I just wanted to post a positive outcome because I know those can be rare on this forum and I hope my story will serve as a shining beacon of hope for some people.
Eight and a half weeks into Zoloft, battling constant anxiety, no lifted mood and overall lack of energy (and being advised by my doctor to slowly up my dose because of this) - I finally had a break through with the medicine and literally felt a dramatic change overnight. It sounds unreal but it was almost as if the medicine had finally settled completely into my system enough to take effect. I feel like myself again FINALLY when I was starting to wonder if it was ever even possible. This just goes to show that you should definitely stick it out, even when the going gets rough, because things will unfortunately have to get a little worse before they get tremendously better as your body gets used to the medication. Stay positive and you can make it through <3
Thank you Taurus. I have been prescribed Sertraline and scared to start taking it!
I had a very hard time adjusting to Fluoxetine and had to stop after 3 weeks. How did you cope during the first few weeks of Sertraline when the side effects were at the worse?.
My biggest concern is how hard it is to get through a day in work now, there is no way i'll cope with the side effects on top
Thank you for your reply.i am 4 plus weeks into Zoloft and still have a lot of anxiety and wander if I will ever be able to get out and go as I normally did without being scared of having a anxiety or panic attack
What dose are you on? I am 6 weeks at 50mg and seeing some improvement but not were I want to be yet. Just curious if you increased or what dose you take. I don't want to increase just yet as I know these meds can be slow to really kick in....
I also experienced trouble with Fluoxetine.. Wasn't ideal for me at all. But I can say that the side effects of Zoloft were less intense for me than that so I'd say it's worth giving a shot!
Anywho, I wish I could say I had a perfect coping mechanism but unfortunately I had to work with what I was given.
My psych had prescribed me Propanolol (a beta blocker) on the side to help with the physical side effects of the anxiety which I would take when it got unbearable.
But overall, I just tried to set a goal by looking at my calendar and keeping in touch with my doctor that if I wasn't feeling any improvement by the end of week 8, I would consider changing meds.
I think that is the easiest way to get through it and to give yourself a timeline! Hope this helped!
All I can say is, give it 6-8 weeks to fully get in your system! I know it's very tough mentally to carry on with your daily life experiencing all of the side effects, but you have to give it time!! You can do it!
The first time I took Zoloft and it really worked for me I was on 100 mg.
I tried to ween off it after 6 months because I thought I was good, realized I still needed it, but when I got back to 100 mg, it was no longer effective and my anxiety had gotten so bad that my doctor SLOWLY had to up me to 200mg. Even now he says that we might move me back down to 150 because 200 is pushing it but that's where I'm at.
But 50mg is definitely still relatively low... BUT it is very promising that you're already starting to experience some relief!! So I'd just keep in touch with your doctor and if you haven't reached the full therapeutic level of the medicine that you want to, he/ she will be able to let you know when the best time to up it is!
My dr started me on 100 mg of Zoloft I had been on Paxil cr 75mg and it had pooped out I had been on Paxil for 12 years and over the time climbed all the way up to the 75mg dose so my obgyn changed me to Zoloft 100 mg 4 weeks ago and I am still struggling with anxiety awful I am trying to learn to deal with the anxiety instead of taking Xanax as it seemed to make me worse.
It's definitely an uphill battle and not an easy one but just try to make time for yourself every day so you can release some of the anxiety and doing things you enjoy.
Been on zoloft for one year and a month now 100 mg.And yes things get worse at first but than you will have your life back.Defintly you will have bad days and blips and days you think that you will be at the starting point but don't give up on sertraline.I don't know why people don't except the fact that we need sertraline our brain needs it.
I'm glad I was able to motivate you somewhat! If you are feeling better even slightly, that's already an awesome sign! And 3 weeks is pretty early in so by 6, I'm sure you'll be on the track to feeling normal!
I just wanted to post a positive story as well as I know how often I came here to get reassurance that the Zoloft was going to work.
6 years ago I was hit with horrid anxiety due to burnout and too many stresses in life etc. I had no idea what was happening and tried everything natural that there was pills, acupuncture, yoga, essential oils you name it I tried it. Eventually after 3 months and another anxiety attack at a family dinner I said to my hubby that’s it I’m taking the zoloft (which my doctor had given me and was sitting in the cupboard) .
Ill admit the road was rough, I initially took it at night but found it interrupted my sleep too much so I began taking it in the morning. I lost my appetite, nauseated, headaches and highly anxious which sucked and I just felt horrid and out of it. I was counting the days and weeks of how long I’d been on it as people online would have differently timelines of when they seen changes and had it kick in. Around 6 weeks I felt better and semi normal again id have good days and bad days but then I just remember it being 6 months in and I hadnt really thought about anxiety much at all. I took zoloft for 2 .5years and then went off them as I felt my chemicals had balanced and was fine for another 3 years or so.
Fast foward to October last year and a stressfull year with covid lockdowns, home learning of my daughter, teaching online and having a VCE class, my mum having a massive heart attack, my hubby having vertigo and a family member marriage separation I crashed and burnt and the anxiety was back. I didn’t hesitate to reach out for meds this time and yes it was rough again with every side effect again (although my dct gave me a benzo to help for the first few weeks). At the 4 week mark I was seeing good days and every week my bad days were further apart and shorter. It takes a long time to get at a steady state in your system but trust me its a lifesaver and resets you for a long as you need it for. I have always just been on 50 mg and never needed to change but definitely work with your doctor to get your perfect dose, be patient, be kind to yourself, talk to a therapist and breathe…
all the best to all x