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Anyone used Zoloft for Anxiety/Panic Disorder?
I have pretty bad anxiety and about a week ago was prescribed 25mg of Zoloft, what are the usual side effects? Is it worth it? I've heard an equal amount of horror stories as I have positive stories. I took Celexa for 3 days but it caused me to have a severe panic attack that lasted 3 days and I'm not willing to have that happen again. About a year before taking Celexa, I took it with Wellbutrin for about 4 months for depression and never had a side effect like that. I also know Zoloft and Celexa are both SSRI's so I'm nervous to take it. At this point my Anxiety is under control more, but I'm still having at least one mild panic attack a day. I just wanted to know about other people's experience with the drug. I'm honestly very scared to take it, but I can't handle my anxiety anymore. I also don't do drugs or drink due to the fact that the feeling of being out of control gives me extreme anxiety. So I hate putting anything in my body that will make me feel different. Help please! Also I was prescribed vistoril for when I do have panic attacks and haven't taken it when I've had a panic attack just because I hate the feeling of being out of control if anyone has any experience with that please also tell me about it. I also have hypothyroidism.
Best Answer
Thanks for your reply, it has reassured me :)
I have started a new thread as you suggested.
Thanks
I have started a new thread as you suggested.
Thanks
It would be great if you could copy/paste your post into a new thread. Often when a person posts on an older thread, they don't get as many replies.
To answer your question:
Maybe it takes a while to feel the benefits of the increased dose? has anyone else found this to be true?
Yes, just like it takes time to notice the improvements when you first start taking Zoloft, there is an adjustment period with dosage increases also. Typically, it doesn't take quite as long as it does initially, but you definitely have to give it time. Most times a person will be able to see improvements by 3-4 weeks.
To answer your question:
Maybe it takes a while to feel the benefits of the increased dose? has anyone else found this to be true?
Yes, just like it takes time to notice the improvements when you first start taking Zoloft, there is an adjustment period with dosage increases also. Typically, it doesn't take quite as long as it does initially, but you definitely have to give it time. Most times a person will be able to see improvements by 3-4 weeks.
I'm glad to have found this site and have enjoyed reading your posts. I've been suffering with anxiety and OCD type thinking/ruminations for about 3 years now with a few boughts of anxiety and panic earlier in my life (mid-twenties and mid-teens, I'm 32 now). I have been having therapy for 2 years and it's helped me in lots of ways and even stopped the anxiety for periods of time. I went down the natural root first and saw a homeopath but the remedies I took gave me extremely bad reactions, I felt like i'd been given a 'depression remedy'. I've never felt so low in all my life, i was like a shell, crying everyday which is not like me, completely desolate. At this point my family got so worried about me I went to see my doctor who put me on 50mgs of Sertraline. it was a huge relief to finally go to the docs after avoiding it for a long time, to be vaildated and taken care of. the first two weeks were pretty rough; headaches, agitation, restlessness, jittery but there was also relief that i was finally going to get better. it lifted the depression quickly, after 1 month id gone from moderate to mild anxiety but 2 months on and its not helping with the anxiety. he increased my dose to 100mg after a few weeks and then to 150mg two weeks ago and at first i thought it had taken the edge off and now im not so sure. i thought i would have noticed a big improvement by now but im still feeling anxious and on edge every day, sometimes all day, and then i get worried that its not working, that i'll never get better and obviously that makes it worse. Maybe it takes a while to feel the benefits of the increased dose? has anyone else found this to be true? I'm not spiraling into complete dispair for which I think I have the sertraline to thank and my mind that was once so full of intrusive thoughts and ruminations is clear again, normal reactions & emotions are returning, my sex drive is back (!) so it's definitely working on a lot if levels. Has anyone got any thoughts on the anxiety thing?
I really enjoyed your response and i have to say i got a lot out of what you said. I was given Zoloft today and i feel better about taking it now. Thank you so much. :)
Bobbie
Bobbie
i've had great experiences myself with zoloft. i take it for panic disorder. if i stop taking it, a few days later i sometimes get several panic attacks in the same day. i currently take 50mg but years ago i was on 200mg. benzodiazepines like xanax, valium, etc are not good to take everyday. they're work but are dangerously addicting. i was on alprazolam(xanax) years ago but it is only meant to take once in a while. it has high addiction potential and withdraws can cause seizures. i decided to stick with something i could take everyday safely. i highly recommend not just going to a regular physician. you need to go to a psychiatrist who specializes with anxiety and panic disorder. they will help find the right medicine for you. my doctor started me on zoloft and he started me on an extreme low dosage. this way you slowly build yourself up and side effects are minimal. after taking for a while the side effects became nearly non existant. i generally feel in a better mood all day and my anxiety is much more controllable. i find however that caffeine does greatly increase it so i always limit my caffeine intake when i get up. some people have sleep problems with zoloft because it is sort of stimulating but i use medical marijuana every night i sleep fine. i cant say for sure if this is the zoloft or not though because i always had sleep disturbances, even before being on meds. another down side is anytime i tried going off it i would get what they call discontinuation syndrome. it's like a withdraw however you dont get a craving for it, just feel the physical withdraw. for me everytime i turned my head i felt a bit dizzy and like like an electrical feeling in my head. hard to describe. it's more of a minor annoyance and goes away after a while. also the times i went off it i should of tapered off much slower. my doctor told me 200mgs is pretty much the highest dose but even at that it's safe. the suicide thing is more to do with depression. depression and anxiety are linked but no the same thing. i've never been suicidal before or after meds. my doctor told me it's people are so depressed and at such a low point, they have no motivation to kill themselves. they get on an SSRI and they get that little motivation they need to go thru with it. thats why those people need to be monitored at all times and it is a risk to begin with. the way i see it is a lot of these people were suicidal to begin with. i think people with anxiety have more of a fear of dying usually. im not a dr but imo, dont let the suicide risks scare you unless you have been suicidal at some point in your life or if you're extremely depressed in which case you may need some kind of anti-psychotic like lithium. hope this helps. there is no stupid question to ask a doctor, ask them everything you can. research any drug you take also to know about it. sometimes patients learn more than the doctors from reading.
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I can tell you that I also had a very positive experience with Zoloft. If was the first medication I was ever prescribed for panic disorder. I was on it for several years, I believe my starting dose was about 50mg and I ended up takling 200mg daily towards the end. I decided after many years I didn't "need" it anymore and was weaned off of it. Unrelated topic, but that was a big mistake. My panic returned with a vengeance within 6 months.
Zoloft is actually the most prescribed SSRI for anxiety disorders, specifically panic disorder, and it has a great success rate. You are always going to hear horror stories with any med. As with any med, people will have varying experiences. Your best bet is to go into this with an open mind and not any preconceived notions based on other people's stories. Allow yourself to have your OWN unique experience.
As for side effects, there are some more common ones, but most side effects will start to improve within a week or two (if you even have any). More common side effects are an increase in anxiety (feeling "jittery"), sleep disturbances (less or more), GI upset, headaches. Obviously, you are going to be more scared about side effects based on your experience with Celexa. Let me tell you that, even if you DO have some fairly bothersome side effects, they can be managed while you're waiting for them to subside. A very common practice is for a doc to prescribe a short term course of an anti-anxiety med, like Xanax, or Ativan, while you adjust to the med. That is always a possibility to consider, rather than throwing in the towel if you notice some side effects. Taking Vistaril for anxiety is no different than taking a Benadryl. Sincerely, your doctor could be better managing your panic (again, with something like Xanax short term). I took Ativan along with the Zoloft for the first month, and I did great. Your doc is starting you out at one of the lowest doses available, so that will help minimze any side effects you have as well.
Also, please understand that there IS an adjustment phase with these meds. Even if you DO have side effects, they won't last forever. You may have to endure some lousy days to be able to reap the benefits of this kind of medication. These meds also take time to work. It takes at least 4-6 weeks to be able to fairly assess the effectiveness of Zoloft or other SSRI. Now, many people will start noticing subtle improvements before that, but again, 4-6 weeks is a more typical time frame. Also, if you are started at a lower dose (which you are), you may even require a dosage increase before the medication becomes therapeutic for you, as you would again require the 4-6 wk adjustment period following the dosage increase. So, patience is needed while adjusting, it may end up being a several month-long process. Just try to be patient and go into it with an open mind.
These meds have been life savers for so many of us, and it just breaks my heart when I see someone give in so quickly due to side effects, or fear of taking a medication. It certainly isn't always an easy process, but in so many cases, it is a worthwhile one. It literally gave me my life back. Always communicate with your doctor things that are going on. If you are having side effects, ask what he can do for you to help make them more tolerable for you. I would already start by asking for something more effective "as needed" for panic attacks, There are SO many medications that would be much more helpful for you than Vistaril.
Very best of luck to you, please keep us updated on how you're doing! Try to keep yourself as busy as possible, the more distracted you are, the less you will be overanalyzing the Zoloft and how it may or may not be affecting you.