Side effects of increasing my dosage?
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hey everyone,
A couple of days ago my doc upped my daily dosage from 100mg a day to 150mg a day. Today I noticed I had anxiety of a completely different sort... for an hour or two at work I started getting really anxious about the concept of reality; what is real and what is not? As well as existential thoughts like wondering why I was 'chosen' to live the life I was given.
I'm wondering if this is just my body and mind reacting to the increased dosage? My pharmacist said that some people experience strange or confusing dreams while on Zoloft and I didn't know if this could also be linked to that side affect as when I starting getting anxious was around the time I was getting tired. I'm also taking the Zoloft around midday to late afternoon now opposed to first thing in the morning because it makes me tired after about 4-6 hours so I'm also wondering if that is affecting me as well.
Perhaps it was the stress I was in already at work that heightened my anxiety also? Just trying to normalize what I'm going through since increasing my dosage.
I also had a few glasses of wine last night and that could have resulted in my heightened anxiety today.
This is only the end of my third week back on Zoloft and in just three weeks I have gone from starting out at 50mg a day to know 150mg a day. Was this done too quickly? I have only upped my dosages as my doctor has been instructing me.
I'm hoping this anxiety rollercoaster I am on is just normal side effects as my body adjusts to the medication. I know it can take 6-8 weeks or even longer for these side effects to subside as my body gets used to the effects of Zoloft and this waiting period is probably even longer when considering how quickly I have been getting my daily dose increased.
Any thoughts or advice? Please let me know!
0 likes, 3 replies
Samrock Tyger1994
Posted
Hey Tyger,
What you've described sounds very much like de-realization/de-personalization. It's when you feel detached from your environment, feeling like you're looking at the world through a T.V screen, questioning the reality of things around you.
I experience this myself and the theory is that it's your mind's way of distancing you from the overwhelming anxiety and stress you're experiencing. Ultimately, your mind is trying to be "nice" to you by doing this, however on the flip side, the experience induces more anxiety.
Some experience this when taking SSRI's, some when they don't. It's my understanding that you can experience derealization outside of taking medication, purely for the reason that I experienced breif moments of it a few years ago when I wasn't taking meds.
My own Psychiatrist isn't a believer in that the meds make your worse before they make you feel better (which goes against what most people say online!) but I've experienced worsened symptoms having started, and I've no doubt that they'll eventually get better.
So, if you had the propensity to experience de-realization prior to starting the meds, it's likely that the meds are exasperating the symptom (bringing it up as a side effect of you feeling worse).
I hope that makes sense! It does to me, but only time will tell
Tyger1994 Samrock
Posted
Thank you...
It just scared me! I was hesitant to post about it because I was afraid I would be judged as a lunatic. I have pure-O OCD and PTSD. I'm just doing my best to wait out this stabilizing period. It sucks!
I'm considering adding Abilify back to my regimen as it helped me in the past. It might help with my intrusive thoughts/delusions.
Samrock Tyger1994
Posted
It's very common for people to think they're going crazy. I assure you, you're not.
The thing about going actually insane, is that those who are, don't realize they have a problem. You ARE aware that you have a problem, so it will always be able to be healed
It's a horrible feeling, I know it all too well. You don't feel like you're in this world, that you're mindlessly going through the motions, and it's extremely disturbing.
BUT....Knowledge IS power in this case. The more you know, the less you'll question it (which is so pivotal). The less you question what you're perceiving around you, the more calm you can be.