Zoloft and Panic Attacks!!!!!!! EDITED

Hi C.,
I am also taking Zoloft for panic attacks. Unfortunately, it takes aleast a few weeks for it to kick in. I am on 100mg's and I finally am feeling myself again. My dr gave me Ativan for quick relief. I didn't like taking it because it made me very tired. I haven't had an episode like you describe though while waiting for the Zoloft to kick in I was still getting the panic attacks. I can still feel small panic attacks, but they don't grow into the bad episodes like I use to. Hope this helps. Feel free to email me with any other questions or if you want to just "chat" about it.

C.,
There are several ways to cure anxiety that do not involve medical drugs. I used to have horrible panic attacks as well. One time, I even got stuck in an airport bathroom stall for an hour. I was afraid to leave the bathroom because I thought I was going to have a heart attack or "go crazy". Its a horrible feeling and very difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced it.
In any event, medical drugs are made by humans...humans are not perfect..humans make mistakes. You are taking a drug made by a human that affects YOUR BRAIN. And Dr's make money by giving you these drugs. Yikes. I'll pass on that one.
My sister took zoloft,xanax,efixir and all types of several drugs for her "anxiety". Dr's are quick to prescribe drugs. When one wouldnt work or caused problems,he'd increase the dosage or switch her to another. These drugs caused her to become depresed,anorexic,and very very moody. She slurred and her eyes were always "drowsy" looking. So many times I would tell her that she was MUCH better before the drugs. She had to be weaned off of them. A little over a year later, she is finally off of them but she has memory loss and cant seem to remember much of the two years she was on medication. I think this is the same type of thing Britney Spears is doing to herself as well.
Anyway, not to scare you...but I'm glad I caught you while you just started. I have cured my anxiety and panic attacks without medication. It is possible. There are so many books on the subject. Here is an article you will find interseting.
http://www.mindpub.com/art270.htm

And here are some books:
http://www.amazon.com/Instinct-Heal-Depression-Anxiety-Wi...?
ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185901951&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Healing-Without-Medication-Comprehe...

Do they think you are depressed? Lexy tried that as well and it didn't work. Prozac didn't work; she had alot of difficulty with lexapro. It made them 10x worse. She felt like things moved extremely quickly and sounds were very loud for 30 to 40 seconds at a time.(like a flash back but it wasn't) People seemed to close in on her... experience any of that?

Mention something to your doctor about Celexa. It works for her, maybe it will work for you.

Good luck sweetie. Keep trying!

V.

I've been on Zoloft for awhile for OCD, panic attacks, & depression. In the beginning, I didn't think it was working. I had more frequent panic attacks & my depression got worse. After about two months & adjusting the dosage, it got better. Just stick with it as your Dr. says, & don't miss any doses because it will make things worse. Good luck & I hope you start to feel better soon.

That is not a nice combination, Zoloft and Xanax can make you have illusions like crazy, that's enough to make you feel like you're walking on air. But your doctor does know your emotional, physical and health history, so take the medications as he prescribed it. It is true, sometimes the medications takes about a month or 2 before you start to feel better. Xanax is a fast way to calm you down, so that is probably what he saw best to do at the time. Be very careful with this medicine, as your doctor has probably already told you, Xanax should only be taken at the time when the panic occurs, not when you feel okay. Take the Zoloft as recommended, try to take it at the same time every day for the length prescribed for better results, even if you feel better don't stop. This is helping your brain hormones to balance out. Anyways, you have probably heard all this already, so I will stop lecturing you, however you are a smart women and will overcome these attacks very soon!

I would not take the Zoloft anymore if you have a weird reaction. My son went through depression his senior year of high school. We tried 3 different kinds of anti-depressants and none of them worked. He actually got worse and his suicide thoughts didn't go away. His brain turned to mush, he couldn't hardly get up for school. He started getting in trouble in school and with the law and started drinking. Stuff he had never done before. It messes with your mind and made him not have a conscience. He had no feelings what so ever. Anti-depressants aren't for everyone and I finally got a counselor to agree with me and we got him off of them. He was glad to get off them and he had some bad withdraws but the didn't last too long. He got through high school barely but graduated! He went to College and did well the first semester and then the second semester he started getting sick with stomach issues and vertigo and a lot of other problems. We've been to many doctors but no relief and no answers. His anxiety/panic attacks are coming back. I think because of all his health issues and he can't sleep at night. His depression has come back so his doctor wanted to put him on a low dose anti-depressant. I knew it would probably affect him and it did. He hated it so he went off of them right away. So his doctor did put him on xanax an anxiety med. He said they are not anti-depressants. So he has been on them for about 5 days. So far they seem to be helping a lot. So I would suggest just an anxiety medication. I decided to take my son to the Mayo's Clinic in Minnesota. We are leaving next week. He is so ready for some relief and answers and so am I. He wasn't able to go back to College where he was going but has been trying to take a few local college classes to keep up with getting his credits. I have always told him I won't ever give up on him and someday soon he'll be able to get back on his feet and be independent again! Gotta love your kids and be there for them ever step of the way! Sorry if this was too long of a response. Good luck.

I will email you my ideas.

Klonopin IS a narcotic in the same class as Xanax. The difference is that it is long acting. You should only use the Xanax for the first few weeks when you actually are having a panic attack. It usually takes 4-6 weeks for the Zoloft to reach maximum effect. If you have questions in the future I would recommend talking to a good pharmacist, this is the kind of stuff they deal with every day.
P.S. I am a pharmacist in the area.

My sister and I have gone through the same thing. My sister takes Zoloft and I take Effexor. Your doctor is right, it will be worse before it is better but stick with it and you will feel better. Most doctors will prescribe Xanax when you are getting used to taking the medication and it will help tons!!!

C.,

EVERYTHING Brandy C said is exactly what I would also. I have been on Zoloft for 9 years--start slow and increase doses slowly. It does take about 30 days to fully kick in--you will gradually feel better. Klonipin is FANTASTIC! I also took that for a brief time until the zoloft kicked in and the panick attacks eased down. Hang in there it will get better. If I got better you will too!

Hello C.,

Well I am glad you wrote now I don't feel like the only on with this! I only get mine at holiday time and now that my hubby travels for work. I tried Zoloft and I hated the way it made me feel but I stayed on it for 3 to 4 weeks, I felt sick all the time and it made the panic much worse. I took myself off and I was fine. But they do say not to do that, I think mostly if you are depressed. I do take Xanax and that you can become addicted to not only physically but mentally, thinking you need it when you really don't. (affraid your going to have a panic attack)I went to the dr and she now is giving me Lexapro 10 mg and I have been on that for almost 2 weeks and so far I feel pretty good. The 1st day I felt like I was going to throw up but didn't and after that I have been fine. I don't seem to be any moodier than before and I know my panics aren't as bad either. It is in the head and it is hard to understand if you don't have it and my hubby is one of them, he is always telling me to do breathing excercises but doesn't understand that makes me worse because then that is all I think about. My dr also told me I may want to see a counselor to talk about why I also think of the "what ifs". I am a big worry wart. She said it may help and they may be able to give more suggestions. Good luck and remember you aren't the only one!

Years ago, I had the same experience w/Zoloft. I, too began having panic attacks and within days of taking Zoloft it was much worse! I stopped taking it and began Effexor (sp?) and it helped within days. I had no weird side effects and just noticed over time that I was beginning to feel "normal" again. I took it for a year, but the last 6 months was just slowly getting off of it. It's so scary to feel like that and hopefully you'll get some relief quickly!! Good Luck and God Bless! Prayer always helps w/anxiety(and everything :) and strange as it sounds, counting helped get me through a panic attack. It always makes you feel better to know you are not the only one!

You poor thing hang in there. i started taking zoloft for pms and realized it made my anxiety MUCH worse in the beginning. hang in there because it does go away, I have been on zoloft for almost 4yrs and may stay on it forever. i take 25mg too, 50 mg was too much for me, it gave me insomnia right when my 4mos old starting sleeping thru the night. let me know if i can help!
K.

I feel your pain! I used to be on Zoloft 75mg for deppression, and also was having severe anxiety attacks. I have also been on Xanex for the anxiety. Recently my doc switched me from Zolft to Lexapro for the depression, and it has really seemed to help with my anxiety too. I rarely am having to take the Xanex now. Everyone is different the way they react to these drugs, but there are many out there. It is possible you haven't found the right fit yet - talk to your doctor about it. Also, I have found that sometimes it takes a week or 2 to adjust to a new drug. Hope this helps and I hope you feel better soon!

Hi C.,
Since you are just starting to use Zoloft I would advise you to do some looking into the drug before really becoming addicted to it.
Many have had a really hard time weaning themselves off of the drug after using it for a while. Might be worth checking out.
Here is a site that some have talked about Zoloft weaning:
http://mb.rxlist.com/rxboard/zoloft.pl?read=2715
Maybe you could see if another drug or a more natural herb could help you out instead? I have never used Zoloft but was offered it for my PMS. I choose to use an older drug Prozac instead. I don't use it all the time. Just for about 3-4 days after ovulation to help with the hormone shift then I stop. I have tried taking it longer and began to feel goofy and very forgetful. I did use Xanex for a short time years ago. It made me feel very drowsy during the day.
We should use caution when using any drug. As you know, FDA has a long history of pulling drugs off of the shelf after many have suffered ill effects of them.
Hope things get better for you and you will be able to find some relief.
C.

I used Zoloft and Xanax as well. The Xanax was a great bridge until the Zoloft took effect. Within a month, I was finally feeling back to normal. My doctors were very clear though, that meds for depression and panic are only half the solution. I was told that therapy to uncover the underlying reasons was necessary. While panic and depression are chemical reactions in the brain, they are generally chemical reactions to emotional stimuli. My panic was overwhelming like yours - I was at the emergency room more than I care to admit. My therapist went through cognative behavioral therapy with me and I was eventually able to pull myself out of the panic attacks without the Xanax. It gave me a lot of the power back. I still take SSRI's for depression, but I have not had to take Xanax in years. I would really think seriously about adding therapy to find out why this started.