BEING AFRAID OF ZOLOFT

[melanie]

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

[HFHS.MD-AJ]

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.

[dave]

Dont get off the meds.  I tried that route about 10 times, all the happened is that I felt depressed, did some potentially life threatening activities, and drank alcohol like a fish.

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.