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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Long term use of Zoloft
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
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Long term use of Zoloft
by claritydoc, Mar 18, 2002 12:00AM
I have been taking Zoloft for ten years now. Starting at 50mg and eventually going up to 100mg.
I recently got a better handle on my depression and anger (Cognative therapy is really good)and started to wean myself off Zoloft.(With the docs OK) 2 days after going down to 75mg I am noticing a slight hearing loss. I saw the doctor and he thought it was caused by congestion and advised use of a nasel spray. (It made no difference) Now in my 4th day I have a very obvious loss of 40% hearing in my right ear.
Does anyone else have any experiance of hearing loss using Zoloft? (I know about Tinnitus but this is more serious.)
I recently got a better handle on my depression and anger (Cognative therapy is really good)and started to wean myself off Zoloft.(With the docs OK) 2 days after going down to 75mg I am noticing a slight hearing loss. I saw the doctor and he thought it was caused by congestion and advised use of a nasel spray. (It made no difference) Now in my 4th day I have a very obvious loss of 40% hearing in my right ear.
Does anyone else have any experiance of hearing loss using Zoloft? (I know about Tinnitus but this is more serious.)
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Mar 19, 2002 12:00AM
, Mar 19, 2002 12:00AM
Hearing loss with withdrawal is not reported in any of my current reference material, but this may be a rare case. I suggest you either do research on the internet(as you are now doing) or contact the manufacturer or ask your local pharmacist to look for drug alerts that might shed some light on this.
Member Comments (4)
by TGSinMD, Mar 19, 2002 12:00AM
I am also wondering about other mid to long term side effects of using Zoloft. I have been on Zoloft (50mg) for two months now (not really long term but enough to get through the initial negative side effects and experience its benefits). Initially I was treated to deal with panic attacks but the doctor also said Zoloft would help with the anxiety I have upon awakening early in the am. That does seem true, but now it seems as if I can hardly drag myself out of bed after sleeping 8 to 9 hours and feel rather lethargic all day. Because of this I eat more and have been putting on weight. Does this go away in time or is this more of one of the longer term side effects of Zoloft that I will have to adjust for if I decide to continue with it?
by lovah, May 23, 2002 12:00AM
I have been on 200 mg Zoloft for depression for at least three years. It has worked very well for me; however, lately I have seemed to develop a secondary set of symptoms. I feel very tired and sluggish. I have noticed a severed drop in motivation (particularely work related). I am physically worn out and I feel like my metabolism has slowed significantly. I am not blue, sad, weepy or suffer from my "normal" depression symptoms. Is it time I cycle off or down or make some other adjustment to my meds?
by Lucy1969, Sep 05, 2002 12:00AM
I have been taking 100 mg of zolof for about 4-5 years for depression. In addition, I take 10 mg of klonopin for anxiety/pannic attacks. I have noticed when I stop taking zoloft after the 3rd day (usually because I haven't had the chance to pick up my prescription) I get headaches, thirsty (almost feel dehydrated), nausea. But what's worse is these zapping sounds in my brain accompanied by tiny feelings of faintness. It gets worse by the 6th or 7th day to the point where I don't feel real. I'm also experiencing short term memory loss and forgetfulness. These two are very frustrating since I've been known to be very sharp and organized. I wish I didn't have to take Zoloft and have tried to wean myself off, but the withdrawal symptoms are horrible.
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