Zoloft For Anxiety

[Chloe]

Hi everyone just wondering people's experience with Zoloft and anxiety and at what dose did you feel your anxiety was under control?

I'm currently on 100mg and feel like it still hasn't made me feel completely like myself this could also be from coming of Seroquel, but when I finally talk to my doc I want to ask him to up my dose of Zoloft.

I have a trip planned to qld in 2 weeks cannot get a refund, first time on an aeroplane so I want to be completely on top of this anxiety thing.

Thanks
Chloe
:)

[KitahD]

Have you taken anything with zoloft when you're really having a difficult time? How long have you been taking zoloft? Xanax helped me but zoloft made me irritable and feeling not quite like myself. I'm no longer taking zoloft. I take Xanax once in a while when my anxiety is bad.

[Chloe]

Hey Kita,

Have been on it all up for about 3 months. I also have Xanax for the bad times but don't really like to take it I just want the anti depressant to work!

Have you been on any other medication if you don't mind me asking?

[KitahD]

No, but I did try zoloft faithfully for four months at 50mg per day. I didn't have actual anxiety attacks until last year but always had OCD. My OCD anxiety focuses on fear of going crazy, fear of hurting loved ones, fear of becoming schizophrenic, and/or bipolar. I worry that I'll see or hear meanings or messages in things people say. Fear hallucinating or hearing voices (never have though!). I worry about my health and think I'm not going to live long.

Zoloft did alleviate much of those feelings but I didn't feel like myself. Not myself in the sense that I wanted to be back to my OCD anxiety...but myself in terms of basic emotions. I don't like side effects and I don't like worrying about drug interactions...when at my worst, I tell myself to try another SSRI...but then the Xanax beings me down and I start to feel better. I'll take it once or twice a day for a few days and my anxiety is generally good for at least a month.

[tailspin]

Hi Chloe, I took Zoloft for many years. 100 mg per day. I had/have GAD, panic attacks and depression. The Zoloft helped quite a lot with the panic attacks, and because of that my GAD and depression lifted for a bit too. I started on 50 mg per day and went up to 100 mg, where I stayed for at least a couple of years. I tolerated Zoloft well and didn't have any side effects really. But after a while I did start feeling anxious and depressed again. My psychiatrist wanted me to raise my dose to 150 mg per day, and possibly go up to 200 mg daily after that. Unfortunately on the day I took my first dose of 150 mg I had a panic attack. My first in a while. I don't think the panic attack was related to increasing the Zoloft, but in my mind I associated the two things and so it became impossible for me to increase the dose without freaking out.

At any rate, I do think that Zoloft was helpful overall and I would definitely ask your doc about increasing to 150 mg per day. For your upcoming trip to QLD I would definitely have some Xanax on hand for the flight, just in case.

Good luck, Chloe!

[Ponder]

I was on it twice. First time I felt like zombie and gave it the flick.

Second time I tried for over 9 months ... to give it Time. Again, It sucked the life right out of me. I thought I was on them for Depression. Whilst I though it was going to work, I eventually regressed while still on them. I gained a lot of weight and ended up as suicidal as when I first started.

Currently I am still on Meds ... Just not Zoloft also known as Setraline ... to which I was put on the second time, without actually knowing it was Zoloft ... and like I said, still No good for me.
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My meds will never make me feel like myself ... as to know that, would mean I don't need them. Forgive me, not a good morning for me, and I even have to contemplate my own meds from day to day as I'm only using them to get by for now.

I also hope all goes well on your trip to QLD.

[Chloe]

Thanks everyone it helps to hear peoples stories good or bad!!

That's ok Ponder I feel like that on meds just getting through the days!! Although I was always told I would get back to my old self which was total BS!!

I still just actually cannot believe how serious anxiety can be on someone! before this happened to me I had no idea anxiety was like this like I used to get normal anxiety but this is something else!

[Perses]

Dear Chloe,

I was put on Setraline aka Zoloft 18 years ago at 100mgs. I don't think it does that much for my anxiety, perhaps a little bit. I didn't have any trouble upping my dosage from 50 to 100mgs. If you are worried specifically about flying, then I'd be sure to arrive early, maybe take an over the counter sleeping pill once you are on the plane. Bring headphones so you can watch the in-flight entertainment, be sure to have puzzle books, or a fun book to read, or your own music.

Second, one statistic I've heard is that one's chances of dying in an airplane crash are so low that you could fly every single day for 38,000 years and still not worry.

I unfortunately don't think anyone can ever be on top of anxiety. Everyone who gets on a plane is bound to feel a little nervous, or a lot. Also, propranolol (a beta-blocker) is a 3 hour performance anxiety drug that keeps one's heart rate low and reduces butterflies in the stomach. It only deals with the physical symptoms, but you might ask you doctor for that. You shouldn't take it if you have low blood pressure.

[Chloe]

Thanks Perses I do have some propranolol which is good cause I can use it for the plane but I just don't know if I even want to go now. Everything is a struggle. My doc just upped my dose of Zoloft to 150mg so I'm hoping I don't experience any side effects and I'm hoping it's the boost I need.

[Perses]

Dear Chloe,

You can do it Chloe. I assume you want to go. Yes, everything is a struggle. But... struggle forward then, push on, like a soldier on a long march. See how you feel, keep thinking like you are going to go. You can always back out after you've gotten your flight seat. And, heck, you can take the next airplane back home. No kidding, that's what I had to say to myself when I went to India alone. I said, fine, I'll just arrive at the airport, and then turn around. Yup, I'll just stay at the airport. Then, it was, ok, I'll just stay one night at the hotel, and then I'll go back.

[Chloe]

Wow India Im peaking out about flying an hour away I can't imagine how you felt! But that's a great way to look at it! I don't want to let my partner down he's taking me for my bday , since all this anxiety happened we never do anything together! So I really wanna try and do it!

My family say what's the difference between feeling like crap here and feeling like crap there, but it's a huge difference I'm out of my comfort zone!