What to expect from Zoloft
#94091 - 07/28/04 09:50 PM
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jrs
Reged: 03/31/03
Posts: 317
Loc: Aberystwyth, Wales
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Hey - I know that there have been a good deal of posts going back and forth about the differences between the various SSRIs, but I just picked up my first prescription for Zoloft and was wondering what exactly I should expect when I take it. I've never taken something like this before, so I'm a little nervous...
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I just started Zoloft 2 days ago. I do have side effects like D, dry mouth, and loss of appetite right now. My doctor said the side effects can sometimes get pretty bad, but they don't last long. He said you have to keep taking them, and it'll get better. It takes on average a month or so to start really taking affect.
The side effects really haven't been too bad for me yet. I mean I'm used to having D, but this isn't painful D....
Good luck!
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~Cara~
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You can always read about it too at www.zoloft.com
I hope it works for both of us! 
~Cara
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~Cara~
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I was on Zoloft for over a year, though eventually I built up a tollerance and they had to take me off of it.
I suggest reading the site and doing some research on the side-affects yourself, seeing as how when I did a school project on it, I found a lot of info that my doctor had never told me, including some of the more dangerous side-affects that I was exhibiting (increased nervousness, anemia, ect...)
It didn't seam to make me any more nauseous than usual, nore did my D get any worse (in fact, I actually felt better most fo the time) but reactions vary with the person *shrug*
Good luck!
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Falling from heaven isn't nearly as painful as surviving the fall.
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Well, I took one last night before going to bed, and ended up waking up at around 5:30. I tried to get back to sleep, but it was restless. I'm kind of hazy today, but I don't know if it's the lack of sleep or some combo effect. Hopefully this won't continue...
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After 1 week on 25 mgs and 2 weeks on 50 mg and only slight improvement my doctor told me to start taking 75 mgs for a week and then if needed bump it up to 100 mg. "This time" he said that 50 mgs is still a very low dose and most people don't feel relief until they are 100 - 125 mg. I asked if I would be sick again (like I was the first two weeks) and he said I shouldn't. He said the side effects, such as nausea are not "dose" related, so 75 mgs or 100 mgs won't make a person any more nauseaus than 25 mgs. We shall see. 
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I'm now on my third night of waking up at 5:30 in the morning without being able to get back to sleep. I'm just wondering if there's anyone out there who's had similar side-effects - is this one that you can eventually adapt to? It's just that though it is working to relieve some of the pain, I'm now exhausted all the time, which is almost worse.
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I have the same thing. I wake up about an hour and a half early and toss and turn. My doctor said it'll go away, and that a lot of people stop taking Zoloft too early because they don't like the side effects....
So stick with it, and hopefully it'll go away for both of us!
I have nausea at nights sometimes, and bad stomach aches from when I wake up for about 3 hours. 
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~Cara~
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Just wondering how you're doing on the Zoloft. I'm still having problems sleeping. I still get stomach aches from it too. This is my 7th day
I hope it gets better. Do you take it at night or in the morning? I take it at night and I'm wondering if I should switch to the mornings.
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~Cara~
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I'm on week 4 & just got bumped from 50 mgs to 75 mgs. I sleep great. Did have stomach pain the first week or so but took prilosec for several days which seemed to really help. I do find that in the afternoon if I'm not too physically active I get sleepy & sometimes take 1/2 hr or 1 hr nap.
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Re: Hey JRS
#94972 - 08/01/04 04:04 PM
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jrs
Reged: 03/31/03
Posts: 317
Loc: Aberystwyth, Wales
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It's been four nights of about 4-5 hours sleep so far -- I don't think I've ever been this tired in my life. The other problem is that the lack of sleep is aggrivating the IBS, so although the pain has somewhat subsided from the medication, the D hasn't.
I started out taking in at night, but switched to the morning after the first night went the way it did. So far it hasn't made a difference with regards to sleep though. Made a mistake and took an antihistamine last night while trying to get to sleep around 3am. Ended up with pretty bad nausea and D around 4:30. Makes for fun times... 
I'm going to talk to my doctor first thing tomorrow to ensure that the side effects aren't out of the ordinary. I keep getting conflicting advice from friends/family - some tell me to half the dose, others to keep going and others just to stop. The bigger problem is that I'm going to be moving to Canada in three weeks, so there are a whole pile of things I'm on which I'm falling behind because this is going on. I'm hoping that I'll find some resolution tomorrow so that I can get back on track.
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Ugh.
#95035 - 08/02/04 06:00 AM
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Please let me know if you talk to your doctor. I really don't think you or I should stop taking it right now, because everyone keeps telling me the side effects will go away. I'm going to give it at least a month.
What dose are you on??
They started me on 25mg for the first week, then 50mg. Yesterday was the first day I didn't have D, but then last night I had to up the dose to 50mg, and I have D this morning.
I have been taking Xanax when I can't sleep. I asked my doctor and it's ok to take with it if you HAVE to. I really really really don't want to keep taking Xanax though, that was kind of the main reason I started Zoloft - to get off of Xanax because it's addicting. I just really need something to get me to sleep!
Anyways, I really hope these side effects go away soon. I really think they will. I think you should stay on it. It might start kicking in and really help you right before you go to Canada. You don't want to regret stopping it, and wondering if it could have helped you. You've already been through a week of it, give it a couple more if you can!
Let me know how you're doing, and what your doctor says please. Feel better!
~Cara
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~Cara~
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Re: Hey JRS
#95145 - 08/02/04 01:55 PM
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daisy2
Reged: 07/19/04
Posts: 45
Loc: Washington
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My husband has been on Zoloft for about a year now. It definately plays with his stomach too. He takes it in the mornings. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. He does sleeps pretty well though.
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He STILL gets stomach aches from it a year later??? That's not good news!
I take it at night, get pain right away and try to sleep through it, and then have D in the morning. That has been the schedule for about a week now.
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~Cara~
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Re: Hey JRS
#95152 - 08/02/04 02:38 PM
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daisy2
Reged: 07/19/04
Posts: 45
Loc: Washington
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I know it's not good news. He is going in on Thursday to his doc. He's on 100 mg. He's going to see about getting off of it and going on something else because of all the tummy problems. Also, he's noticing that his Zoloft isn't helping him anymore. His symptoms with depress. and anxiety seem to be coming back. Hope this helps. Don't mean to be a downer. I think it did some good for him for a year except all the tummy stuff.
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Re: Ugh.
#95184 - 08/02/04 05:52 PM
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jrs
Reged: 03/31/03
Posts: 317
Loc: Aberystwyth, Wales
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Hey Cara - I spoke with my doctor today and we discussed the situation. We decided that I would half the dose for the next little while to see if I can get adjusted. I'm on the 25mg, so right now I'm as low as you can go -- I guess I'm just more sensitive to the changes in seretonin. I didn't take a dose yesterday out of desperation, and though my sleep was still interrupted last night, I felt like I got more of it for the first time in many days.
(either that or I'm just getting used to not sleeping...)
I'm monitoring how much is in my system at any given time, so I'm hoping I can find out what my baseline tolerance is in the next couple of days.
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Ok sounds good. Please let me know how you're doing! I feel a little bit better this morning than I did yesterday. My worst symptom is the pain I get right after taking the pill. It's a really weird pain in my stomach, almost like a pulled muscle or something. That and loss of appetite. I couldn't eat anything until 3:00 yesterday (at least I was finally hungry at 3:00), but my stomach was all screwed up because I couldn't eat.
Anyways - hopefully you'll get some better sleep!! Good luck.
~Cara
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~Cara~
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