Starting Zoloft 50mg a day have bad anxiety need help

[lal0604]

Please any comments would be helpful

[Lm92]

You poor thing. I know it's scary starting a new medicine. Let me tell you that Zoloft was the very first antidepressant I took 20 years ago when I started having anxiety. It took it a few days to reach full effect, but once it did, I felt like I could live again. Once, I kind of felt the anxiety creeping back (this was a few years after I started taking it), and my doctor just increased my dosage a little and i was just fine. The only reason I stopped taking it was because I became pregnant with my son and my obstetrician wanted to change me to another drug that she felt was safer while pregnant. Just take some deep breaths and smile, knowing that you're on the road to recovery.

[lal0604 in reply to Lm92]

Thank you so much for answering me I started tapering from 25 to 50 mg I started on Saturday I feel very anxious I'm hoping it goes away.

[Lm92 in reply to lal0604]

Was your dosage raised because your anxiety was getting worse?

[lal0604]

No the doctor wanted me to taper

[lal0604]

No the doctor wanted me to taper

[Lm92]

I ask, because that's why I was raised from 25 to 50 mg. and it did take a little while for my body to adjust. I remember I would have these little spasms when I was falling asleep, like my leg would jerk or my arm would jerk. They didn't last very long though. I think we just worry ourselves so much that it's going to not work or the side effects will be worse. I'm going through that right now with my Lexapro. I started out taking 10 mg, but my anxiety levels are getting higher, so my psychiatrist wanted me to take 15 mg. I was way too worried about causing side effects (even though i've never had any in the couple of years that I've been on it) and am only taking 12.5 mg. I'm not sure what it is about anxiety that makes all logical thinking go out the window but it really sucks. I'm happy I caught your message. I'm feeling anxious today myself and sometimes I think it's therapeutic just to talk to someone who knows what you're feeling in that very moment.

[lal0604 in reply to Lm92]

Yes it is therapeutic to talk to someone who's going through the same problems that you are I'm jobless right now due to the fact of my depression and I went on Zoloft to help with the depression and anxiety started the flyer it's nice to know that there's others out there that are willing to talk to you and help you get through the day

[Lm92 in reply to lal0604]

I'm so sorry. I've been out of work myself for the past several years until just recently. I've been taking online classes to finish my business degree, but I've noticed that the more I stay in, the more I'm starting to have some agoraphobic tendencies. I've never been terribly social, but I've been forcing myself to get out and interact, which is probably why my anxiety has been higher lately. I'm not sure if you live in the US or the UK, but I've started working from home doing customer service for a cell phone company and that's helped quite a bit. It's only part time at the moment, but it feels nice at least mostly supporting myself and it's a good way to keep my mind from wandering.

[lal0604 in reply to Lm92]

I'm in the US Midwest I'm a mail so I'm expected to make the money in the household

[Lm92 in reply to lal0604]

That is incredibly hard. I'm a single mom myself, so I understand the stress of being the one that has to/is expected to provide. I think in a relationship, communication is the key when there's anxiety involved. Maybe talk to your partner about going to couple's therapy to help foster communication in that respect? Sometimes we just have to carry each other when we're in a relationship and sometimes one has to lift the burden for the other and vice versa. I wish you all the best.

[Agora1]

lal0604, I agree with Lm92 in that it takes a little time for your body to adjust to the medication as well as the increase. Actually 50mg is the therapeutic dose for Zoloft. Keep that positive note in mind. Hang in there

[lal0604]

I'm in the US Midwest I'm a mail so I'm expected to make the money in the household

[Agora1 in reply to lal0604]

Ditto to Lm92's post regarding what a relationship means. No where is it written in stone lal0604, that the man is expected to make the money. It's assumed, but things happen. That's when the partners work together in figuring out a solution. This shouldn't just be on your shoulders. It's a two way street my friend.

[lal0604]

Communication is not there with my spouse that's not going to happen

[lal0604 in reply to lal0604]

Second day at 50 mg feel dizzy

[Agora1 in reply to lal0604]

lal0604, normal feeling, not anxiety, more the med working towards making you

feel better. Everything's good...

[lady_peaseblossom]

I definitely feel your pain. I'm on the same dosage you are, and at the beginning it was definitely rough. I felt very drowsy, had bad stomach cramps (only for a day), and worst of all, my anxiety skyrocketed for at least two weeks. These are normal-- my doctor told me it was just my brain craving serotonin, and once it gets an increase it just wants more, resulting in these symptoms.

It may seem very hard now, but these medications usually take about a month to kick in. After the third week I had no anxiety or side effects and it's been that way from then on. Hopefully it'll be the same for you too. Don't give up!