Zoloft 100 to 150
Posted , 6 users are following.
Had about 6weeks which weren't bad, not 100%, on 100mg.. PDoc agreed to go to 150mg. The not bad feeling on 100mg has disappeared and I now feel worse, depressed with anxiety. The 150mg I thought would bring me back to the old me, but it is not working. Going to PDoc to discuss whether to just stay on 150mg or not. How can this be - starting to feel better, upping it and going backwards. I hate to think the doctor would suggest going on something else as already have tried Lamotrigine, Latuda, Effexor without any luck.
0 likes, 19 replies
holly34337 nancyew
Posted
Sorry to hear you are having a rough time. When did you increase to the 150mg? You can get side effects again when increasing unfortunately. Maybe you could have given the 100mg a couple more weeks or went up to 125mg instead of 150mg? Have you been on the med longer than six weeks or just went to 100mg 6 weeks ago?
nancyew holly34337
Posted
holly34337 nancyew
Posted
nancyew holly34337
Posted
Thanks Holly for your note. I started at 50mg and by 100mg noticed a change of feeling better. I didn't have any side effects. Now 3 wks on 150mg and have felt awful since the increase. I wouldn't say it is side effects but just feel completely depressed and have lost all interest in things. The anxiety I feel is always there - not to the point of having an attack. Just really nervous inside. Got an earlier appointment with doctor and will ask him WHY? to have hope at 100, but have it dashed at 150.
holly34337 nancyew
Posted
a-new-day nancyew
Posted
it's a pain isn't it nancy, a lot of us here can relate to you
the thing with ssri meds like sertraline and the others is, they stimulate parts of you but this stimulation causes the side effects like more depression, anxiety, appetite, sleep, mood changes and so on
and then you get used to the changes and it settles down, but then changing your dose upwwards, then more stimulation is going to occur, so once again you have the side effects back again... more depression, anxiety, appetite, sleep, mood changes and so on...
the most annoying part... it's difficult to know if the side effects of increasing your dose will settle back down again as before, or if it is a csae of you are taking too much of the med, which is overstimulating you too much and might keep doing so
it's really up to you, you could just keep going and see if the side effects settle down again. this can take quite a number of weeks unfortunately (although some people are luckier and the side effects pass quickly)
or you could back down to 100mg again (or 125mg as was suggested here).
personally i would have given 100mg longer than 6 weeks. 8-12 would have been better (personally here it took about 10 weeks for me on 100mg to actually turn that corner of feeling good again.
holly34337 a-new-day
Posted
nancyew a-new-day
Posted
Well why would Zoloft being an anti-depressant have a side effect of more depression, etc. Doesn't make sense. 100mg gave that spark back of feeling better, continuing on for 6 weeks. Going to 150mg you would think it would bring you more relief. I'm sorry but giving Zoloft 10 weeks is just unbearable.
vanessa45115 nancyew
Posted
a-new-day nancyew
Posted
hi nancy i have the leaflet here which comes in the sertraline box, and also have an old leaflet here from a box of escitalopram tablets, and they both the same thing: that your depression and anxiety can become worse until your body gets used to the med/changes in dose.
it's a really annoying side effect i know; some people take calming benzo meds like valium or xanax while they are starting out on ssri meds to help them cope better as their body gets used to the ssri (or changes in dose)
i know a few weeks sounds like a lot but then if you are looking at 10 years of doing well again and free from depression and anxiety, a few weeks really is not really something to worry about in the long run
nancyew a-new-day
Posted
You may be right 6 weeks at 100 may not have been enough. But, it seemed like forever for me. If "more depression" is a side effect that is what 150mg has done. Seeing pdoc on Monday, all I can do is state my case.
Chick17418 nancyew
Posted
That's really helped me too, I'm doing every other day 100/ 150 I feel like the 150 is maybe too high for me so dropping back to 100mg scared I might have major side affects again by doing this?? Xx
mickey75587 nancyew
Posted
Hi Nancy,
Like yourself I increased my sertraline 100mg to 150mg 4 weeks ago and my mood still hasn't picked up. Severe anxiety and exhaustion most days, waiting for that moment when you know your starting to pick up. I have been here before a couple of years ago and I was fine once they started to work. There was a bereavement few months ago in my wife's family and this had affected me terribly. Doctor told me that this type of depression can last 2 to 6 months. Anybody gone through similar experience out there I would be glad to hear. Hang in there Nancy, like you hopefully within a few weeks you will get the full relief from the medication.
nancyew mickey75587
Posted
Thanks for your comment Mickey! Perhaps I am not giving the 150mg enough time to kick in. Very depressed & anxious, as if I'm on nothing. For 100mg to work pretty well, I surmised 150mg would be even better. Some people are saying that you have to go through rough spots when changing meds. You get alot of conflicting advice or opinions on the site. Too bad there isn't a doctor's site on these SSRI's. Hope the Sertaline finally works for you. Keep in touch.
a-new-day nancyew
Posted
doctor's, and even psychologists are not experts on ssri meds because nobody is actually exactly sure how ssri meds work, plus the brain is too complicated for anyone to be able to say that they understand it 100%. so instead, 'experts' just make all sorts of assumptions, which varies from doctor to doctor. one doctor might tell you one thing and then the next doctor says the opposite. same with psychologists, and same with using forums like this one.
some meds work for some people, but other people taking the same meds have a terrible time and the meds dont work for them. some people are ok on a certain dose, while others have to take more of it, or less. some people need days to get better, some need weeks, and some need months.
and if that's not random enough; some people take an ssri med and it works great for them, then if they stop taking it and go back on the med again in the future, it might not affect them the same the second time around as it did the first time
it's a random hit and miss world with ssri meds, you'll get all sorts of conflicting advice from anyone you ask about them or anything you read on the internet.. you just have to find what's right for you by trying a med out and hoping it is the right one, then adjusting the dose to get that right, then giving it enough time to work
hopefully one day there will be better meds available instead of the ssri family of meds, but until then we just have to stick it out and try to find something which agress with you and works for you
wishing you luck
ps. below.. from the official zoloft (sertraline) website. in the Q&A section:
Q. How long does it take to feel better with ZOLOFT?
A. The time it takes for ZOLOFT to work is different for each individual
... so, we can see that even the people who made the drug are not exactly sure how to answer questions about it
nancyew a-new-day
Posted
Thanks for your post and practical comments. I have found out that magnesium deficiency can cause depression or lead to depression. It is quite fascinating. Needless to say, I am now taking a calcium/magnesium supplement. Can't hurt as it is a natural element.