Zoloft side effects

I was surprised and enlightened to read the side effects of Zoloft (or its generic) from other users. I took Prozak for years. It didn't seem to be having the same effect so I asked my dr. about changing it. My brother takes Zoloft and it does wonders for him, so I asked to try Zoloft. I am taking a generic form now. Since starting taking Zoloft, I have experienced an almost uncontrollable urge to eat. Not just when I am hungry, but eat until I am miserable. It was comforting at the time, but discouraging to see my weight increase. It was very difficult for me, since I have always been able to control my weight and to lose weight when I tried. My gastroenterologist told me that I should lose some weight, that the extra weight around the middle would cause pressure and add to my acid reflux. I also experience a feeling of "fuzzy" headiness, with difficulty concentrating or remembering things. Some nights, I find it very difficult to sleep.

I'm glad I found this website this morning. I have been taking the generic of Zoloft (Sertraline 50mg) for 4 months now. Every night this week I have been having nightmares. I'm happy to have found a medication that works with my Generalized Anxiety/Depression--but I have started experiencing anxiety in the evenings and have insomnia also. I take it as soon as I wake up in the morning but with a new job, new hours, I have skipped on occasion this last week. I don't know if it's a side effect I should mention to my doctor?

I am an 18 year old male and i have been suffering from depression/anxiety since i was about 15 years old. I have been on prozac, celexa and now i am taking zoloft. i really liked the person i was on prozac but i had major side effects with anger. i would punch walls, freak out over little things and i was just constantly getting in fights at school. i then switched to celexa, and honestly i was not a fan. it didn't absolutely nothing for me. i sunk into a deep depression, got hooked on drugs, and couldn't get back on my feet. FINALLY my doctor realized that celexa was not working for me and decided to put me on zoloft. i have been taking it for about 2 months now. yeah i got off of the drugs but i am still very irritable. my sex drive has went down the drain. It is hard for me to even get an erection, let alone make it last. i want to switch med's but i am scared to try yet another drug. i thought for sure the third time would be the charm.

I've been taking Zoloft for about a week now and just started having headaches (pressure behind my eyes and at the base of my skull). Any suggestions?

Thanks.

I thought I was going crazy until I found everyone's comments. I started Zoloft 3 months ago and I'm having vivid dreams. So much that when I wake up, I have to think if a conversation or outting really took place or if it was a dream. I haven't had any nightmares, my sex drive is also down. I have no interest in sex, and I seem to be able to sleep for hours on end if given a the opportunity, such as the weekends, I seem to sleep for 12 hours straight.

I started taking Zoloft in December of 2007. I have had anxiety my whole life and after being in an intense car accident I decided it was necessary for me to try medication. It worked miracles. I no longer have anxiety attacks and I'm able to focus and not let little things worry me as much. Over the last few months, however, I have noticed that I have been gaining a lot of weight. My diet has stayed the same and I've been exercising more than usual. NONE of my jeans fit me anymore AND I'm getting a few stretch marks on my hips. I am scared to stop taking Zoloft since it has been almost 2 years. I am currently taking 200 mg. Does anyone have any advice on weening?

I have taking a generic for celexa, until recently I was satisfied with the results, but I had noticed weight gain. I called my doctor and asked to be put on something which would help with the weight gain. What a mistake, she put me on zoloft and now I have not only gained 5 lbs in the week I have taken it, but I cannot sleep, suffer from headaches, suffer from food cravings at night and taking clonazepam is not helping. Under normal circumstances taking 1/2 of a clonazepam would give me great rest. Last night I took, 1 and 3/4 and still could not sleep. Needless to say, I am going back to my other antidepressant. I am small boned and when I gain weight, My blood pressure goes up, which then requires me to take pills for that. I don't want to go on blood pressure meds just because of the weight gain. Hope this helps someone.

I've been on Zoloft 11 years alternating between 50 - 75 mg. This SSRI positively changed my life. From being depressed/anxious/obsessive compulsive I've managed to lead a full happy and productive life.

HOWEVER, the last three nights I've experienced terrible anxiety producing nightmares. Waking up shaking and with my heart pounding, I'm wondering if changing from Zoloft (brand name) to a genertic would cause this problem.

I switched three months ago without any problems. Has anyone experienced the same symptoms, and if so, had you switched to a generic? It seems these nightmares would have occurred sooner if that was the problem.

i took zoloft around 6 yrs ago for 7 months and it helped me with anxiety tremendously, fast forward : i've been on zoloft, about 14 months, 50mg to start, and after an auto accident in july which caused increased stress and anxiety, 100mg a day. nov 2008 i weighed 134 @ 5'3", today Sept 1 2009, i weigh 152, and sometimes it is a bit higher!, i am not taking my zoloft daily anymore and in fact, after a friend told me he heard it may cause weight gain in some people, i only take 1/2 my pill (so, 50mg).
i do sometimes feel the dizziness/egg-for-a-brain feeling, but the weight gain, the increase appetite, the night cravings (which i did not have before) are driving me downhill/depressed. zoloft has helped my anxiety both times greatly, it mellows me so that i'm not worrying 24/7 BUT, the increased appetite, the eating to make me feel good--which i have NEVER ever done before--is not worth the inability to lose weight, fit in my clothes,etc. i have been consuming healthy coffee for the past 6 months and thanks to God, it has helped me with these things, the main reason i started it was because a lot of people have had their appetites curbed, but i guess not for me: my blood pressure, which skyrocketed after the auto accident July 2008, was around 189/110. after 2 to 3 weeks of this amazing coffee (not expensive either and tastes awesome), it is around 130/77 most of the times that I check it. . I now have no cravings whatsoever to alcohol & sweets, no more jitters or stomach burning or caffeine crashing either, a lot less headaches and I used to get nauseous from too much regular coffee too!;no more muscle twitching either. My allergies to oak and other crap have improved as well I'm thrilled to report. I have a better sense of well-being with I'm sure the coffee. I just hope that by cutting down on the Zoloft NOW more so than ever after reading these posts, will enable me to lose this weight--it seems that even though i am more physically active now, due to my feeling a bit better after the auto accident injuries, and eating more salads, I still cannot lose this flabby disgusting, making-me-depressed, weight.

18 year old female, first day on Zoloft...in contrast to everyone else, I had TOO much sleep on Zoloft...first night, did have a nightmare, but slept like a baby and kept wanting to sleep...anxiety seemed low after I first took it, but in the morning anxiety levels were the same (high). Don't wish to take it anymore because it seems to put me in such a deep sleep I can't get up...

The first time I took Zoloft, it was a brand new drug with a high price tag and people were just beginning to talk about depression--openly. I had a positive experience with it. I have PTSD and severe depression due to trauma as a child and later from an abusive husband. I had a major depressive episode shortly after the birth of my 2nd child, exasperated by postpartum depression and thyroid storm. I became suicidal at a time when I seemingly had all I ever wanted. It saved my life in that regard.

I had stubborn baby weight that needed to come off. Also, I tend to be an emotional eater. Zoloft helped curb my emotional eating and I lost weight. Some people say overeating or eating disorders are akin to OCD behavior, both anxiety based, so in that way it makes sense. When Lithium was added, then changed to Depakote, I had a tremendous weight gain--I was PUFFY! At that time Bi-Polar was the flavor of the month--not that it isn't real--it just seemed that at the time, everyone was BiPolar. I later went off all meds and was OK for about 3 years when the ugly beast reared its head again.

Zoloft at one point both saved and ruined my life. The first time on Zoloft as a young wife and mother I think the verdict was still not out with all the side effects. I was unable to engage in sex. Not only did I not have any sexual urge but my body couldn't. I talked to a therapist and psychiatrist to no avail--it was MY problem--that the birth of a child brought up abuse issues--men are the only ones with sexual side effects! After being sexually NORMAL my husband and I were told that it was psychological. That didn't do a lot for our relationship. It also made me more distant and quiet. The new Me-on-Zoloft was like my repressed alter ego. The new me was all the more reason to need to stay on meds--just see how depressed and troubled I am. My husband and I divorced due to bad medicine and I didn't know any better. Had all the information been out there at the time, things could have been different.

I went back on Zoloft with mixed results. As a creative writing major at the university, it was like someone flipped a switch and all creativity left me. I found it increasingly difficult to concentrate and recall information for discussion or tests. I was however , more focused in the mundane--dinner, dishes, laundry, regular exercise, all the routine stuff. The anxiety before going back on zoloft made me want to rip my hair out and I was overwhelmed by everyday stuff. I would wash a dish and fight the urge to run around the table before washing the next one. Part of that, I think, was the pressure of being a single mom with 3 small children, going to school full-time and working part-time. Whew! and with little support from anyone, no dad in the picture.

Through the years I have been on many other things and this will probably be the pattern for the rest of my life. Paxil made me a suicidal zombie to the point that my kids cried and made me go to the hospital--they didn't know the suicidal ideation at the time. Effexor caused flabby weight gain and myalgia. Last year I went in the hospital again for depression (job loss, 2nd divorce, mother's death & all at once). The psychiatrist talked me into going on Pristiq claiming it was like Effexor but with none of its bad side effects. BS!!! Once again, I was duped and still weigh 33 pounds over what I did. I am AGAIN back on Zoloft and it seems fine. The devil you know is better than the one you don't know--I guess. I haven't been back on it long enough to know what will happen this time but it can't be worse than the other things out there. I'm tired of being the psychiatric community guinea pig. Everyone is different; my best friend gaied 25 lbs. on Zoloft and takes Paxil (I can't), my sister only does well on Welbutrin, my friend's mom has been on Effexor for years and it keeps her sane. You just have to find your fit. My problem has been from the medical community not being forthcoming with information and the reluctance to listen to a 'crazy' patient.

2 days of taking zoloft...on and off jaw and throat stiffness, cold sweat, zap like sounds in head at night, vivid dreams, slight diarrhea, very sensitive eyes, dilated eyes, trouble focusing eyes to read, fogginess, anxious feeling, less emotion, trouble smiling, overall muscle stiffness, headaches, sudden feeling of nausea throughout day

my heart does feel slower though which is the reason it was prescribed.. still have feelings of anxiety which was the other reason

I am so relieved to hear that so many people have experienced significant WEIGHT GAIN while on this drug. I weighed 150 pounds when I got pregnant and was 183 when I gave birth. I got all the way down to 152, when I became depressed and suffered from severe anxiety. I have gotten as high as 210 lbs, and my life has been miserable because of my attempts to lose weight and NOTHING WORKS! I can do an hour of spin class (supposed to burn 500-700 cals), lift weights, eat perfectly for weeks and step on the scale and lose NOTHING! I even hired a personal trainer and I think she thinks I am lying because she sees how hard I work out, and nothing changes. This is so depressing, I am embarrassed to go in public or even look in the mirror. I have decided to wean off although I have been taking this med for 10 years. It did help the depression, but now I am so depressed from this weight it is not worth it. Thank goodness I found this thread, because maybe I am not crazy!!!! Is there any chance I will ever lose the weight, or is my metabolism ruined for life?

I started taking zoloft about 2 years ago. I had to change to zoloft from paxil because it stopped working. I was put on it for being irritable and having major mood swings and anxiety.
While on zoloft I have had terrible thoughts about things that could go wrong. I turned into some sort of hypocondriac. I also would get horrible headaches and convinced myself that I had brain cancer. I also had little motivation to do anything. I couldn't last at a job for more than a couple months because I had no motivation to go to work. When i first started taking it I had a hard time falling asleep. After a couple of months my sleeping patterns became normal, and my headaches went away.
Recently I started taking birth control and my old symptoms flaired up again. I now can not sleep at night. I stay awake all night and sleep all day, and have a continuous headache.
Has anyone else had these problems or side effects?

I have been on zoloft for 18 years, mostly at 50 mg. This time period includes when I was pregnant and breastfed my son, now age 9, who is a special needs child. I regret taking zoloft during my son's babyhood but was hooked, told it would be OK by my doctors and was afraid to go off. I have never gone above a size 14 before going on zoloft, usually hovering around size 10 or 12 and wishing I was an 8. Well, I am now a size 24 and weigh over 200 pounds. My stomach is so huge people often think I'm pregnant which is a source of huge embarrassment for me. I find it impossible to control my desire for sugar which I crave to boost my energy. I am often sleepy in the afternoon yet can't get myself to bed early enough. I am apathetic about everything except my son. I have gone months without sex and didn't miss it at all -- thank god for a saint of a husband. Recently I started up sex with my husband even though my drive was still very low, as I saw it really helped my marital relationship. How nice it would be to actually feel a sexual desire before we start up. I crave wine at night to calm me down despite being on this drug. I feel like my brain is sluggish and I've lost some major IQ points. I hope that's only temporary. I have no desire to leave the house and would be happy to stay home all day which is I'm sure due to the drug. I can't get myself to exercise. I feel this drug has put me into a sort of walking coma. I want to go off and will begin soon -- I have set myself up for a tapering schedule that will extend to over a year using liquid zoloft and going down over 10% a month to minimize the brain zaps and depression backlash. I hope I can do it -- my husband wants so badly to get back the size 10 sexy woman he once knew. I want her back too. I hate this drug with a vengeance and am furious I was ever put on it. Absolutely furious.

In 2003 I started having panic attacks that lasted for 10-12 hours. My family doctor put me on Zoloft. I don't remember the dose, but think it may have been 10 mg. I became horribly depressed and had a severe aversion to eating. This is the exact opposite of my usual self. I fell into deep depression, to the point where I just laid on the couch. I lost 30 pounds in a month. My husband called my parents over, and they all said I had to go see a psychiatrist or they would put me in the hospital. I chose the first, and he put me on Xanax (alprazolam). Within 48 hours I was my old self. Unfortunately he prescribed the Xanax extended release ( just new on the market, so he got a kickback) and I suffered needlessly for months with delayed release of the medication and horrid expense. I finally asked my family doctor if there was a generic, and she said it had been around for years. For pennies a day, I have great relief. I have managed to wean myself down to 1 1/2 mg. a day, and can add more if going through a stressful time. We all have different reactions to meds. For me, Zoloft was a nightmare.

I take a combo of Zoloft and Klonopin for anxiety. The medication helps control my anxiety problems, but now I suffer from severe headaches, upset stomach and weight gain. The biggest problem was my headaches. My Dr. suggested stretching exercises for my headaches and stiff neck. The stretching seemed to relieve my overall headaches, but would a trigger spot for an incredible flash of pain when I turned my head a certain way. I've found that resistant pressure seemed to help tremendously.

For example: If my headache was in a specific place just behind my left ear, I would place the heel of my left over the pain and push my head towards the heel of my hand and hold for ten seconds. If it was general tension in the back of my neck that is causing the pain, I would place the heel of my hand on my forehead and push my head toward my hand and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat as necessary. Hope this helps.

I see there are a lot people suffering from headaches so I thought I would share what kind of works for me. Does anyone else have any "works for me" stories?

These are not new side effects but a confirmation of some I've read. Two most disturbing are: the inability to cry which all my life has been a major way to release tension; weight gain and an inability to discipline myself to stop eating; addiction to sugar; lack of motivation; can't stick to anything. when I first started taking it my body "vibrated" but that stopped after a couple of months. However, my head sings all the time. It does cause heartburn so I have to take an antacid (but I also take other blood pressure meds which may add to this). I do generally feel better and now after nearly two years on Zoloft, my motivation to take on projects has increased. I exercise every day and it has helped with depression and anxiety but not with sleep. I'm afraid to go off it because of withdrawal symptoms I may have to suffer; so for now I'm going to continue taking it. It does cause weight gain and does lower motivation but since I'm 74 years old, I don't need to worry about sex drive. Hope this helps.

I took Zoloft in varying strengths (50 - 150 mg) for four years and recently quit taking it cold-turkey. This is the second time I have tried this approach (not for any bad reason, just didn't feel like I needed the med anymore). Both times I have had symptoms return around the 3 month mark of not taking the medication. I never had any big side effects except sleepiness during the first few months of taking it. I've been fine since and think it was a very helpful medication but that it should be tapered off if at all possible.

I was a healthy 23 year old. I have had a pretty rollercoaster 3 yrs. I had a baby young, lost my mother to cancer, moved to FL. came back to NC, moved in a stressful house(knowing it would be) had issues with the father of my child(now resolved) and lost my brother. I started getting the attacks maybe a month after I lost my brother. I was put on Zoloft(50mg), it seemed to be working, but only being on it for about 2 weeks I started to have fluttering around my heart. I saw my doc and she took me off of it. I'm also on birth control. Now I have insane thoughts that something is going to happen or something bad is going on in my body. I have these weird headaches. Sometimes I get them and sometimes I don't. It feels like my head has this fullness most of the time. Or I'll get this quick zapping feeling on one side or both. I have an app coming up and I will be bringing this up. I haven't had any of these symptoms since being on/off the meds and my birth control.

Second day with on 50mg suppose to take it once a day and so far in two short days my anxiety level increased, I feel jittery all over, feels like my heads in a fog and I get these uncontrollable yawns and haven't had a good nights sleep. Has anyone else had this happen to them?

Be careful with Zoloft. You really need to taper off with the help of your Doctor. I have been on it for years, since the death of my daughter. It does help tremendously. However, if you stop taking it, you might have brain static....only way I can describe it. Like a ripple sensation going through your brain. You also can have a return of your emotions usually held in check by the antidepressant. I do much better to just take them.

When i STOPPED taking zoloft (i think i skipped a couple nights by accident) i had the most horrible nightmares i've ever had, and they were quite vivid, 4 nights in a row and i had a great deal of trouble sleeping (mainly due to the nightmares). when i awoke, or thought i was awake, i experienced sleep paralysis for the first time in my life. so, ragtopbaby, you are not alone it seems. my doctor wasn't concerned, but she said it generally happens as a side effect of taking it; she said nothing of withdrawal syndrome, but at that point i had not realized i wasn't taking it (i might have been so tired at night i just was forgetting). however, even before i missed a few doses, some noted that i was acting almost too happy, like i was manic. occasionally this also led to difficulty sleeping but for the most part it was just quite clear that the medicine was working very well.

I started taking Zoloft in Aug 2007 because I could not get sleep at night...tossing and turning - thinking about all the stuff I had to do the next day. Within a few weeks - that was so much better - my moods were better - and my performance at my profession was better because I could actually relax at night. I had lost all the anxiety that I have had all my life - and couldn't believe that there was something out there that could help me so much. I, at the time, would never in a million years think about stopping this medication. HOWEVER, fast forward to Nov 2008 - the zoloft is still working great - but my sex life with my husband is so bad that it is more like work for both of us...and reaching orgasm was almost nearly impossible. I just didn't desire sex...which is highly unusual for me. These affects of the med increased over time - and I was willing to deal with them - but the thing that changed my mind about it all was my weight gain. I chose to take Zoloft because it had the least chance of weight gain...or so I thought. I had gained 30 pounds since I started taking it. I wasn't working out as much - and so I thought that was it...but when the scale hit 200 - and then 210...on a frame that should be no more than 140 (I was a bit overweight when I started it) I freaked out. I had been working out and eating really well for three months, no alcohol - no extra hidden calories - to the 210 mark - and I had gained weight during that time. I was talking to my doctor one day and out of the blue complained that I had gained so much weight and it was really starting to bother me. He said, "oh yeah, that can happen on ssri's - in some people they can pretty much almost shut down your metabolism". I was in shock...he knew my struggle with weight to begin with - and here - now a year and some later told me this. Needless to say - I felt betrayed, but was then determined to get off zoloft. And so I have been with his help..and it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done...and I am still working on it. It has been two months and I am slowly weening off. I was on 100mg per day - and dropped to 50mg, and now I am taking 25...I get dizzy, the mood swings are awful...AWFUL - but I am doing it...and I will not ever take zoloft again. I never realized how addictive this med was - and just how much it affected me until getting off of it. However, the one thing that I have found to help with the withdrawal symptoms - even the dizziness is working out. It has been my saviour.
Just thought I would pass this along. The honeymoon period is great with Zoloft - it is when you see your body out of control that puts it all into perspective. Every person's body is different, but if you notice that you are gaining weight for no reason - and can't seem to lose it - tell your doctor. There are other drugs out there to help with symptoms that zoloft relieves that do not cause all these side effects...the ssri's just tend to work more efficiently. For all those with decreased sex drive - wellbutrin does not affect this or weight...but isn't as good about sleep.

My sex drive is INSANE! Although, it takes me a long time to orgasm.
I have insomnia and minor tremors... More like my muscles randomly twitch or tighten.

I've been on Zoloft for about a month now for OCD and anxiety. I previously used Luvox, but had to quit due to severe suicidal thoughts and hurting myself.
I've noticed recently that my sex drive is INSANE! However, it takes me a very long time to acheive an orgasm.
The only side effect I can certainly link to Zoloft and not one of my other meds is that my muscles randomly jump or minorly tremor.
Memory, 19

I started Zoloft 50 mg about two months ago. I must say i have absolutely no complaints! I was prescribed the medication due to mood swings and depression before and while i was on my period..I take my zoloft and night and within a few days i noticed my mood swings started to go away! I felt more patient and less anxious and pissy all the time. Not to mention before zoloft i was tossing and turning all night long thinking about stuff that was stressing me out..Now, i sleep like a baby! the occasional nightmare every now and then but nothing i cannot handle. The only thing i have to say is when i take it at night i have to have water with it. At least 5 sips if not the heartburn is unbelievable!! So if you are thinking about it make sure you take it with something to drink..I have had no weight gain,no headaches,no suicidal thoughts and no nausea! Also, the sex drive has gone down a little bit, but not much. I would recommend this medicine to anyone! It dosent make you like a zombie or out of your mind. It is amazing!!

About a year ago my doctor put me on Zoloft for depression and anxiety. I only gave it a chance for about 3 weeks though. In the first week I thought I felt pretty good and things were fairly smooth sailing, aside from feeling a little loopy. Once I got into the second week though, I started feeling a lot more dizzy and like my head was in a constant fog. I started feeling a lot more depressed than I was before being on the drug and I was sleeping all the time. There was even a day where I had slept right through my alarm clock AND phone calls from work. I'd missed an entire shift of work because of it, which is when I decided I didn't want to take Zoloft anymore because I didn't want a drug to affect my life so negatively. When I was talking to a coworker about it after the fact she had told me that she noticed that I seemed really off recently, that I was talking slower and didn't seem myself at all. I didn't have a very good experience with this drug at all.

I have been taking zoloft for 14 years for panic disorder with mild depression. various doses, but now im at 200 mg, and have been at that dose for a long time. it was like a lifesaver from my previous med, imipramine. i did have really vivid dreams, weird ones, for a long time, but not so much anymore. i think that the long term effect of taking it has taken a toll on my mental clarity/concentration, though. I feel like i can't concentrate on anything or complete a thought anymore. even typing this i feel like i'm getting lost. like i'm constantly in a fog. or it could be that i have 5 month old twins, lol, i guess. but really, its never been this bad.
i too feel like i have had some loss of emotion, not feeling sad when its completely appropriate to. and i've also had way too much emotion at the wrong times, flying off the handle at people and such. the worst thing is my dr. would ask me "what makes you happy, what do you do for fun?" and i would just stare at him with a blank look cause i had no idea what that felt like anymore. or maybe i couldn't think enough to answer him. physically i think zoloft makes me twitch - eye twitches, nose twitches, throat clearing. and i can't have an orgasm to save my life :(
recently i've been having some breakthrough anxiety and my dr. wants to add wellbutrin to the zoloft. if anyone has experience with this please send me a message. i'm kind of scared to do it.

Have Panic Disorder..put on Zoloft 100mg. Used to weigh 125lbs but now I weigh 160. Maybe the panic attacks were better. at least I was at my normal range. Panic attacks made me throw up 3xs a day. caused other problems with my esophagus. don't know if any other meds would help. scared to try. I work out everyday...swimming, hiking, etc. nothing gets the weight off.

I have been on Zoloft for 20 years now for depression and anxiety. The only thing I have really found is that if i skip a dose i have nightmares that are so real I actually yell out in my sleep. My doctor told me that was a little strange because it usually happens from taking the medication and not from missing a dose. But he didn't seem concerned at all.

I started Zoloft after my cat died (we put him to sleep & it was a terrible experience) and I had started having panic attacks. My doctor talked me into it despite my reluctance. After 4 days (with side effects of dizziness & mild nausea) I became violently ill during the night. I had started another unrelated medication with it and he assumed it was to blame, so he told me to come off both meds for a couple days, then start back on the zoloft. I did this and again 4 days later became violently ill. He acted annoyed with me and told me to stop taking it, he offered me another antidepressant to start after a few days. Well I waited to feel better, and waited and waited. Called him 3 weeks later to complain about the nausea/stomach upset. He told me to stop taking the new medicine- which I then told him I had never started b/c I was still too sick. He gave me an antacid and didn't give it a second thought. Then weeks later (still sick most all the time) I drank one beer and became violently ill once again. I went to see him immediately and got a pregnancy test (negative) and more antacids. My husband saw him later for a cold or something and when he mentioned my name my doctor became hostile. I am waiting to get an appointment with a new doctor, but now it has been 5 months and I'm still sick every day. I can't drink caffeine, or take any vitamins/ supplements for energy b/c I become so ill when I do. I was fine until I took the Zoloft. I can't find any other mention of something like this on the internet, but it seems so obvious that it started exactly when I started the Zoloft, I can't just dismiss it as a coincidence like my doctor seems to. Besides that he has done nothing to find out what this mysterious illness is or to stop it.

I have never experienced anything like this before starting Zoloft. Most nights, I have very vivid and disturbing dreams. The last two mornings I was having really vivid dreams, almost nightmares. These dreams were NOT fun! I eventually became aware I was dreaming and I forced myself to wake up. When I woke, my body was in a near state of complete paralysis. I could move very little and had to stay in bed for about 30 min. before I had enough energy to get out of bed.

I take 100 mgs. of zoloft and have no problems with it. If I take it late in the afternoon and sometimes have dreams but not bad dreams. They are always sweet dreams. I do have trouble losing weight and am wondering if maybe the zoloft is keeping me from shedding the pounds. That would be my only complaint though.

I have been on Zoloft since June of this yr. I was depressed, had anxiety attacks that felt like heart attacks, racing thoughts, felt unnecessary in this world, cryed alot and felt like I was going to be fired at my job all of the time.
I feel better on Zoloft. My moods are more even. I work nights now and am alone from 5p to 11p. I have had headaches alot lately. My dreams are pretty vivid and I wonder if I lived it or if I dreamed it alot now as well. I asked my doctor about this product causing weight gain and she denied that it did. In fact she blamed the steroid shot I had for allergies this winter for the hunger I have felt. Maybe so, but I was eating before that and now that I have found this site I am afraid that it is the Zoloft afterall. I am on 75 mg's. I have felt a bit dizzy at times, blamed allergies, now I am not so certain. Also, after I eat I have been feeling nausea too. Zoloft? I do not know. Is there anything a person can take or do that will remove the anxiety, racing thoughts, depression etc without feeling other horrible effects to feel better? Now I am afraid to go off of the drug. I certainly do not want to return to the way I felt, or the mean mood swings or the pains that felt like a heart attack. I also sweat alot at nights while sleeping. Thought it was menopause? Don't know. What do we do? Other than the dreams, sweats, overeating, stomach upsets, racing to the rest room etc. I feel okay. HA.

I used to take zoloft for anxiety/depression, and it gave me uncontrollable flatulence. at the time I was also taking Trazodone. could these be related?

I have taken Zoloft (100 mg) on and off for about 10 years. It is very effective at reducing depression for me, but it also dramatically reduces my motivation and ability to concentrate. Hence, I am always eager to get off the drug when I feel I am in a stable situation.

My most productive and creative periods have occurred about a month after stopping the medication. I have *never* had a productive period while on Zoloft.

The most dramatic side effect for me is nightmares, which generally occur when I am ramping up or down on the med (mostly the latter). If I miss several doses, I am often treated to horrific dream in which I go on a murdering rampage, or something similarly gruesome. They are deeply disturbing dreams, unlike anything I've ever experienced without medication.

HI i tried zoloft with a great amount of doubt, but it has actually been really good. For the first week or two, i had insomnia but that soon passed, and for a couple of days i felt mildly nauseous. My anxiety has definitely lifted, and my relationship has improved significantly , we are now getting married in 6 month!
I didn't gain weight due to the drug, and I am not overweight at all, but I do suffer from binge eating disorder. Don't know if zoloft helped with that aspect, but now I've just been put on Yaz (birth control), and noticed a slight loss of appetite. It this continues, this could be the answer to all my problems. So fingers crossed. With Yaz, also, insomnia and mild nausea for a couple of days, but I figure that could be my body getting used to the drugs.

I've been taking Zoloft for nearly a month. My sex drive has not decreased but it takes me a very long time to have an orgasm. It is frustrating because my partner and I have always had a very active sex life. Now, I'm hesitant to have sex because it takes too long to have an orgasm. Any suggestions?? Sexually Frustrated

I used to take Zoloft as a teenager, along with a wide variety of other anti depressants I tried, and it didn't seem to really work. I don't think I was "depressed" back then but the doctors seemed to like to say I was just because I didn't get along with my family.

Forward 5-6 years and a death in a family occurs and I completely lose my mind. Extreme anxiety and depression during those episodes. I got a prescription for anxiety medication which made a world of a difference but I was still experiencing symptoms, and felt very dull and dead every day. My doctor said I am definitely depressed and gave me Zoloft to go back on again. So far it has only made me sick. I feel restless after I take it but not in the sense where I am energized and running a marathon. I'm basically a "dead" restless where I stare off like a zombie and lay in bed wide awake at 4am. Also I feel sick to my stomach. If I end up stopping this medication, it will be because of the nausea. I can't handle it. It makes me MORE depressed to stay up all night thinking and feeling sick to my stomach.

My experience in taking Zoloft for the last month and a half has been largely side-effect free. However, I feel like I am constantly in a fog. It takes me until about 3:00 in the afternoon before I have any motivation to do anything. I have been taking 100mg because of post-partum depression. My anger and violent thoughts have mostly gone away, but I just feel so tired and listless all the time. I was first prescribed Neevo, a prenatal vitamin that seems to have some anti-depressant effects. It didn't help, but I read that it can help process normal anti-depressant medication, so I started taking it with the Sertraline (Zoloft generic). Since then, I have felt a little better, but I still lay around all day trying to motivate myself to play with my baby or clean the house.

I have been on Zoloft for 3 months now. My OB/GYN prescribed it to me after I had my son since I had a severe case of the baby blues and depression. I've felt much better and don't feel so hopeless anymore, but one thing that is really worrying me is that I can't cry anymore or feel any type of extreme emotion. I've recently moved from KS to VA and when I was leaving my family and friends I couldn't even cry or show sadness even though I knew I felt it inside. It was really weird. Another bad side effect is the EXTREME decline in my sex drive. My husband is getting really frustrated with me because I'm just not into sex anymore AT ALL. But my theory is I'd rather have no sex drive than feel hopeless and lonely and depressed like I did before taking Zoloft. Once I find a new doctor in VA I'll see if there's any alternatives but for now I'm staying with it.

Man, I feel like I've had every side effect in the book. I've been *on* Zoloft for 10 days now. I hear the side effects are supposed to subside after about 2 weeks, but I'm getting impatient. I've had nausea, indigestion, dizziness, severe tension headaches, bizarre dreams, restlessness (in general, and in particular, in my hands), numbness/tingling in my hands and feet, a 'lump in my throat' feeling, trouble sleeping, decrease in appetite, and a general disconnectedness from reality. It may be helping the immediate issues with my anxiety, but I am plenty anxious now about all these new symptoms. It's scary! My gut tells me this is a sign that perhaps Zoloft is not the right drug for me... but I thought it was supposed to be one of the gentler drugs in this category.

Feeling of something stuck in my throat for a few days...anyone know of this as a symptom?? Help!

I just want to warn those of you who take Zoloft and participate in random drug testing for work purposes. Zoloft can cause a false positive for benzodiazepines. Although it is not in the benzo family, it has a similar structure. It may get you in to a bit of trouble with your employer. I asked my doctor for a medication change for that reason alone.

I was put on Zoloft 4 months ago to help me deal with the stress and trauma I went through caring for my dieing mother while I was pregnant with my 5th child.

However it has just about killed my marriage. I think it's great, I feel better able to cope with things, I don't feel that overwhelming feeling of losing control and wanting to run away from my children and husband. I thought it killed my sex drive too but since i've been on zoloft I have started having sleep sex which is not good. If it was my husband I was having it with it would probably be ok, but it is with myself and it is causing major problems. I have no recollection of any of the instances, and it has increased when I upped my dose from 50mg to 100mg. I had told my husband for ages that I had no desire for sex whatsoever but lay next to him every night having sex with myself. Now I am extremely embarrassed and ashamed and feel alienated as I have no one I feel comfortable in sharing this with. I can only hope that my husband loves me enough to stick with me and support me through this while I come off the drug. If I had of known before hand I would never have gone on it.

A couple of times I have taken Zoloft without swallowing a liquid, just popping it in my mouth and swallowing the pill. Those two times it caused the worst case of indigestion I have ever had. I will never take it again without water.

I've just started taking sertraline a couple months ago, I've worked up from 25mg to 100mg, and I see a bit of difference in my mood levels. The best way I can describe it is that my low points aren't as low as they used to be and my general level of anxiety has eased. I just recently changed over to the 100mg dosage a couple days ago and I'm feeling what I hope to be the initial numbness, which I hope will go away soon. One thing that is fairly concerning is that I havent' been able to cry since I started on this medication. I'm usually prone to crying jags during low points and within the last couple of months I havent' had one or had the urge to have one.

I think it's from my inability to stay concentrated on a single subject for a period of time, like others mentioned, I've noticed that I zoloft has decreased my attention level. Eh, but I"m not sure if the fact that I can't cry is a good or bad thing, we'll see how everything turns out once my dosage is stabilized.

I started on 50mg just over a month ago for anxiety / panic attacks. I don't feel so anxious any more and haven't had a panic attack since I started :D. At first I kept yawning all the time but I'd expected this and it went away. But recently (for a couple of weeks now) I've had persistant jaw tension. That's the only side effect I notice now. It gets better and worse but it's really bothersome. Does anyone know if that will go away or if I should try lowering my dose?

I have been on Zoloft for 13 years, up and down with the dosage. I don't believe I should be on this for the this length of time. My doctor says I may take it the rest of my life. I am long over the situation that caused me to take it in the first place.

I have been trying to come off of it and feel terrible. I am not depressed. Such physically ill.