Is Zinc Safe with Sertraline?
Free · No account · based on published sources including NIH ODS, FDA drug labels, and peer-reviewed literature
Consider supplementing with 15–25 mg of zinc (as zinc glycinate or zinc picolinate) daily with long-term sertraline use. Avoid exceeding 40 mg/day without monitoring. Take zinc away from sertraline doses to avoid absorption interference.
Why this interaction occurs
Zinc is a cofactor in serotonin synthesis and modulates NMDA and GABA receptors involved in mood regulation. Chronic SSRI use has been associated with reduced serum zinc levels. Zinc deficiency may blunt antidepressant response. Some clinical trials have shown zinc augmentation improves SSRI outcomes in treatment-resistant depression.
Evidence
Evidence level: moderate.
Reported safety data
The FDA’s adverse event reporting system (FAERS) has received 145,428 reports mentioning Sertraline. This reflects reported cases involving the medication in general — not confirmed causation, and not specific to the Sertraline + supplement combination on this page.
FAERS reports are voluntary and cannot prove that a drug caused an event. Do not use report counts to assess the safety of this specific drug-supplement pair.
Frequently asked questions
Related interactions
All Zinc interactions → · All Sertraline interactions →
Already checked this one — check your whole list
Educational only — not medical advice.
Always confirm with your doctor or pharmacist.