[onionknight]

Hello everyone!

I've been taking Zoloft for 5 or 6 weeks now, not really sure specifics. I've gone from 25mg for a week to 50mg for two weeks to 100mg for a month and then, two days ago my doctor raised it to 150mg because I said I wasn't feeling 100% yet. On the lower dose, I was fatigued and tired all the time, but my focus and outlook did improve some. But since I took the dose increase, I feel very agitated, anxious and shakey. It's bad; while the tiredness I could take, increases restlessness, I cannot.

Will the side effects of an increased dose go away with time? Or since it made me tired and somewhat more anxious at 100mg, should I ask to be switched. She offered to put me on Prozac, but I'm scared that another medicine would cause weight gain. And my psychiatrist isn't in again until Monday. *sigh*

[sweepy62]

I take 100 but I'm also on mood stabilizers because of Mania but regardless I feel tired yet wired

I didn't get agitated on Zoloft/sertraline, but I did get it on Prozac/fluoxetine which is also a SSRI. Everyone is different but it became unbearable for me and I had to come off fluoxetine. Can you hold on 'til pdoc gets in on Monday? Maybe try exercising to wear yourself out so you can sleep or take some sleep meds if you have them. That's what I do when I'm agitated, just try to sleep it off.

All the best,

*Willow*

[onionknight]

Thanks for the replies!

I was so anxious earlier that I had to take ativan to calm myself, which really didn't work even.

I did talk to my doctor, though. She said I could either wait it out and see if I get used to it, I could try taking it at night or I could slowly get off it and see how I feel then.

I hate, hate, HATE this, but I'm probably going to take it another few days, maybe try taking it at night if I get anxious during the day, and if after all that I still feel anxious, I'll try something else.

Good idea?

Yes I think that sounds like a good idea, provided you can keep yourself safe during the agitation.

All the best,

*Willow*

[Mogie]

I take zoloft, and have found that exercise really helps. A real sweat dripping workout. takes the anxiety and agitation down a lot for me. Even a simple walk or working out with hand weights helps...some type of activity.

[Amazonmom]

I ended up failing the zoloft test for bipolar, my pdoc gave me zoloft for what he thought was plain unipolar depression and i ended up hypomanic on 25 mg a day. Considering ssri drugs can be used to treat anxiety I don't think i would want to stay on them if they had the other effect. Or try another ssri instead, maybe?

[onionknight]

Thanks for your input everyone

Working out does wonders to relieve anxiety for me too, but I work all day most week days so it would be more detrimental to try to squeeze the gym in. I try to go when I can, to kill the agigation.

On Monday, I started taking it before bed, and I wake up in the middle of the night shakey and headachey and unable to fall back to sleep for a few hours.

It sucks that I can't tolerate it anymore because depression wise, I have a substanial improvement.

[onionknight]

I haven't taken it since Tuesday night. I'm probably just going to stop.

[-jimi-]

It's called akathisia. I had it starting on Prozac and it was BAD. I was prescribed propranolol to help with it and it helped some. It faded after a few weeks to a month though. But it is a really bad feeling if is the same I got.

[Pikku Myy]

My dr/T prescribed Flexedril 10mg (sp) at night... to help get thru the first 3 months, and be able to sleep. This was too strong and I cut the doze in half... in order to function the next day. I have been very pleased with how the Zanax has worked overall... but it did take a while (5-6 months) to achieve balance. I also was given a prescription to Xanax... for my extreme anxioty... and now regret ever taking this med... very addictive. My Dr took a lot longer in increasing the meds... 25 mg for about 1.5 months, 50 mg for the next 2 months... and leveled out at 100 mg after all this. Maybe your DR/T is trying to do this too fast? Hugs and best of luck

[onionknight]

Dang, today I feel shakey from not taking any Zoloft since Tuesday. I called doctor, but she didn't respond. Ugh, I just want to be done with this...How long would this withdrawl last? Perhaps, I should take 100mg again and taper off from there?

Another thing is, I'm not really certain if I trust this psychiatrist I've been going to. Originally, she failed to mention that Zoloft could make you agitated or induce insomnia. Then, she didn't believe it could be normal that side effects last beyond a few weeks.

[-jimi-]

Either doc doesn't know or sometimes they don't mention things because they think it will just make patients worry.

[onionknight]

Really, reallly sorry for asking so many questions, but this is a big deal in my life: before Zoloft, I was feeling totally hopeless, like I was one step from losing my mind. Lately, I've been feeling a lot better, but there has been the tiredness and agitation. I just want to find a balance.

[-jimi-]

Maybe you can get through the agitation.. or try another med. No one but you knows how much anxiety you can take. Also I know I took benzo in large amounts for the akathisia and it didn't help at all so I got the propranolol instead which helped at least a little. My anxiety normally responds to benzos so I guess that feeling is somehow different from anxiety.

If you feel you cannot take the med, the doc should understand and taper you out, or it is a bad doc. I mean they should tell the patient it might be worth pushing it a bit but they can't know when enough is enough.

There are indeed other meds out there.

[adel34]

Hi,
First of all, I love to see someone else on here from the Chicago Area, so cool!
That sounds like quite a fast dose increase! My pdoc was always more careful and slow about that kind of thing. Though when my Primary care doctor was prescribing my zoloft for a little while and I was first started on it, she had me go from 25 to 50 within a few days. This was too much for me. I had dry mouth and an ongoing headake, and a couple days into the increase I woke up in the middle of the night extremely restless and anxious with my heart pounding ETC! It was very scary! I asked to be brought down to 25 mg and I was fine. My former Pdoc then took over, and increased it by half if she was gonna do anything. Now of course, I don't have a pdoc, and so have been on 50 mg since I moved from ma to here several months ago.
Anyway, I hope this helps. I'd suggest going back down and see what that does.

[onionknight]

Oi, I'm going to another psychiatrsit in the morning because like I said, I'm not sure I trust the first one.

I think I really just need to decide if I want to try another drug or test the waters drug free. I'm horrified of the latter, though. The depression was that bad. I'd probably rather live with the jitteriness than the fatalistic, anxiety and complete disconnection. I originally told myself I'd sit with antidepressants for six to nine months, so...I should try another, and hope for the best.

I talked to my first doc too, and she said I could try Prozac, but I was concern it might be too much like Zoloft. Then she suggest something like Effexor in another class. I just don't know!