Zoloft and psychiatrist

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.

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.

My psychiatrist says I have Major depression disorder with Gad and Panic disorder, What a nightmare! I am starting out on 50 mg and then in ten days 75 mg and by the end of the month I should be up to 100 mg. My jaw wont stop shaking, my pupils look bigger. I feel loopy. Kinda drugged. I had very vivid dreams last night. Today was the first day I could actually get out of bed early in the morning. It was great I find the Xanax helped with the shaking but it makes me super sleepy ( only .5 mg) I was on Zoloft before and the same thing happened but I had a loss of sex drive and I couldnt climax...so my doctor gave me this new drug they are trying out. She says you take it an hour before you plan on having sex but other patients say it works. All in all the side effects are worth it to be happy and sane again. My doctor said I wont gain weight like other drugs ( Paxil) so I'm hoping I don't because that would be depressing itself. Good luck to all of you : )

I am on 200mg of Zoloft. I started it last January, and have slowly increased my dosage to find the correct dosage. I am starting to feel anxiety again, and feel as though your body gets used to the meds, and you continually need a higher dosage. I am jittery, have insomnia, have very vivid dreams, tremors, my eyes tremor when I try to close them and I see flashes of light, when I nod my head down towards my chest it tremors, i am restless, it has made my add worse, it causes slight weight gain, muscle twitching...it worked fine, but the higher the dose, the worse the side effects, and here I am with anxiety again. I suppose I need to switch my meds - maybe try lexapro. But definitely get a new psychiatrist.

I had the most terrible time if I missed a does of Zoloft. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I was getting these shocks to my face. It was if I was standing in the ocean and waves of sand were slapping at my face. These happened to me every time I moved my head. On a Thursday I went to my nurse practioner who prescribed my psyche meds and told her about these symptoms I was experiencing. She said it must be physical. On Friday, I went to my physician and she said it must be from the missed doses of Zoloft. At this point I decided to take the weekend and go cold turkey from Zoloft. Monday morning I was feeling so bad that I called the nurse practioner again. She only told me to go back to my psychiatrist because she insisted that is was the Zoloft that was causing this problem. Frustrated, I headed to the nurse practioner only to be told that she knew for a fact that it was NOT the Zoloft. By Monday night, the shocks had taken such a toll on me that my daughter was frightened by the way I looked and told me I needed to go to the hospital. My face had become so numb from hour upon hour of these continuous shocks. My daughter's concern finally convinced me to go. Once I got the emergency room and the ER doctor examined me, he immediately recognized that it was the Zoloft that was causing me to have these electric shocks to my face. He said he has seen many people come to the emergency room with these same symptoms thinking they are having a stroke from the numbness that the shocks create. He told me to go back on the Zoloft and to have the nurse practioner wean me off of it over the course of many months so this would not happen again. After this ordeal, I switched to a psychiatrist who would have a broader knowledge of medicines and any of their side effects so this may not happen in the future and have not been on any other ssri's since. This situation was horrible. I don't want to feel those electric shocks to my face again. Even though my side effect from Zoloft might be rare, I hope that this may help someone in the future to feel that they are validated in what they are experiencing and not have to go through what I went though.

My very trusted psychiatrist changed my meds from Effexor to Zoloft after I complained of continuing depression and the usual suspects...Crying all the time...Zoloft was to be the "cry stopper". A week went by after the initial introduction and he increased the meds to 175 mg 2xper day. OH MY GOD-- I have never been worse off, my intestines were constantly churning and I was in the bathroom 8-12 per day and was incontinant at nighttime. Truly disgusting and violent diarhea. Not only that I didn't put 2 and 2 together and went to my physical doctor and she had me give a stool sample and you had to do it yourself. How humiliating and vile. I have now been off the Zoloft for over a week and I still am having the symptoms of gas and diarhea but not as bad, but I am wondering when they will go away? Anyone here have any ideas. I was on 175 mg 2x/day for approx 2 months. I'm wondering just what kind of damage that did to my gastrointestinal tract!!!
I still trust my Psych, he ddn't know I was going to have an allergic reaction of sorts. Hopefully I won't ever have to deal with this again. I also am having a light headed ness and that weird Acid-creepy feeling when I quit cold turkey. But after finding out that it was the culprit to the diarhea, I wouldn't take one more pill.

Jacquie in San Diego