My first dose of zoloft caused ringing in my head that has persisted for a week. my dr suggests restarting it. is this permanent? should i continue?

It's worth: "another try"!! The symptoms you describe are VERY UNLIKELY to have been caused by the Zoloft! My opinion only! Hope it s helpful! Dr Z

Try alternatives: Tinnitus (ringing in ears) is a very uncommon side effect of Zoloft but has been reported. Even if rare, if you're the one in thousands who has it it's still a problem. While it could be a coincidence, I would not take the chance since there are many alternatives, both with medicines and other things. Zoloft works only slightly better than placebo! See https://tinyurl.com/y6ugjwyv and my comment: