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How long does it take to feel better on Zoloft

Posted , 6 users are following.

Jmk49a87
Jmk49a87

Hi,

I have been om Zoloft for 5 weeks today. The anxiety I had has decreased a lot. But, the depression is still there. I sm taking 100mg each night before bed.

How long does it take to really feel better?

Thanks

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • anna17409
    anna17409 Jmk49a87

    Posted

    You are on the way to feeling much better. But i feel 100 mg is quite a high dose. I was on 50 mg and it worked very well for me. But if your doctor told you to take it then he is the expert.

    One word of caution from someone who was on Sertraline for a long time. Please do not take it for more than a year if possible because the longer you take it the worse will be the withdrawal symptoms after you wean off. Also wean off the drug only under medical supervision.

    • Jmk49a87
      Jmk49a87 anna17409

      Posted

      Hi it is good to know that what I am experiencing is normal, being that I have been on it for 5 weeks. I thought I would see a huge difference after a week or so.

      When does the depressed feeling start to go away?

      The reason for the 100mg is that is the dose I was on before. I stopped taking Zoloft a year ago, and now my doctor put me back on it. He started me off at 100 mg since that is what worked before.

    • Cinderella81
      Cinderella81 Jmk49a87

      Posted

      Nothing wrong with 100 mg at all. Some people are on 200 mg , so don't worry about it . And yes, it's great that your anxiety level isn't high anymore so you'll be fine soon. If another couple of weeks you don't feel any improvement with your depression, go back to the doctor and you might need higher dose.

    • Jmk49a87
      Jmk49a87 Cinderella81

      Posted

      Thanks, I will do that! The depression isnt as bad today, so I am hoping that is a good sign.
  • ZEN.
    ZEN. Jmk49a87

    Posted

    Hi I have been on 50mg Sertraline for 27 days and its done nothing so my doc upped the dose to 100mg yesterday.

    Anxiety is a little better but I feel really depressed and tearful at the moment.

    Hope it gets better soon ...

    • anna17409
      anna17409 ZEN.

      Posted

      Hi

      Sertraline takes some time to kick in. Please be patient. Also once you have stabilized you can ask your doctor if you can go back to 50 mg. Better not take too high a dose for a long time.

    • cj_1
      cj_1 ZEN.

      Posted

      I found that when I first started taking Sertraline the first couple months anxiety eased but still felt really low and weepy . I found that holding back the tears made it worse so I let myself have a really good cry and felt much better after letting it all out . Try to keep yourself busy doing things you like and be around people you enjoy the company off
    • Jmk49a87
      Jmk49a87 ZEN.

      Posted

      Hi, I hope you are feeling better too! The best thing we can do is hang in there and trust it just takes time for the medication to work
    • Jmk49a87
      Jmk49a87 cj_1

      Posted

      What you describe is what I have been experiencing. Trying to motivate myself on the get busy part. When you feel down it is hard to get motivated.
    • rob83881
      rob83881 anna17409

      Posted

      Hi Anna

      I Started Zoloft 5 weeks ago (25mg - 7 days, 50mg - 28 days) Fifth week felt like i was coming around, happy, no anxiety, then start of week 6 anxiety is back. Waking up at night again in panic. Been 3 days of intense anxiety off and on with head tightness. Do you think my body is still adjusting?

    • anna17409
      anna17409 rob83881

      Posted

      Rob you should talk to your doctor. Though i did feel anxiety and depression even after a month on Sertraline 50 mg my doctor refused to increase my dose and i will ever be grateful to him for that. He said that i cannot expect the drug to work miracles. I have to do my part too. I did that though it was very tough but i got to feel better. So hang in there and try and divert your thoughts to positive ones. Do some activity like exercising or meditation daily. Believe me it will get better. Remember i was on the same dose for 4 years.
    • anna17409
      anna17409 cj_1

      Posted

      I agree totally. A good cry is the best way to feel better. Dont try to stop it.
    • rob83881
      rob83881 anna17409

      Posted

      Thanks Anna. If I talk to my doc he's most likely to suggest I bump my dose which I don't wanna do since I'm having such a hard time on 50mg. This is my third time on sertraline, last 2 times were six month stints and always got back to my normal self on 50mg. Just gonna have to distract myself for a few  more weeks and think happy thoughts. It's funny that I can only remember the first week the other times I was on zoloft (who can forget the startup week) and the time it kicked in, not much memory of in between. Keep trying to remember if what I'm going through is normal.

  • Jmk49a87
    Jmk49a87

    Posted

    I saw my doctor yesterday and he decided to bump my Zoloft dose up to 150 mg. Started the new dose last night and today have been feeling anxious and jittery - side effects I had before that went away.

    Part of me wants to go back to 100mg and give it a few more weeks at 100mg. Part of me says hang in there.

    When you bump up in dosage, is it true the side effects go away faster?

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