Unpleasant side-effects of Sertraline (Zoloft)

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(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sertraline)

I'm worried about some side-effects I'm getting with Sertraline (also known as Zoloft). I started out on 50mg but there wasn't really any noticeable difference and my GP raised the dosage to 100mg. It hasn't taken away my anxiety, just slightly controlled it, and some side effects have built up which are making me want to stop taking it.

Firstly, it was making me really sleepy and affecting my sleep negatively (made me more prone to wake from small noises and wake at odd times), then I started getting limb and joint pains (which I initially thought might be a virus or something but I didn't develop any illness and was otherwise OK) and it progressed to me having an acute anxiety attack yesterday coupled with restless leg syndrome and quite bad lower leg pains which are still here today. I don't know if the leg pains are related to the restless leg thing whereby the constant fidgeting and twitching of muscles has made them sore or something.

I also feel slightly hyper. Having read the instructions in the box, these are all reported side-effects. I have been known to be very sensitive to medications in the past and had to stop taking them (under GP instruction) due to the side-effects. I have only taken 50mg today despite my dosage supposed to be being 100mg because the side-effects are really unpleasant and the painful legs is pretty bad.

Has anyone had similar side-effects from Sertraline? Do they go if you keep taking it, or should I speak to my GP about getting weaned off them? It seems pointless taking them if they don't get rid of the thing I'm taking them for and I'm suffering in other ways too.

Hello

I also took this for a week before I took myself off of it.

I ended up throwing up constantly, felt like I had flu (really achy etc) and felt so depressed, I wanted to die.

I really don't think this is a great drug for anxiety. I was told by someone it is the harder end of the scale

They also said that citalopram is milder and may work better. I didn't try this as Sertraline put me off drugs but if you are uncomfortable with the side effects then it may be worth asking your doc about it.

With regard to coming off of it, if it works and it suits you, then fine, but if you feel like the side effects are too much then I would jack it in before withdrawals take hold.

Good luck

Thanks Bonafan.

That's interesting, my GP told me that Sertraline was less likely to cause side-effects than the other SSRIs. I've previously taken Citalopram as well and I had to come off that, because in conjunction with some sleeping tablets I was taking I got chest pains and was told to discontinue immediately.

I also have nausea, but I wasn't sure if it's from the medication or because my daughter has a sickness bug at the moment and I thought maybe I have been affected by the virus (if that's what caused it) a little.

I just think that medication doesn't suit me, because I've always been sensitive to meds (which is something that autistic people commonly have), although I was in such a bad place anxiety-wise that I definitely needed something.

It's individual - some handle it well, some do not. I take 50 mg of sertraline HCl and it's done wonders for my anxiety, but not much for my depression. 100 mg makes me excessively hyper. Otherwise, not much in the way of side effects. Other medications have caused severe side effects, so I dropped them.

How long have you been taking the sertraline? It's normal to have quite a few side effects in the first 2-3 weeks of taking it, I had quite bad nausea in the first 2 weeks. Didnt have anything else though really. Took it for about 2 months and it didnt help me so we changed to Cymbalta.

I started on 50mg in mid-October this year, (so 2.5 months ago) and my dosage was raised to 100mg about a month ago.

Zoloft worked great.

It just made me twitchy and spastic.

Now I'm on Prozac.

Hmm, that is a bit odd I think. I started on 50mg too and went up to 100mg after about 3 weeks and didn't notice side effects past the first two weeks. If they're still happening after a month at 100mg I'd ask your doctor about trying something else. There are quite a few different types so it's just a matter of trial and error until you find one that works for you.

Be very careful if and when you quit that Zoloft, you need to wean yourself off gradually. I kid you not, it gives you nasty "electric shocks" right out of the blue. You'll be walking along, and next thing you know, it'll feel like you stepped on a live wire. It will make you physically shudder and tremble. I believe that's listed with the side effects too, but I'm here to tell you that it is awful!

I can really believe that, because I can feel pinging nerve endings whilst I'm on it, and my muscles feel tense, so I can imagine that suddenly stopping will give a worse version.

When I took Zoloft I gained weight, lost my sex drive, had insomnia, was unable to be happy (just emotionally "flat") and was haunted by disturbing images, and when I stopped taking it I had about two months of vivid nightmares, twitching muscles, and the "electric shocks" AerOHead mentioned. In short, for me, it just wasn't worth it: I was better off with no meds (obviously not true for everyone and I'm not saying it is).

I have been taking haldol for about month and a half, and im just going to tell my psychiatrist the next appointment in like 20 days to take off those medicines.
i think im better without taking medicines.

my side effects are


Too tired and sleepy, but when im going to bed at night i wake up at odd hours and cannot sleep again for a long time, like 1 or 1 and half hour just moving in my bed until i sleep again.
difficulty urinating, and urinating too much.
eye pain sometimes.
constipation.
and more

I have to add, do not stop taking your medicine without help of your psychiatrist, the medicine needs to be reduced gradually until you stop taking it, stopping taking the medicine at once it could lead to unpleasent side effects

I took Zoloft, and it definitely caused restless leg in me. I have since dropped down to 25 mg, and the restless leg is a lot better. I have tried to get off it entirely but stopping made me feel extremely sick, it can be addictive if you take it for a really long time. Other than the restless leg though no other side effects.

I didnt feel remotely natural on the stuff. The list of side effects alone is enough to give someone anxiety.

I dont like them at all.

I eat dark chocolate instead.

It made me gain weight, caused me to not really feel my emotions, and nearly banished my creativity while taking it. The weight was almost impossible to take off after stopping it. It also made me feel less motivated - messed with my executive function.

It's not a drug I would choose to take again if I had other options. Fortunately it was not for depression in my case - only to help prevent migraines.

Have you talked to your doctor? Maybe you can try something else. It's up to you to decide whether you can live with the side effects measured against the benefits. Make sure you discuss this with your prescribing doctor.

Return to doctor, report to doctor the list of side effects you are experiencing, ask doctor if a switch to a different anti-depressant would be beneficial.

It is unlikely you will have all of these side effects with every anti-depressant. Sertraline was my first anti-depressant. I took it for two months before switching to something else due to too many negative side effects. In my case it was excessive drowsiness, agitation, and irritability.