Zoloft: getting worse before it gets better?

I hope you figure it all out. I've been in a similar situation with meds so many times, and it can be extremely frustrating.

Hi triplewater, you run marathons? wow. Great to hear the zoloft seems to be kicking in. I do think that is one of the safest ones and good for anxiety.

I got a little carried away with my response. I just happened to be 'researching' a health issue and read some stuff about beta blockers in learning about histamine. There's really a lot of controversy in prescribing them to heart patients, but I also think potent medications should be last resort, not first choice! That's one of the things that disturbed me about doctors prescribing them for anxiety, such as yours. There's been some research that that blocking the beta receptors changes the integrity and function of the heart through growth of cardiac fibroblasts. These fibroblasts are thought to damage the heart.

Not that anti anxiety medications are without risks, but I can't believe how some of these doctors let someone suffer instead of prescribing an Ambien type drug, especially as you were awaiting the Zoloft to take effect. That's really lousy medicine, imo. Beta blockers come with more risk than schedule IV drugs. Nothing wrong with using them while you are working on a long-term solution. That's one reason they exist in the first place. And what you said about treating the symptoms instead of addressed the cause-yes, it's really sad. I also wondered about the interaction of all 3 too (not the 2- Trazadone with a SSRI) as some doctors don't check.

Anyway, some beta blockers promote release of histamine by activation of mast cells that are in tissues in nerves and smooth muscles such as blood vessels and lung and intestines which causes inflammatory response. Ongoing exposure to histamine seems to be really bad as this is a stress to the body.

But in terms of beta blockers for anxiety, it's trigger of histamine constricts the airway, which can actually trigger anxiety. A lot of people have breathing symptoms with panic attacks and anxiety, and the beta blockers that have this mechanism can make you feel like you have anxiety as your airways constrict, which in turn actually promotes anxiety. This is the reason they aren't prescribed to those with asthma. Maybe the one you take is not one of those; hopefully not.

Getting carried away again....I am really glad to hear you are doing better! That is not something someone should suffer through when there are relatively safe medications that help.

Bottom line is we are the only ones truly looking out for ourselves, or so it seems.

You are truly a godsend! Thank you so much for your thoughtful response and all the information. I always knew about the effects of beta blockers, both from research and from my own experiences. I definitely get some weird symptoms from them, including that odd chest sensation you mentioned. Everything you said validated my concerns about all this.

I feel like I brought this upon myself, in a way, because I panicked and went to the doctor when the insomnia/panic attacks started last month and implied I needed help. Had I had waited it out a little bit, perhaps I would have gotten past it, but I will never know now.

I thought the zoloft was working, but the insomnia and not sleeping thing is still ravaging me. I will go a few nights and get broken sleep, and then I'll take a sleep aid, and then have an awful night.. and the pattern repeats. Both zoloft and metoprolol, the beta blocker I'm taking, can lead to insomnia, but I still don't know if that's the case. I actually went to see a hypnotherapist today for the insomnia, she was great, but obviously one session didn't fix it!

I am starting to think the days I feel better/normal are actually because I get sleep the night before. Right now I am awake at midnight crying. I tried going to bed at 9, listening to my new hypnosis recording I got of my session, listening to other relaxing things, and finally tried a new extended release melatonin I just bought. I bought THREE different kinds of melatonin, unisom, benedryl, plus i have the trazodone the doctor prescribed, all sitting around. It's getting ridiculous.

I want to call my doctor, but I don't think he will help me. I am doubting anyone can, at this point. I don't think I ever needed all these meds, I just need help with my sleep.

Update:

Things did not go so well with my doctor today. I really thought about what I wanted to say, and explain myself. Well, he did not agree. And I can tell he was getting agitated with me. His immediate response was "let's try lexapro!" and I said "Shouldn't we taper off the zoloft before we add something else?" And he disagreed and started getting annoyed with me for asking.. he then implied I was making up that insomnia is a side effect of zoloft and metoprolol, and said that "you will probably find some other weird side effect to have a reason to go off meds." He implied that I need to be on anti-depressants forever, in order to be "stable." He also said something about how he has worked with so many people with mood disorders like me, and no one ever had insomnia from zoloft....firstly, I don't and never had "a mood disorder." I have freaking anxiety. Even when I am super anxious, I never am depressed! I never lost motivation for things, didn't get bummed out for long periods of time, etc.. but when I started the zoloft, I started feeling hopeless! THIS WAS NOT CHARACTERISTIC OF ME. Anyway, I could tell he was getting frustrated. He "gave in" and said I could drop down to take 1/2 a pill, so 25mg. Needless to say, it was stressful. I walked out of the appointment, went to my car and cried out my frustration to my mom. I then called my ObGyn, who is an excellent doctor, and the receptionist passed on information to me about another local Primary Care clinic with a great new PA I could try. In fact, I had researched this place already and heard it was a good one! I called and am getting in right away next week to start with them. I am looking forward to it. I knew that I probably needed to switch doctors, and today was definitely a sign of that. I can't feel like I'm afraid to be myself, or that my doctor is condescending. I find it very offensive that he dismisses my concerns, and makes it sound like everything is my anxiety... mind you, I am a freaking psychologist, I know about neurotransmitters, and other coping skills, and I know I can live without being on an AD. Yes, sometimes it is hard, but I function just fine!!! Thank you guys for listening and supporting me. After the appointment I went to the gym and went to a relaxing yoga class, it helped a lot. I think going through this is making me a stronger person, and I'm realizing anxiety isn't something to get rid of, it's a survival mechanism, we just need to learn how to challenge it and drive it, and not let it drive us. I want to write a letter to my anxiety and apologize for trying to get rid of it. There are underlying reasons for everything, and I look forward to figuring them out, with the help of professionals that are supportive and not dismissive. Off my soapbox!