levothyroxine vs sertraline
Side-by-side comparison of levothyroxine and sertraline. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.
minor Known Drug Interaction
Administration of sertraline in patients stabilized on levothyroxine sodium may result in increased levothyroxine sodium requirements. Administration of sertraline in patients stabilized on levothyroxine sodium may result in increased levothyroxine sodium requirements.
Recommendation: Your doctor should check your thyroid levels after you start or change your dose of sertraline. They may need to increase your thyroid medication dose.
Synthroid, Levoxyl, Tirosint
Zoloft
Levothyroxine is a medicine that replaces a hormone normally made by your thyroid gland. It is used when the thyroid doesn't make enough hormone on its own.
Sertraline is a medicine used to treat depression and other mental health conditions. It helps balance chemicals in your brain to improve your mood and reduce anxiety.
This medicine treats hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland doesn't make enough thyroid hormone. It can be used in adults and children, even newborns. Levothyroxine can also be used after surgery and radioiodine therapy for thyroid cancer to help lower thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.
Sertraline is used to treat major depressive disorder in adults. This means it can help with ongoing sadness or loss of interest in things. It also treats obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), where you have unwanted thoughts or behaviors that you can't control. Sertraline can also treat panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), and social anxiety disorder.
Levothyroxine provides a synthetic form of thyroxine (T4), which is the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. Your body converts T4 into triiodothyronine (T3), the active form of the hormone. By providing T4, levothyroxine helps restore normal thyroid hormone levels in your body.
Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by increasing the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a chemical that helps regulate mood, and by blocking its reabsorption, sertraline helps improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- • Fatigue
- • Increased appetite
- • Weight loss
- • Feeling hot
- • Headache
- • Nausea
- • Diarrhea
- • Headache
- • Insomnia
- • Dizziness
- Tiredness 25,847
- Feeling sick to your stomach 22,021
- Head pain 18,798
- Loose stools 18,178
- Difficulty breathing 16,216
- Feeling sick to your stomach 5,757
- Feeling very tired 5,244
- Loose, watery stools 4,654
- Pain in your head 4,407
- Feeling lightheaded or unsteady 4,121
Thyroid hormones, including levothyroxine, should not be used for weight loss or to treat obesity. Using high doses can cause serious and life-threatening side effects, especially when taken with stimulant medicines.
Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or actions in children, teens, and young adults. Watch closely for worsening depression, unusual behavior, or thoughts of suicide. Sertraline is not approved for treating depression in children.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Your levothyroxine dose may need to be adjusted during pregnancy. Levothyroxine passes into breast milk, but it is not expected to harm the baby.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Sertraline may affect your baby. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking sertraline during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Also Compare, Nearby Drugs
Compare sertraline with
How to Read This levothyroxine vs sertraline Comparison
levothyroxine is classified in the Thyroid Hormone drug class, while sertraline sits within the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.
Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, levothyroxine has 101,060 submissions while sertraline has 24,183. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to taking sertraline can make your thyroid medication less effective, meaning your body might need more of it to stay healthy.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.
A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between levothyroxine and sertraline - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.
Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.