New phase of anxiety and depression

[separxator]

Hello, have been feeling dull and numb, my anxiety has seemed to manifested or transformed into a detached phase. I've been feelings like this for 5 days, saw a general physician 4 days ago and he prescribed me Zoloft for my anxiety, but since I've been experiencing these new symptoms that I haven't felt before, I decided not to take them and instead make an appointment with him for tomorrow to talk about them. Any advice? Anyone experience something similar? I've struggled with anxiety and depression, but it hasn't been as bad as it has lately, dating back to last november when it seemed more noticeable, more often.

[aspsps]

I have felt dull and numb, but that was after being on Lexapro, which is similar to Zoloft. Not before taking the meds... I hope you get all your answers from your GP.

[separxator in reply to aspsps]

Has lexapro been helpful for you?

[JP8810]

What you are feeling is not uncommon. The important thing is that you recognize the need for assistance. As you know, there are many different medications and CBT that help with those symptoms. I know that when i have accute anxiety i feel detached from reality. Which, according to my doctor is a common manifestation of panic. I think a combination of medication and CBT would be helpful to you. I also find that faith is important in my recovery. Putting my worries and cares in the hands of God and releasing them is liberating. God is always there for me and anyone who cast thier cares on him. God is full of mercy, unconditional love and grace. I will say a prayer for you. Peace!

[separxator]

That just about hits the nail on the head. I've never felt like I was floating or in orbit but now i just feel a slight send of anxious, there's just a calmness about about it now, a lack of emotion, like I've exhausted myself so much by reacting and being codependent that I can't even tell what I'm actually feeling and what is happening. I would say the newest symptoms since I've talked to him would be the detachment, loss of interest, loss of appetite, fearfulness, nausea. I haven't started taking the sertraline yet, I just wanted to speak with him first. I called around and left voicemails for about 5 different psychologists, hoping one calls me back tomorrow. I believe therapy helps, but I've moved so much, I haven't established myself anywhere yet. It's easy to feel alone when the people you're surrounded with love you and are concerned, but they can't offer any insight or advice. I'm hoping the GP I saw that prescribed me this medication will be able to tell me if it's safe to begin to take this medicine or if I need something else.

[separxator]

I'm hoping to begin CBT again very soon, it definitely helped me before, this is just my first time that I am trying medication, I had always been apprehensive about it, but I'm desperate at this point. I don't have much of a quality of life anymore.

[BlatherRinseRepeat in reply to separxator]

Zoloft is intended as a long term medication and if they just prescribed it to you without any analysis of what you’re experiencing you may be mismedicating. That happened to me, brand new GP I’d never met before, I went in and described my anhedonia (what you described) and he gave me Zoloft. It smoothed out the edges but the issue was still there and I put on 30 lbs like instantly.Definitely get some talk therapy before you commit to pills—meds only treat symptoms, not causes. At least telehealth expands your options for therapists! Keep us apprised!

Many hugs to you.

[JP8810]

Buspirone is another medication thats helpful with anxiety in some. I had good luck with that and Welbutrin. I tried Effexor and had a bad reaction to it.

[BlatherRinseRepeat in reply to JP8810]

Wellbutrin worked well with my body chemistry and Zoloft gave me uncontrollable physical tics; everyone is different. Wellbutrin was originally a stop smoking medication and its superpower is interrupting those circling thoughts. If my dose is too high I get insomnia, it’s always been an upper for me.Two of my friends are on Lexapro and their anxiety is more trauma driven and they’ve had good results with that. Talk therapy can help work out how much is situational, how much is chemical in your brain.

[b1b1b1]

Zoloft is considered to have a calming effect. The more serious question is why you are afraid to try the medication. This is not a criticism, as many people have this issue, but you might think about it. What do you think would happen if you tried it?

[separxator in reply to b1b1b1]

No offense taken! Thank you for asking, it feels nice to talk about this openly with others, it has actually helped me as today has been particularly difficult. I think I might just have the same fears as everyone else, side effects. However, I think I'm at a point where I have no other choice.

[Hidden]

Make sure you do a little research how hard it is to get off of Zoloft. I've also heard it increases anxiety for the first 30 days but I could be wrong. I was only dealing with anxiety not depression. I got better a lot better in about a month by reading a couple good CBT books.

[ShareYourLove]

Hi,

Thank you for sharing and for reaching out. Sheesh, we all need each other more than ever these days, right?

You post really caught my eye because of the timing. I, too, have been barely functional for a few months now . It reached a head when, I finally decided to reenter therapy, began Zoloft last Wednesday (from Primary Care) - and within days had a huge fall out with hubs. Gahhh!

Ultimately, this morning, stopped taking the Zoloft. The side effects were just too intense for me. I was sweaty, shaky, heart racing, insomnia, etc...Now, I'm not sure what I'm going to do (as for meds at least). I figure I'll call my doc and see if maybe starting them slower - like, just one every-other-day, or something like that - or perhaps a lower dose, different med?

Or maybe try to find an actual psychiatrist instead. I LOVE my doc, but, it really isn't his specialty, ya know?

I was torn to stop them because I've heard that the side effects will go away within about 2 weeks, but I felt like they were making me feel even more unhinged...

Have you thought about talk therapy? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is supposed to be a great help with anxiety and depression.

I'm sorry you're not feeling well, but you should feel proud of yourself that you're trying to do something about it! Each little baby step is accomplishment!

[separxator in reply to ShareYourLove]

Thank you, your kind words help a lot. I figured I will try the Zoloft if my GP still thinks it’s a good idea after expressing to him the new feelings I’m having. I feel like I have talked myself out of it/ freaked myself out. I haven’t begun taking them, I think I might ask him if I should take them at night to sleep through the effects however like you said I also heard it causes insomnia.

[separxator in reply to ShareYourLove]

I would really like to start talk therapy again too, it’s just so hard to find someone right now with an appointment right away.

[ShareYourLove]

Yeah, talk therapy is amazing! To have that unconditional support and attention - as well as help you develop some coping techniques you can try to do on your own. And - because of the pandemic - therapists have really become "front line workers" too and it's pretty easy to find one!

I was lucky and the first one I found, I was able to "vibe" with! sometimes ya have to hunt around a little bit, ya know?

I'm so happy that you're taking initiative though! Ya gotta keep "going though the go through," love!

[Krakatoa1883]

Hello. I've been on zoloft for years & years now. I take a heavy dose. I've never really had any issues like that with it...not even in the beginning. It's been the easiest drug to take for depression but I'm not sure that it really works on anxiety. It doesn't for me anyway. If you start on a very low dose it really shouldn't do that. I've had other meds to do that but not zoloft. I have terrible anxiety though & it doesn't really work for that. It's more of an antidepressant. Good luck at the dr.

[SingingpraisesofGo]

I have used Zoloft before and it took awhile to get the correct dosage for me, but Prozac worked better for me, honestly. I had taken Paxil at one time and didn't like it at all because I felt like my head was detached from my body--so weird! I have had the numb/detached feelings/loss of interest when I was depressed as well, and the loss of appetite/fearfulness/nausea sound a lot like panic attacks, which often goes along with depression. I'm glad you're reaching out for help, and I feel your pain, as do others who have experienced similar symptoms.

I am not currently on any prescribed antidepressants/antianxiety meds at all now, thankfully, but I have learned about some really helpful nutritional supplements that I am using that are really helping. My doctor said I had really low vitamin D levels, which affect mood, so she has me taking 10,000 IU daily, plus I take B-complex vitamins, all of which help with mood regulation. I also am taking some herbal supplements which really help, including 5HTP(for sleep, mood and relaxation at night) and GABA (for anxiety, as needed), and alternatively, CBD oil (full-spectrum variety), if this is available where you live.

Just a word of warning--do not take these supplements if you are also taking prescription anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds, because they would interact. The herbal varieties work just as well, in my opinion. The GABA is something you could try and it should work within a half an hour from taking it (there is a quick-dissolve tablet that works even faster). I will pray for you, as I know what a struggle this can be, but it is treatable, and you are not alone.

[lovetodance2018]

Thank you for reaching out and sharing. Yes, I can relate to that numb feeling. I used to spiral really low and felt like I couldn't function at all. Then there was times where I felt nothing and that almost felt worse. I am glad you are going to see your doctor again. It is always better not to stop the medication until you have seen a doctor and agree the process with medication together. I have done these two techniques. I hope you find them helpful too. It really helped with that numb/dull feeling.

The 557 breathing technique is take 5 deep breaths in while thinking good thoughts about yourself like I matter, I am special, I am strong and then hold the breaths for the count of 7 focusing on those words about yourself, then let out the breath slowly for 5 seconds letting go of any anxious, self-defeating, unhealthy thought. I do this one to three times a sitting. The gratitude journal is writing down something good every morning and night something that went well in the day, or something I appreciate about myself. Taking our focus off of the anxiety and depression and focusing on positive uplifting things really helps. What you think is what you believe. So thinking uplifting things you believe those things but the reverse is true - thinking negative self-defeating things, you will believe those. I will be praying for you. Feel free to pm me if you'd like to chat. Hugs and God Bless

[lovetodance2018]

How are things going? I have been praying for you. Hugs

[separxator in reply to lovetodance2018]

Hello. Thank you.

I have been doing better I would say. I had some labs done and found that my blood sugar was critically low. I have been having some trouble eating for a few months and all of my nutrients were depleted. I tried to take the Zoloft and I had some pretty sever symptoms, it was the worst few days of my life. I had insomnia, shattering teeth, night sweats, hallucinations, I felt numb (which I knew this to be expected) but so numb that I couldn’t think or move or feel in motion, I had the WORST panic attack about 3 hours into taking the medication but I breathed through it and just laid down for the rest of the night and tried to not think about it. The doctor had be stop it, so now I’m taking a prenatal vitamin, drinking those boost shakes, trying to eat when I can, and getting my all around physical health back up, it’s been a long week. I start therapy on Monday, I’m hoping that will help me too. I have Klonopin if I have a severe panic/anxiety attack, but so far the forcing myself to eat and maintain my nutrients is helping me feel like myself again. I have always struggled with anxiety and my depression was manageable with therapy, I just don’t know if there was proper communication with my doctor, it seemed like we both just jumped ahead some steps.

I thank you for your kind words and prayers, it feels like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, I just have to keep in sight the fact that I matter and my health matters and that I can’t just neglect myself to take care of others.

[lovetodance2018 in reply to separxator]

So glad you are taking the right steps to feel better and see a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep those uplifting words in your vocabulary and don't allow those self-defeating thoughts to take over. Also, keep your self-care a priority. It is hard to care for others as you said if don't take care of your needs first. I am here to chat if you ever need to. Hugs

[separxator]

Just wanted to do a quick update!

I started Lexapro 5mg about a week ago and have been noticing a positive change since starting. I have had some not so good side effects but so far for the most part I’m not experiencing any ruminating thoughts and I’m eating again which I’m happy about. I know it’s only been a week but I feel like the medicine is helping, the Zoloft I had a severe adverse reaction to and I stopped it immediately, took me days to feel better again. It’s hard to stay on this steady path when you only feel slight progress but I would say since posting this and becoming less resistant to starting any medication, I feel more hopeful. For anyone interested, I’m going to talk you through my first week day by day, I’ve also recorded these on my phone, I’ve found it helps to speak what you are going through out loud, almost helps validate that you are going through the motions of this and it’s not a walk in the park and every small victory is to be celebrated.

Day 1: definitely felt like a placebo effect, I could think clearly, anxiety still seemed there but I had energy and was hungry all day, but did end up staying up a while with hot hands, chest, and feet. I bought a fan that I use in addition to my ceiling fan which has helped and keep a jug of water by my bed.

Day 2: felt pretty blah, then ended up having a really bad panic/anxiety attack, almost an on edge feeling, like I wanted to jump out of my skin. I locked myself in my room and used a wet rag to pat my face and laid there until I fell asleep in front of the fan, it passed, woke up feeling better. Slept good this night.

Day 3: woke up hard of breathing (have an oxygen tester) it was fine, I think I just sleep really hard now on this medicine lol. Was nauseous for some of the day, took tums, that helped, also eating even though you’re not hungry and continuing to drink water. Had this rubber band around the halo of my head feeling, like I was clouded and walking around numb, throughout the day that went away. I noticed I feel way better in the mornings and fast forward to day 7 I’ve started taking my medicine before bed and that seemed to be a good switch.

Day 4: mornings are getting harder to get out of bed, but once I do it gets easier. Had another episode of feeling rage and anger and on edge/ anxiety, just pushed through it and kept telling myself that it will get better and after reading a thousand reviews, there is hope and to just give it a little more time. I noticed I’m having more energy to do things and it helps to get out and walk for a bit or play with my niece. Makes you not so hyper focused on the side effects/ how the medication is working for you lol. It’s just too soon.

Day 5: coordination was off most of the day, confused and hard to concentrate on tasks, got out and walked a bit, had some chest pains that lasted about an hour but were tolerable, by the end of the day my brain was mush and I just needed to go to bed.

Day 6: woke up feeling pretty good, went for a walk on a trail and didn’t feel any anxiety, was supposed to go out of town but agoraphobia set in a little and i came back home. I should probably also say I haven’t been able to drive in my car alone for a while, my anxiety got so bad that it was just unsafe for me to drive and for others on the road. Came back home and slept for 3 hours, woke up groggy and just blah, was able to go to the driving range and hit golf balls, was able to focus and actually left my phone at home and wasn’t worried about who was texting me or looking up stuff about Lexapro lol, ended up taking my pill at 8 pm instead which the doctor and pharmacist said were okay, fought sleep for a few hours, but then fell asleep, had a bad dream and woke up:

Day 7: woke up feeling really good today, didn’t have the urge to go right back to sleep or have any depressing thoughts, just enjoyed how comfy my bed was. Feels like a good decision by switching the medication to night time. Hopefully will notice more energy and mood changes throughout the day.

I know this is week one but it feels like progress if being made. My doctor suggested maybe adding Abilify to the mix for the suicidal thoughts and agoraphobia and dissociation, but I’m going to give the Lexapro 5mg another week and see how it goes.

I should mention I am taking clanazopam .5 mg as needed for anxiety, I knew I would need it during this experience and it has helped when anxiety comes up or when I have trouble sleeping.