Zoloft and panic attack

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?

Ive recently started taking zoloft for anxiety..just started on the 50 mg today after 4 days of 25 mg. The first two days were awful for me...intense headaches, feeling sick, nausea, tired, constant yawning, jaw ache from clenching and grinding my teeth. This is my 5th day and i am restless, i cant focus on study and keep putting it off. I am so tired i feel i could sleep through the entire week. my vision is slightly blurry...but not so bad i cant see the computer screen, however my typing is really bad...that may be due to the restlessness and agitation.
I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, even if it's only been 5 days im not too sure why zoloft was prescribed for me when its more for depression and social anxiety. Today in the car i felt really panicky, and i thought i could just fall asleep at the wheel or have a heart attack because my heart beat has felt even faster than before. If these side effects go away in a few weeks and i can be reassured i will start to feel better and happier and less anxious then i will continue them. However my university assignments are going to be really poor.

I've been on Zoloft for about 6 months now. I started at 50mg a day and I am now at 100 mg a day for anxiety. I think it really helps me a lot. I haven't had a panic attack since I started taking the 100 mg dosage. For the first few days of both dosages I felt jittery and my pupils dilated. After that, though, nothing really has happened. I weigh 122 lbs and I am 5'4, so I don't know what it is. My doctor told me that the higher dosages are usually perscribed to people who have anxiety, while the lower dosages are given for depression. I haven't gained any weight, and in fact I am loosing weight. All in all, I think it is a very helpful drug.

I've taken Zoloft on and off for three years for anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia. I started with 25 mg and have gone up to 75 mg/day. I am now on 25 mg/day, which my physician calls a "placebo" level. Initially, I considered Zoloft a miracle drug; I was able to get out of my house and was no longer suffering debilitating panic attacks.

I went off Zoloft when I became pregnant and resumed taking 25/mg the day I delivered my baby two years ago. I had suffered from postpartum depression and anxiety with two other babies and decided to be proactive. It worked; I did not develop PPD.

I "ramped up" my Zoloft to 50/mg day when my baby was one year and that's when the weird side effects began. An especially verbal person, I was having trouble coming up with the right words when speaking. I'd feel a weird shortness of breath which seemed to come and go and seemed to have nothing to do with exertion. In an odd way, it seemed like a blunted panic attack and I'd feel this sensation when I was not active or engaged in an activity.

I've never taken/done recreational drugs, but I do feel a bit "off", fuzzy and sometimes dizzy, like I'm on something. I decided to go to a lower dose and nearly all oft these odd symptoms disappeared...I'm back to 25/mg.

I'm afraid to wean off Zoloft completely, so I'll stay at 25 for now. I'm a tiny person, so I think we have to find the levels that work best for us; I've always been sensitive to meds and find that the "usual" amount, even OTC's dosages are too much for me.

After years of dealing with social anxiety disorder and panic attacks, I was prescribed 50 mg of zoloft yesterday morning. i took my first pill at noon during lunch, and I felt naseous/exhausted throughout the day, but knew that it was a normal side effect and didn't think much of it. This morning I woke up with my face, chest, arms, and neck COVERED in hives. My face looks like I've got horrible acne. I went straight back to the doctor and she gave me a medicine to calm the reaction. I was unaware of any allergy, given that this is the first antidepressant I've ever tried. It's disappointing, though. All this waiting, and all I got out of it were a bunch of hives and nausea. Any one else have an experience like this?

my side effects are lost of spending time with my husband don't care to have sex and don't get nothing out of it when we do have sex is the a side effect or what i forget things can't remember nothing anyone tells me and this is real bothersome i been on zoloft 2 years 200 mg and now on 250 and nothing has changed .it helps sometimes and sometimes not .i don't enjoy my family no more just tired all the time i want my life back but i don't want the panic attacks . if your are experencing this please post . i am 39 years old and have epiclipesy too have had a brain tumor removed and at first i thought that caused the problem. please help

I'm taking zoloft for panic attacks. I'm on day 3 of 25mg. I have severe diarrhea. Yesterday I had a burning/tingling sensation in my shoulders and moved up to my head. It lasted about 2-3 minutes. Today I feel like I'm in a fog. I also have trouble sleeping and occasionally have small pains that last for a second all over my head. I'm not sure if this is worth the trouble. I won't hesitate to continue the medication If I can be sure these effects will go away. My doctor wants me to up my dosage by 25mg. every week and I don't know if this will worsen my side effects.

I have benn on Zoloft for the last 7 years. It has helped me considerably with panic attacks, however it has caused me to gain about 50 lbs. I am skeptical about asking my DR for another drug since Zoloft has helped me so much, but the weight gain is getting to me.

ATTENTION: if you are on birth control pills and having awful side effects with zoloft it could be the bcpills. I have been on 4 anti depressants in the last year and had difficult problems with all of them especially zoloft. I had diarhea and constipation, I had break through bleeding, irregular periods, and increased anxiety, depression, mood swings, panic attacks, separation anxiety, and awful headaches. Please. I have been to doctors who diagnoised me with IBS, ovarian cysts, depression, ADD, and OCD. I might have tendency towards all of these, but listen I am not this person, I have been off the bcp andn I am feeling better. Dont ignore this warning if I only could have had it!

I am 26 years old and my husband and I have 4 common children and we are currently raising his son from his first marriage so I have 5 children at home. after the birth fo my first child in 1998, I suffered a severe panic attack that came out of nowhere, I rushed to the emergency room thinking i was dying, and for 5 years after that i suffered and lived with major deppression and severe anxiety. I literaly thought i was dying everyday of my life, my file at the doctors office was really getting thick from all my visits. Finally in 2004 for the sake fo my children I agreed to take medication and my doctor put me on zoloft I started at 100mg. and slowly increased to 200mg. I was on it for a year and for the first time in 5 years I felt good, I didnt' think about dying , my patience with my children increased I was a new person, unfortunatley I had a substantial weight gain so I requested to try a different medication so they switched me to wellbutrin 400mg my appetite has decreased but my anxiety has increased not to the point it was before i had any help but it definatley isn't as controlled as when i was on the zoloft.
I think zoloft is excellent for anxiety but it didn't work for my severe p.m.s.

I have been on Zoloft for about 2.5 months. This is due to increased anxiety/panic attacks that I would have. The first month was torture. Three weeks in I thought I needed a white coat with silver buckles on the back. After the 5th week things finally started to level out. I sleep 110% better. I do have the diarrhea issues - as long as 3 weeks at one time. I've had about a 10-15lb weigh LOSS. Overall I'm very pleased with how it's worked out for me

I originally took Zoloft for anxiety and stress, but the drug seemed to intensify my anxiety to the point of having frequent panic attacks. I took 25mg for a week- and 50mg for two weeks. During that time I had frequent headaches, and a feeling of motion sickness / dizzy rapidly moving backwards sensation.

After the third day of taking the 25's- I passed out while getting X-rays- I was rushed to the hospital with very low blood pressure- although my blood sugar levels and AKG were both fine. After several hours I was released and told it was just a form of anxiety and my body's biological reaction to perceived fear. I continued to take Zoloft based on the doctor's in the emergency room's recommendation. I also had sleeplessness, a high frequency of dreams, and very bad teeth grinding (to the point where my jaw aches)

Exactly two weeks after taking the 50mg dose- I had a severe panic attack while driving my car- I felt as though I were going to pass out- arms went numb, I got the adrenaline shakes. I missed work because of it. My doctor's office told me to stop taking it immediately but after taking to a pharmacist- she said it will take up to two weeks to get out of my system and that panic attacks are a possible side affect. Since I stopped taking it- I am very anxious all the time and have moments of very high anxiety while driving. I wake up feeling nausea and weakness in my legs. I am now taking Zanax to counter the panic attacks until the Zoloft gets out of my system.

The most discouraging part of this whole experience is that I was seeking treatment for stress and anxiety- and now I am loving with horrible panic attacks. The drug had the completely opposite affect of it's intended use.

I started taking Zoloft 6 months ago. I have gained 15 pounds since I started taking it. It has helped me with being moody though. I have started to bite my cuticles and pick at them which I am not sure why I do this. I have to put bandaids on my fingers so I wont pick them till they bleed. It is so embarrasing that I make up stories that I cut myself gardening. I am 36 years old and am happy now and content. I dont have panic attacks anymore but the weight gain issue is really a problem for me. I am not sure what to do now. Zoloft really helped me but I dont want to be fat and chew on my cuticles anymore. I take 50mg once a day.

I was first put on Lexapro for anxiety/panic attacks and that was way to strong for me-I felt very tired and had bad abdomen pains. So my doc switched me to Zoloft. Bad idea. On Zoloft, at first i felt very bad brain fog and had a panic attack every day for at least the first two weeks of being on it and after that went away, i got a pins and needles feeling in my lips and face and hands sometimes too. I panicked about nothing and it gave me really bad moodswings. I would be slap-happy one minute and in tears the next. Or I was just a real B*tch sometimes too. I was very moody. All that went away about a month later and then I got HORRIBLE headaches, so she switched me from 25mg to 50mg. SO MUCH WORSE FOR ME! I had horrible horrible migraines every day i even had to call off work twice it was so bad. She switched me back to 25mg and the headaches still continued. I was on it for a month and a half or 2 months and i gained 10 lbs. at least. I went back to her and she finally took me off the medicine. I have been off it now for almost a week and feel terrible. I have brain fog very bad, feel dizzy and loopy when walking around, sever stomach pains, still eating more and gaining weight, i just feel REALLY out of it! I can not concentrate at my job! BUT MY HEADACHES HAVE VANISHED AND THE DREAMS/NIGHTMARES AT NIGHT ARE GETTING LESS SCARY AND LESS OFTEN!! I hope to lose all side effects within 2 weeks!!!!

I have been on this med for 2 years due to panic attacks and many of the side effect that i have read in the forum i have had but also i have had numbness of the lower arms, tingling in the lips, the nightmares, the shock in the face and side of the head,agrivation. I no longer have patience with my children and seem to be yelling all the time/ It did seem to help me at first and the panic atacks have all but gone completely but now i am getting depressed because l feel fat as l now weigh 70 kilograms and before zoloft only weighed 57 kilos. So l guess all in all there are good and bad things about this medication. i have also found myself drinking more alcohol than l normally would and have become disinterested in alot of things and found that now my negative thoughts are returning. And i have a sickening fear of death: single mother of 2, 36 years old zoloft 100mg 2 years.

I have been on zoloft now for 2 years for anxiety and panic attacks. I had all the same side effects that have been describe here in these forums I started out taking 50mg then i asked my doctor to reduce the med to 25mlgs....
Now i went back to my doctor and told her i wanted off so she told me to take a pill every other day for one week then stop so i did now i have those electrical shocks in my head and it mostly happens at night and not during the day.. .
Hum really weird but anyway i have awful nightmares too and they are really scary.. but in the long run i feel a little better i am not tired all the time and lazy .. I also gained alot of weight with this drug especially for me being on such a low dose my doc says 25mg should cause weight gain ... Well thats not true it does. There is one good thing about this drug it took away my anxiety attacks and lowered my panic attacks but trying to get off of this is horrible. I have been off for 3 days now i will keep you all up dated with the side effects of getting off of zoloft and i will let you know about how long for the electrical shocks......

I've been on Zoloft for 2 years, and I'm at 100 mg right now, mainly for anxiety and deppression. I can honestly say Zoloft has done alot more good then harm to me. I'm actually stable and have been for awhile. Though I'm not as deppressed as I used to be, and I've had no panic attacks since it kicked in, I feel kind of an overall very mild deppression, like a fog. Also if I forget to take it for a few days I get "shocks". I've found also its not a good idea to take it at night, because recently I've been remembering vivid dreams alot more, and a few times needed a reality check. Its good that I don't cry constantly I like I used too, but now it takes ALOT for me even to shed a tear.

I am a 31 year old female who has been taking zoloft 50mg for over a year due to post tramatic syndrom. It took almost 2 months for my anxiety/depression and panic attacks to go away. It did help me get through it but in the process I have gain over 30lbs. I run over 2 miles a day 5 days a week and keep gaining weight. I havent weighed this much since I had my children. Anyway, i quit cold turkey 3 days ago and am experiencing dizziness, crazy, scary dreams, hot flashes and fatigue. I hope it does not get worse. I don't want to be back on the fat pill.

I'm a 28 year old male, started Zoloft for anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and preoccupations/compulsions two months ago at 50mg a day.

Now I'm:

CONSTANTLY SLEEPY!!

Having vivid/intense/deeply involved dreams, often involving nearly forgotten people/places from a decade ago and sometimes violence (ie, getting shot and FEELING it..not waking up from it....)

Lacking a sex drive (or preoccupation with it) whereas before I was a sex fiend..but this is better than before when I needed it so bad I had risky behavior...

Having an out of control appetite and have turned into a couch potatoe...the bed has never felt so good.

A fat bastard. Used to be a competitive bodybuilder, now I'm wondering why people exert themselves working out.

But I am much less moodier now, thus more "lovey dovey" and in tune with my relationship. A GOOD THING vs. the past.

Going to decrease the dosage to 25mg mostly due to my lack of energy/sleepiness. Maybe seek a different med or even get off the Zombie Train Express alltogether.

I just started zoloft for anxiety/panic attacks/depression I can't sit still and I am always drowsy and fogged up. When I exercise I cannot get motivated and give up. I run Cross Country for High School and im not sure If i should stay on the zoloft im scared it is going to affect my running.
Does anybody know if it affects running?

Hi my name is beverley. I have had problems since i was a small child,i have suffered with my nerves,OCD,anxiety,panic attacks etc etc.I was put on stelazine(triflouperazine) at the age of 7 and was left on it with no help or review till last year i have been on sertraline(lustral for around 5 years now and am getting increasingly more ill. I am constantly foggy,confused,forgetful and feeling like there is a brick wall in front of me. I have awful dreams and thoughts,i am suffering from unexplained bruising,slight incontinence,No sex drive,headaches(migraines) and also am producing breast milk.My GP just shrugs and says oh well its something and nothing.after looking at this site im wondering if anyone can give me advice from experience.AS i feel alone and have even begged for help but feel constantly dismissed.Thanks

I've been taking zoloft for 2 months. Started out at 25mg, then uppped it to 50mg. The first couple weeks I experienced shakiness, headaches, muscle twitching and vivid dreams. MOST OF THE SIDE EFFECTS WENT AWAY AFTER 2 WEEKS. The side effects I still feel are the jaw tension. Also I started to have spotting between my periods which I've never had before. Has anyone else experienced spotting?
Overall it has helped eliminate the panic attacks but I still have a overall sense of anxiety.

Uncontrollable shaking, pins and needles in my head, headaches, nausea, insomnia, feelings of unreality, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, minor hallucinations, and NO appetite. (lost ~8 lbs in 2 weeks)

-When I do manage to go to sleep, I sometimes wakeup 2 hours later shaking and confused, in a semi-conscious state. When I wakeup in terror my heart rate is ~100+

I began taking zoloft for my panic attacks. I started having panic attacks after I almost died one night. When I stopped taking zoloft (was on 25mg for 2 weeks), I had a panic attack 3 days later. I started again and side effects began to return. I'd prefer panic attacks over these horrible side effects. In the 3 days I quit, I felt like myself again. Now I'm taking an anti-anxiety pill whenever I feel an attack comming on. Panic attacks beat zoloft side effects anyday (10 minutes of sheer terror vs a whole day of zoloft side effects?)

THIS DRUG IS EVIL-INCARNATE

Zoloft was working for my depression (very slowly though--took about a month or more), was helping with my lethargy (that worked a lot quicker -- within a week or two), also worked for my panic attacks. I didn't even mention to my doctor that I had panic attacks, but after I started taking the Zoloft for depression I noticed that the panic attacks virtually disappeared. Problem is, I stopped taking the Zoloft without consulting with my doctor (big mistake), and lately I have noticed very severe headaches every day that don't go away with Excederin (usually works for me). I also notice some level of paranoia (although not extremely serious). Zoloft saved my life and my job, but I would not advise stopping cold turkey without consulting with a physician.

I had been on Zoloft three years ago for anxiety/panic attacks
I must say that it had helped me tremendously. For three years, until a major stress triggered my anxiety again, I was doing quite well. Let me just say this, as with any medication, whether it be OTC Tylenol, Advil, Fleet enemas, etc. all medication do not agree with everyone's system. We have people who are allergic to Penicillin, but does that mean we ban it or take it off the market...NO, we find something that works for us. So please do not think that it's the medication you are taking, it may just be that this particular medication does not work with you or your symptoms. Try asking your doctor to switch you to another medication. Remember not all bad medications are prescriptions.

I found that zoloft is extremely helpful...I take 150mg a day...it has calmed down my panic attacks as well as the depression...I used to cry at a drop of a pin.....and I would worry myself sick over nothing.....its a wonderful drug that has and is still keeps me sane....I feel wonderful and now I just let my problems roll off my back...
thank you for listening...
Barbara...age 54