Zoloft and Side Effects

reneepugh

I recently was put on Zoloft for anxiety starting out at 25 mg and now am on 50 mg. I have several side effects. I do not want to eat anything due to nausea and have numbness in my arms and head off and on. I have also had a few panic attacks, but not as bad as the ones before Zoloft. I know they can happen, but for how long? Also, I have read previous posts about weight gain. Was the weight gain after the side effects subsided? When I upped my dosage after a week to 50mg, that's when I had the side effects. I over ate one day to see if I just wasn't eating enough and it made the nausea worse. So, now I am afraid to eat. Feeling better, but eating like a bird today. Need some friends who have the same problem so that I can get through this and not be unhealthy.

songbyrdsweet

Did you tell your psych about the numbness? Nausea is a common minor side effect of most psychoactive drugs. I didn't gain any weight after I went on meds. It greatly reduced my binge habits.

reneepugh

No. I haven't told my doc about the numbness yet. It comes and goes and isn't too severe. Next appt. I will let him know as long as it doesn't affect my motor skills.

joannasaurusrex

I wasn't on Zoloft, but was on Citalopram for about 18 months, which I believe is similar? My dose was increased several times and each time I had side effects (mainly a tight jaw and crazy insomnia) for about 2 or 3 weeks each time. They did go away eventually though.

I don't think it made me gain weight but I'm fairly sure it was harder to lose when I was on it.

ETA: I was on it for depression, and regardless of all the side effects and weight-stall, I don't regret it because it was the right thing to do at the time and it made everything much easier. So, once the side effects settle down, if it really is helping your anxiety then don't stress too much over losing weight because (in my opinion - and as long as you're not unhealthily obese) it's much more important - and will have more of a positive impact on your life - to stabilise your mental health first

reneepugh

I definitely agree that my mental health is really important. I just want t feel normal again without the panic attacks. I feel like an alien right now. I hope in a week or so, the side effects will go away and I will start feeling better.

shovav91

I was on Zoloft for a while. I gained weight, but it did help with my panic attacks. Unfortunately it left me feeling like sort of a zombie, so I went off of it. I got some odd withdrawal symptoms including feeling like my arms and tongue and head were being electric shocked... it was one of the strangest feelings I've ever had but apparently is common when coming off of Zoloft. Just make sure you come off of it slowly when the time comes.

lilyvale68

There are a lot of options out there for depression/anxiety meds. Give this one a little time. If it isn't for you, another one probably is.

PositivelyFlawed

I just started Zoloft last week and the pharmacist had said that sometimes the first 2-4 days it can seem like you're getting worse and not better and that is when people stop taking it and that doesn't help. I don't remember numbness being a side effect. Good that you're going to ask your doctor about that.

I am otherwise tolerating it pretty well. A few unexplained headaches int he last couple days I am attributing to the Zoloft, but otherwise it has been ok. Sorry you're having a rough time of it. Hang in there!

UsedToBeHusky

I would recommend trying a different medication. I was given Zoloft for post-partem depression after my C-section. I literally had to take myself off of it. The stuff made me so sick that I could only get out of bed to go to the bathroom, and I had to get there quickly which wasn't good when I could barely hold my insides in. Needless to say, it was a horrible experience. My doctor lectured me for taking myself off it, and I lectured him for giving me something that made my recovery from surgery so much more difficult. Obstetricians shouldn't be prescribing anti-depressants anyway!! Okay... rant over. Anyway, Zoloft is nasty stuff. I suggest asking your doctor for something else.

sugarnspice0613

I took Zoloft for awhile and got side effects like loss of appetite and insomnia. I did lose bit of weight on it because I just wasn't hungry, and I also got restless leg syndrome. My psychiatrist ended up combining with Trazodone which knocked me out within an hour so it was nice. Nothing ever helped with my appetite though.

SuperTonya3

I have been on Zoloft for 6 months or so and don't remember ever noticing any side effects. I've only ever been on 25mg though and didn't have to up my dose. Granted I have MS and suffer from numbness regardless, so if that was a side effect I probably wouldn't notice it.

I would suggest giving it a couple more days and if the side effects don't get better, maybe consider another medication. There are a lot of options out there so you shouldn't have to suffer!

Good luck!

andrejjorje

If you read about the anti anxiety/depression meds you will see that it takes about 3 month to produce the full effect. The side effects can also last the same period or more but they will eventually go away. Be patient. This is the secret with these meds. Work closely with your PD to find the perfect dosage. If after 6 month you do not feel good (side effects gone or minimum, no anxiety/depression or very very little) then maybe this is not for you and you should try another one.
The right dosage is the key.

ivansmomma

I know my situation doesn't really apply, except for the commonality of Zoloft. My daughter was brain-injured at birth, and at about 10, was having some issues for which the doctor put her on Zoloft. In only a few days, she was acting very strangely, wet the bed several times, which she never did, looking into the mirror and saying Mommy, Daddy, like she was seeing us in there, touching our faces like she really didn't see us, and didn't sleep. After about a week of this, she was taken off of Zoloft. It is in her records to NEVER give her this medication again. It affects everyone differently, as do most meds. Continue to keep in close contact with your doctor, and if something doesn't feel right, let him/her know. Take care.

lynnee82

I have been on Zoloft for a few years and have never had a problem with it but all medications affect people differently. If you haven't started any other medications in the same time frame you need to call your doctor first thing in the morning. I have this same side effect from Topomax but it is a known side effect and I was told about it before I started it. Oh and it helps you lose weight too! But it's for my headaches/migraines not the depression/anxiety. LOL

UsedToBeHusky

I know my situation doesn't really apply, except for the commonality of Zoloft. My daughter was brain-injured at birth, and at about 10, was having some issues for which the doctor put her on Zoloft. In only a few days, she was acting very strangely, wet the bed several times, which she never did, looking into the mirror and saying Mommy, Daddy, like she was seeing us in there, touching our faces like she really didn't see us, and didn't sleep. After about a week of this, she was taken off of Zoloft. It is in her records to NEVER give her this medication again. It affects everyone differently, as do most meds. Continue to keep in close contact with your doctor, and if something doesn't feel right, let him/her know. Take care.

Your daughter's doctor deserves a punch in the crotch for giving that garbage to a little kid. I hate the psychiatric field. Their policy... "Let's just give people random chemicals and see if something makes them feel better." My brain is NOT a chemistry set!!

lynnee82

I know my situation doesn't really apply, except for the commonality of Zoloft. My daughter was brain-injured at birth, and at about 10, was having some issues for which the doctor put her on Zoloft. In only a few days, she was acting very strangely, wet the bed several times, which she never did, looking into the mirror and saying Mommy, Daddy, like she was seeing us in there, touching our faces like she really didn't see us, and didn't sleep. After about a week of this, she was taken off of Zoloft. It is in her records to NEVER give her this medication again. It affects everyone differently, as do most meds. Continue to keep in close contact with your doctor, and if something doesn't feel right, let him/her know. Take care.

Your daughter's doctor deserves a punch in the crotch for giving that garbage to a little kid. I hate the psychiatric field. Their policy... "Let's just give people random chemicals and see if something makes them feel better." My brain is NOT a chemistry set!!

While I agree that a child's brain is a precious thing and should be protected at all costs, you obviously don't have a child with serious mental health issues. And until you do you have no basis on which to form an opinion. Medication should always be a last resort for anyone adult or child and yes some doctors "be punched in the crotch" for forgetting this. But some things can't be dealt with in any other manner. And while your brain isn't "a chemistry set" it is a complex organ made up of chemical reactions which effect how we act. So in a way it kind of is.

songbyrdsweet

I definitely agree that my mental health is really important. I just want t feel normal again without the panic attacks. I feel like an alien right now. I hope in a week or so, the side effects will go away and I will start feeling better.

I switched medications and doses in the very beginning. My psych put me on Prozac at first and I was SO ill. Then she started me on a low dose of citalopram and we increased it until I was free of panic attacks. I used to have a couple every week...very embarrassing while at work! The citalopram makes me very sleepy, so I take that at night and Wellbutrin in the morning. It's an anti-depressant whereas citalopram is anti-anxiety. Normally it's contraindicated to take both, but the mixture works very well for me. You should tell your doctor everything you're experiencing. I even had to tell mine about some awkward ones (sexual side effects) but those went away after a couple weeks. Don't think you have to stick to Zoloft if you don't like it.

reneepugh

Thanks everyone for your advice. It helps a lot to know I'm not alone. I don't tolerate a lot of medications very well and I think as long as the symptoms aren't as severe, I am gonna wait a week or so to see if they subside. Otherwise, if they don't I have 3 kids that depend on me to be alert and able to take care of them! Thank you all so much. I feel a little better now.

UsedToBeHusky

I know my situation doesn't really apply, except for the commonality of Zoloft. My daughter was brain-injured at birth, and at about 10, was having some issues for which the doctor put her on Zoloft. In only a few days, she was acting very strangely, wet the bed several times, which she never did, looking into the mirror and saying Mommy, Daddy, like she was seeing us in there, touching our faces like she really didn't see us, and didn't sleep. After about a week of this, she was taken off of Zoloft. It is in her records to NEVER give her this medication again. It affects everyone differently, as do most meds. Continue to keep in close contact with your doctor, and if something doesn't feel right, let him/her know. Take care.

Your daughter's doctor deserves a punch in the crotch for giving that garbage to a little kid. I hate the psychiatric field. Their policy... "Let's just give people random chemicals and see if something makes them feel better." My brain is NOT a chemistry set!!

While I agree that a child's brain is a precious thing and should be protected at all costs, you obviously don't have a child with serious mental health issues. And until you do you have no basis on which to form an opinion. Medication should always be a last resort for anyone adult or child and yes some doctors "be punched in the crotch" for forgetting this. But some things can't be dealt with in any other manner. And while your brain isn't "a chemistry set" it is a complex organ made up of chemical reactions which effect how we act. So in a way it kind of is.

Actually, I do have a child with serious mental health issues... the list includes PTSD, ODD, and Intermittent explosive disorder. Personally, I think she could be bipolar like her father, but I am trying to let these things evolve on their own without my influence. I have been attempting to resolve her problems without medication, though, I have been giving strong consideration to it recently. My problem with psychiatric medicine is that it is supremely over-prescribed and many have severe side effects; like weight gain and addiction. Certainly, these are not things that I want to force on my child so early in life just so I can have a nice well-behaved zombie.

BTW... the FDA has not approved Zoloft for children... as well as many other psychiatric medications. He gave a medication that has been COMPLETELY untested on minors to a minor. That is why I said that he deserved a crotch punch and that the kid's brain is not a chemistry set. If you don't mind your child being the guinea pig, then you be my guest. I'll wait until they are done fooling around with YOUR kid's head before I let them dump those chemicals into MY kid. Thanks so much for offering your child up as the sacrificial lamb.

And what is wrong for asking for a little responsibility and accountability in the psychiatric field anyway... especially when it comes to children??