Zoloft Side Effects?

Last Friday morning I saw my pdoc, and he added zoloft to my current meds. I had been on wellbutrin, ambien, and klonopin for the last 2 months but hadn't seen any changes in my depression. He prescribed 50mg of zoloft a day for the first 6 days, then up to 100mg. I'm going on day 4 right now, and I feel miserable. I've been so tired since Friday, so much that I slept all weekend and left work early Monday. I can't focus on anything, possibly because I'm so tired. I've had bad lower back pain, plus some abdominal cramps that feel like menstrual symptoms. I didn't feel much like eating Monday, and now I'm feeling so nauseous I wish I could vomit.

Has anyone else had symptoms like this when starting zoloft? I was hoping it would be short term side effects, but I've been feeling worse every day. I am going to call and leave a message with my pdoc, but it's only 5am here so I have to wait. Just looking for any responses from here for now.

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Side effects when starting an SSRI usually largely abate after around 2 weeks, although they can persist a bit longer.

I've never been on Zoloft, but Citalopram this time around has made me tired, nauseous, spaced out & increased my anxiety. I actually switched to taking my Citalopram at night because it was making me so tired during the days yet sleep badly at night. Seems to have helped a bit.

I'm now on my 3rd week & most the side effects have mostly gone although my anxiety is still playing up a bit at times.

By all means call your p-doc if any of the symptoms are worrying but it's quite normal to get side effects initially. If they are still bothersome after the first 2 weeks & you aren't starting to see any improvement, then that might be time to consider your options.

If you aren't, it's best to take your medication after a meal. That might help ease the nausea a bit. I can't really offer any advice over the other symptoms.

Hang in there, it should get better soon.

Thanks for replying. My biggest problem with the side effects is the intensity. I left work early yesterday and I'm calling in sick today. If these side effects aren't going to at least diminish soon, I need to do something different.

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Zoloft was mostly side effect free for me. I think at first it upset my stomach but that didn't last long at all. I was on it for 8 months and don't remember any other issues...

I reckon if they are that intense, that it is definitely worth calling you p-doc.

I called and left a message. Just waiting to hear back, hopefully soon.

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Hi, I'm on Zoloft. It's possible that I had some heartburn for the first 2 weeks I was on Zoloft. Aside from that, I feel somewhat spacey. Mostly, the Zoloft has been helpful for me. I'm glad you're talking to your pdoc.

Didn't really get much of a response from my pdoc. He told me to stop taking the zoloft, and if my symptoms are side effects they'll be gone in days. Not really sure how this helps, other than feeling better physically. I'm still on meds that aren't helping, and we don't have another appointment until august. It took a while for me to give meds another chance, and I'm wondering if it's with it. I've had very few positive experiences so far, and it's frustrating.

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Wow, that is frustrating! I know it's a hard thing to do, but I think you need to call your pdoc again and tell him what you've told us...that you need an AD that you can tolerate, and that works.

Remember, the pdoc is working for you. He needs to take responsibility for his position, not just blow you off.

Thanks, I can get a little whiney when I'm not feeling well. I've been thinking since I got the call back that I should call again, maybe try to get an appointment scheduled sooner to discuss an alternative to the zoloft. I get really anxious about making phone calls. I worry that I'm mistaking the cause of my symptoms too, maybe I'm actually sick? But everything started after I took the first dose, so that makes more sense.

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I'm on day 4 of Zoloft and it's killing my stomach, but pretty much all SSRI's have done that to me in the past- there's serotonin receptors in your GI tract. It usually goes away in a week or two. Other than that I'm tired, sort of spacey, and not hungry at all (typical SSRI side effects) but I'm starting to feel calmer! I'm sticking with it.

PsychNitrous, how are things going with the Zoloft?

I talked to my pdoc the day I posted this, and he told me to stop taking it. I haven't had any in a week now.

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Did he prescribe a replacement?

I read you already stopped, but I wanted to respond if anyone else was reading this thread. Zoloft was the first psych med I tried for depression/anxiety. Pdoc chose it because I was really hesitant to start any meds, but desperately needed more help than just therapy, and he thought that Zoloft would be an easy one to tolerate. I started on 50mg was told to take it every morning. At first it made me really nauseous, stomach cramps, lack of appetite, occasionally vomiting, especially in the morning, afternoon, or if I didn't eat breakfast or much that day. A little over a week it started to get better and it then subsided. What helped me during this time was making sure I ate breakfast before I took Zoloft- even if it was just a granola bar and glass of milk and eating in the afternoon before the next wave of intense nausea/cramps hit. It sounds kind of counter-productive but it worked and after a week or so it got to the point where I didn't have to eat to fix it and it was just a dull nausea and by two weeks it was gone.

I stuck it out because I really wanted something to help, had heard that SSRIs take some time to adjust to, and didn't want to take multiple medications. It helped a lot with depression/sui/anxiety. After a month or so I went to 100mg. After several more months pdoc wanted me to try 150mg. Samething happened when I went to 150mg from 100mg, so I decided to try Lexapro (escitalopram). When I switched to the Lexapro it seemed like I took a step backwards even after going up to 20mg, so I ended up going back to Zoloft.

No, he hasn't.

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Glad it helped you! I was surprised to have such a strong reaction to it, I rarely feel side effects from medications. If I had been able to stay awake on it, I had high hopes for the zoloft.

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Can you try just 25mg until the side effects pass? Ease into it? That's what I'm doing because I'm super sensitive to meds.

That was never even a thought or suggestion. I was trying to work up from the 50mg to 100mg.

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