So, I went to the doctor yesterday for several things including asthma, cardio, and anxiety. In the past (about 4 years ago) I had been on a few different medications more for depression. At that point I was on celexa, effexor, and prozac (not all at once). So this time for severe anxiety, my doctor put me on zoloft. I've read lots of side effects and lots of good things about it, but just wondering if anyone could provide some personal experiences with zoloft and anxiety treatment. I will still continue to see my counselor, but I just needed the extra help at this point in time. Thanks for any input!
Zoloft is a well-established SSRI-class antidepressant. Because it acts on serotonin, it is helpful in calming anxiety. I've not heard of any significant side effects from folks talking it. The interesting thing about psychopharmacology is that the non-specific effect (the individual action of the drug on a given person taking it) is really variable, so it is very difficult to determine which drug will work best for any given person; it's often basically a guessing game until you get the right one. Hopefully Zoloft will do the trick for you.
I had Zoloft before, did not experience any side effects. I always took it before I went to bed, but sometimes I’d get heartburn before I went to bed so I tried taking it during dinner time. I think it worked. It’s been a while since I’ve been on meds.
I was on Zoloft for a while and had some pretty extreme side effects. I was pretty nauseous all the time and slept like 20 hours at a time. My doctor said my side effects were rare, but after trying some different doses I just decided it wasn't for me. Definitely stick with it though. It's a very popular and proven effective medication.
I've been taking Zoloft for 3 years and it made me sleep less (good side effect for me :3) and affected my taste sense and my libido but it's really good for my GAD and my sensitivity.
Thanks y'all. I've been on it for about 2 weeks now. I know it takes time to reach full effect, but I already feel a little less anxious. I've read about it increasing appetite and causing weight gain which I'm still nervous about. I've been working my ass off and recently lost a little over 20 pounds and have about 20 more to go before I reach my goal. This week, I noticed I was hungrier and one day I was unable to satisfy my appetite (which is abnormal for me since I've changed my eating habits). But I also had a change in my schedule with school starting and waking up earlier so I think that has something to do with it too. In the past few days, I've noticed that I wake up earlier than usual on my days off (not too much of a negative thing). I don't know if I can contribute all this to the Zoloft just yet, but so far I'm pretty happy with it. I've got to keep a close eye on my weight tho because if that starts going back up, I know it will definitely trigger more anxiety for me since I've been working hard to lose it. Thanks for all your responses and personal experiences. It's easy to get caught up in all the negative stuff online.
I'm taking Zoloft, and it works pretty well. Just be sure to take it with water (though I assume you may be doing so anyways). I didn't and the side effect I got was nausea so bad that I would have to lay in bed all day. Though it went away after an hour or two. But overall, it has definitely helped my anxiety and depression!
From what I understand, many medications for mental disorders cause increased appetite and weight gain. I have a cousin who takes meds of a mental disorder and he weights nearly 100 pounds more than me, while being 6 inches shorter. Did the less sleep cause you to be tired during the day?
I’m actually back on meds now. I’ve been able to sleep better for the past couple of days since taking the meds back last week. No side effects at the moment, and same meds as before (Zoloft). Starting off with a small dosage, increasing it over the next 2 weeks.
Yes, many medications for mental disorders affect appetite and weight because they alter chemicals (usually dopamine) in the brain which is a signaling chemical for appetite. I'm hoping that being aware of this and remaining active will help me avoid this if it does affect me. I've read reviews of zoloft going both ways (increasing or decreasing appetite). Initially, I felt like it was increasing but there were also other factors in that. Now that I'm getting back into my school routine and waking up earlier, I feel like it is leveling out (maybe a little decreased). It's just something that I will have to watch closely. Thanks again for everyone's responses!
Hi, Taken. I've been on a few different ones. I found Sertraline, Citalopram and Fluroxetine very similar to each other. I've been on Venlafaxine 150mg for the last 4 years now, though. It's worked best for me, but I get too hot very easily on exertion with it - especially in spring and summer. I would dread the heat but the drug otherwise worked best for me. I've had no other side effects with any of them. So, I talked to my doctor recently and I'm in the midst of reducing my daily Venlafaxine down from 150 to 75mg daily. But I'm doing this reduction in a slow and controlled manner. I'll take 4 - 6 weeks until I'm down to 50mg every day. I would have gone for 100mg but I was told by the doc that they don't do 100mg in Venlafaxine. So, one warning. When and if you do come off any anti depressant / anti anxiety medication, do be careful and do it slowly. Otherwise it can get very uncomfortable. Coming off any of them too quickly can give brain zaps. These aren't big but other things happen too. Coming off them too quickly can also cause irritability, feelings of discomfort, and can lead you to be more impulsive than normal. I came off one of them once too quickly and I regret it. Best wishes.
