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new to Zoloft

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michele128
michele128

Hi, I've just recently been prescribed Zoloft for anxiety and am looking for support through the initial adjustment to the drug. I have struggled with anxiety for many years, but could often get by using Klonopin here and there when things were bad. I have talked with my therapist for a few months now about meds and we finally decided to try something low dose. Last week was a bad anxiety week, and my PCP put me on 25 mg of Zoloft to get started. I took the first dose Thursday night and Friday felt like I was in a fog most of the day. Didn't feel like I slept well and felt almost hungover. Friday evening I had a classic out-of-the-blue panic attack, with anxiety coughing, shakiness, tingles and numbness washing through my body, nausea, etc. I took 1/2 of a .5 mg Klonopin and laid down. It calmed me a bit and then I forced myself out of bed to eat something and took another 1/2 Klonopin before going to bed. I didn't take the Zoloft Friday night. Saturday morning I woke up still feeling on edge, and vomited a bunch of stomach acid (that actually made me feel better). I've had this problem with vomiting bile before in other periods of bad anxiety, but not for several years.

Called my PCP on Saturday and saw her the same day. She didn't think the reactions were from the Zoloft per se but more likely the baseline anxiety that was already there from a bad week. We agreed on plan of me trying the Zoloft again, this time at 12.5 mg for 2 weeks and then moving to 25 if I'm doing okay. I've done 2 doses of 12.5 mg now, both in the evening with some food. I've also taken Prilosec just before bed. Each of the following mornings I've woken up with a very grumbly, upset stomach, and with some loose bowel movements and/or diarrhea. Yesterday I was able to calm it with some food eaten very slowly. This morning I again tried food (a banana) and threw up about 30 minutes later. I felt a little better after that but then felt myself slipping into more panicky feelings again. I finally gave in and took 1/2 Klonopin again about an hour ago. I can feel myself calming and I'm trying to eat something to stabilize my blood sugar.

Any advice on how long these stomach symptoms might last? I already am prone to some IBS-like problems (my PCP knows that) and warned me that Zoloft could cause some stomach problems. Am I being hyper-sensitive that 2 small doses could cause this amount of trouble? I really want something to help my baseline anxiety but I don't know if I can deal with feeling like this every morning, especially as I have to be back at work tomorrow and I just don't feel functional.

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3 Replies

  • a-new-day
    a-new-day michele128

    Posted

    one of the more common side effects of zoloft (sertraline) in relation to the other ssri meds available, is upset stomach

    for some people this will go away after a couple of weeks, but then there are others who seem to have this problem ongoing

    it's up to you, you continue taking sertraline for a few weeks and see if you get used to it and it doesnt upset your stomach any more, or your could switch to another ssri such as citalopram (or something else, your doctor can recommend)

    unfortunately it's impossible to say which is the best choice for you, ebcause everyone's experiences are different, so you just have to try until you find what is right for you   (personally i here i also had the upset stomach when starting sertraline (along with loss of appetite), but a few later i was ok and got used to it)

    • michele128
      michele128 a-new-day

      Posted

      Thanks - most of what I've read indicates the side effects vary from person to person. I'm going to keep trying, at least for a few more days. I have definitely noticed the loss of appetite too, but I wasn't sure if that was the meds or the anxiety (or both!).

      I was on Celexa about 10 years ago and I don't remember stomach issues with it but that was also before I developed my IBS-like symptoms. My issue with Celexa was the fogginess and that it caused me to experience dyslexia (especially with numbers) for the first week or so.

  • sharon36528
    sharon36528 michele128

    Posted

    Hi michelle im sharon and also have been suffering with panick anxiety for the ladt few yrs started 25 mg zoloft and now at 75mg it is normal for your anxiety to get worse before it gets better commen to get diarrea headache nausea and other symptoms for first couple weeks u have yo hang in there i know its hell good luck
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