Sertraline and Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy - a phase IV clinical study of FDA data

Summary:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is reported as a side effect among people who take Sertraline (sertraline hydrochloride), especially for people who are female, 50-59 old, have been taking the drug for < 1 month also take Tysabri, and have Multiple sclerosis.

The phase IV clinical study analyzes which people have Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy when taking Sertraline. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 146,463 people who have side effects when taking Sertraline from the FDA, and is updated regularly.

What is Sertraline?

Sertraline has active ingredients of sertraline hydrochloride. It is often used in depression. eHealthMe is studying from 153,304 Sertraline users. Check the latest studies of Sertraline.

What is Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy?

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease caused by opportunistic infection of brain cells) is found to be associated with 592 drugs and 921 conditions by eHealthMe. Check the latest studies of Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

On Jul, 27, 2026

146,463 people reported to have side effects when taking Sertraline.
Among them, 85 people (0.06%) have Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

Could Sertraline cause Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy?

Among these 85 people:

How long have people been on Sertraline when they have Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy? *

What is the gender of people who have Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy when taking Sertraline? *

female: 78.05 %
male: 21.95 %

What is the age of people who have Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy when taking Sertraline? *

What are other drugs people take besides Sertraline? *

What are other side effects people have besides Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy? *

Hair Loss: 10 people, 11.76%
Adjustment Disorder With Depressed Mood: 10 people, 11.76%
Fatigue (feeling of tiredness): 10 people, 11.76%
Multiple Sclerosis Relapse (reoccurrence of a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. it damages the myelin sheath): 8 people, 9.41%
Urinary Tract Infection: 8 people, 9.41%
Immune Reconstitution Syndrome (immune recovery syndrome): 7 people, 8.24%
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormal: 6 people, 7.06%
Death: 5 people, 5.88%
Fall: 4 people, 4.71%
Drowsiness: 4 people, 4.71%

What are the existing conditions these people have? *

Multiple Sclerosis (a nervous system disease that affects your brain and spinal cord. it damages the myelin sheath): 49 people, 57.65%
Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (reoccurrence of an inflammatory disease in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged): 23 people, 27.06%
Fatigue (feeling of tiredness): 10 people, 11.76%
Pain: 8 people, 9.41%
Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (a stage of ms which comes after relapsing remitting ms in many cases): 5 people, 5.88%
Sleep Disorder: 4 people, 4.71%
Muscle Spasticity (tight or stiff muscles and an inability to control those muscles): 4 people, 4.71%
High Blood Pressure: 3 people, 3.53%
Insomnia (sleeplessness): 3 people, 3.53%
Dry Eyes (lack of adequate tears): 3 people, 3.53%

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Do you take Sertraline and have Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy?

- Check whether Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is associated with a drug or a condition
- Predict drug outcomes for up to one year with AI
- Get an AI agent to monitor your drugs continuously

Related studies:

Effectiveness of, long term effects of, and alternative drugs to Sertraline:

Sertraline (153,304 reports)

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy treatments and more:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (13,731 reports)

How severe was Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and when was it recovered:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in Sertraline

Expand to all the drugs that have ingredients of sertraline hydrochloride:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and drugs with ingredients of sertraline hydrochloride

Sub-studies by gender and age:

Female: 0-1 2-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

Male: 0-1 2-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+

Browse all side effects of Sertraline:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Browse all the drugs that are associated with Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (592 drugs)

Browse all the conditions that are associated with Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy:

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (921 conditions)

Related publications that referenced our studies

Izgi C, Erdem G, Mansuroglu D, Kurtoglu N, Kara M, Gunesdogdu F, "Severe hypokalemia probably associated with sertraline use", Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2014 Jan .
Izgi C, Erdem G, Mansuroglu D, Kurtoglu N, Kara M, Gunesdogdu F, "Severe hypokalemia probably associated with sertraline use", Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2014 Jan .

How the study uses the data?

The study uses data from the FDA. It is based on sertraline hydrochloride (the active ingredients of Sertraline) and Sertraline (the brand name). Other drugs that have the same active ingredients (e.g. generic drugs) are not considered. Dosage of drugs is not considered in the study.

How to use the study?

DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting your doctor. If there are any serious or long term adverse effects discovered in the study, discuss the study with your doctor to ensure that proper medication management will be in place if applicable.

Who is eHealthMe?

With medical big data and proven AI/ML algorithms, eHealthMe provides a platform for everyone to run phase IV clinical trials. We study millions of patients and 5,000 more each day. Results of our real-world drug study have been referenced on 800+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including The Lancet, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and Nature. Our analysis results are available to researchers, health care professionals, patients (testimonials), and software developers (open API).

WARNING, DISCLAIMER, USE FOR PUBLICATION

WARNING: Please DO NOT STOP MEDICATIONS without first consulting a physician since doing so could be hazardous to your health.

DISCLAIMER: All material available on eHealthMe.com is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. All information is observation-only. Our phase IV clinical studies alone cannot establish cause-effect relationship. Different individuals may respond to medication in different ways. Every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. The use of the eHealthMe site and its content is at your own risk.

If you use this eHealthMe study on publication, please acknowledge it with a citation: study title, URL, accessed date.