Doc prescribed Zoloft for severe anxiety - Is this going to mess up my W/D?

My pdoc just prescribed zoloft for my severe anxiety and depression.  Anyone have any firsthand knowledge if it is okay to take along with my taper?

 

Thanks.

Didn't try zoloft, but I was prescribed Effexor while in rehab. I was in C/T at the time. ONE dose of that stuff and I was NUTS. Skin burning, room moving all over the place, felt INSANE w/ anxiety...it was HORRID. I am terrified now to try to add ANYTHING to the mix. It's not worth the risk for me. I wish you the very best in whatever you decide. Just wanted to share my experience.

 

Hang in there...best of luck to you

 

Love, ((HUGS)) and healing, Nicole

From my own attempt at prozac (lasted 7 days) and others I've read along the way, SSRIs can be very stimulating and rev up symptoms in people who are w/d'ing.  You can do a search of other peoples experiences by typing Zoloft in the search box above.

While tapering and in early recovery, ssri's can be hit or miss, but more often than not a miss.  There are some members who have stated that antidepressants helped them get through withdrawals. 

 

I tried to get on Celexa during an acute withdrawal and I couldn't stand the symptoms after 5 days.  Chemically I don't believe that Zoloft will affect your taper other than possibly exacerbate some of your symptoms initially, but it may help alleviate some anxiety and depression after a couple of weeks.

 

If you decide to try getting on Zoloft, you may want to considering halting your taper until you have had time to adjust.

Thanks for your posts.  I actually did do a search on zoloft before posting but did not reallly find what I was looking for. 

 

My doc says to take 12.5 mg. to start and no more than 25 mg.  He knows I want to be totally drug-free and he says that zoloft is one of the easier A/D to get off.  Does anyone know if zoloft does anything to the GABA receptors?  I don't want to cause any more damage to them!

 

Thank you.

Thanks for your posts.  I actually did do a search on zoloft before posting but did not reallly find what I was looking for. 

 

My doc says to take 12.5 mg. to start and no more than 25 mg.  He knows I want to be totally drug-free and he says that zoloft is one of the easier A/D to get off.  Does anyone know if zoloft does anything to the GABA receptors?  I don't want to cause any more damage to them!

 

Thank you.

Before the benzos I was on zoloft for many years.  I got off but did have "discontinuation syndrome" for a couple months, but it doesn't even closely compare to benzo w/d. It was a little bizarre and a little uncomfortable, but doable. And no, I do not believe there is any connection between zoloft and gaba receptors

I honestly don't know.  But I've been on a SSRI for years and years.  Prozac and Zoloft are the two that have been most effective for me and caused the fewest side effects, but that varies by person.  I did try to go off Lexapro and had bad flu like symptoms.  The good news is from my experience and what I've read, SSRI's can be very helpful, and aren't nearly as risky as benzos.  I know it does help me.  Effexor is a slightly different class, and I couldn't tolerate it.

 

That's a pretty low dose of Zoloft, so not sure if you would notice a lot of help from it or not.  If you want to avoid any risks of possible withdrawal, yes, SSRI's do carry some risk to them.

The only thing I can tell you is that I was on Prozac or Zoloft for many years prior to w/d and did ok.  But i tried it mid taper and it affected me significantly differently.  I had more energy but wanted to apply that energy to getting my life in order for my own demise.  I'm only one opinion, but I am not a proponent during w/d.

I am currently on effexor it helps a bit.

I guess a better question for everyone would have been if zoloft, started during withdrawal, has helped anyone to reduce their anxiety and depression issues.  In my case, there is a history of suicide in my family, and even though I've had no thoughts in this area, my doctor feels it is unadviseable to leave my severe symptoms untreated. 

 

I did start the 12.5 mg dose yesterday.  I did feel revved up during the night and I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest, but I guess I need to give it a little time to see if it can help.  I have read that sometimes the anxiety increases before the medication starts to help.  I know it is a very small dose, but I am VERY sensitive to medications.

 

Wise Woman - What is the discountinuation syndrome that you mentioned? 

 

Thank you,

Lynn

 

 

Lynn,

 

I cannot offer medical advice, but can tell you my experience.  As I mentioned I was put on prozac a few months back (similar to zoloft) and have been on both in the past.  The experience wasn't good while in w/d even tho I tolerated both fairly well prior to w/d.  However I was also put on Remeron.  It's used for depression. It's not in the same class as SSRI's.  It actually works on the histamine receptors as well as others and is sedating and didn't rev me up like the SSRI's did.  It helped my mood and  sleep but increased my appetite especially for carbs as well since it's actually an "appetite enhancer".  I also was less motivated and a bit lethargic in the daytime and retained some water, so it's by no means a perfect solution, but I found it helpful.

 

For me it made a significant difference during my transition from Ativan to Valium.  However I was having very vivid disturbing nightmares which is one of it's less common side effects so I ultimately withdrew from it.  I know of at least one other person who had the nightmares but of the others I've spoken to who have used it, no one else had that experience.  Some people have run into challenges coming off of it, but that was not my experience.   Perhaps that may be something to talk over with your MD.

 

Here is the wikipedia entry for discontinuation syndrome.  In a nutshell, it's what they call the potential withdrawal symptoms from some meds, SSRI most frequently, without actually calling it withdrawal.  I did experience this from Zoloft, but again, it's NOTHING like benzo w/d just uncomfortable and is distressing if you don't know to expect that it might happen:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSRI_discontinuation_syndrome

 

I started taking Lexapro (Cipralex) while in w/d, and was in pure hell for 3-4 weeks... 

Thanks for all your thoughts. 

 

I only survived two days of the zoloft.  After two nights of heart pounding and 1 hour of sleep, I'm done with that.  My anxiety today is off the charts - I was better off before going to the doctor.  That, of course, is nothing new.

 

Anyone who might start an A/D during withdrawal, proceed with caution!

Lynn

Sorry it didn't work.  I find more than one medication change at a time to be confusing, b/c then it's hard to know what is helping or causing side effects.  Hang in there.

At a month out from c/t, I went to see my family doctor for help with unbearable anxiety. He prescribed Zoloft and Buspirone. I took them for three days and although I did start to feel numbed with the Zoloft, my anxiety was even worse. No sleep and heart pounding. I had to quit and just suffer through the worst days and finally they've passed.

I was on Paxil a few years ago and quit c/t after nine months. At seven days out, I had to come home and take a rescue dose. Didn't need any more from there on. Withdrawal from Paxil was a piece of cake compared to Benzo withdrawals. If I had only known.

So while the SSRI's do work "for me" under normal circumstances, it definitely was not helpful for withdrawal anxiety "for me".