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Experience on Sertraline (Zoloft)

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Posted 3/13/2018 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Hey guys!

This forum is brilliant so thankyou very much to all who have participated in helping each other. I was wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences to the ones I've had taking this medication

about 5 weeks ago I was told I have health anxiety. A year ago I fainted and thought recently I should ring the doctors for a check up which is what started it as I was constantly expecting bad news and eventually evolved into a vicious cycle on anxiety symptoms making me think something was wrong with me. I was prescribed 10mg of Propanolol for 1 - 3 times a day and 25mg of sertraline a day for a week, then moving up to 50mg. I have all together been on these for 3 weeks, 2 weeks on 50 mg of sertraline.

My first week went by ok with the occasional loose stool but overall I felt ok. Still anxious about my health but limited side effects. about a week after starting 50mg (2 weeks in) I started feel constantly woozy. Not enough dizziness to stop me going about my day but enough to make me feel a bit off balance. I can still go to university but sometimes find it hard to concentrate. I also got bad headaches at night for about 3 days but these have now settled down. I occasionally get face aches but again it's not to the extent that it worries me. I've had this constant wooziness for about a week now. I've not been sick but sometimes do feel nauseous. Having health anxiety and drug side effects do not go hand in hand and sometimes my anxiety spikes and I think something is wrong with me. The past couple of days in particular sometimes if I focus on a spot near the ground it seems as if my vision is stretching out a bit. I had an eye test 2 weeks ago and surely they would have told me if something was wrong right?

I can go to sleep easily and when I wake up I feel fine, no headaches or anything. Just constant brain fogginess throughout the day, wooziness and the occasional anxiety that makes me think something is wrong with my head. Is this all normal? Is there an end and will I be ok? Hearing from some of you would really put my mind at ease as it's my first time on any medication. Like an idiot I've turned to Dr. Google many a time and it does not help!
Posted 3/13/2018 7:04 PM (GMT 0)
I took Zoloft for like 10 months. At first I dropped weight because my stomach was so upset. That stopped after a few weeks and I gained like 25-30 lbs on it. I did not get other side effects on it until later.

It did help my anxiety some but then I started to get weird muscle involuntary movements. At night my body would just jump and wake me up. The doctor said it was not related to the zoloft but I never had that and they stopped after I discontinued the med.

I have heard this med has been good for many people but I am not one of them. I hope it works for you.
Posted 3/14/2018 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
anxiety can indeed cause odd vision events. I had them myself. startup on ssri med usually brings a host of strange side effects so its early to tell if its not for you. the fact that you are sleeping ok is an execellent sighn that things must be improving for you. insomnia is terrible and usually one of the first ways our bodies tell us something is wrong. the fact that you don't have it is a very good sighn . many drs rush us to up the dose to what the industry considers therapeutic. for example 50 is the min therapeutic dose for Zoloft but some find it too high. if 25 is more gentle with less side effects than you can try staying there longer and see how you do. I leared this tru trial and error and others stories.
Posted 3/14/2018 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Clarkey and welcome!

We are glad you've found us, though sorry to hear of the challenges you are currently facing. We can all relate to some extent, so know that you are not alone.

It sounds a though you have been on your Rx for just a few weeks now. Start up effects are not at all unusual, and will phase out as your system adjusts and a therapeutic level of your med is reached.

Try your best to stay away from Google as it never brings about the reassurance that we seek. People tend to post only negative experiences...so it is hard to fine anything that gives us hope or leaves us feeling better about our situation.

Instead, dedicate your time and energy to checking out our Resources at the top of the main forum page here. You'll find great self help material there...and practicing the suggested exercises will make a big difference in how you feel.

Keep posting with us as well if you find it helpful. We understand, care and support is key!

Talk soon,

Scaredy Cat
Posted 3/14/2018 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

You have received good input above so I just wanted to pop in and say hi and welcome to the forum keep us posted we are here for you.

Hibee
Posted 3/15/2018 7:22 PM (GMT 0)
I was given Zoloft about a month ago for GAD and I lasted 9 days. Like you, health anxiety is a big part of what I am dealing with, and what sparked this latest episode of GAD for me. I wasn't sleeping at all, and then the zoloft only added to that. Which of course made the stress even worse because I couldn't get any sleep. Would this have dissipated at some point I'm not sure, I just couldn't take a chance to tough it out any longer when getting 3 hours a sleep a night and trying to work productively. So......I am now on Klonopin and adderall for the short term to bring things down a bit. A small dose only as my psychiatrist doesn't want a dosage that will completely bail me out, only partially so I still have to use some coping skills. The adderall can counteract some of the lethargy the K causes, but you have to be careful because it can hype you up which can lead to you know where. SSRI's are not for everyone, plenty of folks out there who can take those, but there is a certain faction that can't. Good thing is that there are a lot more options out there, it just takes some trial and error. For me I know that K is only short term, so at some point I may be on another medication to help me.
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