I need reassurance
Posted , 7 users are following.
Just started taking Zoloft 10 days ago for generalized anxiety disorder and OCD.
Before I started taking Zoloft I suffered with debilitating symptoms like head pressure, facial tingling, random numbness all over, tight jaw and racing heart beat and visual disturbances. I can’t function at work or life in general without popping a Xanax. That’s when I decided this is enough and the doctor prescribed Zoloft.
I started with 25 mg and as soon I started all the symptoms I mentioned above intensified and I was bed ridden.
On day 5 was the only day that I woke up care free, calm and relaxed and went about my day and thought to myself, wow this is working. But unfortunately the next day the anxiety hits me as soon as I wake up and it’s impossible to function, racing thoughts, trembling etc.
I upped my dose to 50 three days ago and still the same I can’t function without taking a Xanax. I keep hearing it gets better once the medication starts kicking but I am filled with doubts cause I can’t live like this. It was extremely bad before Zoloft but now it’s like my symptoms are on steroids.
2 positive things have happened since starting zoloft, my heart palpitations "skipped heart beats" have vanished.
stomach side effects went away within a week.
the rest of the side effects remained the same or worse on certain days.
The doctor wants me to up my dose every three to four days till I reach 100 mg.
I’m currently off work but I’ll be back in a week and have no idea how I can do it.
Will Zoloft work or am I screwed ?
0 likes, 14 replies
avril23791 Aj1986
Edited
Please be reassured. I had to go up to 200 mg for OCD. It took a few months but I feel much better now. I had horrid side-effects at first; my psychiatrist told me I was very brave to stick it out but I'm glad I did
Aj1986 avril23791
Posted
thank you Avril, my doctor said for OCD the dosage is a minimum of 100 mg.
OCD I had all my life but im on medication because of the physical anxiety thats put me out of commission, zoloft increased all those side effects.
i just dont know how long im going to have to put up with these side effects.
dana84408 Aj1986
Posted
Aj remember it gets worst before it gets better, I also had all of those side effects you mention and I been going up very slowly, I think it helps with the side effects, it's been a month now and I feel better, went up to 50mg last night, it will take 6-8 weeks to start noticing a difference and a couple of months to feel 100 % better, with this medicine we need a lot of patience, you can do it! also eating healthy helps a lot! no sugar and no caffeine.
whodareswins Aj1986
Posted
Perfectly normal AJ in my experience. I started on 50mg, the first 3.5 weeks where beyond bad, most of the side effects you mention plus others. The worst though was the heightened anxiety, i cant imagine it could possibly get any worse. Day and night it was with me, i couldn't sleep or eat. My mind was racing, the intrusive thoughts where running riot, i thought i was losing the plot. It then started to clear, good days, bad days but i felt on the up. After 8 weeks, although on the mend but not quite there i decided to go up to 75mg, it was almost like starting up again. Not quite as bad but not far off, that was last week. The first few todays where awful. I felt good yesterday, crap today. Forget what doses others take and how quickly they move up or down, we are all individual. If you are feeling rough now, i suspect you are only going to get worse when you up to 100mg so quickly. My GP wouldn't let me move up for 8 weeks, it takes 4-6 before it starts working in many cases and then it can take that again to see some real benefit. My personal advice is take it easy and go slow, it will take longer but wont be half as bad. The flip side is suffer once but for fewer days and get up there to 100mg as quickly as possible. Its alright the doctor saying 100mg but it isn't them taking it. Its a nightmare starting up on A/D's in my experience, you just have to keep going, one thing that did help was lots of exercise, I was off work so basically hammered the roads on my bike, it took the edge off somewhat. Hope some of that helps, good luck.
Aj1986 whodareswins
Posted
thank you i really appreciate your support.
4 years ago i took zoloft for my OCD, back then i didnt have generalized anxiety disorder i just had anxiety and the only side effect i had was stomach problems and libido issue. but now its like all my anxiety symptoms are unbearable.
i hope it gets better cause i have to go to work. the only thing thats making my day even manageable is xanax.
my doctor wants me to increase every three days till i reach 100 mg does that seem reasonable or will it be better so i will adjust quicker im confused
whodareswins Aj1986
Posted
The quicker you go up the more you are going to feel the side effects. I suppose there is the argument that you can only feel so bad so you may as well take the hit and go up quick. Who's to say 50mg wont be enough though. We are all different, some hardly get any side effects for example. If i was giving advice with what i have experienced i would say, 50mg for 6-8 weeks, then 25mg increases every 2-4 weeks until you reach a therapeutic dose. Even if the side effects are minimal the brain still needs time to adapt to the new dose, personally i want to take the bare minimum, going up in big doses quickly is less likely to achieve that. The exception to this would be if someone had been on the meds before and knew what to expect. The trouble with going up slow is its going to take longer to get better, the pay off is it wont be as bad getting there. Its each to their own, i prefer the slow approach. All this is just my opinion, i am not medically qualified but like i mentioned earlier, my GP wouldn't entertain increasing from 50mg for 8 weeks. Good luck whatever you decide, these drugs are evil on start-up but it does get better, much better.
whodareswins Aj1986
Posted
Also, I started CBT a few weeks back, without the sertraline i would never have been able to manage it, proof that they are working. The CBT has been an eye opener for me, knowledge is power and now i understand what is fueling my intrusive thoughts which leads to the anxiety. Some swear by meds, others therapy, i recommend both. They work well together, if i can come back from the depths of hell, anyone can. It takes time and lots of effort, you cant fix a broken leg in a matter of days and neither can you fix the brain that quickly either.
Guest whodareswins
Posted
Can I ask you what kind of intrusive thoughts you have? I’m just trying to determine what exactly that means people and other people what it means to them too.
dana84408 Guest
Posted
Alf a lot of people don't like to talk about intrusive thoughts because we are ashamed, it's really embarrassing because people should think we are crazy.... but we're not it's just the anxiety that makes us think this way, but we would never act on the thoughts, that's what my therapist told me, for me was hurting myself or my baby, I just had a baby 5 months ago and I got postpartum depression and anxiety and horrible intrusive thoughts.
Aj1986 Guest
Posted
intrusive thoughts could be anything your mind thinks off that are negative.
as an example with me and my ocd, i would think if i dont walk a certain number of steps towards the door (7 steps) something bad is going to happen to a loved one at that particular time and if i dont cave in to that thought, it will literally consume me till i entertain that thought and make 7 seven steps towards the door.
as crazy and silly as it sounds but its part of hundreds of thoughts i get that are attached to certain rituals.
with me, i get a lot of intrusive thoughts that really cause a lot of discomfort on a daily basis, when im stressed its worse.
nicole0926 Aj1986
Posted
I was the same way that you are. It will get better, I promise. It takes up to 8 weeks to be the full amount in your system and when you up it starts all over.
I started at 25 and I am up to 125 now and that is over a course of a year. Just hang on and the symptoms will heighten at first but get better, you are not screwed, I got my life back and you will as well.
If you need to ask me anything feel free too!! I am here and been where you are.
Aj1986 nicole0926
Posted
thank you so much. means a lot thank you.
lynn67615 Aj1986
Posted
did venlafaxine work ffor you
avril23791 Aj1986
Posted
I have never taken it but I did take paroxetine for 23 years. For the last eight, it wasn't fully effective. I had absolute nightmares coming off. It's the worst one!
I am hoping Sertraline continues to work well.