Hi, I've just recently been prescribed Zoloft for anxiety and am looking for support through the initial adjustment to the drug. I have struggled with anxiety for many years, but could often get by using Klonopin here and there when things were bad. I have talked with my therapist for a few months now about meds and we finally decided to try something low dose. Last week was a bad anxiety week, and my PCP put me on 25 mg of Zoloft to get started. I took the first dose Thursday night and Friday felt like I was in a fog most of the day. Didn't feel like I slept well and felt almost hungover. Friday evening I had a classic out-of-the-blue panic attack, with anxiety coughing, shakiness, tingles and numbness washing through my body, nausea, etc. I took 1/2 of a .5 mg Klonopin and laid down. It calmed me a bit and then I forced myself out of bed to eat something and took another 1/2 Klonopin before going to bed. I didn't take the Zoloft Friday night. Saturday morning I woke up still feeling on edge, and vomited a bunch of stomach acid (that actually made me feel better). I've had this problem with vomiting bile before in other periods of bad anxiety, but not for several years.
Called my PCP on Saturday and saw her the same day. She didn't think the reactions were from the Zoloft per se but more likely the baseline anxiety that was already there from a bad week. We agreed on plan of me trying the Zoloft again, this time at 12.5 mg for 2 weeks and then moving to 25 if I'm doing okay. I've done 2 doses of 12.5 mg now, both in the evening with some food. I've also taken Prilosec just before bed. Each of the following mornings I've woken up with a very grumbly, upset stomach, and with some loose bowel movements and/or diarrhea. Yesterday I was able to calm it with some food eaten very slowly. This morning I again tried food (a banana) and threw up about 30 minutes later. I felt a little better after that but then felt myself slipping into more panicky feelings again. I finally gave in and took 1/2 Klonopin again about an hour ago. I can feel myself calming and I'm trying to eat something to stabilize my blood sugar.
Any advice on how long these stomach symptoms might last? I already am prone to some IBS-like problems (my PCP knows that) and warned me that Zoloft could cause some stomach problems. Am I being hyper-sensitive that 2 small doses could cause this amount of trouble? I really want something to help my baseline anxiety but I don't know if I can deal with feeling like this every morning, especially as I have to be back at work tomorrow and I just don't feel functional.