HSV and SSRI (Zoloft/sertraline, Cipramil/citalopram)

[SupportMe]

I usually have oral herpes outbreaks about every 1-3 months.
Now I have been taking SSRI (Zoloft/sertraline) for a month and a half, and have had three outbreaks since I started. Obviously I suspect a connection.
I had a period of very frequent (every other week) outbreaks a couple of years ago - although I had had herpes for many years already then. When thinking about it, I wonder if it could have been at the time that I was taking SSRIs (Cipramil/citalopram) the last time...

I have seen a poster in forum on psychopharmaca discussing the same problems.

Would anyone happen to have any info on this???

[rojas66]

NOT a cooincidence.  i started taking SSRIs a while back and my rarely occurring outbreaks became frequent.  i didn't like the side effects, made me apathetic and tired, so i stopped taking them, and lo and behold, the outbreaks went away. some time after that i started taking an over the counter 5-htp supplement which essentially converts to serotonin and the same thing happened - more outbreaks.  stopped because i didn't like the same side effects as the SSRIs.  in the last year i started OTC DLPA with some success, but decided to try add the 5-htp back in, and AGAIN, i'm having outbreaks.  can't stop the valtrex for 1 lousy day and it's back.  it's like it never goes away.  i can't work without these meds, my job is too difficult.  i could still kill the guy who infected me 9 years ago.

[waringblender]

I highly doubt it. Sounds like a coincidence. There have to be millions of people with HSV1 using SSRIs, and it just seems extremely unlikely that this would be a side effect of these drugs.

[Icdsx25]

I had the same problem. I have HSV2. When it spread other places on my body back in 2014, I was on an SSRI. Just last week, I was put on another SSRI  for only 3 days and herpes popped up in areas that it never did before! Coincidence? I don't think so.

[auntiejessi]

I'm sorry this is happening. Can you try acyclovir or valtrex while you are on the SSRI? Your mental health is important, and if you need the SSRI, maybe you can manage the outbreaks with antivirals. I know it's not ideal, but maybe it's a way to help.

When you say "other places on your body" - what do you mean?