Zoloft? - Fort Lauderdale,FL

Everyones body chemistry is different and some people have different reactions to these types of meds.
I personally had a really bad reaction to Zoloft and it made my anxiety worse to the point I had to go into another office, at work crying to my doctor about my anxiety. They told me to stop right away.
I know other people who have taken it and it is ok for them. It never completely solves the issue merely lessens the severity, In my experience.
Good luck, try to look into breathing methods to get you past some of the anxiety. That has helped me tremendously.
Take care.

I take 100mg daily... a worked my way up to that dose slowly and have been told not to quit cold turkey. I can tell a difference. I call it my 'chill pill'. It makes everyone around me less annoying ;-).

I took Zoloft right after having my 2nd child. I cried non stop for three weeks. Finally my family convinced me to call my OB/GYN. He was awesome and listened to me cry my eyes out. It was not something I needed for a long period of time but it definately helped me get myself back together. My mom does take an anti anxiety medication everyday. Im not sure what she takes but this is something that runs in our family. Most of the women on my Moms side do take some form of medication for this. It is something I am aware of and at time do have a bit of anxiety. Sometimes if feels like everything is SOOOO loud when really its not. Things just seem to get to me sometimes more than others. I know that at some point I may need to take something permanantly and I am okay with that because I know it really helped me before. Good Luck.

I take zoloft for my PMS. I am on a relatively low dose (25mg), and I do think it evens out my moods. It takes 2-3 weeks to kick in, so be patient and work with it. This year I've had a terrible year which I've found has increased my anxiety too. The zoloft helps with that also.

I have been on Zoloft for many years, but I am also older than you I am sure.

Went through a few years of great loss, terrible PMS , and stress. I needed help, so saw a therapist and began taking Zoloft.

Changed my mind and made me realize, I was not losing my mind after all, just had an imbalance in my brain.

Try it and see what you think. It does not change you as a person, it makes you able to function like yourself without all of the static you have right now..

I don't have personal experience with it, but I have been told that if you use it, not to go off cold turkey. If you decide it isn't for you, wean off of it gradually.

I'm sorry you're having trouble. Stay close to your doctor while you work on this.

Dawn

I work in the psychiatry field so I hope I can give you some useful information. Zoloft is an SSRI anti-depressant, anxiety is one of the most common symptoms of depression so anti-depressants are often the first line in treating anxiety. SSRI's include prozac, paxil, lexapro, zoloft, celexa, and cymbalta. In comparitive studies zoloft and lexapro were both tops in effectiveness and tolerability. You start low because if you are going to experience side effects it's usually the first week, often they are mild and will go away. Once your medication is therapuetic it's a good idea to supplement with counseling which can provide you with more long term coping skills for depression and anxiety.
On a personal note, I took a small dose of lexapro for 2 years several years ago, it really helped, I started to feel better within a week. My niece takes prozac far anxiety and she is now functional again. It really is worth it to try, you can feel so much better and it gives you the breathing room to work out the origin to your problems. If I were to feel depressed and anxious again I won't wait this time since I know what a help it was.
Good luck, I hope you begin to feel better soon.

I use to take Zoloft when I was younger. I had a lot of things happening and I was very upset. It was a low dosage, I can't remember exactly. I had taken it maybe 2 months. Its not addictive like some anti-depressants are. It did make me not hungry though. It did help though with what I was going through. I did have a hard time sleeping and getting to sleep. Anyhow; everyone has different opinions and different things happen to them while being on this. I didn't want to be on any meds for awhile.

Good luck! Start with a lower dose if you can!

My mom takes it and it seems to make it so she doesn't care about anything anymore. She's anxiety free though...

When it comes to anti-depressants, everyone's experience is VERY individual. Zoloft changed my life in my mid-twenties (and that was in the mid-nineties). I took the half dosage for a week as they prescribe and the then went to the full dosage the next week. I remember feeling like someone had lifted a curtain on my life! However, not everyone feels like that at all, and even though some people feel much better, it's not that dramatic. REALLY talk to your doctor and discuss your feelings and what's out there. My mother, an aunt and one of her friends all took/take Lexapro for the anxiety/depression combo and really have liked it. Just understand that if there are underlying issues to your depression and anxiety, you really need to work those out while taking the medication or nothing will work forever. Good luck.

I never realized how debilitating anxiety could be until I experienced a few phases of having it. My mother struggled with it her entire life, so do what you need to do to ease that. I believe that anxiety is firmly rooted in not feeling secure or supported or like anyone has ever or will ever really "have your back." It's stems from never truly feeling safe or secure, so tap into that -even if you don't think it describes you.

Others experience on Zoloft will not tell you what your experience will be. Each of us has our own individualized chemistry.

I've been on several anti-anxiety medications. Some work and some don't. It seems like they all eventually lose their effectiveness which requires I try a different one. I have never become addicted to any of them. But that doesn't mean you won't.

I have taken Zoloft but can't remember my experience with it. Ask your doctor the expected length of time for it to be effective. It's a medical question whose answer has been scientifically studied. The doctor can tell you the usual length of time but it may take less time for some and more for others. There is no way of knowing what will be the case for you.

Good that you're considering taking an anti-anxiety medication. I think, that once you find the right one for you, you'll feel much better. It may take trying a couple or three different ones. Rely on your doctor to guide you.

You might consider going to a specialist for medication prescriptions. I see a nurse practitioner whose practice is focused on medication. He know the medication and their effects in more detail than most family practitioners.

I was put on Zoloft when my mom was going through some major medical problems. I felt TERRIBLE on Zoloft. I was sick to my stomach for over a month, i felt spaced out, gained a ton of weight and ended p having more anxiety then before taking it. However, they say everyone is different. I was told welbutrin (sp?) is a good way to start because it has fewer side effects. I'm on that now and i feel very normal. :)

If you have tried 5-HTP and L-tryptophan and they didn't work then it is likely that Zoloft may not work so well either - and Zoloft is a lot more risky to use than a natural supplement. I would really suggest things like hypnosis, energy healing, and spiritual support to help overcome depression and anxiety, because it usually comes from a non-physical level and trying to treat it on a physical level with substances won't get to the source of the issue, and in the case of drugs can do more harm than good.

My mom was on Zoloft (when my father passed away) and now has problems with her body jerking at night and not being able to sleep. These were side effects that became permanent. Be Careful!