Thoughts on Zoloft for anxiety?

[Ann_25]

My anxiety has been at a all time high. I hate medication so much but my anxiety is literally destroying my life so I need to take this next step. Any thing I should know about Zoloft? Side effects, withdrawals, ext.? Any advice and opinions are welcome!!

[stanislavski66]

I'm a life-long anxiety sufferer. At this point, I've given up worrying about it and I take Lorazepam (Ativan) 1mg as needed, usually not exceeding two tabs a day. Yes, it makes me somewhat tired but it's vastly preferable to the constant anxiety. As for Zoloft: I was on it for a few months and didn't get any improvement. The side effect profile was good: nothing but a slight headache but it did nothing for my symptoms. Lexapro was an excellent drug for me and gave me 8 excellent years with greatly reduced anxiety and depression levels but it pooped out in 2014 and remained ineffective even at higher doses, so I quit. BUT (it's a big "but") all these meds work differently for every individual. Zoloft might be excellent for you. Have your doc prescribe it and see how you do. As with all SSRI's, don't expect decent results until about 4 weeks in. Good luck!

[Ann_25 in reply to stanislavski66]

Thank you so much for your insight. Hopefully it does work! This anxiety it to real and it needs to be handle the thought of medication is hard for me cause I like a more natural approach but oh well I guess😴 Thanks again tho!

[stanislavski66 in reply to Ann_25]

Indeed you are correct. The anxiety is too real! Very hard to explain to people that haven't experienced it

[MariaLove123 in reply to stanislavski66]

Wow Stan I loved lexapro too! I had to go off it after 10 years because of the same reason. It really is an excellent medication! I’ve been off of it for two years. I wonder if I tried it again, would it work? I’ve never heard of Ativan. Have you ever been on any other anxiety meds like Clonopin, Xanax, Abryd, etc. If so, can you tell me how much better Ativan is? Anxiety is my big culprit lately and although Clonopin is good, I am open to try something new. Thanks!!

[stanislavski66 in reply to MariaLove123]

Maria, I agree, Lexapro is an excellent drug...too bad they all seem to poop out after a certain period of time. Still we both got many good years out of it, so that's something. As for going back on it - I'd say it's worth a try, for sure. My shrink essentially advised the same thing. My issue is that that whole class of meds (Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Luvox etc etc) cause the one side-effect that I *really* want to avoid: loss of libido. At my age, I need to hang on to every bit of that So even though it's tempting to try Lexapro again, I will probably stay away from that class of drug. Ativan aka Lorazepam is somewhere between Xanax and Clonopin. The Clonopin is longer acting than Xanax and Ativan (Lorazepam), so many shrinks recommend it. I find the Ativan milder than Xanax - makes me less "heavy". Plus I got the sublingual tabs which means they act very quickly. I haven't tried Clonopin but probably should - the Ativan (good as it is) wears off fairly quickly. My day usually progresses from morning depression to late afternoon anxiety, so I'm able to take the Ativan around 5pm and it's usually good through the evening. Hope that answers your q's

[MariaLove123 in reply to stanislavski66]

Wow thank you so much for writing so much! It helped me greatly. I am going to try the lexapro. I know a side effect for Zoloft with men is less sex drive. I think all antidepressants cause that for both females and males. Also how can we be in the mood anyway when we’re feeling yucky most days. I’m actually the same way with my day. My anxiety increases. If I take Ativan it might not work well. I’ve been on Clonopin for a long time and anything less effective might be pointless right? Seriously thank you for sharing all of this great information with me. Anytime you want to talk, I’m here if you want to PM me! X

[stanislavski66 in reply to MariaLove123]

No problem at all, happy to help. I agree with you re the Klonopin. If it ain't broke - don't fix it. Right back atcha: any time you want to chat, feel free to drop me a PM. Good night (I just got back from a gig)

[MariaLove123 in reply to stanislavski66]

That’s so sweet! PM me tomorrow and tell me about the gig! Have a good night. Sweet dreams!

[Vectron in reply to MariaLove123]

Activan is a highly addictive drug very good if taken when needed

[MariaLove123]

I’ve been on Zoloft for a while. It’s an antidepressant so it might subside some anxiety; but what you really need is an anxiety medication like Xanax, Clonopin, Vibryd, Vistrual, etc. I take Vibryd and Colonpin. Clonopin is more relaxing so I take it at night. Talk to your doctor. Zoloft has the normal possible side effects but nothing major. It’s definitely a Med you need to up every month or two until you’re really good with it. It goes up to 300. I’m on 100 now.

[Ann_25 in reply to MariaLove123]

Thank u for your response! How well does Zoloft work for you? Like any major side effects?

[MariaLove123 in reply to Ann_25]

I’ve been on dozens of medications and Zoloft is my favorite. It’s especially good for women because of the serotonin. The only thing is that they start you on such a low dose, so it takes some time to up it and really feel it working.

[stanislavski66 in reply to MariaLove123]

Not sure about why Zoloft would be better for women: all SSRI's pretty much work the same way. They increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. Do you think Zoloft does this to a greater degree? (it's possible, of course, I've just never heard that)

[MariaLove123 in reply to stanislavski66]

That’s what my Psychiatrist told me. The way she explained it made sense, but I honestly can’t remember exactly what she said except that it really helps with women’s menstrual cycle.

[stanislavski66]

Thank you for your kind words. I know your advice is meant well and I take it in that spirit. I am very well informed about benzodiazepines and their dangers - I have read a great amount about them and the horror stories associated with them. With that said, I have two observations (of course, very personal and it will vary from person to person) I was taking Xanax for about six years or so: 0.5 mg's at night. Never more. I was able to quit it without a problem and with only minimal rebound anxiety. I have now been taking Ativan (not Klonopin, btw - not that it matters) for a few years. The memory loss, I believe has already started - though I don't know if it's not just age related because my wife has the same problem and she takes no medication. Secondly, my GAD is so intense that without the meds, I can't really function. Since I am also battling depression, I have made a very calculated decision that the benzos are worth it. I have enough on my plate even without the intense GAD going on. I have never increased the dosage, don't mix it with alcohol and work with a psych doc. But yes, I do understand your concerns of course. Sorry to hear about your difficult withdrawal

[Agora1 in reply to stanislavski66]

stanislavski66, I agree with you in that medication has it's place in allowing us to live somewhat of a normal life whereas without it, we would just exist. Like you I was also on Xanax, never increasing the dose, always under the monitoring of my doctor and yet one day it no longer worked. That is when I got off the med, not before.

Our fears of medication aren't allowing us to get a breath of relief for a while. Sometimes we need that in addition to therapy and other modalities. There is nothing wrong with that. We each make the decision for ourselves along with our doctors as to what is best for our mental health. As with everything else in life, take it responsibly and there will be no problems.

While on benzos, it gave me the time to look for other avenues to take that would offer some relief naturally. I found meditation and deep breathing to be a benefit

in reducing my stress levels which in turn reduced my anxiety. Thank you for bringing up the pros in being on medication. It is not a defeat by any means.

Take care Stanislavski. Breathe and stay calm my friend x