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New to the block and taking zoloft with klonopin

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Posted Yesterday 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
So after a few years of dealing with major anxiety I decided to go down the prescription Road. about 2 weeks ago I started on Zoloft with klonopin to help with the startup side effects. Thus far it has really sucked!!. I get major anxiety and assorted other side effects like foggy head, sweating all time, insomnia, nausea, and wierd muscle twiches since going onto the zoloft. I am taking 25mg with .5mg klonopin. With so many side effects I was wondering whether or not I was having serotonin syndrome.

One of many questions i have is how many people take klonopin with their zoloft at the same time? have yet started to take klonopin because of the certain side effects and i am a chicken when it comes to new medication.

Are there others like me who are going through this crazyness?

Could the zoloft be to stimulating? If so what are the alternatives?

I am sure i will have lots more to post!!!

Thanks for the help!
Posted Yesterday 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Hotdogs and welcome!

I am sorry to hear about your anxiety and start up concerns. This is frustrating to say the least...when the medication you are hoping will help...actually increases anxiety initially!

The key word however is initially. This is temporary and expected, as your mind and body are adjusting the the chemical changes that are taking place.

You are not at risk for Seratonin Syndrome, so you can cross that worry off your list. This is extremely rare, and seen when taking multiple Rx's of the same family at maximum doses.

Your Klonopin is not in the same family as your SSRI. Klonopin is a benzodiazapine, and considered to carry very low side effect risks. There can however be a risk for dependency with this type of med, so following your doctor's prescribing instructions is important.

Giving your Zoloft time to come to therapeutic levels and become beneficial is a challenging but necessary process...so hang in there!

Use your Klonopin as needed when things are tough...

...and we also recommend using coping skills to manage your anxiety both during a start up....and as maintenance...along with therapy if indicated by your doctor.

Please see our Resources at the top of the main forum page for great self help material!

Post with us anytime for anxiety support. We are here to listen and understand!

Scaredy Cat
Posted Yesterday 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I was on lexapro and klonopin for about 10 months and my psych doc and I decided to switch to Zoloft, boy was that a mistake! I have been on Zoloft for a month and a half and I didn't realize how much the lexapro was working. On the Zoloft I've been a hot mess, how can you be extremely anxious and be absolutely exhausted constantly????

Btw, I am transitioning back to lexapro starting tonight with the guidance of my psych Doctor.
Posted Today 3:57 AM (GMT 0)
I was on Zoloft and stayed at a very low dose and believe that it helped! Definitely take the Klonopin to zap those start up side effects! I took Xanax with mine and it was a life saver!

Good luck!
Posted Today 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
hi hotdogs,
I am on Zoloft and when I initially went on it I had extreme anxiety and took clonazepam (Canadian version of klonopin I think) , along with it. I also took something for sleep. I decided to give to,stick with the Zoloft because I had tried 4 other antidepressants before that, all,of which gave me brutal side effects. I also had night sweats and muscle twitching. You wonder why doctors give you stuff in the first place. That being said, those side effects are now gone. I no longer really take the clonazepam. I too kept thinking had serotonin syndrome. I think you just have to give it time and not be afraid to take the klonopin. One day maybe they will have meds that don't produce thoseshorrible side effects. Cq
Posted 12/2/2015 5:22 PM (GMT 0)
It is very comforting to hear that others are dealing with the same thing I am and have gotten through it. I notice now i have good days where i feel great then I will wake up feling like hell and anxious. Very bizarre. So far i think the most notable side effects is the caffeine like buz i get in my body, and the insomnia with sweating. Fingers crossed it goes away in a week or two.

Thank you to all that replied!
Posted 12/2/2015 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
Morning anxiety is pretty common...in part due to Cortisol (stress hormone) being at the highest concentration in the body in the a.m./upon waking.

Practicing your relaxation/stress relieving coping skills will help.:)

Hoping you are feeling better and better...keep us updated. :)

S.C.
Posted 12/2/2015 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
First of all, I totally approve of your username, hotdogs. One of my favorite foods. :)

Secondly, you have received some great advice but I want to jump in with my two cents. S.C. is totally right that these effects are temporary. Side effects generally last up to 2 weeks and then go away.

I know how awful it is to go through Zoloft start-up effects. The jitters were the worst for me. I felt like I drank a pot of coffee (even though I don't drink caffeine) and I had to walk over 2 miles before I was able to tire myself out enough to actually relax.

If you have never taken it, Klonopin is a sedative and it will stop your mind from spinning with anxiety. Basically, it will mellow you out. I have never experienced any side effects from Klonopin other than what it is intended to do, which is remove anxiety and relax your body. It can cause problems if you take a lot of it for a long time, but if you use it on an as-needed basis, you won't have any problems with dependency.

Best of luck and keep us posted!

-Cat
Posted 2/23/2016 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
I came by this and while I haven't had a full experience with Zoloft, I will say that with the one week I took it, my main side effects were insomnia and feeling like I was on a huge caffeine rush. No matter how much Lorazepam I would take (never more than intended but still more than my usual dose), I couldn't relax. I was wide awake for 3 days straight. That was enough to scare me out of taking Zoloft. Now I see that it's a pretty common side effect. My fiancé began taking Zoloft in July 2015 and hardly had any effects, aside from some dizziness. But that subsided after a month and he's still happily trucking along at 50mg. Of course, I know everyone is different and maybe Zoloft would've worked for me had I given it a better chance but I was told to stop taking it (I was apparently Manic and it took 4 shots of Lorazepam to get me to sleep for a couple of hours) so I guess if the side effects hadn't stopped me, the advice would. Anyways, I truly wish you the best success with Zoloft and hopefully you will check in down the road. :)
Posted 2/23/2016 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
i was on zoloft for 6 years. take it as soon as you wake up . its stimulating and will cause insomnia if taken at nite. stay on as low a dose thats therapeutic for you to minimize the side effects. i didnt suffer any side effects except sexual while i was on it and it worked great for me. it saved me i feel but it stopped working after 6 years. once it kicks in you should no longer need the klonopin. i didnt need any other med while on it . worked that well for me.
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