Zoloft

[Mutt the zombie]

Bit of a quiet thread, but I'll post my story anyway.

I was recently prescribed zoloft to treat a mild form of OCD I seem to have. Its mostly just obsessive thoughts about a girl/co-worker I used to like. The obsession won't go away even though I have a girlfriend now. The obsession is both sexual and professional (like I have to compete with her).

So I've been on 200mg for about a week now. I wake up more during the night feeling very anxious with very powerful thoughts about this person. Other than that the only other side-effects have been sexual.

I'm just waiting patiently for the stuff to kick in. Anyone ever taken Zoloft for OCD?

i did for awhile

 

[mismeek]

I loved zoloft! I took for four years before I guess I became "immune" to it. I never had any problems with it, unless I skipped a day or a week. The withdrawls weren't very fun. But overall i liked it much better than what im taking now.

 

[Lea]

Yep, that'll be the Zoloft. That was just one of a number ways in which discontinuing the drug effected me. Brain zaps are notoriously difficult to describe.

Wikipedia says:

“Symptoms described as "brain*zaps", "brain*shocks," "brain*shivers" or "head shocks" are a*withdrawal*symptom experienced during discontinuation (or reduction of dose) of antidepressant drugs.*The symptoms are widely variable in description and of unknown etiology; common descriptions include dizziness, electric shock-like sensations, sweating, nausea, insomnia, tremor, confusion, and*vertigo."

I'd advise that you go back to your doctor and ask for some 25mg doses. Stopping any anti-depressant suddenly is a bad idea.

Brain zaps, yeah I had it the first 2 days when I started taking it, that was one of the main reasons why I didn't continue. My therapist still tells me to take it, but I don't know.. I don't want to damage my brain even more than it is ::.

 

[jmroszczak]

ok another update.... I have been on zoloft for about like 3months now....i have been taking 100mg for about 1month.

My doc increased it pretty gradually...first 25 then 50 then 75 then 100...every 2 weeks or so. what i found is that with each increase i would be like lethargic and had to force my self to stay awake during day. I was taking it in the morning everyday same time. but after about a week of being on the upgraded dose those tiredness symptoms went away...until i hit the 100mg mark. so i am now taking the zoloft at night everyday. I find that it does allow me to make phone calls...(this is huge for me) also i was able to go in a grocery store with my brother on JUST the zoloft...no klonopin. I had actually forgotten to take the klonopin that night...

I dont know for a fact how much the zoloft is benefiting my social phobia because i am on 2mg klonopin now when needed...but i know for a fact that the zoloft is making me way less "paranoid". also I dont feel the need to hide from people anymore if they come over...also i dont think twice about going out of my house now if i want too(in day time) EVEN if my neighbors are out...(before meds and treatment i was home bound for basically 6 years) I even said hello to my neighbor it wasnt even that awkward..she just basically said she gets panic attacks too lol(grrr my mom told her) and what her name was(even tho i knew it already) ..I even had a little small talk with her...and NO anxiety at all ok thats my update for now

*P.S* also i forgot to mention that the zoloft is totally making me VERY forgetful...

 

[jmroszczak]

OK another ZOLOFT update....OR NOT? IM OFF it...after about a year, it made me gain a ton of weight and now im done with it...i was at its highest dose 200mg. but no more. been off for about a month and like a week now. i am on wellbutrin xl( i chose it cos its supposed to not cos weight gain) now... and topamax( was prescribed for weight loss also) ...still on my klonapin....oh and i was prescribed seroquel because i hallucinate at night when i sleep. good news is im losing weight now...

but the topamax is making me forget how to spell the most basic words.

oh and i feel just more anxious around people again on wellbutrin( especially 1 on 1) and i find i need my klonapin more an more now) im hoping it will change with higher dose, i am on just 150mg right now.

 

[Looking_in105]

im currently on 150mg..thinking about upping it too 200mg as i still dont feel 100%.

tried to get off them, terrible brain zaps, dizzyness::

ive had limited side effects from zoloft, and i take it in the morning.

 

[ciel20]

I was just prescribed Zoloft for mild anxiety and was wondering if people who've taken it might answer these questions:

- Did you gain weight?
- If you're under 25, did you experience unusual suicidal ideation?
- Did it affect your cognitive/intellectual abilities?

Thanks for any answers! Those are the symptoms I'm most wary of.

lol, I just noticed that I put the question about weight first on the list - shows where my priorities are...

 

[panicsurvivor]

I was just prescribed Zoloft for mild anxiety and was wondering if people who've taken it might answer these questions:

- Did you gain weight?
- If you're under 25, did you experience unusual suicidal ideation?
- Did it affect your cognitive/intellectual abilities?

Thanks for any answers! Those are the symptoms I'm most wary of.

lol, I just noticed that I put the question about weight first on the list - shows where my priorities are...

YES
YES I am not under 25 though.
YES
I hate meds. I have taken almost the whole pharmacy and it has always made things worse. I would always advise alternative before meds. Usually therapists try to give you meds and than Cbt, or something else. The therapy is great, but the meds I have never liked, and they have never worked. Meds are never the answer anyway, even the doctors tell you that they are like a bandaids not stitches.

 

[Dr. Doom]

I have been taking zoloft for 3 months now. I think it has helped me in some ways, I don't get as nervous in social situations but I still fidget, get weird and close up. As far as side effects go, the first week it did make me sort of drowsy but since then it hasn't. I have done stupid things like stop taking it and taking too much. A few weeks ago I just decided to stop taking it to see what would happen and I got dizzy sometimes and my vision would blur, disorientated which stopped once I took the pills like normal. A few days ago, I was pretty lonely and bored, so I decided to take 1100mg all at once. When I woke up and went to the mirror I noticed that my eyes were really dilated, even after looking right at a light. My hands and feet also shook and I felt nauseas for a few days. I haven't really taken any pills since tuesday, since there is probably still quite a bit of zoloft in my system.

Overall, I think its helped a little bit, but it don't think it will fix anything. I would liked to try other medicines, prescription and natural.

 

[Katty]

I was on 100mgs of Zoloft for about a year or two off and on. The same thing happened to me when I first started taking it so it's most likely normal. Eventually it caused insomnia for me as well. I couldn't deal with the extreme lowering of my sex drive. According to most of the people I knew that were taking it (in as high doses as 200mg) stated that they had problems with sexual performance as well.

Another thing I noticed was, regardless of psychiatrists stating it's impossible to depend on, SSRI discontinuation syndrome is a living hell. Sometimes people aren't left with many options in regards to giving it up. Especially with financial problems.

I also heard it's sometimes prescribed for PMS.. it made mine a lot worse.

On a small positive note, it does help a lot with depression and physical symptoms of anxiety in my experience.

Good luck. :3