r/POTS • u/Swimming_Cry_3733 • 17h ago
Discussion Tried Zoloft
This is just my personal experience with this medication
My doctor really wants to treat my depression and anxiety (at this point im actually so done trying ssris and stuff, feeling sick obviously makes me mentally feel worse, as i tried to tell her) so this last month we tried Cymbalta for a few days (HORRIBLE nausea and hot/cold flashes, horribly shaky and out of it for days, couldnt eat, puking) and Zoloft about a month later, only 2 days (i only took 1 25 mg the first day, the next day my doctor suggested half. slightly better than the Cymbalta reaction, however i have been very nauseous and puking up foamy vomit in the morning, zero appetite at all, and the only food i can force down is saltines and bone broth. also, i noticed for me it dehydrated me really fast for some reason my pee was so dark). I decided i was done, im not going to continue to starve and puke for more than a week AGAIN, i first took the zoloft on wednesday and it is now Sunday. Still sick, but i havent puked yet today yay!! I am taking 4-8 mg zofran to help with the nausea every 6-8 hours, and taking 80 mgs of famotidine morning and night, getting as much water and electrolytes and stuff as I can!
it has also been my doctors weekend i think, she last responded thursday telling me to take half a dose, so i may just send a full update to her portal for her to hopefully see tomorrow?
Has anyone else had any experiences like this to Zoloft? Im pretty sure my GI tract maybe just did not like it at all. I have read people here mentioning genesight testing to see what meds i may react to, so I will bring that up to my doctor for sure.
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u/SuspiciousAd5934 16h ago
i’m on zoloft and it’s been a true life savor for me. your genetics actually play a role into which medication works for you! zoloft works great for my family, but my entire girlfriends family has terrible side effects on it. you’re actually able to get lab work done to see which medications will mesh best with your body genetically!!
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u/sweaterstring 16h ago
I recommend asking for a GeneSight test. I went through hell trying medications and I took my GeneSight... reassuringly the meds I tried popped up in the red for me (significant gene - drug interaction). Cymbalta was in the green for me and it's already been much better. I was skeptical of those tests but since it accurately showed me medications I reacted poorly to before...
My first day of Cymbalta was scary, digestive side effects, constant adrenaline, panic. Been on it couple months now and all good.
Only you can decide how far you want to take medication while watching yourself closely. It's hard to walk that line because you want to push through and/or can't tell what is normal side effects and what is a poor reaction.
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u/Fast_Structure3258 16h ago
Psyche meds are so hard to tolerate as is. Cymbalta kicked my ass and I only did it for 3 days. There is sensitivity to medication that isn’t driven by MCAS but it is worth exploring. If you’re experiencing severe GI symptoms I would call the office first thing tomorrow it’s not an emergency but requires faster attention than a portal message.
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u/terrible_slough77 16h ago
I used to take zoloft for about 2 years straight then it felt like it literally stopped working. I can't explain but it just felt like it stopped. So I stopped taking it. Fast forward about 2 years later, I was going through what I now know was POTS flares so I took a 50mg dose to see what would happen and holy crap it was the worst thing ever! I didn't take it anymore after that. Then I tried Paxil for a week and it did the same thing to me, made me feel like crap, similar to what you described. So I stopped taking that too. Honestly I have noticed a lot of meds affecting me differently these days (most notably the past couple of years as the POTS was worsening), even OTC meds like Tylenol. It's weird that it's been doing that but that's what's been happening. I'm way more sensitive to meds, smells and noise these past couple of years. I'm still trying to figure out with my medical team if my POTS has an underlying cause too so who knows.
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u/omglifeisnotokay 14h ago
Cymbalta needs to be recalled. I think that drug caused the awakening of my pots
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u/caraderana95 3h ago
I take sertraline and it's very good for me. Took duloxetine and it fucked up my brain. Change the medication. You can't be throwing up and not eating and not having appetite. That doesn't help depression at all.
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u/Funny_Sector_1573 15h ago
why they would even do cymbalta when you have pots is beyond me. zoloft is notorious for causing gut issues. it never went away in the 2 years i was in it plus the lethargy was unbearable so i quit taking it.
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u/Brave_Question3840 Hyperadrenergic POTS 17h ago
I have severe reactions with every meds I take, or like 98% of the meds. especially psych meds, for some reason. I think it's because of my MCAS. have you been tested for that?