is zoloft keeping me anxious?

I am a thirty-eight year old woman whose been surviving anxiety for several years.  I've been taking Zoloft at 50mg for 6 months and at 75mg for the past two weeks.  Since taking the Zoloft my mood has improved however, I still have constant undercurrents of anxiety and nervousness.  I feel as though the medicine is keeping me keyed-up all the time.  I have increased the Zoloft in attempt to help these symptoms, but so far no relief on the anxiety.  I also have been unable to get rid of the tingling sensation in my legs, hands and face along with the under current of tremors and restless legs.  I am hoping I can recieve some advise as to whether continuing with this medication will bring me relief down-the-road, at a higher dosage or lower dosage, or whether the effects of this medicine are not something that I have to endure, and would perhaps do better with another med, and maybe you could offer some direction here. I am grateful for any input.  Any anxiety suffers knows that sound advise and support do wonders for the soul.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You should consider either lowering the dose back to 50mg or switching to another medication in this same class of ssri, but not prozac, because it too has a tendency to increase anxiety. Celexa would be another alternative. Its also possible to add another type of medication to lower the anxiety, so ask your doctor about klonopin or similar medications.

[KosherDOC]

I have had patients just starting Zoloft tell me that for the first few days of taking the medicine they do have a feeling of just having had a few cups of coffee.  However, this usually resolves by the end of the first week.  I have seen three cases of toxic serotonin syndrome and all three times it was with Zoloft.  Paxil and Prozac are much better for people with depression and anxiety.

[KosherDOC]

Anxiety is listed as a side effect for all the SSRI's.  NOT just Prozac nor is it most common in Prozac.  I would urge anyone against taking Klonipin (klonopin) for anxiety as it is a benzodiazepine and can be habit forming.  Also, taking a medicine to treat the side effect of another medicine is usually regaurded as poor form.  I think this site must have Celexa as a sponsor.

[Dara]

thankyou so much for taking the time to respond to my question.  I am certainly learning as I go.  Before I began taking the Zoloft I was given Paxil.  I fell into a deep depression the first two weeks.  My doctor then changed my meds to Zoloft.  I'm now wondering if I should have tried to stick out the depression with Paxil?  Do other patients respond that way when beginning with paxil?  Once again I thankyou for responding to me .  I'm going to drop the mg on the Zoloft and I am considering a change in med, perhaps another med would be better.  Thanks again

[Beeguiling]

I take exception to MD's that won't prescribe a benzo for anxiety due to its chance of addiction. The percentage of people that actually become addicted is very low. And a lot of these drugs really work well. I am taking Zoloft for anxiety, I avoid caffeine, don't even enjoy alcohol, eat healthfully and exercise. Still, there are times when I feel tightness in my chest and feel like I can't breathe so I take a xanax. A low dose, and it really helps. The only reason I would ever stop taking the xanax prn is if I were pregnant.

Find a compassionate MD....I am not accusing those MD's that won't prescribe benzos of being insensitive, it's just that so many MD's practice defensive medicine (understandably so). I believe that having a benzo on hand, just in case, provides patients with a sense of relief: that if they get overwhelming anxiety, they have a remedy that works.

[tra]

Hi there,  I was wondering if you have talked to your dr about taking Effexor? I just switched to Effexor last year after having a bad experience from Paxil. At that point I was put on zoloft. Within a few weeks  my anxiety was still present  so i was put on a zolof/effexor combination. I found the effexor worked better for my anxiety than zoloft.
Might be a good shot for you. Take care and good luck.

[amyk]

I have been on Zoloft for about a year now and am now tapering off and practically discontinued.  I noticed same symptoms as you at 100 mg and was down to 50mg daily before relief came.  The tingling told me my brain was overloaded in some way... Anxiety attacks usually felt more like the pressure in the chest, inability to breathe, crying...but not the tingling.  I say keep with the Zoloft at a consistent dose for at least 3 months before deciding for sure if it works for you. Good luck and God bless.

[katnevada]

I am having problems with the Zoloft to. I have been on it for about three weeks and just feel totally blah. I don't feel interested in anything. (and am still having the nausea-when I first started taking it the nausea was so bad i almost quit because of it)
I feel like my mind is racing all the time. I used to have PVC's but have only had two in three weeks, which is amazing. Still, I am wondering what to do about the zoloft. I feel "keyed up", but yet, almost depressed. (i have xanax)
Any comments very welcome!!
Kathy

[Dara]

I guess we are all finding our way through the Zoloft.  I must say, I too was somewhat emotionless at the start , but it did get better.  I am thankful for Zoloft.  It certainly brought me out of the dark place that I feel into before taking it.It got me up and around, and certainly helped me function.  If I could only rid myself of this very uncomfortable place it leaves me in with the tremors, tingling, restless legs, and keyed-up feeling it would be perfect.  My doctor mentioned that some people respond as I do with ssri's and perhaps a beta-blocker combination might be an alternative (I also have MVP).  I have already tried increasing the med, lowering the med, Monday I will find out if now I must change the med.  I was wondering if anyone knows if you would experience the same reactions to a different ssri, or are they all different?  Also my doctor mentioned changing to Celexa, anyone had favorable results with this med?  I feel all your pain and frustration and pray for all of us.  Thankyou for caring.

[amk627]

Hi, I have been taking Zoloft now for about 3 mo. total. I was on Buspar for 9 mo. and switched to Zoloft. I have OCD and high levels of agitated anxiety from trying to stop the OCD. I was on 50 mg, then 100 mg and now am on 150 mg, with a xanax only on occasion when I have a bad day. I don't have any tingling or ringing or any bad side effects at all, the only one I had was the headache from hell for the first two weeks, then it was gone. I haven't seen fantastic results yet, but it has improved,
just not 100%, does it ever get to 100%. ???

[amk627]

Dara,
I just noticed that you were the one that responded to my previous post. I just wanted to tell you that I haven't felt any inreased anxiety that you spoke about from increasing my dosage, now to 150 mg. I have only been on 150 mg. now for only 2 days. I was on 100 mg. for 7 weeks before increasing, the reason my doctor switched me to 150 mg, was because I was still have 1 really bad day in say about a week. One day a week, and I still couldn't hack it, so she prescribed the xanax for the bad days as needed and then had me up to 150 mg. on the zoloft. Now I am thinking maybe the bad day was what you are talking about when you say increased anxiety. What do you think ???
Ava

[amk627]

Dara, if you want to e-mail me to discuss, I too am 38 and thought maybe we could hash out zoloft issues.
***@**** is my e-mail address.

[pocahontas]

Hi,
  I have been on zoloft for 2 years for depression.  I recently accidently stopped taking it cold turkey you see I put my night meds in this 7 day a week thing and for some reason for got my zoloft.  The past week I was very ill and yesturday was rushed to the doctors with severe pain in the back of my head, you see I also have fibromalgia syndrome so at first I blamed all my alments on that untl I couldnt stand the pain the nausua the severe shaking and night sweats so bad i would have to change clothes at night. Today I was trying to figure what I could of had new that could be making me so sick son I started going through my meds and relized that I have not been taking my zoloft!  I do not know how many days I have missed it? Has anyone had these side effects eho has went of of zoloft?
Thank you
Pocahontas

[7dwarfs]

I am a 31 year old mother of a 2 year old.  That alone is enough to make someone feel crazy and anxious, however I have been on anti-depressants for over 5 years, the last 2 1/2 being 150mg of Zoloft.  I didn't suffer from anxiety attacks very often while taking Elavil(Amitriptylene), now they occur almost daily.  I am also experiencing severe fitigue, and random suicide thoughts.  I was under the impression that Zoloft was supposed make things better, not worse.

I spoke to my doctor about changing to Wellbutrin (as my libido seems to have taken a permanent vacation).  She said that Wellbutrin was ineffective for treatment of depression.  Is this true?  I am feeling so out of control and my doctor doesn't seem to be much help.  She prefers Zoloft to any other anti-depressant, and has said as much, but does that mean that it really is the best?  I would appreciate any feedback you could offer.  I would take any drug that will make me feel better.
Thank you

[Just Java]

I am a 25 year old male and am just getting started on meds.  I have just been prescribed Zoloft to treat my bipolar disorder (manic depression).  After reading some of the testimonials I am feeling a little nrvous about taking the drug.  I have been very lethargic and sluggish for the past 12 months and after repeated family adivse choose to see a MD.  I am to start with 25mg for a week and then switch to 50mg daily.  I am worried about the weight gain being that I am already 30lbs over my normal weight.  I am also worried about the keyed up feelings people refer to.  Does this medication make anyone over anxious or flighty?  I have heard that Zoloft in combination with Ritalin can help with some of the initial side effects..any truth in this? Any first time experiences with the med would help.  Also I am completely new to SSRIs.

[Peagee]

Have answered you where you posted further up the board :)
Paula

[777]

I have tried zoloft, wellbutrin, paxil, celexa, effexor, and prozac.  The only one that I was able to tolerate was celexa. Even then, I was only taking 10mg--barely a therapeutic dose according to most MD's and PhD's.  Whenever I would increase my dose, I would feelt that sensation of restless legs, nausea, nervousness,DIZZINESS to the tenth degree, and orthostatic hypotension.  I originally started taking the ssri's for pms, then depression, and now suffer from a combo of slight depression and anxiety disorder.  the anxiety disorder stems from an episode of miscommunication and recieving the wrong dosage at the pharmacy (40 mg instead of 10mg).  I was just restarting the celexa for the winter season, and had a huge negative reaction that now recreats itself as anxiety at random.  I tried staying on the celexa--but it too hypes me up and it feels like the beginning of an anxiety attack.  unfortunately--most ssri's do this.  the ones that dont-make you sleepy.  so take your pick. I have gone off the celexa, and my doctor wants me to take effexor.  but the smallest dose availible is 37.5 mg--and I have already proven my hypersensitivity to this class of drugs, and I cant afford to be incapacitated for 2-4 weeks.  so...drug free and praying.  recognizing the signs of my anxiety and takin ghold of them before they make it worse.  if anyone has an idea of what may work for someone who is hypersensitive..please let me know.

[777]

I have tried zoloft, wellbutrin, paxil, celexa, effexor, and prozac.  The only one that I was able to tolerate was celexa. Even then, I was only taking 10mg--barely a therapeutic dose according to most MD's and PhD's.  Whenever I would increase my dose, I would feelt that sensation of restless legs, nausea, nervousness,DIZZINESS to the tenth degree, and orthostatic hypotension.  I originally started taking the ssri's for pms, then depression, and now suffer from a combo of slight depression and anxiety disorder.  the anxiety disorder stems from an episode of miscommunication and recieving the wrong dosage at the pharmacy (40 mg instead of 10mg).  I was just restarting the celexa for the winter season, and had a huge negative reaction that now recreats itself as anxiety at random.  I tried staying on the celexa--but it too hypes me up and it feels like the beginning of an anxiety attack.  unfortunately--most ssri's do this.  the ones that dont-make you sleepy.  so take your pick. I have gone off the celexa, and my doctor wants me to take effexor.  but the smallest dose availible is 37.5 mg--and I have already proven my hypersensitivity to this class of drugs, and I cant afford to be incapacitated for 2-4 weeks.  so...drug free and praying.  recognizing the signs of my anxiety and takin ghold of them before they make it worse.  if anyone has an idea of what may work for someone who is hypersensitive..please let me know.

[zepcrmc]

SSRi's gives you anxiety more than you could ever beleive.  If you are just starting on them get off now.  Stop the Poison.
My wife has been on them for three years,  It started with Paxi, then zoloft, than buzbar, than zanex, then celexa, back to zanex.  She has now been without anything for 2 weeks and is going insane.  She feels like she is going to die.  The withdraws of these medicines is overwhelming.  Do some research before you start taking this medication.  I wish my wife would have.  We have spent more nights in the emergency room and more money on perscriptions over the past 3 years than I have spent in my life time.  Please I beg of you do your homework before you start taking these drugs.

[Peagee]

SSRIs are mind altering drugs.  Your mind, brain and nervous systems are delicately balanced complex organisms.  SSRIs are based on guesswork.  PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH before accepting these oh-so-easy-to-get little happy pills.  They WILL alter your chemical balance.  They WILL alter it haphazardly.  They WILL cause untold damage to many people. They WILL continue to cause suffering, akathisia, muscular pains, and many other symptoms, some of which (particularly akathisia) leading to aggression, violence and suicide.  THEY ARE NOT A WELL RESEARCHED, WELL DIRECTED MEDICATION.  THey are merely a carry-on from LSD.  When one substance is created by the pharmas (and LSD was designed for CIA mind experiments before being passed for psychiatric use, bfore being banned eventually) and gets banned, they create another similar one that claims NOT to have the side effects that the previous drug had (although while the previous drug is in circulation they deny it has any serious side effects!).  WE ARE NOT MEANT TO LIVE IN A BRAVE NEW WORLD IN AN ARTIFICIALLY HAPPY STATE and chemical attempts to do so come at a very high price to many of the victims.
INFORM YOURSELVES.  DO RESEARCH. Here's one of many places to start:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/182310
Paula

[Peagee]

You say this site MIGHT be sponsored by Celexa and maybe you are correct, but to me it looks as though you are sponsored by GSK for Paxil hmm?   Don't you know (as you say you are a doctor) that Paxil is showing as having the worst withdrawals on record?  If you don't know, then please educate yourself.  Don't you also know that when healthy volunteers were given ssris some of these developed suicidal tendencies and akathisia (intense inner restlessness which can lead to violence and suicide)?  Have you not read the PROZAC adverse effects FDA list?  Have you not researched studies by eminent experts such as Glenmullen, David Healy, Breggin, Tracy etc?  You're right about the Benzos but You're wrong about the SSRIs. There is absolutely NO WAY in which any SSRI (and more than LSD) can accurately and beneficially alter brain chemistry.  Its very much a hit and miss affair and, unfortunately, the misses run into huge numbers of tragic victims.   Have you read Mosher?  His letter of resignation?  Can you remember the original definition of Psychiatry?  Did it include dishing out mind altering drugs instead of working at the problems?  Did the Hippocratic Oath mention "Above all else, DO NO HARM" then add "except when its easier to shove psychotropic mind altering drugs down a patients throat than it is to actually do some real psychiatric work"?

Maybe you are not a psychiatrist?  If not then you should leave psychiatric problems to psychiatrists.  If you are a psychiatrist, then you should go back to practicing psychiatry rather than pill pushing for GSK and Eli Lilly.

Vulnerable people need GENUINELY kosher doctors.  Doctors that do their work as they should.  Doctors who keep up to date and remain vigilant in their research, always remaining aware that as 'new drugs' come out, many later prove to be so dangerous that they are then banned (as was LSD which was originally manufactured by Eli Lilly for CIA mind experiments). People need  doctors who care about their patients.  

Here's a couple of starting points so that you can research more on those Paxil and Prozac pills you advocate:

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/182310
http://www.breggin.com
http://www.socialaudit.org.uk
http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com
http://www.prozactruth.com

And finally, DR MOSHER'S LETTER.  This I think rather clearly outlines the difference between what was once psychiatry and what it has now become:

"Famous psychiatrist L.R. Mosher resigns from the American Psychiatric Association in disgust



This is a copy of a letter by Dr. Mosher resigning from the American Psychiatric Association. Note that Dr. Mosher was a pioneer in establishing programs of psychosocial community care in the field of psychiatry (e.g., Sartoria); his publications in that regard have been very influential (e.g.: Mosher, L., & Burti, L. (1989). "Community mental health: Principles and practice". New York: Norton.).

______________________________________________

Loren R. Mosher M. D.
2616 Angell Ave
San Diego, CA 92122
Ph: 619 550-0312
Fx: 619 558 0854

December 4 1998

Rodrigo Munoz, M.D., President
American Psychiatric Association
1400 94 Street N. W.
Washington, D.C. 20005

Dear Rod;

After nearly three decades as a member it is with a mixture of pleasure and disappointment that I submit this letter of resignation from the American Psychiatric Association. The major reason for this action is my belief that I am actually resigning from the American Psychopharmacological Association. Luckily, the organization's true identity requires no change in the acronym.

Unfortunately, APA reflects, and reinforces, in word and deed, our drug dependent society. Yet, it helps wage war on drugs. Dual Diagnosis clients are a major problem for the field but not because of the good drugs we prescribe. Bad ones are those that are obtained mostly without a prescription. A Marxist would observe that being a good capitalist organization, APA likes only those drugs from which it can derive a profit - directly or indirectly.

This is not a group for me. At this point in history, in my view, psychiatry has been almost completely bought out by the drug companies. The APA could not continue without the pharmaceutical company support of meetings, symposia, workshops, journal advertising, grand rounds luncheons, unrestricted educational grants etc. etc. Psychiatrists have become the minions of drug company promotions. APA, of course, maintains that its independence and autonomy are not compromised in this enmeshed situation.

Anyone with the least bit of common sense attending the annual meeting would observe how the drug company exhibits and industry sponsored symposia draw crowds with their various enticements while the serious scientific sessions are barely attended. Psychiatric training reflects their influence as well; i.e., the most important part of a resident curriculum is the art and quasi-science of dealing drugs, i.e., prescription writing.

These psychopharmacological limitations on our abilities to be complete physicians also limit our intellectual horizons. No longer do we seek to understand whole persons in their social contexts rather we are there to realign our patients' neurotransmitters. The problem is that it is very difficult to have a relationship with a neurotransmitter whatever its configuration.

So, our guild organization provides a rationale, by its neurobiological tunnel vision, for keeping our distance from the molecule conglomerates we have come to define as patients. We condone and promote the widespread overuse and misuse of toxic chemicals that we know have serious long term effects: tardive dyskinesia, tardive dementia and serious withdrawal syndromes. So, do I want to be a drug company patsy who treats molecules with their formulary? No, thank you very much. It saddens me that after 35 years as a psychiatrist I look forward to being dissociated from such an organization. In no way does it represent my interests. It is not within my capacities to buy into the current biomedical-reductionistic model heralded by the psychiatric leadership as once again marrying us to somatic medicine. This is a matter of fashion, politics and, like the pharmaceutical house connection, money.

In addition, APA has entered into an unholy alliance with NAMI (I don't remember the members being asked if they supported such an organization) such that the two organizations have adopted similar public belief systems about the nature of madness. While professing itself the champion of their clients the APA is supporting non-clients, the parents, in their wishes to be in control, via legally enforced dependency, of their mad/bad offspring. NAMI, with tacit APA approval, has set out a pro-neuroleptic drug and easy commitment-institutionalization agenda that violates the civil rights of their offspring. For the most part we stand by and allow this fascistic agenda to move forward. Their psychiatric god, Dr. E. Fuller Torrey, is allowed to diagnose and recommend treatment to those in the NAMI organization with whom he disagrees. Clearly, a violation of medical ethics. Does APA protest? Of course not, because he is speaking what APA agrees with but can't explicitly espouse. He is allowed to be a foil; after all he is no longer a member of APA. (Slick work APA!)

The shortsightedness of this marriage of convenience between APA, NAMI and the drug companies (who gleefully support both groups because of their shared pro-drug stance) is an abomination. I want no part of a psychiatry of oppression and social control.

Biologically based brain diseases are convenient for families and practitioners alike. It is no fault insurance against personal responsibility. We are just helplessly caught up in a swirl of brain pathology for which no one, except DNA, is responsible. Now, to begin with, anything that has an anatomically defined specific brain pathology becomes the province of neurology (syphilis is an excellent example). So, to be consistent with this "brain disease" view all the major psychiatric disorders would become the territory of our neurologic colleagues. Without having surveyed them

I believe they would eschew responsibility for these problematic individuals. However, consistency would demand our giving over "biologic brain diseases" to them. The fact that there is no evidence confirming the brain disease attribution is, at this point, irrelevant. What we are dealing with here is fashion, politics and money. This level of intellectual/scientific dishonesty is just too egregious for me to continue to support by my membership.

I view with no surprise that psychiatric training is being systemically disavowed by American medical school graduates. This must give us cause for concern about the state of today's psychiatry. It must mean, at least in part, that they view psychiatry as being very limited and unchallenging. To me it seems clear that we are headed toward a situation in which, except for academics, most psychiatric practitioners will have no real relationships, so vital to the healing process, with the disturbed and disturbing persons they treat. Their sole role will be that of prescription writers, ciphers in the guise of being "helpers".

Finally, why must the APA pretend to know more than it does? DSM IV is the fabrication upon which psychiatry seeks acceptance by medicine in general. Insiders know it is more a political than scientific document. To its credit it says so, although its brief apologia is rarely noted. DSM IV has become a bible and a money making best seller - its major failings notwithstanding. It confines and defines practice, some take it seriously, others more realistically. It is the way to get paid. Diagnostic reliability is easy to attain for research projects. The issue is what do the categories tell us? Do they in fact accurately represent the person with a problem? They don't, and can't, because there are no external validating criteria for psychiatric diagnoses. There is neither a blood test nor specific anatomic lesions for any major psychiatric disorder. So, where are we? APA as an organization has implicitly (sometimes explicitly as well) bought into a theoretical hoax. Is psychiatry a hoax, as practiced today?

What do I recommend to the organization upon leaving after experiencing three decades of its history?



1.. To begin with, let us be ourselves. Stop taking on unholy alliances without the members' permission.

2.. Get real about science, politics and money. Label each for what it is - that is, be honest.

3.. Get out of bed with NAMI and the drug companies. APA should align itself, if one believes its rhetoric, with the true consumer groups, i. e., the ex-patients, psychiatric survivors etc.

4.. Talk to the membership; I can't be alone in my views.

We seem to have forgotten a basic principle: the need to be patient/client/consumer satisfaction oriented. I always remember Manfred Bleuler's wisdom: "Loren, you must never forget that you are your patient's employee." In the end they will determine whether or not psychiatry survives in the service marketplace.

Sincerely,

Loren R. Mosher M. D."


THAT is what I call a kosher DOCTOR.  One who retains his ethics, his ideals, his concern for patients and who also has the courage to speak out against corruption.
Paula