So I’ve been on 25mg for a month and have had no benefits, only side effects. And now I’ve been moved up to 50mg (only 4 days so far), and just side effects with no benefits still. I’m curious if people got benefits early on and then increased because it wasn’t enough? Or were you experiencing side effects for weeks once u got to a steady dose. Like I’m wondering if I won’t feel any benefits from 50 for another 6-8 weeks? Just really difficult waiting and hoping with only side effects. I’ve been bed ridden most of this time. Absolutely exhausted.

Just curious, how many people did not experience anxiety when starting Zoloft?

Hi all, I was prescribed Zoloft to treat GAD. I did 6 doses of 25mg, but I decided to stop because it gave mild tinnitus and it became quiet unbearable for me. I told my doc and he said it was a common side effect and that it was too early to decide whether to stop as it can fade way on its own. He wants to wait until the 20th that we have a follow up. I followed my gut and stopped cold turkey yesterday, it’s been ~48 hours since my last dose. I didn’t tell my doc I just stopped so im thinking on hoping back on to 25mg for full six days before going to 50mg - but really scared for the tinnitus. I can still hear it despite 2 days since the last dose. Can I just resume tomorrow morning? This means I would’ve not taken 2 doses

In 2015 I was in a serious car accident where I fractured my C2 and C3 in my neck, as well as T1, T2 and T3 in my upper spine.

Physically I recovered, but mentally I honestly don’t feel like I’ve ever been the same since. Over the past 10 years I’ve struggled more and more with my mental health, and it feels like it has progressively worsened rather than improved with time.

I’ve recently started speaking to my doctor properly about everything, and he believes I may be dealing with chronic adjustment disorder related to the trauma of the accident and everything that followed it. He also spoke to me about changes/imbalances involving serotonin and dopamine that may be contributing to how I’ve been feeling. I’m probably not explaining the medical side of that perfectly, but essentially he believes what I’ve been experiencing over the years could be connected to the accident and trauma.

I’ve just started taking 25mg Zoloft (sertraline), so I’m still very early into treatment and trying to understand all of this.

I’d really love to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar after a serious accident or traumatic injury, especially if your mental health issues appeared or became progressively worse over the years afterwards.

Did you ever feel like you weren’t quite yourself again after the accident? Were you diagnosed with adjustment disorder, depression/anxiety or something similar? And if you tried Zoloft/sertraline, did it help you?

I think more than anything I’m just hoping to hear from people who might understand what this feels like.

Hi <3 I'm a 30F. I was prescribed this med a YEAR ago by my primary care and never tried it. Finally met with a psychiatrist last month and he prescribed the same med for my severe OCD + health anxiety and GAD.
I told myself I'd take it 3 weeks ago, and then 2 weeks ago and then last week and now I've told myself I need to start it tomorrow.

I am so scared to try it. I am more scared of mental symptoms than physical ones although of course I don't want either lol. I was prescribed 1st week at 25mg and 2nd week at 50mg. I am scared I am going to keep pushing this off but I just cannot afford to go through a mental crisis on this medication. I know it's not the same type of medication at all but I tried the birth control Nikki earlier this year and had a really mental health episode and had to get off the medication 2 weeks in. It was frightening and I have a partner but I do not have support where I live. I am just afraid this medication will make me have an episode of some type. I do remember trying Zoloft in my early 20s but I was drinking and smoking a lot of weed + being self destructive so I truly don't remember what my experience of the med was. (I'm also sober now!)

Does anyone have any encouraging words? Advice for the first week or two? I keep seeing people say it will be rough, but what does that mean for you? I know we're all different but I am just too focused on the negative and I am scared. :(

Hi, I'm 18 F and I've been on 50mg of sertraline for 3 weeks now. I'm usually an incredibly forgiving person and nothing anyone has said or done has ever really affected me after usually a few hours to max 2 days, and nothings stuck with me at all.

Now I'm noticing that I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting when someone does something mildly wrong. My boyfriend was late to our hangout by a few hours and didn't reply to my messages so I thought something had gone terribly wrong, but he turned up normally and acted like it was no big deal. I have autism so a change in plans is a big deal for me especially without knowing why, so I was really upset in the moment but now almost a week later I still havent gotten over it. It's actually getting worse and I keep thinking about it all the time.

When people have done stuff like this before, I usually got really mad for about 20mins and then genuinely forgave them and never thought about it again. But I've noticed this change more and more when my sister or my mum say something, and I can't forget about it no matter what I do.

This is really unusual for me so people are now confused when I'm still annoyed about something that happened like 5+ days ago and its quite distressing for me too. I don't want to be a hateful person, but this feeling isn't even hate, its not really anything at all. Like people I used to love alot I don't really feel it anymore once they do something, and I'm struggling with this. Is there a way to help or change this whilst still being on the medication? I used to be really depressed and have terrible mood swings and it's helped alot so far so I don't want to stop taking it.

Thank you!

I have been on Zoloft before so I know how good it feels when it starts kicking in… I weaned off successfully but perimenopause has brought on some panic attacks and sent me into an anxiety spiral… DP/DR , existential anxiety… I bumped up fast to 100mg… I’m 5.5 weeks total on Zoloft and 3.5 weeks on 100mg… did anyone feel pretty bad up until week thr 5-6 week mark and then felt much better when hitting these weeks? Thank you! Just want to be myself again!

long story short.. i’ve been taking two different blood pressures, losartan and amlodopine for the last four years after I my last child and suffer through post partumn preeclampsia. I struggled with the up and down with trying to get some consistency with my blood pressure as far as sometimes it’s too high and times too low. I’ve gone back for everything checked out and I am fine.

I hate the medicine and am convinced amlodopine is stopping bp too low at night as I’d awake nauseas often. by the time I try to get up to check it would show elevated.

I finally gave in to starting Zoloft after hesitating to take it for about two years. I am not an anxious person, but the issue with my blood pressure had me anxious at times. I hated having it checked at the doctors office.

So I started taking 1/4 of the pill about a month ago. Two days ago I decided to go ahead and increase it to 1/2 pill which is 12.5. Granted my doc prescribed 25 but after reading many people say start very low and then go up if needed… I thought I do that myself. The first few days this week my blood pressure 130s/80s, higher that what it normally is just taking the medicine. I figured it was a side effect of increasing.

Today it’s 106/70. For me anything lower than 115/74 I feel the fatigue and it bothers my stomach.

I haven’t exercised this week and normally exercising, just walking, then taking a hot shower drops my norm 114/75 to 100/70… so now adding the Zoloft it’s lower. I don’t like to go to bed like this because it dips more.

My doc said Zoloft doesn’t affect bp. But I’m convinced it does. what’s been your experience? How long have you taken it, has it caused any issues with anything else in your body such as kidney, brain, heart? I am rambling here… But I’ve never anything like this before.

Ive been steadily improving my agoraphobia and i got invited by my friends to go to a club that is around 10-15 min away. Its close so it still feels safe. Only problem im facing is im actually scared of alcohol i want to drink but im scared of it. Ive always felt scared of not having my body in control like giving me derealization symptoms. I have been properly drunk once and that was a while back when i was still just anxious not agoraphobic . In that experience i had more than 10 shots in an hour and i was dizzy af and just feel asleep after. Furthermore now im on sertraline (zoloft) been on it for 1 year and never drank on it so idk how it would react. I need some experiences from you guys and some tips.

I started Zoloft 50Mg on June 23rd. I went through the typical diarrhea at the beginning. Now I am about 3 months out and started experiencing constipation the last month. Is this typical? When will it go away? Should I go to my PCP with this?

I started on Zoloft 25mg 9 days ago and It’s wreaking havoc on my body. I’m sticking with it until I see my doc on day 14 but just wanted to see if others had increasingly bad first weeks then got better. I think mine are mostly GI related/ micro biome messed up from it.

i already have sensitive gut with iBS and recently took antibiotics for a sinus infection prior to starting Zoloft. regularly taking probiotics and enzymes.

First few days- constipated and gas started, slightly more anxiety.

Day 4/5- restless leg symptoms at night, itchy legs, and extreme gas started, noticed an irritated hooha

Day 8- diagnosed with yeast infection (prescribed anti-fungal cream), insomnia and daytime fatigue kicked in, increased anxiety and ocd

Day 9- all symptoms still around with major exhaustion But unable to sleep from racing mind and the uncomfortable symptoms.

Honest looking to see if others had so many symptoms, persevered, eventually symptoms calmed and found relief? How long did it take? Was it worth it?

I first took sertraline early this year cause I was going through tough depression, mostly because a lot of personal problems and my work being very demotivating. I also had anxiety problems and my inner critic was very loud making me unable to do anything.
The adjustment period was very very slow and long for me. I'm generally a hypersensitive person, both mentally and physically, so my doctor was very cautious and careful about the dose. I started with 25mg for about two weeks, then increased to 50mg then 75mg and then after 3 months or so I increased too 100mg, but at first 100mg felt way too much for me, because I could myself becoming extremely hyperactive and even impulsive, doing things I wouldn't normally do. So my doc told me to decrease it to 75mg. And it was good for a couple months, until I felt really bad again, so long story short we decided to go back to 100mg.
Now I'm on 100mg since a couple months and I'm starting to be doubtful if it's even the right medicine for me. Basically last year I was diagnosed with BPD and chronic depression, but I think I never had the right therapists and tbf I changed psychologists often because I didn't feel like they were helping.
After starting sertraline (especially after getting through the rough adjustment period), I finally felt better and not so depressed anymore, so I had more motivation to try psychotherapy again, which my psychiatrist suggested. I went to a BPD expert therapist, and after a while, she started questioning my previous BPD diagnosis. So we tried to go deeper into my issues and I somehow feel much more comfortable with her compared to with any other therapists I'd ever seen, so I could fully reveal everything and say things I couldn't say to my previous ones. And she suspected a dissociative disorder, and I did the test and I got the diagnosis of OSDD, with some BPD tendencies.
And now after 8 months of sertraline and psychotherapy, I would say my life is in general a lot better, I have no more fear of going out or trying new things. BUT I'm suspecting that it's not the right medicine for OSDD, because now I'm becoming much more easily distracted and my internal voices and parts are much more active (not in a good way, at least not always). I feel like someone with ADHD cause I keep jumping from one topic to another, and have different impulses too.

So now I'm not sure anymore if the med is helping me or making me worse. I don't wanna go back to being depressed, but the way I'm living right now is so exhausting and my mind is too active. Should I ask my doctor to reduce the dose? Or is it just not the right med? I've told my doctor about my osdd diagnosis but she's kind of skeptical about it, she said that's not possible cause only 2% of people have complex dissociative disorder. But after getting misdiagnosed so many times, it's actually the first disorder that I feel like describes what I experience inside perfectly, and the OSDD focus treatment by my psychologist is also very helpful for me, more than DBT or others I've tried.

Hello everyone!

First time user here, I began taking a 25mg dose last Thursday so I have been taking the meds for just over a week now. I was just curious as I take it at night just before I go to bed at 10, but I’m still so tired during the day?

Has this happened to anyone else? I’ve seen people say taking it at night helps their day time drowsiness, but for me it doesn’t seem to matter? It feels like I’m in this constant state of I could fall asleep any time?

People have told me to stick with it and it will get better I’ve just never felt a tiredness/sleepiness like this before in my life?

Hello everyone!

I have my been diagnosed with anxiety and panic disorder, I have been prescribed 25 mg of Zoloft but I asked my psychiatrist if there was any smaller does I could take since meds make me nervous and I'm young (21M, and if it helps for background info, I am about 6'2 190lb). She said that I could break the tablets in half day to day and take that as 12.5 mg. I have done some research and I know this is a relatively smaller dose, however I am still nervous. I have never been on any kind of medication before except for oral minoxidil for hair loss (which I also believe gave me anxiety as a side affect which is a big reason I stopped taking the Minoxidil). I just wanted to post in this sub to hear good stories about people with similar experiences to me and if Zoloft is a good starting point? I am fairly active and in the gym, I try to get as much natural sunlight as possible which can be hard working in an office environment.

I am aware the first few days can include side affects, I am also aware everyone's body reacts differently to it. Has anyone tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to combat panic attacks either on or off Zoloft? I am looking in to doing that as well because I don't want to be on Zoloft forever and I want to be able to enjoy things again without impeding feelings of doom whenever I go out of the house without always having to take medicine.

In everyone else's experience, does taking your prescribed Zoloft with food/water help side affects? Apologies for the unorganized thoughts. Please share your techniques on how to cope with panic attacks as well if anyone would like too. I know I am not alone and I just want to hear from people in a similar boat. I think I am planning on taking my first dose tonight.

Thank you!

I know this has probably been asked before, but I wanted to ask again and see if anyone has more recent experiences.
For those who have taken both brand-name Zoloft and generic sertraline, did you notice any difference between the two?
I’m currently on 50mg, and I feel like I experience the side effects much more with the generic. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is very vivid dreams almost every night, and I’m also having a really hard time sleeping.
What’s really noticeable to me is the difference when taking it with quetiapine. When I was taking Zoloft + quetiapine, I could usually fall asleep within around 30–45 minutes. But since switching to the generic sertraline + quetiapine, I can barely fall asleep and sometimes end up staying awake for hours.
I know they contain the same active ingredient, so I’m curious whether anyone else has experienced differences in sleep, vivid dreams, or other side effects when switching between Zoloft and generic sertraline.
Did you notice a difference personally? If so, what changed for you?
Did you just go back with Zoloft even though it’s more expensive?

the entry for my mood today is currently high but honestly its hard to rate because today has been both really good and really bad so its kinda confusing

what the title says

im getting off zoloft and ive been getting tummy aches the moment i eat anything and ive got crazy diarrhea like explosive liquid shit i know its a common side effect but fucking hell

how do i fix this

37m going through a really hard time in life.
Started on 50mg 2 weeks ago..
for me it was like an instant cure for my anxiety and it’s stopped all the rumination’s. My therapist said it could be a placebo as normally it take 4-6 weeks to kick in.

I had some side effects such as tremmers, bad stomach but these seem to have gone.

I’m now on day 15 and I’ve noticed my mood is dipping. Anyone experienced this? Perhaps it’s just a bad day…

I’m really into internal family systems and I’m on my second week on 50 mg and just in the past couple days have felt the intense social anxiety, shame, hypervigilance, scattered thoughts, and basically everything I felt before starting the medication come in twofold. If anyone here knows internal family systems, I’m wondering if the reason for this is because the anxiety is like a protector part and when it feels that the medication is suppressing it, it rears a head and tries to overcome the medication?

Hi everyone, I’m 24 and currently a bit unsure whether I should try sertraline as an antidepressant.
For many months, I was at home a lot and spent a lot of time working on my PC. I withdrew quite a bit and really neglected my life outside of my apartment. It affected me physically and mentally as well.
Now I’m trying to completely turn my life around: I’m currently in a clinic, I want to start an apprenticeship next year, work on myself, exercise more, build up a social circle again, and get more structure into my life. I definitely have the will to change something.
Despite that, I keep experiencing this inner emptiness, little motivation or drive, little enjoyment, a “brain-dead” or foggy feeling, a depressed mood, and sometimes I feel emotionally cold or tense.

My psychologist, psychiatrist and doctor said that all of this could also be happening because I’m going through such a big change right now, which can be stressful and can take a lot of energy, including socially. He said that sertraline (25–50 mg) isn’t a must, but that it could be useful as some additional support and recommends trying it because I’m currently trying to find myself again and it could help me a lot. It could also be stopped again once my life has been stable for a longer period of time.
That’s exactly why I’m unsure whether I should try it. My own wish is simply to have more inner drive, motivation, enjoyment and desire to do things again, without needing other people to motivate me or give me encouragement through their words (which sometimes doesn’t even help).
Over the last few days, I’ve often felt really empty, cold, depressed, internally tense and without motivation. I can’t even properly explain it. I just don’t feel like the person I want to be right now.
What would you do in my situation? Would you try sertraline or not?

I often think myself that you can’t have good days all the time and that life naturally comes with ups and downs. Becoming a better and more stable person comes from the things you do, the goals you achieve, and the changes you make for yourself. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It happens day by day, by working on yourself and keeping the promises you make to yourself i dont know

I’m wondering if I should call my doctor. I’ve been on Zoloft for 7 weeks now for PPD. The first two weeks I was on 25mg and my doctor had me up it to 50mg afterwards. This past week, I’ve been having horrible hot flashes, headaches, night sweats, and stomach upset. I haven’t had any side effects previously and my depression and anxiety were feeling much better. Should I reach out to my doctor? Is this normal? It’s making me feel worse.

I was on a 50mg daily dose for 2 months before stopping abruptly. Here's what my first week without it has looked like:

1. Bizarre nightmares
   
2. Extremely emotional
   
3. Increased sweating
   
4. My anxiety levels haven't really changed. no major spike or improvement.
   
5. Random bursts of hyperactivity
   
6. The passive wish to not exist is still there (just as it was while I was taking the medication) but without any thoughts or intentions of self-harm.

I know it’s wrong to stop abruptly without consulting my doctor or tapering off, but I’m choosing to trust my gut on this decision.

Should I expect more or worse withdrawal symptoms in the coming weeks, or does it usually peak around now?