Return to Zoloft

[vickyichen]

I took Zoloft 75 mg for about six years for significant anxiety. It worked great for me. I had no side effects and was back to my cheery normal self. About four months ago, I decided to wean myself off because we are trying to start a family. I felt no difference on 50 mg or 25 mg. Then I dropped off completely and, four days later, started feeling really antsy. This has evolved until I was having full-blown anxiety again. I started back on the Zoloft after having been off of it for two weeks and that seemed to cause even more anxiety. Now I feel so hopeless, scared I am going insane as I can't seem to find the things that generally calm me or bring focus and purpose back to my life. It got so bad that all I do is worry, it never leaves me because I am soooo scared that the zoloft will not work a second time and that I'll never go back to the happy and completely content person I was just two weeks ago. I am afraid of going places as I had anxiety attacks yesterday at my facial which is usually so relaxing. It scares me even more because going places used to bring me comfort in times of anxiety and now I'm afraid I'll never be normal again. My doctor now also put me on lorazepam for a few days as I am building up on the zoloft. My question is, does this happen sometimes going off of the zoloft? Will it work the second time? My counselor, who is on vacation right now, said there is no reason to believe that the zoloft will not work again. All I know is that I feel so helpless and just want it to get better. I know I can hang in there if the zoloft starts working soon, but every day right now is such an agony. I do not know what to do, to start, where to go, how to help myself. Everybody, my husband, my parens, my counselor, they all say if it worked the first time it will work again. Is that true in your experience also? I responded really quickly to the medication last time. Will it take longer this time around? I just want to go back to loving food like I used to (everything tastes like paper now and I have to force myself to eat), being happy and content like I was just two weeks ago. Will I get there again? Thank you so much for your answer!!

[Hollon]

I am in the SAME boat right now!! I've taken Zoloft successfully for 12 yrs & only came off for my 2 pregnancies. I am having SEVERE PPD with my second child, now 5 wks old. I went back on Zoloft nearly 3 wks ago & less than a week ago started having EXTREME anxiety & panic attacks for the first time in my life. I am unable to sleep or eat due to anxiety & can't relax for anything. I have been to my doctor a counselor & a psychiatrist. They all have different things to say, but most tell me to give the zoloft 4-6 weeks to work. I'm afraid bc it worked very quickly before & now seems to make me worse. I got a subscription for Lorazapem today for the anxiety. I am afraid of taking that as I know its short lived & can be addictive. I also am concerned as a nursing mother. Like you I am terrified at having to be a guinea pig with other anti-depressants as they could make things worse & bc the zoloft worked so well in the past. I too feel like I'm going crazy. I have a phenomenal support team who I feel I am wearing out. I am dying for some relief & get back to myself. I need to be reassured something will work & I'm hoping my body will respond to zoloft eventually. I am on 100 mg. My Dr recommended I up the dose to 150, but I am afraid to be dependant on such a high dose. I also wonder if it truly takes 4-6 wks to take full affect, Why would they up my dose before that time period. This is not something I can control with relaxation techniques, positive thinking, talking....I have tried it all & want to be a good mother to my precious little boys. I feel I am missing out on their childhood.:(

[jpchelsea]

wondering how it turned out for vickychen ...i'm going through something similiar, though I was off for seven weeks.

[Rotty]

I can relate totally.  I've been on three antidepressants at the same time for three years plus depakote.  my last psych added wellbutrin to all that.  now my new psych who is VERY good and is an expert in psychoparmacology (the psychotropic drugs we take) is trying to help we wean off celexa.  we tried three weeks ago to just barely cut back on the celexa and raise the dose slightly of prozac and after four or five days I just couln't handle it anymore as I was losing my grip.  So I went back to what I was always doing and got better real quick.  I saw him on Mon. this week and relayed what happened and that is didn't work so now starting today, I will be taking the liquid form of celexa (i didn't know these drugs came in liquid form the they all do) and we'll try weaning me in tiny little amounts with that.  Yuck!!!

Three years ago I was just on Prozac and decided I didn't need it any more and didn't know I couldn't just quite all at once because I wasn't going to a psych.  HUGE mistake.  I lost touch with the planet pretty quickly and tried going back on the Prozac but it didn't seem to work (I didn't give it but two or three days though, didn't know what I was doing!)  So, went inpatient for awhile and ended up on what I'm on now with a diagnosis of manic depression.  Sigh...  It's not easy but hand in there.  There are so many of us who are struggling with these same issues.  I pray a lot and am a Christian so my faith is what I rely on heavily.  Good luck.  Hope any of this helps.

[Jimmy1965]

Dear Vicky,

I wish I could snap my fingers and everything be ok. Your story sounds very close to mine. Back in Dec of last year my GP prescribed me Zoloft because I made one stupid comment about being stressed out at work. I had no clue of what SSRI medication was all about nor did my GP educate me on these types of drugs.  I took 25mg for 3 months and quit taking them. Unfortunately (not like you) I did not taper down. About a week after I stopped the Zoloft, my world came crashing down around me. I had major anxiety and a couple of bad panic attacks. I even made a trip to the hospital because I thought I was dying of a heart attack. Depression also came along with everything else. After a few blood test I found out there was nothing physically wrong with me. I went to the doctor and got on paxil. Big mistake! It made it worse so I went back on Zoloft and now I'm taking 75MG everyday. I've been on Zoloft now for about two months and I'm feeling a little better and I'm in the process of maybe trying out a new SSRI but I know I still have a long climb up the hill. I guess my point to you is, please hang in there. If Zoloft worked before it should work again but it might take a little longer to ramp back up. Like you I'm on 2.5 MG of Lorazapam a day for anxiety and now I'm slowly seeing where I might be able to start tapering off of the Lorazapam. What I realized throught this is 1) SSRI medications are serious stuff and I dont believe that regular GP should be prescribing them to patients because they dont educate them well enough. I thing these meds should only be prescribed by a psychiatrist. 2) Solving issues with just meds is not the only answer. If you have a good counselor they should help you work through your anxiety with different types of therapy's like cognitive behavior. I wish you all the luck for a speedy recovery. They say Zoloft and other SSRI drugs are not addictive but man they sure seem like it when you quit taking them. If I had to do it all over again I would have never taken these meds.

Good luck!

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You will get there, and probably with Zoloft, but if not with another medication in it's class. Your problem now is your anxiety about your anxiety, and that makes everything harder for you, and harder for the medication to take effect. Use the lorazepam to get you out of this anxiety cycle, and then things will start working out.