Hi struuudog,
It is nearly always the case that when a medication has the brain as its target for clinical benefit, that there is the possibility of trouble concentrating or some slight blunting of the quality of ones thinking. That being said, while not rare, it is not typical for people to report cognitive or thinking problems when taking a standard
antidepressant, including the widely used
SSRIs such as
Zoloft (as you took). If you found that the
Zoloft blunted your thinking or creativity, you and your doctor have the options of either trying the
Zoloft at a lower dose, making increases if necessary in very small increments and slowly, or trying another medication. Certain
anti-depressants are more likely to have cognitive side effects than others. The medications that are most specifically act on the serotonin and/or norepinephrine brain nerve transmitter systems are probably least likely to have these side effects. These would include Celexa,
Lexapro and Cymbalta, for example.
Zoloft and
Prozac are decent choices, as well. Potentially sedating
antidepressants (which affect other brain transmitters such as histamine and acetylcholine) such as Remeron and Paxil, or those making people prone to side-effects from their "washing-out" of the body quickly (such as
Effexor) may be less preferable. However,
antidepressant choice needs to be a highly individualized process requiring much discussion between a patient and her doctor. Good luck!
E. Seigle MD
