zoloft ramping up and feeling worse?

[cocoahead]

i stated on zoloft 25mg on april 18th did that for a week, on the 25th started on 50mg sipose to take that for two weeks, in some respects i notice some very small and i mean small improvements, but the shakyness is getting worse i am so jittery that it is very hard to fuction, is this normal to get worse before i get better? the first week was actully better, i think that is, it is hard to tell when my body is shaking and twitching. i call my dr. but it is sunday so no one even on call. she gave me the xanax for bridge theropy, 0.25 i took one but no change after an hour, so i took a second total 0.50 is this too much? and when will i see some differance so i can stop the xanax and the zoloft will do what it is supose too? thanks, leslie

[Upsanddownsy]

I have been on zoloft for about 3 weeks now and am finding i am getting really anxious at work (i spend a lot of solitary time at work). I have also noticed that this tends to be worst after a coffe break. i drink a lot of coffee (sometimes 3 before 10am) and i really think the zoloft is increasing the effects of the coffee, or they are at least adding to each other. i am a naturally high strung person, but also a heavy coffe drinker (the two are probably not unrelated), so i am beginning to wonder whether zoloft is really the drug for me. i've got to say, i dont really understand how a drug which has side effects of anxiety and aggitation can be prescribed for anxiety or panic attacks. but then i'm not a doctor.

i'm going to try cutting down or stopping the coffe drinking and see how that goes. then maybe ease off the zoloft. i guess my main concern was how easy it was to get a prescription for zoloft. that, combined with the flippant comment from my doctor of "your not going to take them all at once are you?". not something i would choose to say to someone who's just burst into tears in your office and said they have been feeling depressed!

[slandis75]

My advice is to get off the zoloft b/c I also experienced really bad shakes, insomnia, and a speedy feeling - all which led to me having increased anxiety from feeling so bad, when I was on it.  It takes a while for the feeling to go away because you start off on a low dose for a week, then increase the next week, etc.  So basically, you're going to feel that way until you stay at one dosage for about a week or so until your body is used to it.  Personally, I couldn't take it after 2 weeks, it was just too stressful to deal with those side effects at work and even harder to deal with at home with nothing to take my mind off of it.  Basically, I ended up quitting the Zoloft and not taking anything for several years because I though all antidepressants would make me feel that way.  So, it's better if you switch to something with less side effects so you don't end up too afraid to try a med that may help you tremendously.  One more thing, your anxiety is being increased by the side effects of the zoloft, just like if you drink too much caffeine or consume any other stimulant.  Don't take the xanax to relieve the anxiety, because it will only make you more anxious when the xanax begins to leave your system, resulting in you taking more to cure the anxiety which is no longer from the original source, but from the feeling of withdrawal from xanax - even after the first time you use it!!  Many, perhaps millions of smart, trusting Americans, now have severe addictions to xanax even though they were only prescribeda very short term prescription (1 week is long enough).  So, that is my biggest concern, if you do nothing else, DON'T TAKE THE XANAX UNTIL YOU READ THE LITERATURE AND OTHER'S EXPERIENCES WITH IT.  It doesn't affect only those with addictive personalities, it affects everyone b/c it manipulates a certain part of your brain to truly make you more anxious when you stop taking it.  However, if you have already taken it, realize that if you feel anxiety again, you don't or shouldn't take the xanax to fix it.  The anxiety induced by xanax (the one you get after xanax stops working and typically feels worse the more and more times you take it) WILL go away once the xanax no longer has control of your brain (may take a while b/c it alters something in there so even if its not in your system it will affect you - reason to avoid it to begin with).  Also, the anxiety your experiencing while on zoloft is from the speedy side effects.  Stop taking the zoloft (it's not difficult at all if you've only been on it a week or two) or cut back to the lowest dose and you will see that your anxiety will definitely lessen.  Also, avoid caffeine and other stimulants while you're feeling anxious and practice breathing exercises and going outside during a panic attack to help you get control.  Just remember, it's simply a funny reaction your body is having that will neither kill or hurt you and you won't be afraid anymore.  Once you get rid of the fear of the anxiety, you can learn to control it mentally without meds, which is what I advise and what I have been able to do on my own (no meds or doctors) after years of daily anxiety attacks.  So, I believe anyone can beat anxiety attacks without medication, unless you are suffering depression then I think it's acceptable to take some meds for attacks that are difficult to deal with emotionally because of the depression.  Talk to your doctor about buspar if you need an anti-anxiety drug.  It's not addictive and works in a different way than xanax.  It is similar to antidepressants in that it will take around 2 weeks to see major relief, but it's worth it because it also improves the effectiveness of the antidepressant and does not make me feel like I'm on a drug, like xanax.  If feeling normal is important to you in your emotional improvement, then skip the xanax.  Because even if you don't get addicted (which I highly doubt) the bad thing with xanax is the druggy, great feeling effect which isn't realistic either - and the only thing that truly helps depression are those moments of normalcy...not the artificial highs or the rock bottom.  Feeling normal for just one second when I'm depressed is the most wonderful feeling in the world and I'm proud to be addicted to that.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You should talk to your doctor about going back down to 25mg to see if you are just too senstive to take this medication.  It does have a stimulant effect, and some people can't take it for that reason.

[ABCMomof3]

I'm sorry your not feeling so good and I really don't have any advice for you; but if you start to feel worse I would go to the hospital, maybe you are having an adverse reaction to the medication; I did when I took celexa, I had a burning sensation and terrible hot and cold flashes. As soon as I stopped taking it, the yucky feeling went away within a day. If you can't get a hold of your dr. maybe you could call the pharmacist who specializes in medication and ask him/her some questions.

I hope you feel better soon.