do the side effects of zoloft outweight the benifits?

I'm just afraid if I began taking something for the anxiety...it really wouldn't be able to function! Since I've cut back to 25mg of the zoloft things have been a little better. I did start freaking out last night but I know that was because I knew that I have to go back to work. I'm supposed to call into the pdoc this week, I'll ask him what he thinks. I'm still kind of nervious about being in public...which wasn't a problem before, but it's getting a little easier. Work wasn't as bad as I anticipated...except that there was a huge pile and a mess waiting for me!

I have to agree with Vertebrae. Keep giving it a try. It takes up to 6 weeks for it to get in your system, but I can tell you that I have to have it. It balances whatever that chemical in the brain supposed to be doing. I've been taking it for 8 years. I take 200mg a day and I take it before bed. I don't really have any issues with sleeping. The biggest side effect for me is the no sex drive thing. Not good for the marriage! But, if I'm not a crazy lady everyday, then its worth it. I didn't really think about the anxiety thing until recently. I've had some bad turns recently and started having panic attacks, but after 8 years, I don't think I can relate it to the zoloft. I just recently started Wellbutrin too and I'm not sure I'm a fan of it. Anyway, you have to decide what is right for you. And it is a long time to wait for it to kick in, but might be worth it. I've tried Pristiq and Lexapro and those were not good for me at all. Good luck with whatever you do.

I've been on the zoloft for 3 weeks, as of last week I had to cut back because of the side effects. It's been a little better since the cut back, however it's done nothing for the depression. I can't imagine taking more than 25mg at this point because of the way it was making me feel. Being back at work this week has been really tough! I will continue with the 25mg after talking to the pdoc...more afraid of the withdrawal and he doesn't want me to just stop. I wish I never took it but between the pdoc and my T they kept telling me it was in my best interest. If they only really knew what would happen, I wonder if they would have pushed so hard. I feel like my life has been turned upside down and I'm so stuck. Sometimes I wish it would just all go away...it's too much to deal with.

I read this whole thread with interest because my T is suggesting meds and I'm really scared of side effects!! I think zoloft or another SSRI might be what I'd try, but now I'm very hesitant. I don't have a pdoc yet, but I don't know if I want to.

So jpny, are you still on the zoloft or are you going to try something new? I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. I can visualize that happening to me too, but I tend to be negative about things, which is why my T is suggesting meds in the first place!

I was on Zoloft for over a year and then I finally realized it what was causing my feelings of depersonalization/brain fog. When it first started to work for me I could tell my articulation improved, but never that it made me feel better, happy. Now that I have been off of it, I know it did help with anxiety and suppressing anger, but it essentially suppressed everything. I really hate to word it like what follows because I do have a lot of respect for the practice of medicine, but Zoloft did make me into zombie of sorts. It made the now experience of days passing by more tolerable for other people interacting with me and myself, but I couldn't care enough to count the days. The chemical Zoloft effects is serotonin which is involved with the regulation of our sleep schedules and it always bothered me Zoloft lessened the quality of my sleep.

Remember that some side effects that occur when you begin the treatment may go away after continued use. If you give it a shot, do it right the first time and make a serious commitment regarding the duration of treatment.

This is similar to what happened to me also, I felt dazed and disassociated (if that's the correct term?) all the time. I couldn't think and it was just like my brain was deadened/numbed. But for me it went away after a few weeks. What was much worse though was the major sweet tooth it gave me! And it didn't go away! I kept craving sweets and cookies and eating them and getting fatter and fatter until I quit, then it all went away and I went back to my norm weight .. It did help though, I think ultimately it depends on the person, how bad the side effects are for them personally and how much it helps them since it varies so much from individual to indidvidual

I was on Zoloft for 4 months....it was not the best thing for me. I was constantly feeling sick, vomiting at times, couldn't think and the depression seemed to worsen. Finally, the Pdoc decided to take me off...and by the end of the week I'll be completely off. The highest dosage I was on was 100mg...I'm now down to 25mg and I actually feel like myself before things got "crazy". I'm still going to my T, and I'm hoping that between the T and Pdoc - if they decided that I still need an antidepresant...that they will listen when I tell them how I feel.
I just hope that I don't have to go through all the pain again. It was bad enough once...I don't think that I can do it again!

I can relate to your fears, I had never even taken pills for headaches in the past,so when put on Zoloft and Lacital I was initially horrified and found it hard to even put them in my mouth. Then I looked at the life I was living and how bad I felt with my depression and mood swings that were destroying my marriage and ruining the joy I should have been having with my kids and I thought maybe I could do this for them.Now I look at it that way. By the way I have had no side effects and am feeling the most stable I have for a long time. I am on 100mg Lacital and 50mg Zoloft.Life is too short to feel so bad.We put so much sh-- into our bodies everyday anyway, so give it a go.

I have been taking Zoloft for about a month, and at first i had terrible headaches and a bit of nausea. After a few days these went away, but i'm still very thirsty all of the time, and I have less appetite (which isn't necessarity a bad thing for me ). All in all I would rather be on Zoloft then have to deal with how I was feeling before I started taking it- uncontrollable anxiety, depression, panic attacks...It definitely has helped me, but I am going to talk to my doctor about increasing the dosage a bit, and see how it goes...

i been taking sertraline 25 mg every night and it helps. the side effects of this medicine really bothers me so i cut them in half and take it that way and if it starts bothering me then i have to go back to taking whole pills again.