Bad reaction to zoloft

[tinkerbell616]

Hi, I took 25 mg of Zoloft for 2 weeks.  It was prescribed for anxiety/panic.  I did not tolerate it very well.  I was unable to eat (not hungry, nauseated, upset stomach) for basically the entire time.  After two days, me anxiety/panic begin to increase.  Within in a few more days, I began to feel mental side effects.  For example, I would have obssesive thoughts, feel like I did not know people and things I should know, feel like my life was a dream and I may wake up any minute, disconnected feelings about family members, restless, inability to focus,   mixing up words - you're basic feeling of losing your mind.  I have been off the zoloft for 5/6 days.  I am feeling better, having longer periods of "normal feelings"

Prior to taking the zoloft, I was a normal individual with mild anxiety/panic prompted by health concerns.  So I guess my questions are has this happened to anyone else and when can I expect to feel wholly myself again?
The occaisional panic is a breeze compared to the feeling of lossing one's mind.

Thanks for your help.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

the advice you got from Paxiled...is " right on".  You are much better off talking about and thinking through your anxieties and worries than trying to control them with medications, and all the concommitant side effects.

[tinkerbell616]

Thanks so much for your advice and encouragement!  I will definately try the talk over the meds.

[Paxiled]

You weren't on a particularly high dose, and not for very long, so my guess is you will completely recover.  How long it will take is an individual experience.  You might try supplementing with fish oil, St. John's Wort, and/or some kava to ease you through, but I think even without them you're not suffering nearly the intense withdrawal that many people have.  These drugs do affect the brain, to a greater or lesser extent depending on the individual.  Get plenty of rest and exercise and be very good to yourself for a couple of weeks and I think you'll keep improving until you're back to whatever normal is for you.  And if you have mild problems of any kind, stay away from meds.  They're just too strong and not well enough understood to get into that unless you need to.  Talk therapy of some kind would have been much more appropriate for you.  Take it slow!