dangers of zoloft

i took zoloft about 5 years ago thinking it was xanax and had a bad reaction to it. since then i have had heart palpitations difficulty breathing i feel like i am going to die. did the zoloft do something to the chemicals in my brain and make me have a panic dissorder? or is it just the trauma from the event that did it?

[mammo]

A lot depends on how long you took the Zoloft and how you stopped it.  Tell us a little more about this so we can better help you.

[Julie359]

Did you just take a one off pill or did you take it for longer?  Plus how did you manage to mistake the pills for xanax?  Were they not in a container with a clear label on it from the chemist?  Sounds a little bit unsual to me.... yeah mammo is right in asking for a little more infomation so we can help you a bit better but to be honest we can only give you a vague answer, the person you really need to consult regarding this is your shrink or GP, whoever is taking care of you regarding this matter.

[Julie359]

p.s 5 years is an extremely long time to have a reaction to a drug, especially if taken as a one off pill.  Plus for you to take a xanax you must of had a pre-existing anxiety disorder otherwise why take it?  So maybe the reaction has just increased this already exisiting condition and so now you may need to take a stronger med to help with the panic disorder.

[jbow247]

i took the zoloft thinking it was xanax because i was young and was trying to get high. i took two of them and i only did it once. i felt like i was going to die about 30 to 45 minutes after i took them. thank you for your help if you need to know anything else let me know.

[Julie359]

Ok, well thank-you for being honest, but i think i don't have to say to you how very silly you were for trying to abuse these drugs.  They are not there for getting 'high' and you paid a very harsh lesson for doing so, i trust you have never done anything like this since?

It may of been that the dose of each tablet of Zoloft was high and so by taking two you have totally overwhelmed your body.  Cause when a doctor puts you on these types of drugs they always start with a low dose so the body can get use to it slowly, too fast and severe side effects will occur like you expereinced.

Have you ever told your doc of what you did?  If not i feel you really need to so your doc can help you properly, by saying nothing you are not helping yourself.

[jbow247]

no i never have done it since. i was young and stupid and i regret it every day. i told my doctor and he just brushed it off and said it was a safe drug and it wouldnt hurt me. thank you for your comments and thank you for talking to me it really helps me calm down and quit freaking out. i have one more question. my panic attacks all but stopped for about a year and now they are back and more intense as ever. is this normal? has anybody else had this happen?