Still jittery and tired on 50 mg. of zoloft

I've been on 50 mg. of zoloft for a week and I'm still jittery, especially in the morning and early afternoon. I'm also tired from it, but am not sure if I want to try switching to the mornings. I'm afraid I'll be MORE tired. I've gone so gradually up to 50 mg, from 25 to 37 1/2 and now to 50, over about 7 weeks, that I wonder if zoloft just isn't the med for me. The pdoc just says "you have to get over the hump". Or, he wants to give me something for the "anxiety". But I feel jittery, NOT anxious. I see him in a week so I'll see how I feel. I really thought I would start to feel better on zoloft, instead of this jittery feeling. I hate to think I "wasted 7 weeks" but I know it's all trial and error, this med stuff. What does anyone suggest? Thanks very much.

Are you taking the Valium as prescribed? That is part of the plan he gave you, right? You need to follow the whole plan of treatment to judge how well it is working.

He left it up to me about the Valium. It makes me tired and I don't think it helps the jitteriness. I tried it once in the morning. I could try again. Why do I have to take another drug to combat the effects of the first one? These meds make me tired. I have to check out GABA, which is a vitamin, not a drug. He suggested it to me.

Right now I'm jittery, but I can still function. I don't want to be tired and jittery all the time from meds. I don't know if, on 50, it will take 4 weeks or more to work? I'm ready to give up but I know pdoc thinks I shouldn't yet.

The jitteriness is physical. It's not shaking, but it's not anxiety. It's not emotional. I know it's a side effect. Valium makes me too tired. I know I'm repeating myself. I am frustrated about the zoloft!

Hmmmm, no, it is definitely a side effect from the Zoloft. I had something similar when I first started or was on too high a dose.

I literally didn't sleep for the first few days I was taking it, and during the day, I was jittery. Also, tired a lot. For me, as long as I was under 100mg, the jittery was managable unless I had caffiene or something else that threw off my balance. If you can, you might want to wait a week or so to see if it goes away. If it doesn't and it's unbearable, you might want to switch. Taking Valium to counteract the jitteriness is not a sustainable solution. You will build up a tolerance and become dependent on that if you use daily for long enough. You might also want to know that Zoloft can cause anxiety to develop in some patients.

rain, personally i wouldn't take another drug just to combat side effects from the first drug. that just seems a bit crazy to me even though i know it's what pdocs do at times. i think it can be a good way to end up quite overmedicated. jmo.

hope you figure out something that helps. it isn't easy for some of us to find the right meds.

It might be a good idea to get a second opinion from a psychaitrist, don't know if a p-doc is the best at knowing what's best for someones mental illness. Though psychiatrists can be kinda pushy about meds to so not sure that would really make much difference...maybe worth a try though.

If the zoloft isn't helping and making you feel worse you can stop taking it even if the doctor advises against it, they should at least guide you in quitting safely though...I mean sure its good to follow treatment plan but in the end it's your body/mind not theirs and if you know its detrimental than you have to do what you need to do. I guess I get sick of the notion people should just do as directed regardless of what it is doing to them.

I thought pdoc was the abbreviation for psychiatrist, at least in the psychotherapy forum it is. Yes, it's a psychiatrist I'm seeing! What's your def. of pdoc, just curious? He acts like the jitteriness is my anxiety, but it's NOT. I see him next week and I'll try to get more definitive answers, but it does seem like he wants me to take something else for my "anxiety". I DO have anxiety also, the normal kind, LOL, but I don't know which is worse. This jittery feeling is more physical; my anxiety is emotional.

I think he meant to see second psychiatrist.

And I think med for med's side effects is a horrible idea usually. What if that med has side effects? Is he gonna just throw third and fourth and fifth in?

Thanks. I agree that taking Valium or anything to counteract the jitteriness is not a good solution! I think I'd rather keep my problems than feel this way every day! But the dr. says I'm not on enough for OCD. I don't have the "checking" compulsive OCD, more the ruminatating kind from my BPD, or my real anxiety. I don't know what to do!

Thank you, blur.

I agree. Thank you! It's just that I've stuck it out this long and the dr. says I'm not enough for it to work!

I don't like taking valium; it makes me tired.

I agree, 100%. I don't want to take new drugs to counteract the one I'm on but that's what people do. Thanks, VenusHalley. For once we agree!

It will take a while to really work... I started out with 25, 50 and now 100... over about 8 months.... Hugs

Oh I thought it meant like primary care doctor like regular doctor rather than psychiatrist or whatever, since that looks like the same abbreviation for that.

Also it probably is the zoloft, a lot of anti-depressants act a lot like stimulants it seems which can cause jitteryness and since it stimulates the nervous system more its possible it wears you out. Sometimes it is best to get a second opinion but I realise just up and switching to another psychiatrist isn't always practical.

Well... my DR/T/P is the same person - absolutely fantastic (kind, caring & always available)!!!!! I am so lucky My neuro is separate.... much more serious & medical... hah

My therapist suggested I either listen to the dr. and take what he thinks will help the jitteriness, except she doesn NOT think I should take valium, OR tell him that I want to try something other than zoloft. I don't know what to do!!! I see him Monday.

I haven't tried switching to the morning to see if I won't be as jittery.I'm afraid to do that because I have to skip a dose, take half, or take too much and I'm not sure which to do, to switch from night to morning.

My T says the jitteriness has gone on a long time so maybe zoloft isn't for me. I hate to start this whole thing over again, though.

I did forget to mention since its been quite a while back... my dr/p/t also prescribed Flexeril at night in very low doses... Believe it helped a lot... Hope you are better & again, it took a while

Flexedril is a muscle relaxer.... and helps you sleep wo having all the horrible symptoms.

Thank you, Pikku. I don't have trouble falling asleep; the zoloft makes me tired too. The jitteriness starts in the morning and goes until about 3 or 4 p.m. usually, so would taking something at NIGHT help? Most meds make me tired so I don't think I could take anything in the daytime, but that's when I need it. Was it zoloft you were on? Were you jittery like me?