Do side effects of Zoloft increase as you get better?

[j7653]

I am taking 75 mg Zoloft for depression/anxiety.  I was up to 100 mg for a while.  I am feeling a lot better than I was months ago, but I am experiencing more and more sexual dysfunction (erectal dys., and retarded ejaculation).

I was wondering if the negative side effects of the drug increase in your body as your brain starts to need less of the drug?

While I'm asking, how slowly do you start to taper off the meds?  I did it once before, without advice, much too quickly.  I will ask my Dr. but I'm interested to hear from others in this forum.  Thanks

[Hensley258]

Like most antidepressants, they just slowly stop working after several months or years.
Then I have to change my meds around and find another combination of meds that works.

I have what is called Severe Refractory Depression. (trust me you don't want it)
It makes regular Major Depression look like a walk in the park.

I must take VERY high dosages of antidepressants and mood stabilizers just to get any effect from them because I am very medication resistant.

If your depression is mild to moderate, then I think you can taper off Zoloft and go med free. In your case it can't hurt to try. If it fails to work then you can simply go back on Zoloft.

From listening to what you said I get the feeling that your depression may not be severe or chronic. In that case getting off meds can be done.

[j7653]

Thanks for writing back....  I want to taper off for a few reasons.  It is affecting my ability to get and maintain erections, it is making it hard to ejaculate, I would prefer not to be on prescription drugs if I dont need to be, there is a cost (albeit small), I dont know what the very long term effects of taking a drug will be (how do I know that it wont be found out to cause alzheimers if you take it for 20 years or more?)

I certainly dont want to relapse.  That was a living hell.  But I am working so hard in other areas of my life that sometimes I think I can.  I now exercise daily, have a shrink,  meditate when I can, watch what I eat.

What happened that made the Zoloft stop working for you? Somehow you have gone off it, right?  Do you take something different now?

I look forward to hearing back from you.

[Hensley258]

I used to take Zoloft at 200Mgs a day (back when it still worked for me)

Just like every other antidepressant, it will supress Ejaculation.
I took it for 4 years at 200Mgs a day, I never noticed the sexual side effects fade over time.

In my case I kind of liked that side effect because I could go for hours like a machine.
(wife like it too:)

Some people don't like that side effect at all and I can understand why.
Can I ask why your tapering off your meds? I will assume that you were prescribed Zoloft because you suffer from Major Depression??

Unfortunatly Major depression almost never goes away and if you stop your meds you seriously risk having a relaps of your condition.