I started Zoloft exactly 30 days ago at 50 mg. I have tried natural vitamins for anxiety and multiple prescriptions for anxiety. With the other prescriptions never got the side effects from them and they were much higher doses. With the generic Zoloft, I went through some pretty hard side effects. I became irritable almost maniac, diarrhea , nausea , insomnia , and my anxiety was through the roof. I was prescribed Coladapin for anxiety and sleep, it didn’t touch it. I was offered Xanax from my doctor but too scared to take it. In desperation of my anxiety and just wanting some sleep I took one from my sister, and never having Xanax in my life she said it would definitely knock me out and calm me down. It did nothing. I’m passed all of the side effects, but my body is pretty much back to as if I was taking nothing. Except for a little blurred vision and don’t have a constant lump in my throat ready to cry at any given point, my anxiety is still there and it’s embarrassing because it comes out in my face (my jaw and lips move the more anxious I am) and my hand move like I have Arthritis or something when I’m really nervous. The intrusive thoughts are still there and, I’m just wondering if I should stick it out at 50mg when I go to the doc in a week or get on a hire dose? Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks, just tired of my mind racing 24/7.
Sertraline - Wondering if I should up from 50 mg to 100mgs. I just took my last 30 day dose?
Question posted by Always in a panic on 11 July 2018
Last updated on 31 January 2019
5 Answers
I am new the the forum... and appreciate all the support and feedback you offer each other. I too have tried everything and in desperation tried to “go it alone “ for 2 years. 6 weeks ago started sertraline first 25mg and had severe nausea and panic attacks but thanks to reading your posts, I stuck it out. I am now on 50 mg per day, still at night, and a totally different person! I now experience joy, gratitude, increased self esteem... and so much more. I had forgotten what the sound of my laughter was. I still experience episodes of panic as I wake up, but with the awareness now, I breathe and try to observe... and it does pass. Thank you all again!
You may have seen my post earlier , does the Zoloft make you really tired? I seem to be one of those people, doesn’t matter what time of day I take it!
The extreme tiredness during the day has gone but nice and sleepy in evening. Have historically had sleeping challenges and take 2.5 mg zopiclone most nights. Will stay with taking at night unless i find poor sleep becomes an issue. Hope that helps
I’m on day 8 of 50mg and thinking will I ever be me again low mood feeling uncomfortable in my own skin I had really bad panic attacks and anxiety so don’t know if it is helping as I still have all those feelings but haven’t cried for a few days now
I took 1/2 of a 25mg for a few days before increasing to a full 25mg, I noticed within a week less depression. My pdoc then had me increase to 37.5 mg. I couldn’t function I was so tired. I’m now back down to 25mg, not quite as tired as before but not “awake”. I’ve now been taking the Zoloft for 3 months, so the fatigue is a side effect I just have to do my best to deal with since I’ve tried 4 antidepressants & this is the only one that has helped at all. I’m overly sensitive to all meds, increasing meds for me has only caused more problems. I’ve tried quite a few. I would definitely recommend talking to your doc about the side effects you’re having. If you do decide to increase the dose, do it slowly & do it with your docs supervision.
I personally take 50mg morning and night. It helps a lot. Maybe try that before just going up to 100mg in the morning or whenever you take it.
Hi, Always! As always, Rathmullan is right on the money:
"Initial dose: 25 mg orally once a day, increased after one week to 50 mg orally once a day
Maintenance dose: 50 to 200 mg orally once a day"
"Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood, anxiety, and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve."
That being said, you should NEVER adjust your dosage on your own. Try to stick it out for the next week and discuss it with your doctor first.
Best regards and hope you feel better soon!
Okay so my doc upped my dosage from 50mg to 100mg. The only relief I noticed from 50mg was I didn’t carry that lump in my throat ready to cry at any given time day in and day out. But I have been on 100mg for I believe 5 days now and EVERY thing and EVERY body just agitates me tremendously. Is this normal for upping a dosage? I just still feel like I’m in a panic all day, not feeling that lump in my throat finally after a year is great.. but I’m still very anxious and so agitated.. hoping it’s just from the upping of the dosage and will subside. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated. Thanks
Yes, as Rathmullan said earlier, increasing your dosage can cause some side effects to appear temporarily.
"Common (1% to 10%): Affect/emotional lability, aggravated depression, aggressive reaction, aggression, agitation, anxiety, irritability, depression, nervousness"
They shouldn't last long and should be fairly mild.
"Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood, anxiety, and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve."
Try to be patient and optimistic. Try to concentrate on signs of improvement and don't dwell on any "setbacks".
Regards,
Thanks again for the reply. I’m truly hoping that it is just an indication that this medicine will work, as I said before on any of the other ones I’ve tried, I had no side effects but they never helped either. I’m trying to stay optimistic. It's just been so long my mind has been in a cyclone that I’m also scared of giving too much faith. Again thanks for the reply.
Hi, again, Always! I know exactly how you feel as I've been on almost every medication there is and have had my diagnosis changed several times over many years. It's been struggle just to cope with life but somehow I found the strength to keep going... and keep trying the next thing.
Happy to say I think we've finally hit the right combination and I can say that I'm pretty stable and happy, and healthy.
I wish you all the luck in the world and I think you'll do fine. :-)
It’s always in a panic again, with yet another question. Sorry to keep bugging, but I am going into week 6. One month 50mgs, will awful side affects and now 2 weeks in at 100mgs. I’m at a point that I am either leaving work early or calling in, which I have always went to work and never call in. But when I’m there, I get dizzy almost to the point where I feel like if I’m not holding onto something, I could fall over. My lower back and legs cramp so bad, it usually makes me needing to leave work, and on top of that the anxiety is through the rough. I read the Zoloft reviews almost daily looking for someone with the similar side effects, but grateful they stuck with it. I haven’t really found anybody who went through theses side effects, that didn’t stop taking them.
Just wondering should it be this long that I feel this way, and keep pushing through? Or if the people on the reviews who went through similar effects for about a month, should had stuck it through? I’m willing to take the side effects if the outcome is good, but just wondering after 6 weeks and still going through them, if I should try something else or push through it for another couple of weeks. Just as my profile name “always in a panic”, I’m really starting to panic that all this is doing is making me more more anxious, irritable, and achy all the time. Hate to keep being a bother with so many questions, but I truly am just always in a panic. Need some advice, stick it out or try something else. Again any advice on this would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Have you consulted with your doctor about the continued side effects?
No not yet, he tends to blame everything on the starting of Zoloft. I discussed with him my earlier stages and he said that would be expected. I do go back to him in a month, and HOPEFULLY I won’t be feeling like this. But until then, just wondering if these are normal side effects to have 2 weeks on the upped dose from 50 to 100mg. Hoping for someone else to say, yes I went through that for x amount of time, but the outcome was well worth it. But if these side effects such as major irritation, back and leg cramping, and still anxious beyond control aren’t normal after 2 weeks, should I be pushing myself through it all?
Hi mate!
How’s things now? I’m at the exact same stage you were at this post so seems we’re not the only ones. I can see you were at my stage a few months back... how you feeling now? Did things get better on 100mg??
Jack
Hello Always in a panic. Sorry to hear of your difficulty. Sertraline can take up to 8 weeks for patients to realize its full effect. Having said that, some patients begin to notice some minor improvements in the first few weeks and this is considered an early indication of the drug's potential longer term effectiveness. Sounds to me that you have experienced no improvement at all after 4 weeks. If you continue to feel the way you do next week when you go to the Doctor, I would definitely urge you to discuss increasing the dosage to 100 mg as 50 mg is at the low end of the dosing range for Sertraline.
Good luck and all the best!
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. It’s very much appreciated. I will definitely take your advice and up the mg’s to 100.. one more question tho.. will increasing this start me all over with the early on side effects as when I first started?
I can't say for certain that upping the dose will not aggravate side effects. However, given that you have already gotten some what familiar with the medication, it is unlikely that the short term side effects associated with doubling your dose will be anywhere near as severe as what you experienced at the half dose.
Related topics
vitamins, zoloft, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, sertraline, side effect, dosage, anxiety and stress, prescription
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