Question about Zoloft

Hi
i am a 16 year old male who was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder. I started geting chest pain, dizziness, weakness, palpations. After many tests i was diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder and was prescribed zoloft. I have been doing CBT for a few months now but therapy doesn't seem to help. i still get chest pain and palpatations daily. Walking to shcool has become really hard as i am always fatigued and think something bad will happen. I check my pulse often. Should i just start the zoloft? I have the prescription but am afraid of side affects. I'm supposed to take 25mg for a week, then 50mg for a week and then 100mg till i'm done. Any advice?

[M4Y0U]

Hello there,

In my humble opinion, since you are young, if you can try some alternative first. I have some suggestion for you to try out first.

Number one on the list is physical activity. Get a subscription to a gym and make it a routine. Physical activity will make your body produces a lot of hormones that are regulating your body and brain ( mind ). I have seen many people treat stress and anxiety by doing physical activity. Our body was made to move, and sometimes it's the only way for it to produce some essential hormones we need for good mental and physical health. So don't underestimate physical activity and you can google ''physical activity hormones'' on google to see the benefits.

You will also need to try a good diet. For example, improper diet and nutrition can cause changes in brain chemistry that leave you less able to cope with problems and emotional reactions. If you drink coffee, soda, or other caffeinated beverages regularly, you are going to be more prone to stress, anxiety, anger, and general nervousness.
Lack of proper sleep can cause lethargy, irritability, make you less productive, and eventually contribute to depression.

Here are some good food you should include in your diet that will help for anxiety.

    * Almonds
    * Tree nuts
    * Bananas
    * Beef Liver
    * Broccoli
    * Brown Rice
    * Halibut
    * Lentils
    * Oats, whole grain
    * Oranges, citrus fruits
    * Rice bran
    * Spinach
    * Walnuts
    * Whole wheat, whole grains.

Along with physical activity and healthy diet you can try the herb passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is have shown possitive result.

Valerian extract is one herb shown to relieve anxiety in numerous scientific studies. When taken in doses of 50-500 mg, Valerian extract can help you feel more relaxed and less worried. It usually works quickly after about 30 minutes, and unlike anti-anxiety drugs, Valerian is not addictive. High-quality natural anxiety medications contain Valerian extract that's standardized to contain at least 0.8% of valerenic acid, the active constituent.

L-theanine, an amino acid extracted from Green Tea, is a third natural anxiety medication with a pronounced anti-anxiety effect. In fact, many people report that L-theanine works as well as anti-anxiety drugs when taken in doses of 100-300mg. Some products marketed as "L-theanine" actually contain very little pure L-theanine, and thus aren't effective. For this reason, you should make sure to use a natural anxiety medication with SunTheanine®, a 99% pure form of L-theanine.

The best natural anxiety medications are those containing proven ingredients in the proper doses and potencies. For effective anxiety relief, i recommend Seredyn, a supplement that combines the proven doses of Valerian extract, Passion Flower extract, and SunTheanine.

Anyway I am not a doctor and in no way i have no right to tell you to not take the Zoloft but since you are 16 years old i think you can try some alternatives and i names a lot above.

One last thing you can try is luminotherapy. Luminotherapy means light therapy and usually involves half-hour sessions in front of a bright lamp (10 000 lux), specially adapted to treat seasonal depression. The principle is simple: light exposure slows down melatonin production, fighting sleepiness and depression. The light reaches the brain through the retina of the eye, as nerve impulses, to alter hormone levels, which in turn reset your body clock and boost your immune system. Some doctors and health farms offer luminotherapy as a treatment, but there are also special lamps on the market for home use.

Hope this will help and remember to consult your doctor if you are worried or have any question and consider my advice as suggestions only since i'm not a doctor and i have no right to tell you do against what your doctor want. Talk to him about all the alternative i suggested you and if he's really concerned about your health he will agree to give it a try before you start Zoloft.

Best regards,
M4

[philip314]

Thanks for your post.
I will maybe try some herbal teas or extacts. Also I eat a fairly heathly diet and do get enough sleep. Physical activity is something i could work on. The thing is i not 100% convinced that anxiety is causing all my symptoms and i am looking to get some more tests done.

[M4Y0U]

Being not sure the symptoms are all caused by anxiety is also a common symptom of anxiety.

But if it can easy your mind you can have some more test done to be sure it's anxiety. Once you are clean on every test you can start really working on anxiety.

Good luck with the alternatives remedies.

[philip314]

My next appointment with the phycologist is in a week. I will discuss some of the alternatives then.
thanks again

[nursegirl6572]

How long have you been in therapy and doing CBT?  If it hasn't been very long, then I think it wouldn't hurt to step that up a notch and try some other approaches.  If, on the other hand, it has been a while and you've really worked hard at the therapy with little results, then I think trying the Zoloft would be adviseable.  

A word of caution, do not take both the Zoloft AND the natural remedies listed above.  Try one or the other.  And, be sure that your doc knows everything you are taking.

Good luck, hang in there...it WILL get better.