Anyone take Zoloft?

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I am interested in getting on Zoloft to deal with anxiety at school and work.

I was just wondering whether anyone here took it and what your experiences with it have been.

I don't now, but I used to, for a short time.

It's bad news.

nope, but the factory's only 40 miles from here..

So maybe you breath and drink it every day.

I have been on it for a few years now. It works really well for me. I am usually high strung and highly anxious. It really levels me out and seems to take away a lot of social angst. There are some down sides to it of course. It takes a few weeks to get used to and can cause nausea and intestinal cramping. It was downright painful for a while when i started it. I have never thrown up on it, but i have gagged several times. I found that my guts hurt badly for a few weeks and i had aggravated IBS with it. THat can be corrected with a sensible diet. all in all, it affects everyone differently. It does kill your libido along with that anxiety so if that is an issue take it to heart.

I took it last year for depression. The results were satisfactory.

I had some left over. Having read that Temple Grandin takes a very low dose routinely, I decided to give the very low dose a try. I like it.

I don't know if Zoloft is appropriate for anxiety, but I think it's safe for most people to try to see how they like it.

i think Zoloft is an anti-depressant but is also routinely used as an anti anxiety as it usually helps with that too. My sister takes it and it really seems to work for her.

Last edited by Fayed on 19 Jan 2008, 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It's a SSRI antidepressant... all SSRIs are often also given to people for anxiety, often just for that and not for depression.

My 12 y.o. daughter was gvien it for an anxiety.
As anthy anxiety med it worked well. But caused bad muscle jerks later.
It also seemed to provoked the tourette syndrom, which had not been observed before she started it. If you take it take a low dosage.

I take Lexapro for depression but it worked wonders on my anxiety.

12 years old seems very young for that kind of medication.

I just started taking it this week, so I guess I'm not the expert! However, no horrible side-effects so far and I'm feeling ok, so it works in my books.

I switched from Citalopram, b.t.w., mostly because I also have ADD and am currently experiencing perpetual daytime sleepiness which is really interfering with work. Not sure if it will help for it, but I'm giving it a go. I hate changing medicines or even just using them, so the change was a big consideration for me. The Citalopram was working very, very well for depression, also. So far, the Zoloft seems to be just as good in that regard.

I find it fascinating how every one reacts differently to each type of anti-depressant. It's probably not great, but you have to try until you find the one that fits you and gives you the best deal with the least side-effects. All the best.

Most of the time Dr.s will take this approach as well. "Try them all until you find one that works." However I feel that the public is very misinformed about SSRIs, how they theoretically work, and what they can potentially do in the long run. I took Paxil years ago for social anxiety before I ever suspected I had AS. Like many that get talked into taking them, I thought what's the big deal with giving it a try? I mean, if the side effects out weigh the benefits I'll just stop, right? Here's the thing, I had no problem with Paxil for a few years and it seemed to take the edge off so I kept taking it. Then I accidently found out about "discontinuation syndrome" when I forgot to bring my meds with me on vacation. They call it discontinuation syndrome, I call it withdrawl. Apparently around 40% of the people who quit experience horrible long lasting withdrawls. Then I read somewhere about tolerance in SSRIs and how after so many years most people have had to increase the dose for it to keep working the same. Well, what happens when you've increased it to the max? You're left with 2 options. Obtain more illegally or quit your drug before it quits on you. I didn't like the idea of any drug I did'nt absolutly need having so much control, so I took option 2.

Two months of horrifying WDs, of vomiting everything was able to eat, of anorexia, dizzyness, hallucinations, crying for reasons even I couldn't explain to myself, lethargy and zero motivation to do anything before I gave up and went back on the stuff. A year later I tried again, this time overlapping with Prozac and was finally successfull. I quit Prozac 6 months later which was easier, but it still took at least a year to get back to the way I felt before the drug. Imagine, my goal state of mind was how I was before, back when I thought I needed help in the first place.

I don't want to scare anyone or tell them what to do, but I've always felt the obligation to warn others after what I went through. My advise is that you should do alot of carefull research and try as many other options as you can first, even if they're less convienient than taking pills. There's a forum called PaxilProgress that can give you an idea of what almost half of us Paxil quitters have gone through. Occasionally Zoloft quitters wander in too, since it's very similar to Paxil although slightly milder. Please go there, it's a great place to ask questions and to see another side the story if you're really serious about taking an SSRI of any kind.

Yes. I have been taking it since 1998. It has been very helpful for me.

I think we drink it in our water supply.



so, everyone takes it in on some level.

equinn

How bad is the anxiety? Have you discussed this with a therapist? Chemicals can help, but you need to be careful. Everyone's neurochemistry is unique and I suffer a reverse reaction to Zoloft, anxiety and depression increases. For others it is a miracle drug. I recommend exploring non-chemical treatments such as talk therapy and behavior modification.

good luck