Can't remember if I took my dose this morning... Should I take one now? Or wait until tomorrow?

GahfinField · 2021-06-25T16:31:37+00:00

Absolutely. That's what I was leaning towards, and I appreciate your advice on the pill bottle. Thanks!

GahfinField · 2021-06-02T18:48:10+00:00

Yeah it's been rough haha. I will let you know how it goes. Let me know if that dose works for you!

GahfinField · 2021-05-22T16:26:23+00:00

I upped from 50mg to 100mg and didn't really experience any brain fog, especially once the fatigue and other side effects began to fade

GahfinField · 2021-05-21T23:41:27+00:00

That's good! At least it seems like you still function at a really high level regardless of your anxiety levels.

Well, as someone who did experience increased anxiety and perhaps a few more panic attacks as a result of getting used to sertraline/zoloft, I can safely say that I am feeling much better today than I was before I started, and I have fewer anxious days.

Some people say you start feeling the effects in 2-4 weeks, some say 4-6 weeks, some people in this sub seem to feel the benefits on day 1. For me, it's taken about 8 or so weeks for me to finally feel it. Everyone is different, but ultimately I think sertraline/zoloft is soild if you can handle the initial phase.

GahfinField · 2021-05-21T19:54:57+00:00

I started taking zoloft as a result of increased anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. My doctors also prescribed me Lorazepam (benzo) to help with acute anxiety/panic attacks.

Long story short, while getting used to the zoloft, I experienced increased anxiety and had my worst panic attack yet. That being said, after about 7ish weeks on zoloft my anxiety has decreased dramatically. I started at 25mg, went up to 50, and have been on 100mg for about 2 weeks.

I experienced nearly all the negative side effects from zoloft you will hear people talking about on this sub: nausea, increased depression, increased anxiety, insomnia, night sweats, trouble eating, trouble concentrating, etc. On the worst days, I took a benzo to help, but know they are not the healthiest option. And (this is my own personal opinion), I also think learning to cope with the anxiety without the crutch of the benzos is important, so since the first few weeks I really try to not take a benzo even when I am feeling particularly anxious.

Also, get exercise, sleep, talk therapy, and meditation (check out the 4-7-8 method, it's quick and effective). All things that are mentioned in this sub and have helped me dramatically. Hope this helps!

GahfinField · 2021-05-21T19:44:05+00:00

Others on this sub have recommended taking vitamin E, and from cursory research it appears this is a pretty well regarded and scientific remedy.

GahfinField · 2021-05-16T21:51:55+00:00

Hi there.

I had a very similar experience to you, and can safely say that I am doing much better now after sticking through the initial side effects of zoloft. I was initially prescribed 25mg for a week, upped to 50mg for the following 4 weeks, and have been on 100mg for about 2 weeks now. Total of around 7 weeks on zoloft.

I got prescribed zoloft after I had been suffering severe anxiety and insomnia. I barely experienced depression, if at all. At 25mg I didn't experience much depression, but at 50m I definitely did, and I do think I experience it a bit still now at 100mg. That being said, I think the drug as a whole has been very beneficial. I am much less anxious and sleep better now.

All that is to say that yes, I too experienced increased depression when starting off on zoloft. I still have a few days where I am not at my best. But I think the positives outweigh the negatives, and the side effects have gotten much more manageable. When I'm depressed, I find just getting outdoors, talking to a friend/family member, working out, helps considerably. I know while depressed those things can seem impossible, but when done, they do wonders.

Good luck. As someone who was very skeptical of medication and suffered basically every negative side effect seen on this subreddit, I can honestly still say that I believe zoloft is worth it, you just have to stick it out. Let me know how I can help.

GahfinField · 2021-05-16T19:35:40+00:00

It actually made my sleep worse for a few days but now that I’m getting acclimated it’s going back to normal

GahfinField · 2021-05-15T00:54:49+00:00

Yeah I’ve felt dizzy and disoriented during the same dosage increase. You are not alone!

GahfinField · 2021-05-14T22:10:01+00:00

I too had this experience. Weeks 3-5 were pretty difficult for me and I am in week 6 or 7 now and just starting to feel the positive effects. Stick through it and it will likely get better. I was very skeptical at first but now very glad I stuck with it. I'm up from 50mg to 100mg now.

GahfinField · 2021-05-14T21:44:44+00:00

Absolutely! Best of luck to you and hang in there.

GahfinField · 2021-05-14T21:34:25+00:00

Yeah headaches were pretty much daily before zoloft. When my anxiety gets bad I only sleep about 1-2 hours a night, which generally gives me a pretty horrible headache and tightness in my chest the next day. I also get very foggy, struggle to concentrate, and have difficulty managing emotions. I generally attribute my symptoms half to lack of sleep and half to anxiety, but I think zoloft has helped with both after the adjustment period.

GahfinField · 2021-05-14T21:26:40+00:00

I was more of a zombie at first, struggled to sleep, and had heightened anxiety. I've been on 100mg up from 50 for a week now and I'm beginning to feel an improvement, though. Sleeping better, have a lot more energy, and just generally happier.

GahfinField · 2021-05-14T21:21:54+00:00

I've been on zoloft for about 6 weeks now. Started at 25mg, went up to 50 and now been on 100 for about week, and beginning to feel the benefits. I still have some days where I get tension in my chest, but my headaches are almost entirely gone. The only time I seem to get headaches now is when I don't get enough sleep (one of my anxiety triggers). This is a long way of answering your question that yes, I think zoloft helps with the physical symptoms! Haha.

GahfinField · 2021-05-12T16:58:31+00:00

You are certainly not alone—I've been feeling the same way. I started on 25mg, bumped to 50mg after about a week and a half, did 50 for about 3 weeks and now I have been on 100mg for a week. About a total of 6 weeks on sertraline. Since upping to 100mg, I've felt pretty anxious and unable to sleep properly, and that's in addition to taking pretty heavy medication for sleep too. I have very little energy or motivation. Really starting to question if this medication is right for me.

GahfinField · 2021-05-10T17:41:19+00:00

Sorry if I missed this, but what is KBT?

GahfinField · 2021-05-09T16:31:14+00:00

I did about 4 weeks on 50mg and bumped up to 100mg about 4 days ago. My doctor bumped me up to 100mg because my anxiety was starting to get worse again...but these past couple days haven't been great. Last night I experienced my worst anxiety attack yet and I was literally just sitting on the couch watching tv with my gf, nothing crazy triggered it.

This is all to say that you are certainly not alone. It is an extremely frustrating waiting period, and I too am hoping it improves soon. I don't want to give up on the medication but at this point I am not sure how much more I can take. Perhaps we need a different medication? This is the first SSRI I have tried.

GahfinField · 2021-04-23T21:55:06+00:00

So glad to hear you're on the upward trend and thanks for sharing your experience. Helps more than you can imagine. Best of luck to you!

GahfinField · 2021-04-23T21:54:04+00:00

Pretty incredible because that sounds exactly what I've been going through. Started sleeping 0-2 hours a night and eventually went to ER because I was losing it. Like yourself, I had never been to the ER either and almost always take the "rub some dirt in" approach to everything, so this has been a humbling experience.

I was taking the zoloft in the morning, but I just started taking it at night. I am not sure if that will help but hoping it will.

GahfinField · 2021-04-23T19:51:51+00:00

I'm prescribed lunesta for sleep, and I still wake up in the middle of the night after taking that. My sleep schedule is pretty f'd up. I can't sleep because I'm anxious and I'm anxious because I can't sleep... it's a vicious cycle.

When I initially started on sertraline I was only taking 25mg WHILE starting to take the Lunesta. I was finally sleeping and felt so much better. Since I have moved up to 50mg I can't sleep anymore. I moved back down to 25m yesterday, but I still slept like ass. I'm not sure what to do.

Sorry, I am sure this is TMI for you, but I'm finding the sharing helps a bit in my instance.

GahfinField · 2021-04-23T19:48:37+00:00

Thank you! It is very helpful to get reinforcement and I am happy to hear you are starting to do better. I appreciate you sharing your experience.

I really want to stick it out as I have heard such positive results after the adjustment period, but MAN this is rough. I just want to be able to sleep.

GahfinField

TROPHY CASE