. It is annoying but nowhere near as bad as incontinence. Drinking more fluid (preferably water) helps a bit because it dilutes the pee, concentrated pee irritates the bladder and tends to make matters worse in the long run.

I hope you are able to get this problem sorted out.

I've never actually had this problem with the other SSRIs/SNRIs I've been on. I think I will be sticking with the zoloft regardless though, I think this med has helped me more than any of the others I've been on! It's more of an annoyance but I can live with it. I guess I should get checked out to make sure there's nothing to worry about...but y'know...effort and all that..