bad side effects of zoloft?

hi there, i have never been on anxiety medication or any medication for that matter but it has been addressed to me that my anxiety is severly hindering my life...so my T decided to give a few options of SSRIs. I went on zolofts site and it didnt have any alarming side effects...does anyone on here have an experiences on the drug that could help me choose between lexapro, celexa, zoloft and prozac? -ty for ur help <3

I had severe sleepiness on zoloft, so much that I couldn't function, and I have only minor side effects on Prozac. BUT side effects are really variable for different people. If you have some other reason to try zoloft first, like your doctor prefers it, don't say no just because of one person's opinion.

yup. Every one is different. I had a love hate relationship with Zoloft. At first, and each time the dose was bumped up, I went into hypomania. I didn't know it had a name at the time all I knew is that it made me feel great. But then I'd level out...or maybe crash a little is a good description. The 'hate' was the sexual side effects. On it I had absolutely zero libido. They could have taken all my parts and sewn me up and I'd be happy about it.

thanks guys. i guess i hadnt known side effects could essentially be different for everyone...i guess the sexual side effect doesnt bother me since im abstinent...but i guess from what my T said, is that i dont have to go to a PDOC to get these medications...i can go to my regular doctor...which was sort of a relief because i scared to have a Pdoc.

I first went on lexapro but it only worked for a short while for me then I switched to effexor which raised my blood pressure. Now I am on zoloft and I love it. At first it made me soooo sleepy but I adjusted the dose way down and it works so well for me.

I use the liquid and only take 18 mg because the lowest dosage pill @ 25 mg was too much for me. For quite a while I took 14 mg., then 16 and now 18. So, yeah, like others said everyone is different. Get to know your body and find a pdoc who will work with you.

Best of luck!

Zoloft messed me up. I was put on it when I was 14, so I wasn't diagnosed with bipolar disorder yet - they just thought I was depressed.
It sent me straight into hypomania with psychosis, hallucinations - the works. I quit taking it by myself, since it was obvious to me how bad it was for me.
But my stance on medications is: Every medication is worth a try, and if you experience a side effect that you can't handle - quit taking it and change medication.

thanks for ur help guys. my mom ended up telling me i am not allowed to go on meds. she said she doesnt think i should and im sorta relieved in a way i guess. thanks for your help though

if you are a minor, then i guess ultimately it is up to your parents what medical treatment you get - but you should also listen to the advice of professionals. Most teenagers (i'm assuming your age here) don't share everything with their parents and only you know how you feel.
As for SSRIs if you do ultimately decide to try them out, they mostly all have the same side-effects listed on their side-effect profile but in reality it is just a try and see as side-effects as well as the effectiveness of the different ones varies dramatically between different people.
In my country, prozac is the only one that has federal approval for use in under 18s - the other ones are used but are used 'off label' and that is mainly just because the makers of prozac have done studies including younger patients while other brands haven't done studies that include minors.

If you and your T think it might be helpful, you are right, you don't need to see a psychiatrist, your family dr can prescribe them. But I would urge you to have your mum be in agreement and if you want to try, it might help taking here with you to the dr. be aware that they can be very helpful for some but don't start working instantly. Most people get the side-effects first which then subside and it isn't until later that they notice a difference so it is important to keep at it for a few weeks and sometimes in can be a very frustrating trial and error.

hey smiley i appreciate u taking ur time out to write a response. i am indeed 18. it essentially is my choice, but im guess im just not ready to go against how my parents feel in order to relieve some of my worries. overall, my family is all i have and going against their opinion is just a step i cant risk at this point. i know they would support me either way, meds or not...its just theyd be paying for them so theyd be handeling it...and if they arent willing to, then well....im stuck. i see my T on tuesday...so we'll see what she says to it...who knows

It is really hard when you are at the age where you are legally old enough to make decisions for yourself but are still financially dependent on your parents. If they are a big support for you, having their support is important. It sounds like they just want what is best for you and maybe both you and your parents need to see some people, do some more research before making a spontaneous decision. And information gathering can not be the easiest and can be more confusing because even professionals have different opinions about medications based on their experiences.
And remember your decision can change over time. You may like to try non-drug help for the moment but can always change your mind. Or if you decide to try SSRIs you can always stop if you think they are not for you.

Just a suggestion - as the internet isn't always the most reliable source of information and it can be hard to sort through the rubbish from the valuable information, maybe you can ask your T if she has access to any good independent journal articles regarding your issues and different treatments (both drug and non-drug)
and articles about different drugs and their efficacy and side-effects comparing them to placebo groups because your decision should be made on good quality data, not heresay or drug company advertising.
good luck