[Mavenfp]

Hi, I'm about to start 50mg Zoloft for panic disorder this Monday. My psychiatrist told me to take 1/2 of the 50mg pill for a week and then move up to 1 whole 50 mg pill every day after that.

I was wondering if anyone can share their experiences with Zoloft (especially if they took it for panic disorder/anxiety), and how long it took before they felt that it made a difference?

My friend takes it for anxiety and she said she was nauseous the first week but that it's been working for her ever since. I really HATE being nauseous and usually feel nauseous during a panic attack but at the same time, I can't take my panic attacks ANYMORE. I need something that will keep the attacks at bay. I take Xanax as needed now, which IS A DREAM, but I do not want the nightmare of going through dependency/withdrawal/weaning off like I did late last year.

[snowflake_48888]

Hi Mavenfp
I take Zoloft for anxiety/depression and have for several years. For me it took about 4 weeks to build up in my system before it started to help me. I always take Xanax on an as needed basis for extreme times of anxiety. I have been on Xanax several years on and off also...but more off then on. I am wondering if my Zoloft isn't working as well as it did before because I feel I am relying on Xanax more and more....when I go to my Pdoc next week I will ask what he thinks.

I hope the meds help you and that your body will tolerate it well.

Take care
Snow

[Mavenfp]

Hello Snow!

Thanks for your sharing your experience. I was wondering -- do you ever feel or have ever felt any unplesant side effects from taking Zoloft?

Also, do you think sometimes that the more you worry about something the more it'll come true? What I'm learning about myself is that I experience a lot of anticipatory anxiety with regard to my panic attacks -- if I become afraid of it happening, I start to get more panicky and then 50% of the time I end up having one. UGH. So, I bring this up b/c do you find yourself being afraid of being so anxious that you need to take your "emergency Xanax" that you end up doing just that?

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snowflake_48888 said:
Hi Mavenfp
I take Zoloft for anxiety/depression and have for several years. For me it took about 4 weeks to build up in my system before it started to help me. I always take Xanax on an as needed basis for extreme times of anxiety. I have been on Xanax several years on and off also...but more off then on. I am wondering if my Zoloft isn't working as well as it did before because I feel I am relying on Xanax more and more....when I go to my Pdoc next week I will ask what he thinks.

I hope the meds help you and that your body will tolerate it well.

Take care
Snow

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[snowflake_48888]

I have not had any unpleasant sid effect from Zoloft that I can remember. I tolerate meds pretty well but now that I am getting older..who knows if I will continue to be that lucky.

I totally agree with you on the more you worry about having anxiety the more your anxiety will increase. I used to do that quiet often and I was in a continual anxiety state. What an awful feeling that was. I learned over the years that this worrying only increased it so I started to tell myself I am ok...nothing is wrong..I am not dying..things like that. Believing this doesn't happen overnight though...it takes time. As a doctor once told me I didnt get this way over night and I wont get better overnight. I still go through periods of increased anxiety but I try to handle it on my own without the meds. But if it does get extremely bad I have learned to take the xanax so the anxiety doesnt get to far out of control. When I am feeling anxious I have to move...can't sit still because if I do..then I really start that negative thinking.

Are you in any type of therapy? Relaxation techniques? Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?

I know the more I understood my illness the better I felt. Also it helped to be in touch with people who understood and could share their own experience. For some reason there is comfort in numbers....

I hope I have help in some way...
Snow

[50guy]

I take 100mg of zoloft a day. It did make me nauseous for the first week. It has helped a lot with my anxiety. I am trying not take it. I am currently taking 50mg one day and 100mg the next. I'm trying to ween myself off it.

[Mavenfp]

I started taking 25mg Zoloft on Monday and now it's Friday. I did feel a little nauseous yesterday and after the first time I took it, I felt kinda jittery and drowsy at the same time -- the jitteriness made me nervous so I took a Xanax along with it (but the first day of Zoloft is the only time I took Xanax). Also, I do notice a loss in appetite a bit, but I'm eating here and there, and not starving, so I'm doing ok in that department so far.

I would say that the most pronounced side effect for me so far has been the drowsy feeling, although I feel less of that today It's already working for me! I love that I feel more sleepy around "proper bedtime" and I definitely haven't felt panick attacky this week. Wow. I hope it just gets better and better. I switch to 50mg this Monday. I hope I don't feel anything weird when I up my dose. Thanks for all the feedback, guys, and I'll keep you posted on how I feel on this. After feeling like panic attacks were taking over my life, I finally feel like a semblance of normalcy returning...I'm quite amazed that I don't feel panic attacky anymore...

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50guy said:
I take 100mg of zoloft a day. It did make me nauseous for the first week. It has helped a lot with my anxiety. I am trying not take it. I am currently taking 50mg one day and 100mg the next. I'm trying to ween myself off it.

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[ickydog2006]

I'm on 50mg Zoloft and it has helped so much with anxiety. For the first two weeks i experienced dizziness and nausea. After that I was pretty okay. Sometimes my hand/arm would tremble, but it quit after a few months. Although I had problems with side effects to begin with, it was well worth it.

[lessthansign3]

It took a long time for the Zoloft to work for me, but now that I'm at 300 mg it works like a charm. I worry about going off of it since I'm on such a high dose, though. Still, I wish you the best of luck! It's worked for me as we as many others so hopefully it'll work for you. If it doesn't, though, don't be discouraged because that's the way these drugs work. You've just gotta find the right one.

[ONEWISH]

I was given zoloft years back for depression. I dont remember dosage but i took half . I ended up having convulsions and never took it again. I know a few people that took it and said it worked for them.

[Mavenfp]

So, I have been taking Zoloft for almost a month now, at 50mg. I have to say that it's really made a difference -- haven't had a panic attack outside of the first week of taking it, and I like that it makes me feel sleepier at night than w/o it. Also, my appetite has improved dramatically. The only drawbacks to Zo is that sometimes I feel a little gassy and constipated. Anyone else experience that? However, the pros totally outweigh the cons of taking Zoloft. Wow, I am lucky that so far, the first medication I've taken to combat my panic attacks has worked swimmingly.

One thing: I do feel like that in the past couple of days, I've had moments of jitteriness, nothing major, that weren't present after the first week of taking Zoloft. Does this mean that my dose might have to be increased at some point? Typically, how does one know, what are signs that their dosage on Zoloft needs to be increased? Thanks!