Need help making important Zoloft vs. Prozac choice

[kcdem]

Sorry eronski but I dont think I want to wait out the seven weeks. I cant sleep without a sleep aid, I have bad night sweats and I am starting, it seems to get more and more agitated, which is old pre-Prozac behavior for me. I just yelled at my wife about laundry and have even snapped at my beloved toy poodles Wiget and Darlene. I was up at 4 am last night shooting off a political rant to Ryan ( I was competely correct though) on a post about Nate the great and withdrawal. I love the energy and focus but this increased agitation and second wind just around midnight is driving me koo koo for coco puffs. I started on a mere .25 mgs of Zoloft on 3/28 and have taken daily including this morning. I have slept the last two nights after taking Klonopin, so my agitation is not from the sleep deprivation.

I  have VERY undesired sexual side effects, numb noodle, low sex drive and so on. I know it has only been a few days and that I am a med wuss, but this sucks arse.

Ok about November of last year I was having my usual severe depression, mild anxiety and general bitter little man syndrome. I have had depression and situational (usually involving women or lack of money) anxiety for many years. Every couple of years I would try an anti depressant, tried Paxil made me jittery and anxious doc said to quit. A few years later tried Wellbutrin and got jittery anxious and could not eat, doc said quit. That brings me to last November I could no longer handle the depression and anxiety and doc put me on Prozac. I had NO feeling at all for about the first week and a half, then I started to feel much much better. My anger and obsessions subsided and I was a new man, my co-workers even started to comment on how much I had changed. I had an all is right with the world feeling. The docs always told me that if an anti depressant is correct you will feel nothing at first and then slowly feel better; well for the first time in all the tries Prozac did just that.


Then in the beginning of February 08 I came home from my business meeting and had two traumatic events, job problem ( still have it but maybe not for long) and wife problem (still have it but maybe not for long). I went into a 3 week panick attack that only subsided during my 1 or 2 hrs of sleep a night. I lost ALL interest in life all my hobbies and even obsessions (politics) vanished I was major major depressed. I started to feel like if this is the way I am going to feel the rest of my life I would not want to go on.

I am having all of these side effects on Zoloft and I keep hearing they are not permanent, "your body just has to adjust to the medication", you will not be a sleepwalking stinky boy if you just wait a couple months. That is the opposite of what I was told about the way an anti depressant should work as I stated in earlier paragraph. I have realized that the Prozac worked great and the traumatic events put me over the edge, would Zoloft have kept me from freaking out over the prospect of losing everything I hold dear? I doubt it.

Why am I putting up with these terrible side effects just because a psychiatrist told me that Zoloft was the GOLD STANDARD of anti depressants?

I think that going off of the Zoloft and starting back on Prozac and taking Klonopin on an as needed basis for anxiety is what I will ask my doc about and or do, the old guy is not very useful and usually shrugs alot. I have read up on Zoloft and it has the highest rate of sexual side effects and seemingly the least research. Prozac has had by far the most research and for the life of me I cant figure out a reason not to go back on that.

I stopped drinking and smoking MJ (thanx Scott) on February 9th. I am exercising, and eating great. I feel great on the Zoloft accept for all the reasons stated and the agitation seems to be increasing. Even though i have had klonopin induced 9 hour sleeps the last 2 nights (I had to get some sleep).


Does anyone know of a reason I should not quit this stuff and go back on my prozhizzle? I know I still have some anxiety but feel comfortable with Klonopin on an as needed basis, hopefully not much, as I am now sober and plan to stay that way one day at a time. If someone knows of a reason that Zoloft is so great please tell me. I do have one concern, Zoloft is supposedly better for anxiety than Prozac, and I have even heard that Prozac can make anxiety worse. I am confused and dont want to become addicted to having to have a sleep aid, but I start back at my evil (did not used to feel that way) corporation this Monday.

I just want to sleep and not stink and not yell at my wife and be sooo agitiated, is that so wrong? I would appreciaite any feedback from the community. This forum has been a life saver for me. Thanks......kcdem

[kcdem]

and i cant forget to thank mystruggle, he has been a HUGE help to me.


kcdem

[kcdem]

Thank you JSGeare and everyone. i have gotten the answers needed from u all and ryan in several messages. i am staying on zoloft for another month or less. i go back to work tomorrow FMLA month out, glenn gary glenn ross.not good time to switch. i am doing my due dilligence on elavil (different class as you probably know) per ryan. i will ask the doc for whatever thats worth.

Thank you JSGeare for taking the time to re post, you are a special person and your work and time for others is heartening.

Thank you Ryan for all the messages taper schedule and all around AMAZING selflessness. Thanx eronski, xanweaner and barfer... sincerely...kcdem...kevin

[JSGeare]

kcdem's questions about Zoloft and Pozac appeared as two separate and similar posts which of course have become separated as time has passed. With his permission, I have consolidated all the material from the other post and reproduce it here, so everything is all back in one place. I will delete the other post. What follows is all the material from the other post on this subject, to rbing you all up-to-speed on his important topic.

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From: eronski
To: kcdem

Hey there - probably don't want to hear from me (Eronski - the Zoloft pusher)....I know just cause the Zoloft worked for me doesn't mean it will work for you - yes I agree if you are totally miserable you should quit. How come you didn't just go back on the Prozac to begin with? The Zoloft didn't turn me crabby - that would have sucked indeed. I sure hope your feeling better soon and I know being sleep deprived can also make us buggy - do you ever take anything to help sleep? There I go again sounding like a pusher - I just know experimenting with the meds can be really taxing. I got lucky I know, but some people in my family have had a really rough time of it. Your loosing interest in Politics - no way, it's just getting good! Hope you are back to yourself again soon. Erin

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From: kcdem
To: eronski

good question, I dont know why I did not just go back on the Prozac. I think it was because i told the doc that when i went into the multi week panic that prozac did not even make a dent in the anxiety and panic, as i stated i now wonder if zoloft would have been any different. i do not think you are a zoloft pusher, you are my fave. I have only been able to sleep if i take klonopin and dont want to do that very often. I am worried about switching meds just when i return to work but dont want to put anymore Z in me if i am going to change over. i would also appreciate any feedback on how to best make the change with minumum side effects IE weaning off of the Z and upping the prozac. erin you have been most helpful and i thank you immensley for your help. ihope we talk again soon. I also hope to hear from the rest of you guys, i know it is friday but i am feeling neglected if this continues i will have to pop a klonopin...just kidding. thank you erin sincerely kevin

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From: xanweaner
To: kcdem

Just read your long post - as I mentioned in a different post, SSRI's can cause many of the side effects you mentioned. And, I do not believe that Zoloft is the gold standard - ask Ryan what he thinks is the gold standard. I also agree with Eronski - why didn't you go back on Prozac? I know that you mentioned some heavy personal issues that went down...hey, even if you don't have a history of depression/anxiety, bad events can cause us to "feel bad". Prozac has been described to me as one of the most "energizing" of the AD's...It has its usefulness for those people who need that boost but you might need some calming down right now... You need some help for sleep...deprivation can cause it's own slew of problems - and crabbiness is definitely one of them.....without the addition of the agitation from the SSRI. The drinking and mj isn't a good combo right now either, as we all know that alcohol is a depressant... I'm not sure if I helped in any way, but wanted to throw in my 2 cents. Recovery is just around the corner, kc... Best, -xan-

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From: kcdem
To: xanweaner

I stopped the mary jane and drinking almost 2 months ago. I have slept the last 2 nights (took a .05 klonopin and slept about 9 hrs the last 2 nights), so i dont think the agitation is from lack of sleep, I know I did not make that clear. I have been exercising alot and eating great, but when it comes to bed time it is stare at the ceiling or take a klonopin. I dont want to become addicted to having to have a sleep aid. Do you know what ssri Ryan thinks is the GOLD standard? If so ..do tell. xan thank you very much for taking the time to respond, I hope to hear from some more people and I corrected and re posted this, thank you again xan kcdem

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From xanweaner
To: kcdem

I don't know what Ryan would consider as a gold standard - he'll have to answer that. But, I look forward to his reply...and I hope you get it soon. Re: agitation - I guess I wasn't clear - I meant that SSRI's are known to cause agitation in many people. I was referring to the crabbiness from lack of sleep, but it sounds like it could also be a side effect, too. Those SSRI's made me feel like I was losing it - horrible!! I take a tetracyclic so it's a different class of drug altogether. But, it's also not without its share of negative ****, too...Nothing's perfect except getting my old brain and life back. I miss the old me so, so much.... Happy to hear about the sleep, and also, that's great about the Klonopin helping you. It seems like Ryan does mention it a bit - you might also go to his site and review his posts....he is one heck of a guy - wish he was finished with med school and a psychiatrist.... Take good care..and again, I hope you're feeling a bit better, too...seems like you are. Have a peaceful nite...good dreams, too, -xan-

[kcdem]

Thanx barfer. i actually slept last night for 6 hrs or so would have slept longer but the poodles started licking my face. i may try to stay on the zoloft at least for a while unless the un aided sleep thing returns. i do like the energy and focus it gives me. i am very lazy otherwise. on prozac i was lazier and procrastinated much more. that could be because i was smoking a lot of weed at that time....it is soooo confusing. thank goodness we have this forum it has helped alot. I also had some good frisky time with the misses so all may not be lost, i am actually thinking of grabbing her up now for a romp, so maybe it will be ok. oh the irony, i spent all that time writing out that long yet witty post about my choice. i must stop this is making me anxious....hope the klonopin works for you and i will keep the remeron in mind, i have a entire box of it, it was part of the cocktail that made me a veg for a couple weeks, but that was 4 antis and klonopin...docs are so great.


kcdem

[barfer]

Turnabout is fair play.  You answered my question and now, hopefully, I can help you.  At one time, I was on Paxil and had vivid dreams to the point that I had to take ativan at night just to sleep without them.  Once off that SSRI, I tried others that for various reasons, didn't do the trick.  I am no expert, but I think that Zoloft is similar to Paxil in that the side effects are similar.  I ended up on Remeron and stayed on it for many years up until recently.  It is not a medication that most people think of for anxiety but a friend had tried it with a good result and I thought that maybe it would work for me and it did.  Once on it, I no longer had to take anything for sleep.  You take one tablet at night and that is it.  As far as the sexual disfunction aspect, well, let's just say that that is why my friend chose it because she didn't want to give up that part of her life and apparently that goes for men who take this medication too.  The only time I needed to take ativan after I started Remeron was on an as needed basis.  I used it very infrequently.  Now you may ask, why did I go off this meds.?  Well that is a very good question.  I thought I didn't need it anymore.  I am really questioning that wisdom (or lack of wisdom).  Remeron is supposed to be first and foremost for depression and it works for some people for anxiety.  I gained 40 lbs while on it and that is a side effect that I didn't want anymore.  I'm still not sure I made the right decision.  Time will tell.  Bottom line, Remeron may help with the sleep and sexual disfunction issues if you would consider it as an alternative to the Zoloft.  I, in no way want to sway you in your decision but I thought you might like to know of another option.