text: is the high blood pressure caused by zoloft or the depression itself? my mom has got a relapse of depression after she stopped taking zoloft for half a year. now she has to take it again(50mg/day). she has been using it for 20 days. it seems the situation is getting worse. once she moves around a little, her blood pressure is going high to 170. could you please let me know if it is because of zoloft side effect or the depression? is it necessary for her to continue to take the medicine? your advice is highly appreciated. yes your mom needs to continue her meds,   however don't automatically assume that hypertension is one of the side affects,  some times with depression people can also encounter anxiety, which can cause htn,  she should talk to dr. first,  many meds should not be stopped suddenly