[monk3y]

Hi all, this is my first post. I wanted to see if anyone has experience taking zoloft for a long period of time, like over 4 years. I've been on and off antidepressants for the last 8 years. After trying lexapro and paxil with not much success, I found zoloft and it worked great. I struggle with severe anxiety and moderate depression. I've always tried to go off meds when I feel like I've got things under control, but then a few months later my symptoms come back, and often the anxiety feels worse than it ever did before I took the medicine. I'm currently going through a rough time with my anxiety/depression after having a child and starting a new job. I'm starting to think that maybe I need to be on AD's permanently, though I worry about the long term effects and becoming tolerant. Does anyone have experience taking zoloft for over 4 years? What I worry about is that I will take it for a long time and then it will eventually not work as well (as I've read with other users), but then my anxiety will be irreversibly worse than it is now. Side note - after starting AD's 8 years ago, I developed some random twitches that get worse when I am especially anxious. Sometimes they are facial/mouth grimaces or my neck will turn too fast maybe twice an hour, and sometimes its just muscle spasms throughout my body. This also worries me about taking AD's forever, like maybe that will get worse. Thoughts anyone? Has anyone become tolerant or stopped their meds and then became worse off than they were before starting? Once becoming tolerant will switching to another AD help? Anyone been on it for years with no tolerance? Sorry for the long post!

[Chris Altman]

Withdrawl is normal but if after a while you don't feel better, thats no longer withdrawl and you'll need your meds back.

[Forever hopeful]

Hi , I was on Celexa for Depression, Anxiety for nearly a decade. The last year I was on it I found it was not working so well but I also had a major stresses in my life and probably should have up the dose instead I choose to taper off in Jan/2014 believed it was either Mar or Apr/14 I was completely. Things were ok manageable I stuck it out but least to say quality of life wasn't as good as before so I'm on week 2 now of starting to take Zoloft myself. So after 17 mths med free I am looking forward to having going back on them and getting my life back. I was coping, living my life but sometimes all the skills you have isn't enough to enjoy life. Least for me felt I had to spend to much time using CBT, mindfulness etc. I love the tools but somewhere you need to live. I also am taking a CBT and mindfulness course again along with starting meds. I have a short term counsellor too for th moment. I have had a few Dr's tell me it would be best to take meds for life.

Now for ill affects after being on Celexa for that long had some weight gain, had a few arm twitches now and again nothing major or bothersome. I tapered up really slowly so didn't really have side effects I did have discontinuation withdrawal effects cause I did do a fast taper after being on it so long wasn't the most pleasent experience to say the least but if I ever decide to go off again in the future I will go slower but I will use Zoloft for as long as it makes me feel better. Good luck I am sure their are people on here you have been on meds longer than me and are ok. Oh yes prior to celexa I was on Serzone for a couple of years . B

[neverending]

I started prozac in the 1980s. I don't remember when it stopped working maybe 7 years. Then switched to Zoloft. Maybe 7 years there and then had to switch back to prozac and so forth. Now I am on paxil. I don't have any side effects from the ADs. Those come from the APs for me.

[spring2014]

Originally Posted by monk3y

Hi all, this is my first post. I wanted to see if anyone has experience taking zoloft for a long period of time, like over 4 years. I've been on and off antidepressants for the last 8 years. After trying lexapro and paxil with not much success, I found zoloft and it worked great. I struggle with severe anxiety and moderate depression. I've always tried to go off meds when I feel like I've got things under control, but then a few months later my symptoms come back, and often the anxiety feels worse than it ever did before I took the medicine. I'm currently going through a rough time with my anxiety/depression after having a child and starting a new job. I'm starting to think that maybe I need to be on AD's permanently, though I worry about the long term effects and becoming tolerant. Does anyone have experience taking zoloft for over 4 years? What I worry about is that I will take it for a long time and then it will eventually not work as well (as I've read with other users), but then my anxiety will be irreversibly worse than it is now. Side note - after starting AD's 8 years ago, I developed some random twitches that get worse when I am especially anxious. Sometimes they are facial/mouth grimaces or my neck will turn too fast maybe twice an hour, and sometimes its just muscle spasms throughout my body. This also worries me about taking AD's forever, like maybe that will get worse. Thoughts anyone? Has anyone become tolerant or stopped their meds and then became worse off than they were before starting? Once becoming tolerant will switching to another AD help? Anyone been on it for years with no tolerance? Sorry for the long post!

hi monk3y,
I was on Zoloft for seven years. I didn't like what it did to me . it made me gain weight like hell cuz my old psychiatrist jacked it up to 275 mgs daily . it made me more depressed and more anxious . I went off of it in 2007 I stopped it cold turkey . my therapist and my psychiatrist knows that I don't like Zoloft cuz of yhe negative side effects it did to me . my body couldn't tolerate the high dose . I decided to quit the Zoloft cold turkey w/o my psychiatrist knowing about it cuz it was her fault for putting me up that high dosage in the first place .









Diagnosis: Anxiety and depression
meds : Cymbalta 90mgs at night
Vistrail 2 25 mgs daily for anxiety prn
50 mgs at night for insomnia

[Suraya]

I've been on Zoloft for about 8 years and it has stopped working. I'm on 200 mg. At first it was wonderful and saved my life. I went off it for about a year and then went back on it two summers ago, but it never did work as well. Now, it doesn't seem to work at all.

[arabianhorselover]

I am struggling with the same issue right now. Do I try to get by without mediation, or do I go back on it for the rest of my life. I feel that If I go back on now, I will never dare try to go without it again. There are just so many horror stories out there, and so much that the medical community does not know or won't admit about these drugs. It's driving me crazy wondering what to do. Part of me says "bring on the drugs, I have suffered enough already", and part of me is so afraid of what they might do or might have already done to me.

[vital]

******

Hi Monk3y,

The grimacing and twitches may be "tardive dyskinesia" which can be dangerous. I would strongly suggest complaining to your M.D. very specifically about what's happening.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardive_dyskinesia

- vital

[mcl6136]

If you read the circulars that come with your prescription medication, they all warn of TD, tardive dyskenesia.

These movement disorders can grow worse over time, and are potentially permanent.

[ofthevalley]

I took Zoloft for 4 years without trouble. After 4 years it sent me into a manic spiral that I'm still trying to recover from.