Experiences with Sertraline/Zoloft?

My Doctor just prescribed me this and I'm going to start it tomorrow. Has anyone had any experiences with this before? Did it help OCD/Depression/anxiety?
Thanks
~ WTTJ

Hi I wanted to reply to your post as I noticed you had no replies.
I've been on this medication for nearly eleven years now (although some docs say it should be used short term?) And I have
Severe depression/anxiety and a multitude of other things.
I find that whilst it isn't the miracle pill to sort everything out it does help a lot ,and when I have stopped it or reduced it myself I realised just how much it does help my depression.
Just to add NEVER just stop taking your medication or reducing it without consulting your doctor first.
For me there were no nasty side effects just a little tired at the beginning.
Like all other anti depressants give it a couple of weeks to let it get into your system as its never an immediate feeling that they are working or not.
Good luck and I hope they benefit you
JK

I took Zoloft for 4 years and found it pretty effective at taking away the worst lows of my depression. I kept having to increase the dose though to get a constant effect. I did think it was a pretty good medication overall.

I started taking Zoloft eleven days ago. So far, I've had a few spells of nausea, have been too tired and sleepy throughout the day and I've been experiencing tremors in my right hand.

On the other hand, it's starting to feel like I'm becoming more aware or how to say it. Reality's becoming clearer and the dark and despair is just outside of my consciousness now (but that could be denial and shock from an event two weeks ago).

A friend said that Zoloft had helped her battle panic disorder immensely and that she lost weight while on it. So the side effects can go in all directions.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

I'm on 200mg of Zoloft, and found it somewhat helpful on its own. However, I only started feeling truly balanced after Lamictal was added to the mix.

It'll probably take at least 2 weeks for it to build up in your system...I hope you find it helpful.

I took Zoloft on the max dosage for 3 years. It helped a little with the anxiety stuff. Had no depression prior. It stopped working. I fell down in a very deep depression for 3 years when I quit it, and I always thought my brain would go back to normal sooner or later. It didn't.

Now I'm on a low dosage of Luvox, that is so much more efficient for me. I wish they had started with this for me. But it became an unpopular med and wasn't longer pushed by drug companies after it became an orphan med.

because its the weakest ssri

Which is?

Don't think there are "strengths" in SSRI's, some work for some people, and some don't...

luvox is the oldest an the most basic.

There are ways of comparing the strengths of different classes of related drugs. The explanation is a bit technical; I could explain if you are interested.

please do

I tried Zoloft for OCD/depression/anxiety several years ago.

It didn't do anything.

I mean, literally, it didn't do anything.

I didn't have side effects.

I didn't have effects.

It might as well have been a sugar pill! I was on the highest dose and it didn't do anything.

Yes, I have found it helpful. I take 100 MG a day. It helps with the depression and the anxiety (my diagnosis is moderate to severe depression). Only side effect has been night sweats but they seem to be lessening.
Everyone is different.
Good luck with it.

definitely helped.. once it settled down.
but i noticed a fair degree of depersonalization.

however before it settled down....:

Did no-one else have the rollercoaster from hell getting onto it?
i mean i've done; mdma,lsd -: all kinds of recreational drugs.
and none have even touched the level of 'intoxication' that i received from sertraline.
i literally lost my mind for about 3-5 days.
ended up screaming in the street - going to hospital and getting into two fights. (separate occasions)
and coming off was very different but equally unpleasant.

but on and off felt like a Very powerful Illicit drug.
full on hallucinations, unable to walk due to weakness, shaking/trembling, akisthia, blinding euphoria, mood swings, derealization - you name it.

and whatever you do don't mix it with alchohol.
Prozac and alchohol was fine for me.
in the plateu of my sertraline treatment i had 3 cans of 5%beer. (nothing for me) and i blacked out, and left the house.
that was at 8.00pm i arrived back at 5.00am and i still don't know what happened. i apparently called my friends to meet up and then never showed. I don't even remember leaving the house or calling them.
i was intending to be having a night in.

so .. yeah , i guess they effect everyone very differently.
they work, and if you need it at any given time, take it.
but be prepared for your mind adjusting to it.
and don't drink whatever you do.. (on sertraline)

oh yeah: i was prescribed it primarily for OCD.
but the doctors were aware i have: BDD, GAD and panic disorder too.

circles5.
x

circles5,

Woah, those sound like some strong reactions - you must have been freaked out.

Not sure if this is helpful to anyone, but I know I am really sensitive to meds. The first time I tried sertraline (just 5 MG) I ended up restless all day and startling awake all night. I'd have these mini panic attacks. That happened on prozac too. On celexa and on luvox I couldn't stay awake and had no motivation to do anything at all. Again, this was on the lowest dose possible.

But after even more serious depression, I knew I somehow needed to try to work up to the standard dose. The way I did it was to take the tiniest grain possible - I mean a crumb. It was pretty ridiculous I did that for a week, then took 2 tiny crumbs etc. I actually worked up to 5 MG of sertraline LOL. By doing that I avoided the most bothersome side effects. I really hardly had any. It was a really slow process but it worked. I sometimes wonder why more pdocs don't try it for those who are nervous about meds or who are having serious side effects. I've always been that way. If I'm gonna do it, I just have to do it my way. Well, anyway, food for thought... ?

I think each person metabolizes differently. I don't drink much (glass or 2 of wine at dinner maybe) but I don't seem to have reactions to alcohol with the med.

I tried zoloft and it made me so shaky that I couldn't drink out of a cup without spilling it. I called my dr and they had me stop it immediately (I was only on it for 2 days). I ended up in the hospital that night with SU ideation with a plan. They then put me on cymbalta, and I have been on that ever since. Each person reacts differently, but it is nice to know what to look for.