Feedback on Zoloft Side Effects and Usage, page 23
About Zoloft
If you use Zoloft, please help others by adding your feedback. What would you tell your best friend about this product? Please remember that we do not give medical advice. That is for your local health care provider, who is familiar with your medical history.
Subj: Anxiety and heart palpitations
Date: 6/17/2009
I have had severe panic 11 years when I was pregnant with my 11 year old this is what happened to me it was bad, I was on 100mlg zoloft and ativan, well 6 months ago I stopped taking my zoloft. A month ago I went into severe panic and anxiety, I went to my doctor I am now on 100mlg of zoloft a day and had to which to xanex 0.5 three times a day, I am feeling better but I still have anxiety and alot of heart palpitations. I want this to go away as I feel I will never be me again,
Teresa
Subj: I love my zoloft
Date: 6/22/2009
I have been taking Zoloft for 5 years, 50 mg. I have found it very helpful. I also take 5 mg of ambien every night. I have noticed an occasional burning in my throat, and the desire to vomit. This side effect has gotten more intense lately. I have vomitted on occassion. Is there some way I can take the zoloft to avoid this effect? I’m thinking I should see a doctor… and I love my zoloft.
Rhoda
AskDocWeb: Nausea is listed as one of the possible side effects that should be reported to your health care provider.
Subj: Memory loss
Date: 6/25/2009
Have been on lithium and zoloft for years. Always had a little memory loss. Significantly worse now that I am on wellbutrin.
Anna
Subj: Gained pounds, muscle and bone aches
Date: 6/29/2009
I have been taking Zoloft for about a year. I started at 25mg and went gradually up to 100mg. I had previously taken Lamictal, but kept getting nausea with it. I wanted to get off my medication. I too have gained about 15 pounds. I weaned myself down to 25mg again doing two weeks at a time, but after a couple of days at 25mg started feeling nauseated again. Now taking 50mg but I am going to start weaning again. I was taking it for depression, but have also developed muscle and bone aches. I was having a hard time with stiffness and not being able to get up. I thought it might be a side effect of zoloft or arthritus.
Two weeks ago I was at Wal-mart looking for something to help with the pain. I was taking 4 650mg of Tylenol a day and not helping. Found a vitamin with the help of another customer. It is called Move Free Advanced by Schiff with Glucosamine, chondroitin. I have also been taking Vit D and Potassium since a blood test showed both were low. Was feeling no results with the Vit D and Pot, but after two weeks of taking the Move Free I am feeling great. I am able to do a lot more. In fact, my husband has to remind me to sit down since I have a tendency to over do, but being able to felt so good. I think in another week or two, I will start weaning off Zoloft.
Something else I might add, my sister-in-law had breast cancer and has been taking Tamoxifen along with Zoloft and recently found out Zoloft can interfere with the effectiveness of the cancer medication. Right now I feel the less medication I can get by with not taking may be better for long term effects.
Shirley
AskDocWeb: Please note that some herbs can also interact with drugs.
Subj: Unbearable grief for no obvious reason
Date: 7/1/2009
Hi everyone from London. After some life changes, stress and trauma, I started to get feelings of unbearable grief for no obvious reason. I did everything I knew how to reduce this grief but nothing worked much. I started to feel nauseous all the time, didn’t want to eat, was waking up massively too early or in the middle of the night, I was also losing all sense of motivation or hope in life, it was very very strange. I worked non stop to change all this but I seemed to be getting worse and worse, so I finally bit the bullet and tried 25 mg of sertraline a day. I had never taken anti depressants and didn’t believe much in them, however after 5 days I felt all the above symptoms reduce by 50%! I couldn’t believe it.
After a few weeks I upped the dose to 50%(the minimum dose in the U.K.) After about 7 days I experienced 4 days of hell(although no worse than how I felt before the drugs). After those 4 days, I felt fantastic, I felt all my symptoms were reduced 90-95%, incredible. I developed some dhiarhea but it wasn’t much of a problem. After a few months, I added another 25mg to a total of 75mg to see what would happen and 9 days later I went through 14 days of total hell(all my worst depression and anxiety symptoms all at once). After this 14 days, I was recovering for about another 14 days after which I felt FANTASTIC. 100% free of all symptoms and totally back to the old happy me. I must say that 1) I have felt no reduction in anxiety levels and 2) after 2 months or so, I started to feel the depression/grief returning slightly. It is now many months on and I feel a gentle slight return here and there of my symptoms but all very manageable.
Joseph
Subj: Herpes connection?
Date: 7/3/2009
I am on 25mg Zolft( since 4-30-09) and also just started Prilosec as well. My herpes type 2 has gotten worse. I don’t know if there is a connection or not. I am 58 and barely had 1-2 outbreaks a year. Now it does not want to go away. Anyone else experience this?
Patsy
Subj: Zoloft affect on the birth control
Date: 7/4/2009
I take zoloft 100mg daily and have just recently started taking ortho tri cyclen-lo, will taking these two medications together have any affect on the birth control?
AAB
AskDocWeb: No, Zoloft has no effect on Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo or other oral contraceptive birth control pills.
Subj: Fall from healthy choices
Date: 7/7/2009
I gained 25 pounds since beginning Zoloft almost two years ago. I didn’t relate the weight gain to the med; I thought I was just tired and had fallen out of good nutrition and exercise habits. Now I’m thinking Zoloft precipitated this fall from healthy choices. I want to go off it, but now I’m reading about nasty withdrawal symptoms. I feel trapped.
L
Subj: Problem sleeping
Date: 7/7/2009
I started taking Zoloft when I went through early menaupause at 32. Took it for 2 years, got a divorce, lost my ins and had to stop abruptly. Had all the horrible withdrawals for a few months, but confused these with my own depression of loosing so much at that time. Now I’m 39 and still have not been able to cope with my depression and have started to take Zoloft again. The first night, last night, I took it and I was awake all night. This didn’t happen in the past, on the contrary, it helped me sleep through the night. Has my body changed so much that I now have the opposite effect, which is already a problem for me. I can’t sleep anyway, and thought this might help me in that area as well. Also, can you tell me if it’s safe to take a sleeping pill with Zoloft so I can sleep? Thank you so much.
Millie
AskDocWeb: Any insomnia or difficulty getting to sleep or waking during the night are listed as possible side effects that should be reported to your doctor.
Subj: Awful side effects
Date: 7/11/2009
I have been taking Zoloft 50mg for 15 months and although I had no idea that I was depressed when I went to my doctor, I do feel calmer and more contented in most situations. My original problem was a high aldoresterone and renin count found during a 24 hour urine test in connection with my high blood pressure. I have just been re tested and my levels are now normal. Who would have thought there was a connection with depression? There are side effects for me however and these include: loss of libido, very heavy head sweating, shortness of breath and constant electrical noise in my head. I also tend to have short term memory loss and an inability to cry appropriately. So far my doctor has failed to make the connection and only as a result of research on the internet (especially this site) have I been able to discover this for myself. Should I continue with the Zoloft or is there a similar drug I can take without the awful side effects above? Thank you.
Christine
AskDocWeb: There are alternatives and it sounds like it would be worth discussing them with your doctor.
Subj: I feel like a new person
Date: 7/16/2009
I have been taking zoloft, for 8 weeks now, it first I had a little nausea, which lasted 3wks, and the dry mouth also lasted roughly the same time, I have never felt better in my whole life, I’m happier, I sleep better, I have stopped taking sleeping pills, which I have been tasking on and off for the last 15yrs, and my husband couldn’t be happier…I feel like a new person.
Tracy
Subj: All the bad stuff
Date: 7/24/2009
I was wondering if the side effects of stopping zoloft cold turkey are supposed to stop within the two weeks, or if it’s something I’m going to be stuck with for the rest of my life. I was prescribed the drug due to my postpartum depression. I finally felt the babies were big enough at 9 months to return to work. I’ve been off of the zoloft for almost an entire month now and I’ve been experiencing all the bad stuff- Extreme dizziness, vertigo, motion sickness, the inability to handle simple stresses like my girls crying. The worst part is that my body will feel fine, but my head just feels like it wants to sleep.. Like it I can just pass out at any time. I’ve been taking long naps in the middle of the day, not because I want to, but because by that point I’m so exhausted from fighting my head’s urge to just shut down that I have no choice. I’m not sure what to do. My MD said I can try to go back on the drug and ween off of it for about three weeks, but if I’m still feeling bad then I have to come in and be seen. She also said that I’ve been off it long enough that going back on just to ween will make little difference. That I shouldn’t be feeling the effects anymore. So I guess what I’m doing is asking if you think it would worsen my symptoms to trying going back on just to ween, or help. Please help! Thanks.
Leigh
AskDocWeb: If you aren’t feeling the effects anymore, which according to your doctor is the case, then what is it? Don’t let your doctor disregard your symptoms just because they think you “shouldn’t be feeling” them. If your doctor rejects the possibility that you might be suffering from withdrawal effects then don’t call them that. Just call them symptoms and ask for help to cope with your symptoms.
Subj: Trying to wean myself off slowly
Date: 7/26/2009
I have been on Zoloft for 6 years now and I would like to quit taking the medication. The Dr. orignally put me on a 50mg a day, but I couldn’t handle it. I felt really dizzy and overwhelmed with frar from the dizziness. I started taking 25mg and it worked great for me. The only thing I have noticed is weight gain and numbness of emotions at times – I really don’t like either one!! I now am taking 12.5mg a day and trying to wean myself off slowly. When I go without the Zoloft, even at a low dose for a few days, I have heart palpitations, dizziness, and anxiety. Also on the medicine I have noticed that I have no energy for anything, and my heart rate is significantly lower. Just sharing my experience on Zoloft, hope I can quit the drug with God’s help!!
Melissa
Subj: Severe withdrawal symptoms
Date: 7/30/2009
I dropped from 100mg to 50mg and had severe withdrawal symptoms. The Dr’s instructions are now to drop 25mg every 3 weeks, and then take the 25mg every other day for 2 weeks.
C
Subj: Panic attacks and symptoms of heart attack
Date: 8/5/2009
I was on 50 mg. of zoloft and 20 mg. of paxil for 6 days. I felt dizzy, my heart raced, and I had chest pain. Does zoloft cause heart attacks? How long will it take for the zoloft to get out of my system? I am now back on 40 mg. of paxil, but I still have either panic attacks or symptoms of a heart attack. What should I do?
Dorothy
AskDocWeb: The half-life of Zoloft is 26 hours but since the rate that the body eliminates the drug slows as the amount remaining diminishes, it may take several days to completely leave the body. For advice on what to do, talk to your doctor. Read more feedback. Zoloft Report – 21 – 22 – Page 23 – 24 – 25 – Last Page 35
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