Zoloft Drug Info - Good And Bad
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I want to know everything there is to know about Zoloft good and bad.

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I have been prescribed Zoloft by my psychiatrist for OCD, anxiety, depression, panic attacks (I have autism also and ADHD). I was on Pristiq for 15 years prior to this. I want to know other people's experiences with Zoloft and if it's worth taking, given the side effects? I tapered myself off Pristiq and had HORRIBLE withdrawals, so I don't want to go through that experience ever again. TIA.

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Re: Kathy (# 16)

Hi Kathy, are you having weight gain or weight loss? And if so, how much weight?

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Re: Betty (# 4)

Hi Betty-I was on 50mg Zoloft for 6 weeks, felt good but not quite there. Increased to 75mg 2 weeks ago and having depression and anxiety side effects just as before with the 50mg. I’m really hoping I just need to tough it out for awhile and then it’ll kick in, any thoughts?

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Kathy be careful with how much you take. At 300 mg I had a horrible loss of memory and have not fully recovered. Presently I'm back on 100 mg daily and it seems perfect for me. Overtime I am hopeful that I will recover my memory 2 weeks prior condition. Just to let you know it has improved significantly since I reduced to 100 mg. However quite logically I suppose. At 300 mg my OCD issues were nominal yet overwhelming.

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Hello,

My name is Jacqueline and I just recently started Zoloft about 1 to 2 weeks ago and it’s making me feel a little too serious and also more angry. Should I stop taking it or what should I do? Should I keep taking it and see if the effects change? I’m confused and I don’t know a lot about the brain and I’m not a doctor so I need help on this. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it. {edited for privacy}. Thank you very much!

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Rene

It has attacked my short-term memory horribly. At 100mgs. it took the edge off my temperament. 300 MGS. will assist me with the OCD. But after a couple of years, I am somewhat convinced that maybe the therapeutic benefits aren't worth the emotional suspense I deal with daily. If you know anyone familiar with what I am going through, perhaps they would be happy to share with me.
My name is Rene

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I have a question. I have been on 150 mg for 10 days now and experiencing hyper ness in my brain and anxiety all day long- so much I am having to take more Ativan. I am 62 female and suffer from gad and cod. Is this dose too much?

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I didn't like Zoloft. My blood pressure was up, I didn't sleep, and my mouth was constantly dry. I was a happy go luck kind of person. But when I read that it effects Rem sleep I realize all it was doing was putting me into a partial sleep deprived state which upped my mood. So I tapered off of it. I sleep good now, all night. I lost 12 pounds. And though I may not have giddy and laugh as much I do feel normal. My kids like for me to be on it cause I don't make as good of disciplined decisions, thus they play me. So we disagree on that. I may not ever trust antidepressants again. They really don't do that much for me except make me tired after I finally taper off them. I tapered of them twice and both times I slept as much as I could for two weeks.

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Zoloft possibly saved my life. I was in a major depression and Zoloft helped me when quite a few other antidepressants could not. I now take it with Wellbutrin. These Medications have lessened the depth of depression I feel. I am extremely grateful of my Doctor for prescibing sertaline [Zoloft] + who evr discovered this med. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE RIGHT ANTIDEPRESSANT (AND POSSIBLE ADJUNCTS-- MIX OF MEDS.) WHEN IN A DEPRESSION. TELL OTHERS ABOUT ANTIDEPRESSANTS. YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE; YOU MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE! Don't assume your depressed friends or others have ever heard of meds for depression. I had a friend who said I saved her life by telling her about antidepressants. Educate people in case they don't know; Dont assume people know anything at all. What are You going to say if you don't? Whooopsy? That's so lame. I'd hate to be saying whoopsy about my friend + I like the feeling of being told You saved my life!

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I have been on Zoloft on & off for over 4 years. It is fantastic. It makes me feel like I can cope with things & have some control. I do wean myself off over summer just to have a break and this year I was off them from the start to Jan to early July which was great.

I know my feelings & depression & know when it's time to go back on & it really makes a differnece. I am on 100mg a day.

A tip for those starting up, start slowly with small doses. If your GP prescribes 100mg, take 1/2 a day. As even I spin a bit if I got straight back onto 1 tab a day.

I do suffer weight gain with Zoloft and find it almost impossible to lose weight whilst I am on them. I do my best to lose weight during the times when I am off them & can can lose a lot of weight quite quickly.

I hope this helps, and I really recommend this drug as I'm sure it has saved my life at times.

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Yes, that can be a side-effect of changing the dosage, you figure your body was used to the 100mgs and you suddenly went down to 75mgs, so not enough to cause withdrawal or dependence interruption symptoms, but never the less, it will still cause some type of effect.

It varies from person to person, but most do experience something when the dosage of a med that take regularly is upped or lowered.

I am glad it has helped you so much, that would make me thing that your conditions were probably caused by a lack of seratonin, since that is the brain chemical that Zoloft acts on.

Some people's bodies do not produce enough, so there isn't enough in their brains and since that is what influences your up, or good moods, a lack of it means your brain absorbs the little bit it has very fast, and it isn't in there to bouce around and elevate your mood, anxiety, or OCD issues.

Since this is a Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor, it prevents your brain from rapidly absorbing the Seratonin the little bit of seratonin that your body does make on its own, so it bounces around your brain receptors longer, providing the necessary effects.

It is also great that you have been able to use it without many side-effects, most people experience more than you, when they take antidepressants or similar drugs. The largest complaint is usually weight gain, followed by tiredness, and dry mouth.

Since you gained weight on it, and apparently don't think that is a bad thing, so you must have needed to gain some, it leads me to believe that your depression, anxiety, and coupled with that, some nervous activity, was preventing the proper storage of the food you did take in. Generally people with depression, or other mental health disorders either gain or lose weight fairly rapidly before they are treated, it all depends on how that person looks as food, is it a comfort they use to alleviate their problems, or do they not like food and when they are in a downward spiral, thing it is not even worth bothering with. Many people suddenly find their bodies going through that opposite once they get therapy, medications, or both, that helps to relieve their situation.

Those who were losing weight and didn't like food, suddenly have an appetite again and those who were over weight and continually gaining, liked food to begin with and used it as a comfort for their problems, so when they find a treatment(s) that works, they suddenly find themselves not needing that comfort anymore, so th ey begin to lose

And yes, missing a dose will cause you to feel some effects as well, such as depression, anxiety, nervousness, nausea, tiredness, irritability and etc.

One you have been taking any substance into your body for a long period of time, be it your morning coffee, an apple with lunck, or even an over the counter med, your body develops a dependence on that substance. As with anything else, if you suddenly remove it, then your body has a reaction to it, because it has gotten used to having that support to perform its functions and actually forgets how to do them on its own, in this case, it forgets to regulate or hinder the uptake of Seratonin. So you are correct in what causes the down days when you miss a dose.

Within about 20 minutes of the dose, when you finally take the missed one, you will start to feel some relief, as that is the time period it requires for the pills to be broken down enough to release their chemicals in your body to do their jobs.

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I've been taking Zoloft for about a year and man, it's amazing! Absolutely no side effects for me. It's strange how it seems to help people to lose weight, when in my case it helped me with a huge social anxiety and even helped me gain weight and just be the open, happy person I was meant to be... It's my miracle drug. I agree that when I skip a dose, it's a huge down day, but I think that's just the brain not getting enough happy transmitters that it's used to. I recently moved down in dosage from 100mg to 75mg and I've been fairly tired lately and I don't know if that's a side effect or not but other than that, life is amazing and it has helped me out so much.

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No, it doesn't cause a high or euphoric effect, as to buying or selling it on the streets, well you can do that with just about anything, though I don't know why anyone would want this. It is an antidepressant, so it doesn't do anything that regular street drugs are popular for doing.

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is it possible to get high off of zoloft or to buy or sell it on the streets, im worried about my son

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i have a bottle of zoloft from april of 2003 i would like to know if it is sill okay to use or if it has expired

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Has anyone every heard of being put on Zoloft for headaches? My husband was recently put on Zoloft at 50mg a day. He has never taken anyy anti depressents before does this make sence to anyone?

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I have been taking Zoloft for eight years and I have reduced the dosage and when things would get bad again I will just up the dose. It has been great for me. I can control my anxiety and handle stress a whole lot better. I guess I will be on it the rest of my life. I have tried going off of it but after awhile the anxiety starts back and I can't live with that, so back on the Zoloft. The only thing I am having a problem with is weight and that gets to me. Its not for everyone, my sister could not take it,but my other sister could.

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Its been WONDERFUL for me! I have been on it for about 6 years! Never want to go off. My life has been completely changed by this medication.

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Mom has cancer and on Hospice
but is not bed ridden and dad is
getting that memory problem as
hes 84-we put her on it to deal with him and it made her really down
in a week so had to take her off.

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I've been on Zoloft for approx. 8 months now. I was actually trying to figure out who felt the same way I do when a dose is missed. It's hard to describe, but it kinda feels like my body jolts on the inside. My fiance says he can't see it when it happens, but it sure feels like he should. I feel it in my hands, my head, and my face. I really can't describe it any better. I do feel better when I do take it, matter fact, I can't even tell I took it. It's only that missed dose.

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