Which SSRI Has The Least Side Effects In Terms Of Nausea And Stomach Upset?

Posted on Mon, 17 Feb 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 17 Feb 2014 Answered on

Thu, 6 Mar 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Which SSRI has the least amount of side effects in terms o nausea and upset stomach. I have GERD so my stomach is sensitive anyway. I tried Zoloft but couldn't tolerate the nausea.

Answered by Dr. Preeti Parakh (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: Lexapro Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome to Healthcare Magic! As far as gastrointestinal side effects are concerned, The highest risk is with sertraline (Zoloft) and fluvoxamine. The least likelihood is with escitalopram (Lexapro). You can reduce the risk even further by starting Lexapro at a very low dose, say at just 2.5 mg instead of the usual dose of 10 mg per day. Then after a couple of days, if you are comfortable, it can be hiked to 5 mg per day. Similarly take a few more days to reach the starting dose of 10 mg per day. This will reduce the gastrointestinal side effects and if you have any, they will wear off in a few days. I hope this solves your problem. Please feel free to ask in case you need any clarifications. Best wishes. Dr Preeti Parakh MD Psychiatry

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar