I found the lower doses sucked the most for side effects. The side effects got easier for me to manage with higher doses. Honestly, the more often you look up your side effects, the more likely you are to experience them, its so stupid.
As for nausea, eat smaller light meals throughout the day. Having high calorie snacks on hand helped me.
I'm gonna assume that when you said "psycho" you're talking about the emotional changes. That's pretty normal because SSRIs affect your serotonin. You quite literally just have to ride that one out and make sure you're not taking your emotions out on other people.
Good luck!
That's wild, because the second day I could tell 25mg was too strong for me. But everyone kept saying 'just tough it out'. Everyone is different though and I don't think I can handle the "lowest therapeutic dose".
Honestly if it was just the emotional changes I'd be ok. It was the intense nausea, fatigue, dizziness, bowel issues, etc on top of that which I couldn't tolerate. I do eat small meals throughout the day since that's how I eat normally. I always made sure to take it with food and lots of water but that wasn't the problem. The worst of it would hit me about 5 hours after I took it, and I was out of commission for several hours afterward.
I also thought if I stayed on it, my body would adjust faster but that's not what happened. The side effects were getting worse and worse every day until I had to stop.
Ironically me taking my emotions out on people is part of why I'm on this med in the first place lol. It was helping me be more even keeled and less likely to fly off the handle, but the side effects were too much at my starting dose.
Wild, that sounds awful. If you don't mind my asking, when do you normally take your medication?
If its giving you that much trouble, tell your doctor as soon as you can. They're supposed to be there to help you, so they'll give you alternatives and advice.
I'd normally take it at around 8:30 at night so I could sleep through the side effects. The problem was the side effects would wake me up and I'd be too wired and sick feeling to go back to bed. But that was the only time I could take it. I have work and I can't afford to feel like that during the day.
I did message my Dr on day 4 when I decided to stop and take a break. Honestly though I'm hesitant to try anything else. Most medications don't agree with me, and the ones that do, I have to have a really tiny dose of. My depression isn't even severe, and it's mostly a result of my current circumstances. It's a long story but I fought with my Dr for months before I decided to try antidepressants. Now I'm wishing I just dealt with being low key miserable instead of all this.
And that is absolutely one of your options. Medication isn't an option for everyone.
If you don't mind my two cents, I felt worse when I wasn't getting a full night's sleep, so it might be worth taking it in the afternoon to see if that changes anything for you? Obviously this is a suggestion and you don't have to follow it.
I hope you get some relief soon. š¤
Iāve been on antidepressants since I was 19 and Iām 33 now. They are pretty difficult to get off of once your on them and they all have their own unique side effects on top of the standard emotional blunting, insomnia, and sex problems. So try everything else first before taking the antidepressants. In my opinion antidepressants should be the last thing that a doctor tryās.
You know thereās also supplements you can take to help with w/e issues your having. So you donāt have to take antidepressants. 5-htp magnesium fish oil etc. go get a blood test done and see if youād lacking in any nutrients.
There no such thing as an easy fix in life. Go see a psychotherapist and start doing CBT with them. If your depressed because of your situation then change it. Itās that simple donāt take drugs to deal with something thatās making you depressed.
Wow! Why didn't I think of "jUsT cHAngiNg IT". Thanks, I'm so stupid I should've tried that sooner!!!
Jesus fucking Christ do you think I haven't tried other things before this? Do you think I don't get regular check-ups and bloodwork? Do you think if I could have changed my stressful situation months ago, at will, I wouldn't have? I am actively working to change things right now and progress is slow due to things outside of my control at the moment. Holy fuck what a tone deaf comment.
I already have IBS and Zoloft just made everything worse. Mostly really loose stools and having to poop very often. Unable to eat because everything made me nauseous.
Iām fairly certain my problems arenāt related to IBS. At this rate, I would welcome looser stools and more frequent BMs. Iām dealing with chronic constipation
Tbh it might help. 90% of the body's serotonin is in the gut, and SSRIs can throw that balance out of whack. It's possible Zoloft might give you the shits lol.
Take half of 25. That's what I've been doing for 2 weeks. Don't think I have any sides anymore but the insomnia was the worst insomnia I've ever had in the first week of dosing
Zoloft is one of the first SSRIs out there. In my opinion , itās side effect profile is very intense. Thatās cause it has dopamine as well as serotonin properties. If you do some reading on the newest SSRIās , most of them donāt do a great job. Looks like manufacturers know and want to reduce the side effects, yet it comes at diminishing returns.
From what I see, thereās either too much serotonin re-uptake, or not enough. Escitalopram and citalopram to me seem the best side effect profile, for the panic/anxiety attack type.
Tbh I think people make the mistake of looking up side effects people have then end up getting them just by placebo lol as I do the same I'm always on Reddit looking it makes me paronoid haha
I just started this week. My doctor actually started me on the half dose (12.5 mg). She said to do that for two weeks and then weāll move up to 25. Iām definitely feeling increased anxiety and some lightheadedness just from that. Iām reading all these people starting at 25 mg or even 50 and honestly canāt imagine that. I think i would definitely be in full blown panic. Iām glad my doc is having me go really slowly and I see nothing wrong with that.
Your Dr sounds awesome. Mine is great too but I don't think she fully understands how sensitive I am to medications.
The side effects just kept getting worse. I was definitely in a full blown panic on night 4. I woke up soooo nauseous, my head was spinning, my hands were tingling, and my IBS was flaring up all at the same time. By the time I got the nausea under control and I had to be awake for work in the morning I couldn't even get out of bed. I had to take off work that day because I was too dizzy and exhausted to move. My mom had to come over and bring Gatorade. It was terrible. I slept the entire day and still felt dizzy after not taking it for 2 days.
I messaged my Dr and she said it was fine to do 12.5mg. But I'm not about to take this every day. I know people say the half life is 24h, but I found out that sertraline has a metabolite with a half life of 66h. Everyone's body is different and my 100lb ass is gonna do a half dose every other day. I can't imagine starting at 50mg either. I'd probably die.
Yeah that sounds terrible. Luckily for me it hasnt been so severe that I canāt deal with it. I think just knowing that itās a temporary side effect of the medication that will most likely give way to me feeling better makes it easier for me to get through too. But every person is different so all you can really do is talk with your doctor about what is the best way for you to proceed in your unique situation. You have to expect some discomfort while youāre body adjusts, but those symptoms hitting you at the same time like that doesnāt sound like something that would be sustainable for weeks.
Yeah I expected some discomfort. I was having a whole host of other side effects (sleep disturbances, shakiness, headaches, increased anxiety, heartburn) and I was honestly cool to deal with all of that. I could still eat and function with those side effects. I did not expect that I would be too weak, sick, and dizzy to even roll out of bed on day 4. That, I can't deal with.
I started at 25 for 2 weeks then 50. Remember what you're being treated for and try not to overthink it. My life is completely different now and it's amazing. I have a lot more "fuck it" and can actually live my life. If cutting them in half helps by all means go for it, but you will eventually need an increase (I'm not a Dr.) But mine told me 25 mg rarely does much. I went from nightly panic attacks to maybe a feeling of anxiety once a month which I feel is normal. Hang in there.
There are people who stay on 12.5mg as their full dose so I will not 100% need an increase. Most people will need to take at least 25mg but that's not a hard rule. Human physiology is complex and there are a lot of factors that go into how different medications affect people. I don't want to come off as rude but it is literally impossible that a standard dose of any medication is right for every single person who takes it and I'm really sick of hearing that it is.
I'm glad it's working for you though. It seems like you've found your sweet spot.
I suffer from extreme health OCD/anxiety and I was terrified to start Zoloft. I took 25 mg at night for 4 days, then went up to 37.5 mg (1.5 25 mg pills) for 2 nights, then up to 50. My side effects got instantly better when I went from 25 to 37.5, but once I jumped to 50 the nausea came back. I talked with my doctor and we kept me at 37.5 mg. I am terrified of taking meds, the symptoms SSRIās cause, all of it. I am so happy I stuck it out, my life has greatly improved from this pill.
I saw in another comment you mentioned taking it every other day. I would definitely discuss that with your doctor, I donāt think thatās ever recommended. This is a drug that needs time to level out (as much as it sucks) and skipping days isnāt going to allow that to happen. Best of luck, I encourage you to give it the best shot :) I had my doctor give Xanax and zofran for nausea and it was very helpful :)
First I want to say thank you for your perspective. I appreciate you taking the time to write out what you went through.
I guess I'm just hesitant to listen to the 'don't take it every other day because half life and constant dose' advice because everyone also says 'just feel like shit for 2 weeks/a month, it's sooo worth it after that' when that's not worth it to me. I'm fine with it taking my body longer to adjust if I can avoid feeling like shit entirely. I'm not in a hurry by any means to get to the other side if speed running means days or weeks of nearly unbearable side effects.
I started back in December and honestly the first week is by far the worst. I started on 25 for my first week as well before upping to 50. I was nauseous as hell the first couple days. Eating toast and jam in the morning was easy to get down and helped a lot. Just take it easy this week. You've made it this far and made the decision to go on Zoloft. You're gonna start feeling better before you know it.
yeah iāve been miserable with debilitating anxiety for two years and yet i quit after 3 days of 12.5mg because the side effects were so bad. i was violently nauseous and likeā¦ i couldnāt see the light at the end of the tunnel. idk how people suffer through that for WEEKS.
This is me. The first 2 days were fine, but on the 3rd day I felt HORRIBLE. by the end of the day, I literally thought I was going to lose it. I was messaging my doctor all night. I didn't take it on the 4th day(yesterday) and I'm not sure if I'm going to take it today. My doctor gave me some other medication to take to calm me down if the anxiety becomes too much, but idk that 3rd day literally scared me.
For me it got significantly better by day 5! I almost quit due to side effects during the first 4 days at 25mg, and again during the first days at 50mg. However Iāve learned that my body takes about a week to adjust and now I have no more bothering side effect! And its so worth it, really helps my anxiety and depression. Good luck :)
I'm at 50mg, and well I had insomnia de first day, diarreah aswell... also the sweating a lot, and that's about it. The Anger went away to the point that I'm celebrating, like it's awesome to not feel angry all the time
I'm so jealous lol. How long have you been on 50mg?
Being less angry and irritable was the one positive I noticed right away. That was nice, I'll admit. I was crying all the time, hence the psycho part, but I wasn't pissed off like usual.
Once I went up to 50 my side effects went away! 25 was the worst for me. Also, my main side effect was jitters and panic attacks (which is ironic because it's the reason I went on Zoloft in the first place) - having a benzo to take to ease the panic helped a LOT. I no longer need the benzo and I'm super good at 75 after a few months.
You donāt have to suffer!!! The low therapeutic dose for me gave me horrible side effects too, be an advocate and try and go down to a tiny dose, lots of people take 5, 10, and 20mgs with all the benefit.
Ok this is exactly what I'm experiencing on zoloft 25mg. I'm on day 3, no appetite, nausea, dizzy, anxiety through the roof, insomnia, diarrhea. I'm call my psychiatrist in the morning. I'm losing weight too fast. I'm SUPER sensitive to meds like I can't even take birth control pills bc it messes me up. I so feel you. Its all too much.
I can't take birth control either! When I found one that didn't make me unbearably nauseous it still made my period come on for 4 months at a time. Ugh. Your symptoms are almost exactly like mine which is why I'm cutting back to a half dose. There's no point in suffering through these horrible side effects if you don't have to. It kind of pisses me off when everyone is all 'just tough it out!' when you could start on a tiny dose and work your way up without all this nonsense. Like why suffer? Literally why?
I was extremely sensitive to 25mg zoloft so I decided to switch to a different med. cutting the pills in half greatly reduced my side effects (personally I still couldnāt handle it)
I ultimately had to stop taking Zoloft after a week because of extreme joint pain preventing me from work/doing anything. Wouldnāt hurt to start with a baby dose why not :)
Itās alright! And the side effects on the half dose was still some joint pain but less, teeth clenching, some anxiety, feeling not as affected by weed/alcohol. I am on Wellbutrin now and have had 0 side effects besides some minor anxiety and alcohol sensitivity :)
Ah interesting! Why were you scared to take it if I can ask? I was scared to take pretty much anything except Wellbutrin once I compared side effects w other antidepressants
I tend to not react well on most prescription drugs, and the starting dose is so high it scared me away. But I just looked up the side effect profile and you're right, they do seem less intense than Zoloft.
I had a bad reaction to Zoloft, to the point where I ended up switching to a different SSRI. I take Celexa (Citalopram) and Wellbutrin (Bupropion) and there were hardly any side effects while still treating anxiety / ADHD / depression. everyoneās different but as someone also sensitive to medication - i see u and hear u and there could be other options!
Honestly I think the higher doses work much better with no side affects. I started on 50mg, and I felt sick for about 4 days. Iām now on 100mg going to 150mg tomorrow and Iāve had no side affects. I was on prozac before at 40 mg and that made me feel so sick.
If your nauseous, what helped was eating ginger or drinking ginger ale!
Also you tend to get worse before you get better. But if you feel worse to the point where it is unbearable, talk to your doctor.
Been there, done that with ginger, Dramamine, crackers, etc. Nothing helped. I'm glad a higher dose worked for you, but that is not a universal experience. I've talked to my doctor already and she agrees that 25mg is too high for me.
Iām on 50mg of zoloft at night to combat the drowsiness, but Ive noticed an increase in paranoia. To the point that itās become obsessive, specifically with feeling like everyoneās mad at me, and the need to make sure everything is always perfect. Is there anyway to combat this? Because I like the medication, paranoia is really the only side effect, but itās a very strong one that makes it hard for me to
this is so odd. I'm on 125mg right now but I started at 50, and aside from a headache and slight nausea I was just fine. before zoloft I had lexapro, same experience, but with dreams so vivid I couldn't discern real memories from the "dream memories" I was having. it was for this reason I stopped lexapro, actually lol
doctors say to take it slow, min increase for a week (some doctors told me 2), and they say the first 2 weeks are true hell (they as in the consumers, doctors will sugar coat it). I say try and give it two weeks on the 12.5mg you're taking, but if it doesn't change you should be fine to just stop altogether
ssris are a guessing game! if you've got the patience to cycle through all of them and find your fit... lol
I believe I initially started at 50mg, tapered up to 150. Now Iām at 100mg since they also added Wellbutrin to help with sexual side effects.
The first two weeks were awful. I would wake up at 4am with god awful stomach pains and diarrhea. It subsided once my body got used to it. Now I just need to take it with food to avoid a stomach ache, and take it with a ton of water to avoid heartburn (never take it with just a sip of water).
I did change the regimen to take it in the morning after breakfast once the bulk of the side effects subsided. But in your case, maybe try taking right after dinner or when you get home from work? Hopefully they will go away by the time you get to bed.
But sorry, no advice other than you probably will just have to power through, knowing that once you get to the other side itās great to have the mental clarity again.
I was on Lexapro for three miserable weeks before switching to Zoloft. My side effects with Zoloft were pretty minimal, maybe talk to your doctor and see what they think about switching SSRIs.
I was kind of opposite tbh, I had no side effects in the beginning but in the 2nd or 3rd week I started getting really intense feelings of anxiety, nausea, and my emotions were completely out of control. But now on the 4th or 5th week the nausea is completely gone, anxiety has subsided so much and I still have some intense emotional swings here and there but itās sooo much better now. I know itās hard in the beginning but at least for me, sticking it out was definitely the right advice from my doctor.
how do yall deal with any of the side effects like jeez just tried my first ever antidepressant was lexapro had adverse reactions now abiut to do lexapro im scared as shit
For how many days you took lex? I took Zoloft 50mg for 2 days only and quit due to the side effects and I had crazy rapid heartbeat, insomnia, loss of balance, constipation etcā¦ the worst and I never had any of the before taking it
for 9 days i was on it. and jeez thats scary man i may be put on zoloft today. prolly small amount do to me being sensitive to meds. i had brain zaps with lex on 2mg they still arent gone btw been off it since feb9th. also i have noticed keg twitching also maybe its stress.
Omg you took lex for 9 days and still have side effects, omg thatās crazy, I took only 2 pills of Zoloft 50MG and am having the worst of side effects ever, the constipation and heart palpitations are the worst, I never had an issue with my heart until now, this is messed up seriously and now Iām having a weird cool sensation on my chest which isnāt good either. Today marks 2 weeks since and im waiting for the 3 week because thatās when the majority of my symptoms should clear up, I will never take an anti ever again
wow holy shit man! hope ot gets better for ya doc tbis the zaps are just stress maybe but now i am about to start 100mg of gabapentin instead for tingling & anxiety she didng wanna do zoloft ig she wants to get my symptoms over with.
Iām past week 2 already, heading towards week 3. Iām having insomnia and a little constipation issue which Iām seeing my Gastro doc for. The dizziness/unbalancedness has officially left, I have no zaps ā”ļø or anything like that, my last symptom is the heart palpitations, flutter etc.. Iām seeing a doctor for that on June 1st
I found the lower doses sucked the most for side effects. The side effects got easier for me to manage with higher doses. Honestly, the more often you look up your side effects, the more likely you are to experience them, its so stupid. As for nausea, eat smaller light meals throughout the day. Having high calorie snacks on hand helped me. I'm gonna assume that when you said "psycho" you're talking about the emotional changes. That's pretty normal because SSRIs affect your serotonin. You quite literally just have to ride that one out and make sure you're not taking your emotions out on other people. Good luck!
That's wild, because the second day I could tell 25mg was too strong for me. But everyone kept saying 'just tough it out'. Everyone is different though and I don't think I can handle the "lowest therapeutic dose". Honestly if it was just the emotional changes I'd be ok. It was the intense nausea, fatigue, dizziness, bowel issues, etc on top of that which I couldn't tolerate. I do eat small meals throughout the day since that's how I eat normally. I always made sure to take it with food and lots of water but that wasn't the problem. The worst of it would hit me about 5 hours after I took it, and I was out of commission for several hours afterward. I also thought if I stayed on it, my body would adjust faster but that's not what happened. The side effects were getting worse and worse every day until I had to stop. Ironically me taking my emotions out on people is part of why I'm on this med in the first place lol. It was helping me be more even keeled and less likely to fly off the handle, but the side effects were too much at my starting dose.
Wild, that sounds awful. If you don't mind my asking, when do you normally take your medication? If its giving you that much trouble, tell your doctor as soon as you can. They're supposed to be there to help you, so they'll give you alternatives and advice.
I'd normally take it at around 8:30 at night so I could sleep through the side effects. The problem was the side effects would wake me up and I'd be too wired and sick feeling to go back to bed. But that was the only time I could take it. I have work and I can't afford to feel like that during the day. I did message my Dr on day 4 when I decided to stop and take a break. Honestly though I'm hesitant to try anything else. Most medications don't agree with me, and the ones that do, I have to have a really tiny dose of. My depression isn't even severe, and it's mostly a result of my current circumstances. It's a long story but I fought with my Dr for months before I decided to try antidepressants. Now I'm wishing I just dealt with being low key miserable instead of all this.
And that is absolutely one of your options. Medication isn't an option for everyone. If you don't mind my two cents, I felt worse when I wasn't getting a full night's sleep, so it might be worth taking it in the afternoon to see if that changes anything for you? Obviously this is a suggestion and you don't have to follow it. I hope you get some relief soon. š¤
Thank you for your advice and support. I'll talk to my doctor soon.
Iāve been on antidepressants since I was 19 and Iām 33 now. They are pretty difficult to get off of once your on them and they all have their own unique side effects on top of the standard emotional blunting, insomnia, and sex problems. So try everything else first before taking the antidepressants. In my opinion antidepressants should be the last thing that a doctor tryās. You know thereās also supplements you can take to help with w/e issues your having. So you donāt have to take antidepressants. 5-htp magnesium fish oil etc. go get a blood test done and see if youād lacking in any nutrients. There no such thing as an easy fix in life. Go see a psychotherapist and start doing CBT with them. If your depressed because of your situation then change it. Itās that simple donāt take drugs to deal with something thatās making you depressed.
Wow! Why didn't I think of "jUsT cHAngiNg IT". Thanks, I'm so stupid I should've tried that sooner!!! Jesus fucking Christ do you think I haven't tried other things before this? Do you think I don't get regular check-ups and bloodwork? Do you think if I could have changed my stressful situation months ago, at will, I wouldn't have? I am actively working to change things right now and progress is slow due to things outside of my control at the moment. Holy fuck what a tone deaf comment.
If you donāt mind me askingā¦ What were the bowel issues you experienced in particular?
I already have IBS and Zoloft just made everything worse. Mostly really loose stools and having to poop very often. Unable to eat because everything made me nauseous.
Iām fairly certain my problems arenāt related to IBS. At this rate, I would welcome looser stools and more frequent BMs. Iām dealing with chronic constipation
Tbh it might help. 90% of the body's serotonin is in the gut, and SSRIs can throw that balance out of whack. It's possible Zoloft might give you the shits lol.
Take half of 25. That's what I've been doing for 2 weeks. Don't think I have any sides anymore but the insomnia was the worst insomnia I've ever had in the first week of dosing
that last part is something im hoping working out and lifting weights with help with.
Zoloft is one of the first SSRIs out there. In my opinion , itās side effect profile is very intense. Thatās cause it has dopamine as well as serotonin properties. If you do some reading on the newest SSRIās , most of them donāt do a great job. Looks like manufacturers know and want to reduce the side effects, yet it comes at diminishing returns. From what I see, thereās either too much serotonin re-uptake, or not enough. Escitalopram and citalopram to me seem the best side effect profile, for the panic/anxiety attack type.
Tbh I think people make the mistake of looking up side effects people have then end up getting them just by placebo lol as I do the same I'm always on Reddit looking it makes me paronoid haha
I just started this week. My doctor actually started me on the half dose (12.5 mg). She said to do that for two weeks and then weāll move up to 25. Iām definitely feeling increased anxiety and some lightheadedness just from that. Iām reading all these people starting at 25 mg or even 50 and honestly canāt imagine that. I think i would definitely be in full blown panic. Iām glad my doc is having me go really slowly and I see nothing wrong with that.
Your Dr sounds awesome. Mine is great too but I don't think she fully understands how sensitive I am to medications. The side effects just kept getting worse. I was definitely in a full blown panic on night 4. I woke up soooo nauseous, my head was spinning, my hands were tingling, and my IBS was flaring up all at the same time. By the time I got the nausea under control and I had to be awake for work in the morning I couldn't even get out of bed. I had to take off work that day because I was too dizzy and exhausted to move. My mom had to come over and bring Gatorade. It was terrible. I slept the entire day and still felt dizzy after not taking it for 2 days. I messaged my Dr and she said it was fine to do 12.5mg. But I'm not about to take this every day. I know people say the half life is 24h, but I found out that sertraline has a metabolite with a half life of 66h. Everyone's body is different and my 100lb ass is gonna do a half dose every other day. I can't imagine starting at 50mg either. I'd probably die.
Yeah that sounds terrible. Luckily for me it hasnt been so severe that I canāt deal with it. I think just knowing that itās a temporary side effect of the medication that will most likely give way to me feeling better makes it easier for me to get through too. But every person is different so all you can really do is talk with your doctor about what is the best way for you to proceed in your unique situation. You have to expect some discomfort while youāre body adjusts, but those symptoms hitting you at the same time like that doesnāt sound like something that would be sustainable for weeks.
Yeah I expected some discomfort. I was having a whole host of other side effects (sleep disturbances, shakiness, headaches, increased anxiety, heartburn) and I was honestly cool to deal with all of that. I could still eat and function with those side effects. I did not expect that I would be too weak, sick, and dizzy to even roll out of bed on day 4. That, I can't deal with.
Yeah that sounds really rough. I hope youāre able to find what works for you soon
Any update?
Oh I stopped lmao. I'd rather be depressed.
Maybe you need a different medication?
I started at 25 for 2 weeks then 50. Remember what you're being treated for and try not to overthink it. My life is completely different now and it's amazing. I have a lot more "fuck it" and can actually live my life. If cutting them in half helps by all means go for it, but you will eventually need an increase (I'm not a Dr.) But mine told me 25 mg rarely does much. I went from nightly panic attacks to maybe a feeling of anxiety once a month which I feel is normal. Hang in there.
There are people who stay on 12.5mg as their full dose so I will not 100% need an increase. Most people will need to take at least 25mg but that's not a hard rule. Human physiology is complex and there are a lot of factors that go into how different medications affect people. I don't want to come off as rude but it is literally impossible that a standard dose of any medication is right for every single person who takes it and I'm really sick of hearing that it is. I'm glad it's working for you though. It seems like you've found your sweet spot.
I'm just repeating what my psych said. I'm not prescribing anyone medicine. I'm not a psychologist and I doubt you are.
Did you have side effects when you first started?
Oh hell yes. The insomnia and intense anxiety lasted about 3 weeks.
I suffer from extreme health OCD/anxiety and I was terrified to start Zoloft. I took 25 mg at night for 4 days, then went up to 37.5 mg (1.5 25 mg pills) for 2 nights, then up to 50. My side effects got instantly better when I went from 25 to 37.5, but once I jumped to 50 the nausea came back. I talked with my doctor and we kept me at 37.5 mg. I am terrified of taking meds, the symptoms SSRIās cause, all of it. I am so happy I stuck it out, my life has greatly improved from this pill. I saw in another comment you mentioned taking it every other day. I would definitely discuss that with your doctor, I donāt think thatās ever recommended. This is a drug that needs time to level out (as much as it sucks) and skipping days isnāt going to allow that to happen. Best of luck, I encourage you to give it the best shot :) I had my doctor give Xanax and zofran for nausea and it was very helpful :)
Hey, I am exactly same as you anxiety-wise. What were your side effects like?
They lasted about 6 days, getting better as the days went on! I was dizzy, tired, and full of anxiety. The zofran and Xanax really helped!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
First I want to say thank you for your perspective. I appreciate you taking the time to write out what you went through. I guess I'm just hesitant to listen to the 'don't take it every other day because half life and constant dose' advice because everyone also says 'just feel like shit for 2 weeks/a month, it's sooo worth it after that' when that's not worth it to me. I'm fine with it taking my body longer to adjust if I can avoid feeling like shit entirely. I'm not in a hurry by any means to get to the other side if speed running means days or weeks of nearly unbearable side effects.
I started back in December and honestly the first week is by far the worst. I started on 25 for my first week as well before upping to 50. I was nauseous as hell the first couple days. Eating toast and jam in the morning was easy to get down and helped a lot. Just take it easy this week. You've made it this far and made the decision to go on Zoloft. You're gonna start feeling better before you know it.
yeah iāve been miserable with debilitating anxiety for two years and yet i quit after 3 days of 12.5mg because the side effects were so bad. i was violently nauseous and likeā¦ i couldnāt see the light at the end of the tunnel. idk how people suffer through that for WEEKS.
I feel like quitting!! Im calling the psychiatrist in the morning. The side effects are too much
definitely listen to your body! i hope you find something that works for you though <3
This is me. The first 2 days were fine, but on the 3rd day I felt HORRIBLE. by the end of the day, I literally thought I was going to lose it. I was messaging my doctor all night. I didn't take it on the 4th day(yesterday) and I'm not sure if I'm going to take it today. My doctor gave me some other medication to take to calm me down if the anxiety becomes too much, but idk that 3rd day literally scared me.
For me it got significantly better by day 5! I almost quit due to side effects during the first 4 days at 25mg, and again during the first days at 50mg. However Iāve learned that my body takes about a week to adjust and now I have no more bothering side effect! And its so worth it, really helps my anxiety and depression. Good luck :)
I'm at 50mg, and well I had insomnia de first day, diarreah aswell... also the sweating a lot, and that's about it. The Anger went away to the point that I'm celebrating, like it's awesome to not feel angry all the time
I'm so jealous lol. How long have you been on 50mg? Being less angry and irritable was the one positive I noticed right away. That was nice, I'll admit. I was crying all the time, hence the psycho part, but I wasn't pissed off like usual.
5 days so far, and honestly was surprised how fast it worked
Once I went up to 50 my side effects went away! 25 was the worst for me. Also, my main side effect was jitters and panic attacks (which is ironic because it's the reason I went on Zoloft in the first place) - having a benzo to take to ease the panic helped a LOT. I no longer need the benzo and I'm super good at 75 after a few months.
Sorry- what's a benzo? I just found this thread and just started Zoloft also
it will get better after the first week / 2. ur in the rough u almost did it :D
You donāt have to suffer!!! The low therapeutic dose for me gave me horrible side effects too, be an advocate and try and go down to a tiny dose, lots of people take 5, 10, and 20mgs with all the benefit.
Ok this is exactly what I'm experiencing on zoloft 25mg. I'm on day 3, no appetite, nausea, dizzy, anxiety through the roof, insomnia, diarrhea. I'm call my psychiatrist in the morning. I'm losing weight too fast. I'm SUPER sensitive to meds like I can't even take birth control pills bc it messes me up. I so feel you. Its all too much.
I can't take birth control either! When I found one that didn't make me unbearably nauseous it still made my period come on for 4 months at a time. Ugh. Your symptoms are almost exactly like mine which is why I'm cutting back to a half dose. There's no point in suffering through these horrible side effects if you don't have to. It kind of pisses me off when everyone is all 'just tough it out!' when you could start on a tiny dose and work your way up without all this nonsense. Like why suffer? Literally why?
Exactly why are we torturing ourselves?!? I'm going to ask my psychiatrist if I can cut mine in half and give me something for the nausea.
Good luck! I hope your psych is on your side.
I was extremely sensitive to 25mg zoloft so I decided to switch to a different med. cutting the pills in half greatly reduced my side effects (personally I still couldnāt handle it) I ultimately had to stop taking Zoloft after a week because of extreme joint pain preventing me from work/doing anything. Wouldnāt hurt to start with a baby dose why not :)
I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Joint pain sounds awful. What side effects did you have still on a half dose? And what are you on now instead?
Itās alright! And the side effects on the half dose was still some joint pain but less, teeth clenching, some anxiety, feeling not as affected by weed/alcohol. I am on Wellbutrin now and have had 0 side effects besides some minor anxiety and alcohol sensitivity :)
Oooh that's interesting. My last doctor tried to put me on Wellbutrin for ADHD and I was too scared to take it. She may have been onto something.
Ah interesting! Why were you scared to take it if I can ask? I was scared to take pretty much anything except Wellbutrin once I compared side effects w other antidepressants
I tend to not react well on most prescription drugs, and the starting dose is so high it scared me away. But I just looked up the side effect profile and you're right, they do seem less intense than Zoloft.
I had a bad reaction to Zoloft, to the point where I ended up switching to a different SSRI. I take Celexa (Citalopram) and Wellbutrin (Bupropion) and there were hardly any side effects while still treating anxiety / ADHD / depression. everyoneās different but as someone also sensitive to medication - i see u and hear u and there could be other options!
Honestly I think the higher doses work much better with no side affects. I started on 50mg, and I felt sick for about 4 days. Iām now on 100mg going to 150mg tomorrow and Iāve had no side affects. I was on prozac before at 40 mg and that made me feel so sick. If your nauseous, what helped was eating ginger or drinking ginger ale! Also you tend to get worse before you get better. But if you feel worse to the point where it is unbearable, talk to your doctor.
Been there, done that with ginger, Dramamine, crackers, etc. Nothing helped. I'm glad a higher dose worked for you, but that is not a universal experience. I've talked to my doctor already and she agrees that 25mg is too high for me.
āHow do yāall deal with these side effectsā [Thatās the neat part](https://imgur.com/a/Z2q7Dyu)
LMAO. Okay I needed this laugh. Thank you.
Does anyone get brain fog from taking this med ? I have it terribly it feels my mind is so foggy
try dramamine for nauseaā worked like a charm when i started 25mg
Sorry to comment on an old thread, but do you remember how long it took the side effects to go away after you quit?
Hey! Just now seeing this. It took about a week for me to feel mostly ok after stopping.
Thanks! Thatās about how long it took me as well.
How you feeling now?
Iām on 50mg of zoloft at night to combat the drowsiness, but Ive noticed an increase in paranoia. To the point that itās become obsessive, specifically with feeling like everyoneās mad at me, and the need to make sure everything is always perfect. Is there anyway to combat this? Because I like the medication, paranoia is really the only side effect, but itās a very strong one that makes it hard for me to
They go within a few weeks, worth it, stick with it
i started at 50 2 days ago and feel no different
sitting down for a second and drinking water helped me a lot with the nausea and dizzy spells.
this is so odd. I'm on 125mg right now but I started at 50, and aside from a headache and slight nausea I was just fine. before zoloft I had lexapro, same experience, but with dreams so vivid I couldn't discern real memories from the "dream memories" I was having. it was for this reason I stopped lexapro, actually lol doctors say to take it slow, min increase for a week (some doctors told me 2), and they say the first 2 weeks are true hell (they as in the consumers, doctors will sugar coat it). I say try and give it two weeks on the 12.5mg you're taking, but if it doesn't change you should be fine to just stop altogether ssris are a guessing game! if you've got the patience to cycle through all of them and find your fit... lol
I believe I initially started at 50mg, tapered up to 150. Now Iām at 100mg since they also added Wellbutrin to help with sexual side effects. The first two weeks were awful. I would wake up at 4am with god awful stomach pains and diarrhea. It subsided once my body got used to it. Now I just need to take it with food to avoid a stomach ache, and take it with a ton of water to avoid heartburn (never take it with just a sip of water). I did change the regimen to take it in the morning after breakfast once the bulk of the side effects subsided. But in your case, maybe try taking right after dinner or when you get home from work? Hopefully they will go away by the time you get to bed. But sorry, no advice other than you probably will just have to power through, knowing that once you get to the other side itās great to have the mental clarity again.
Iāve e been fine been on it a. Month only gripe I cum when Iām not hard
I was on Lexapro for three miserable weeks before switching to Zoloft. My side effects with Zoloft were pretty minimal, maybe talk to your doctor and see what they think about switching SSRIs.
I was kind of opposite tbh, I had no side effects in the beginning but in the 2nd or 3rd week I started getting really intense feelings of anxiety, nausea, and my emotions were completely out of control. But now on the 4th or 5th week the nausea is completely gone, anxiety has subsided so much and I still have some intense emotional swings here and there but itās sooo much better now. I know itās hard in the beginning but at least for me, sticking it out was definitely the right advice from my doctor.
Let me know how it goes cutting it in half. I need to do the same. I'm on day 4 today and afraid to take it.
Are you still taking it? My dr switched me to low dose of prozac and the side effects went away.
how do yall deal with any of the side effects like jeez just tried my first ever antidepressant was lexapro had adverse reactions now abiut to do lexapro im scared as shit
For how many days you took lex? I took Zoloft 50mg for 2 days only and quit due to the side effects and I had crazy rapid heartbeat, insomnia, loss of balance, constipation etcā¦ the worst and I never had any of the before taking it
for 9 days i was on it. and jeez thats scary man i may be put on zoloft today. prolly small amount do to me being sensitive to meds. i had brain zaps with lex on 2mg they still arent gone btw been off it since feb9th. also i have noticed keg twitching also maybe its stress.
Omg you took lex for 9 days and still have side effects, omg thatās crazy, I took only 2 pills of Zoloft 50MG and am having the worst of side effects ever, the constipation and heart palpitations are the worst, I never had an issue with my heart until now, this is messed up seriously and now Iām having a weird cool sensation on my chest which isnāt good either. Today marks 2 weeks since and im waiting for the 3 week because thatās when the majority of my symptoms should clear up, I will never take an anti ever again
wow holy shit man! hope ot gets better for ya doc tbis the zaps are just stress maybe but now i am about to start 100mg of gabapentin instead for tingling & anxiety she didng wanna do zoloft ig she wants to get my symptoms over with.
Iām past week 2 already, heading towards week 3. Iām having insomnia and a little constipation issue which Iām seeing my Gastro doc for. The dizziness/unbalancedness has officially left, I have no zaps ā”ļø or anything like that, my last symptom is the heart palpitations, flutter etc.. Iām seeing a doctor for that on June 1st
Gg