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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
BEING AFRAID OF ZOLOFT
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
BEING AFRAID OF ZOLOFT
by melanie, Jan 31, 2000 12:00AM
Last year i started taking zoloft and xanex for severe anxiety and some depression.....I felt great...I decided to take myself off of the medacine because i felt that i didn't need it any longer...Plus i went through divorce and was removed from my ex-husbands insurance...And anyone that has been on zoloft knows how expensive it is...But anyway, i was fine for about 3 months...And then it hit me again out of the blue like a ton of bricks...I had to get back on the zoloft and the xanex....I've been taking it now for almost 1 month....And feel some what better...But lastnight i was talking to a friend that terrified me...Last year her husband killed himself....He was bipolar....Which i am not...I have been diagnosed with ocd and anxiety disorder with some depression.....She said that he had been on lithium for six months...Then changed him to zoloft....Three days after starting the zoloft he commited suicide....I am very afraid that something like this might happen to me.....Please help me....I don't know if i should stop or not....I definately don't wanna stop....But i also don't wanna do something crazy....What are the chances of this kind of thing happening to me?
Thank you
Melanie
Thank you
Melanie
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS.MD-AJ, Feb 01, 2000 12:00AM
Melanie,
Zoloft is an effective and safe medication, which is often used to treat depression, anxiety, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Zoloft does not make people suicidal. However, untreated severe depression and/or bipolar disorder may cause suicidal behavior. I urge you to continue treatment with Zoloft, and to discuss your concerns further with your treating physician/psychiatrist.
Zoloft is an effective and safe medication, which is often used to treat depression, anxiety, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Zoloft does not make people suicidal. However, untreated severe depression and/or bipolar disorder may cause suicidal behavior. I urge you to continue treatment with Zoloft, and to discuss your concerns further with your treating physician/psychiatrist.
For some people (me), staying on meds is a way of life. If you were diabetic, you would take insulin. Depression is sometimes long lasting, and will do nothing but come back after meds are stopped. This may not be your case, but you should persist for at least 6 months or so.
If you are comparing the zoloft to suicide, as your doctor should have told you, it takes more than three days to get full relief. Apparently that person's husband didn't take enough time to feel the full relief, or maybe there were underlying problems.
I hear from others that zoloft is good and works well. Most drugs work well for depression, its the side effects that you may have to learn to tolerate, but they are usually temporary.
Hang in there, I really like this board, and often hear good comments. Check back again soon.