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Need Help with lexapro/klonopin and previous zoloft questions!

Hello, I have always had anxiety and have been a bad worrier. About 3 years ago I was on Zoloft for anxiety and as far as I could remember it worked well. About 1 year ago I weaned off Zoloft with no side effects. It took about 6 months (I took it really slow). 9 months to a year past when things go stressful with life, my job, rent, and weird things that were happening (fear of being alone in apartment). This caused constant fear and worry and there were nights I didn't sleep or slept in my car. I couldn't control myself and started losing myself. Two months past and it got worse and worse to a point where everyday I was detached from myself, I didn't know what was going on, and constant confusion. I felt as if I was doing things but I did not know why. I finally went to my Family Doctor and he prescribed me 10mg of Lexapro and 0.5mg of Klonopin. (He said to try the lex because sometimes SSRI wont work the second time around). I started the 10mg of lexapro and couldn't take the side effects the first 3 days. Extreme nausea, deep, stomach aches, Depression, anxiety, confusion, loss of myself and every side effect I felt. Last night I cut a 10mg to 5mg and I felt much better today. More calm and had a positive outlook. At night anxiety came back so I cut it again and have been taking .25mg of klonopin. My quesitons are..
Is this normal for me to feel like this?
Is it ok to take .25mg klonopin to help sleep at night?
If this doesnt work will the Zoloft that worked once work again?

I have so many questions little answers. Sorry for the rambling but thank you in advance.
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Avatar universal
I'd see a psychiatrist, not a regular doc, about this.  You've been off Zoloft a long time, so while it's true that sometimes antidepressants don't work the second time around, that's most common with Paxil, not Zoloft.  This is why you see psychiatrists -- they're more expert in the different meds.  That being said, Lexapro is popular because of the reputation, not proven, that it has fewer side effects than other ssris.  And take the above advice to heart -- benzos were not created to help you sleep, they were created to prevent seizures and then to help you relax.  If you rely on them every day, they become hard to stop taking and are addictive, and anything you rely on for sleep every night can create worse insomnia in the long run and can interfere with REM sleep.  Some will need to do this, but it's good to exhaust other things before resorting to it.  Good luck.
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Avatar universal
Well I can tell you I have been on and off the same SSRI many times and whenever I get back on it, it always works the same. I would assume Zoloft would work the just as well as it did before, however I am no doctor. As far as the klonopin goes... You don't want to take it as a sleeping aide as your body may become used to it and need it to help you sleep a goods night sleep. It is fine to take it before falling asleep of course. I have klonopin to take as needed (which is rare) but when I do take .5mg or 1mg I am usually knocked out within the hour. Which is why I now take .25mg.
You should talk to your doctor about taking Zoloft again if it worked well for you before. I told my new doctor that Prozac always worked well for me and he told me he is going to give me Prozac and nothing else since it worked before.
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