Help!

[crystalhanzelka]

So I started Zoloft 25mg yesterday.  I felt sleepy and a little sick to my stomach..no big deal.. Well i woke up this morning at 6:30 feeling horribly sick and with a bad headache.  I was a little sweaty and heart was racing around 130 bpm.  I was eventually able to go back to sleep..and woke up at 9:30 with a headache.  i dont know if I can feel like this until it kicks in.  How long should the side effects last.  I am a hypo as well and always think I am dying when I feel that way.  Any suggestions?? PLEASE!

[confused849]

I went  through the same thing with Zoloft about 12 years ago. I felt terrible for a couple of weeks until it finally kicked in and regained some normalcy. It was extremely unpleasant. The good news is that the nausea, fatigue and depression will end and you should begin to feel better than you've felt in ages pretty soon. Hang in there with it Crystal because the stuff does work, it just takes time.

[Hope75]

Amen!

[cj29]

I want to echo what Hope 75 said.  When one starts on a new SSRI, especially if it is your first time, you are naturally going to be nervous about it.  I actually prefer Zoloft and did feel a little more on edge when starting, stopping, or adjusting dosage.  Remember, we are already in an anxious state, so waking up with anxiety and panic could happen without the meds, right?  I only say this because, as Hope75 says, sometimes we have to be a little patient with meds.

However, if it really bothers you, talk to your doctor; different meds affect different people in different ways.  What is good for some is not preferred by others.  Keep us posted!

[Hope75]

I will give my 2 cents as a 7 year anxiety sufferer.  I have been on Cymbalta, Zoloft, Paxil and maybe some others that I don't remember (it's been a while:)  Anyway, some of the symptoms that you are describing happen to be symptoms of anxiety also.  My point is, yes, it may be possible that your body does not agree with a certain med.  BUT, we are also prone to having physical symptoms in response to stress and they may hit you coincidentally when you are trying a new med.  I have never had a bad reaction to any of these.  Zoloft, Paxil and Cymbalta did not bother me.  However, there is evidence that it may increase suicidal behavior in adolescents and adults, so I'm sure that it can cause some unwanted side effects.  You are adding a seritonin reuptake inhibitor, so your seritonin level should increase - this is my understanding.  If you are adding an anti-depressant, then it must make your central nervous system a bit more active.  Xanax, Ativan, Valium, etc. are CNS suppressants, so they slow it down.  I am honestly more scared of the antidepressants than valium.  I used to be scared of getting addicted to them.  I have never had a problem stopping any of the CNS suppressants, but I have had aweful withdrawals from Zoloft and Cymbalta - dizzy, cranky, nauseous, headache - yuck!  

To sum, it is great to be careful with your meds, but don't be too quick to judge what actually may be anxiety.  Medication hopping, in my opinion, is okay to a point.  If you are going from one SSRI to another, you may want to ask your MD about a different type of anti-depressant, such as a tricyclic.  Those are old-fashioned, cheap, and they make me sleep better!  I am very happy with the new meds for anxiety, but I think your doc should be open to going back to old faithful anti-depressants if you have probs, instead of being fixated on the hype of new drugs.  I hope that was clear, probably clear as mud:0)  

Hope you all feel better.  I am having an anxious week, so I feel your pain:0)

[beentrying2quit]

I had the exact same problems with Prozac.  The first day I felt a little  tired...no big deal.  Then...WHAM!!  Then the second & third day was horrible.  Sweats, anger, rage, could not concentrate and my anxiety was worse than before.  I called my doctor and told him I was quitting the Prozac.  He gave me some xanax to take but I'm really scared of that stuff but it does work in calming me down.

So far i've tried Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Zoloft, Buspar and Effexor.  I could not tollerate any of them.  Guess I'll keep trying.  Good luck to you and I hope you find one that works.

[MistyBrooke444]

I have been on medication for anxiety for nearly 2 months now. I take Lexapro, but the first medication the doctor prescribed to me was Zoloft. After a few days of taking it, I had similar symptoms like you do. It was as if it made my panic and anxiety worse, and then I thought I was going crazy lol. In my opinion, I think you need to try something else. I'm not a doctor or anything, but when I went back to the doctor complaining of the same symptoms in which you're having, he changed my medicine.