Is this caused by Zoloft? Or is it something else?
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi all,
My issue started when I began taking steraline (zoloft) for my anxiety but I'm not sure if my issues are related to that since I started having stomach pains (kind of like period pain without being on my period) before taking them as a single symptom. But a couple of days into taking steraline the first unusual thing that happened was I started having muscle spasms down below which I was worried about since this seemed quite strange to me and couldn't find much results through googling. The next thing that happened was needing to urinate constantly which I eventually found out was a side effect of steraline. Since I was only on them for 4 days I decided to stop taking them rather than coming off them gradually. But this issue hasn't gone away and I started getting constipation issues not long after that involved frequent bowel movements but hard to pass. My symptoms calmed gradually and came back including the constipation, the frequent urination and the muscle spasms. I went to the doctors and was given the all clear for a water test and given laxatives which have helped a little with the constipation but I still have the frequent urge to urinate and the muscle spasms and I'm in constant discomfort. Since I have anxiety I'm very worried about this and google has come up with some scary things. I also have a tender lower stomach. I'm not sure if this is to do with steraline since I wasn't on them for long or if it's own problem. Does anybody have any theories or even have a similar experience?
0 likes, 31 replies
Giggity Chloe96260
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Chloe96260 Giggity
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Thanks for the advice I'll try this out
Chloe96260
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I'm experiencing new symptoms as the feling of needing to urinate keeps getting worse and I feel like I can't empty my bladder properly. The feeling gets worse if my stomach is pressed. But my doctor doesn't think I have a UTI or anything so I don't understand what this is? Is this a symptom of IBS?
brenda53218 Chloe96260
Posted
I don't know if its ibs or affects from zoloft but have u been tested for interstitial cystitis, not saying that its what u have but i have ic and thats what i experience. Ask ur doctor to check for it or go to a urologist, its not fatal or anything but it is very uncomfortable to say the least.
Chloe96260 brenda53218
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Only been tested on a UTI as of yet and I'm still seeing if this is coming back clear. Kind of hoping they say I have a UTI just for an explanation. Do you also have muscle spasms and feling of pressure under the bladder like I do that makes you need to urinate?
brenda53218 Chloe96260
Posted
I have pain, some pressure. A urine test for uti wont show ic. Ic can only be diagnosed by a detailed test. I had a scope done on bladder . Ic is not an uti. Cut back on caffeine, citrus drinks,fruit, spicy foods , chocolate for a week and see if u feel better. Go to ur doctor see if its possible that u have it. Im not in the medical field but just thought that theres a possibility according to ur symptoms. I dont know if your male or female so I'm going by what i feel with ic .
Chloe96260 brenda53218
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Okay thanks for your help. I'm female not sure if that makes it more likely
brenda53218 Chloe96260
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Chloe96260
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I wrote a new discussion but I'm going to post it here so there's more chance of someone seeing it. Since there are some things I missed out in this one.
"I've think I've been getting some health anxiety lately well I hope it's just health anxiety and not the actual condition I'm afraid of (if this makes any sense). I made a previous forum about some symptoms that I was having and wasn't sure if they were a result of Zoloft. I've considered IBS ect but I'm worried because my symptom started with a muscle twitch in the genital area about 2 days into zoloft. I also started getting an overactive bladder. I ignored this at first but worried when this carried on. When I googled this symptom it came up with a frighting condition called pgad which is rare but if you have it's basically game over and suffering for life. I started worrying about this but put it down to a UTI but I didn't have one. Then things got worse when I found out that SSRIS (zoloft is an ssri) can cause this condition. So I stopped taking them. I started worrying about this 24/7 but when I started getting constipation issues I linked it to this so I stopped worrying since I found out constipation can cause bladder issues. I was on holiday at the time and didn't really feel any symptoms for the rest of the holiday. Not long after returning the muscle spasms started again and become more frequent as time went on and I started panicking again. The muscle spasms kind of feel like I have to pee but I'm having them in my bottom as well.Then the constipation came back and I started to feel like this muscle spasm was spreading and I also started getting a tingling and pressure feling kind of like needing to urinate. I found out that a woman got the same first symptom that I did while taking an SSRI and she suffers from the condition through google. This really freaked me out and I had laxatives for constipation but it didn't seem to help all of my issues. I'm so terrified of this issue that I can't sleep and I haven't been eating meals, I spend the whole day panicking and googling my symptoms to try and connect differences to this condition and what I'm experiencing. I know I don't suffer as bad as people who have it but I worry about my symptoms being early signs or something. I don't feel like myself anymore and I'm too embarrassed to speak to anyone about it so that's why I'm posting it here. I'm still waiting for results for a water test that was sent off. I really hope this is just some sort of urine or bladder issue or possibly even an infection. Or mabey IBS has symptoms I don't know about . Does anybody know if I could just be panicking over nothing and have possibly something different to what I'm fearing or possibly make these symptoms worse by panicking? I do have anxiety so could I have possibly made these symptoms worse by looking into this condition? I'm desperate so any help or advise would be appreciated. I think I just need my mind to be reassured that I don't have this condition and mabey I will feel better."
laura84921 Chloe96260
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I'm sorry you're feeling like this. I really think that if you're not eating and you're worrying all the time you're symptoms are likely to be anxiety related. I suffered severely from health anxiety and have been where you are and it's only now I've addressed the anxiety (through medication and lifestyle changes) that I realise what a huge impact it has on the body. Anxiety can cause all sorts of unbelievably weird symptoms and if you find a condition and worry intensely that you have it, you will more than likely develop the symptoms. I would recommend reading up on hypersensitivity which causes this in anxiety. My final piece of advice would be to tell your Dr that you're worried you have this condition. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, mental health is gaining more and more awareness and Drs will have seen and heard so much worse! If your Dr can assure you you don't have this condition, you can move forwards. Finally pgad can be treated with cbt and anti depressants so worse case scenario there will be treatment options available but it's so rare it's highly unlikely that you have it. Take care and let us know how you get on x
brenda53218 laura84921
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Chloe96260 laura84921
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Thanks so much for your reply I appreciate it. I do feel as though the symptoms are worse when I get into a state of worry about it and google it a lot so hopefully your're right about it being an anxiety issue.I also wonder if I stopped getting it on holiday because I was stress free. I was thinking about speaking to my councilor about this as well once I've got to the top of the waiting list. I think it might be better for me than bottling it all up. Thanks again x
Guest Chloe96260
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You have IBS. Your panicking has increased your IBS symptoms. While you was on holiday your symptoms decreased because you was relaxed, and not stressing so much. Now you are home and back to normality, your symptoms have increased again. That's called stress, anxiety, living in a fast paced world. YOU have IBS. STOP panicking yourself for no reason.
Chloe96260 Guest
Posted
Thanks for your comment. I've talked to my family about my concerns and they helped put my mind at ease so emotionally I feel a lot better now.