Background: I’m suffering with acute anxiety and have been on Zoloft for 8 weeks. Started on 25 mg and increased to 50 mg (42 days ago ). Along with the awful symptoms ( shaking , depression etc) I have been experiencing sensitivity to noises and it’s getting worse every day. Even noises like a phone ringing or someone coughs or sneezing makes me jump. Rain on the windshield yesterday was unnerving. Also sometimes I’m hot and a few min later I’m cold. It is affecting everything in my life. There is not much reference about this online. Has anyone experienced this? Thank you so much.
Has anyone experienced hypersensitivity to sounds and temperatures?
Question posted by bulldog0923 on 20 July 2023
Last updated on 14 October 2023 by Judyrae59
4 Answers
Judyrae59
2 Oct 2023
Hi, bulldog0923
I'm sorry you're going through this, it's not pleasant.
I have anxiety, depression, restless legs syndrome, chronic back pain, (I broke my back), severe migraines, heart issues, and issues due to dealing with a narcissistic husband.
I am telling you this because so many of the issues I deal with cause me to be highly sensitive to noise, sounds and lights.
My migraines cause me to be highly sensitive to lights, and noise.
My anxiety and issues with verbal and emotional abuse cause me to jump at the least little noise or sound, such as someone sneezing, a car horn honking, a door slamming or someone yelling. This was brought on by living with an abusive, narcissistic husband and has made my anxiety and depression worse. I've taken numerous medications for depression over a 25+ year span and so far nothing has helped my depression.
A psychiatrist put me on Hydroxyzine PAM which helped my anxiety.
Then my pain management doctor upped my dosage of Hydroxyzine PAM from 25 mg once a day to 50 mg 3 times a day for my Restless Legs Syndrome AND 10mg of diazepam, twice a day for the horribly serve muscle spasms I have in my neck and lower back (I had already taken just about every known muscle relaxant to man and none of them worked, thus the Diazepam which has worked wonders for my muscle spasms and my anxiety.
It was amazing the difference I noticed once I started on 50 mg of Hydroxyzine PAM 3 TIMES A DAY and diazepam, 10 mg TWICE A DAY.
I'm no longer so jumpy, shaky and sensitive to noise and even my Restless Legs Syndrome is so much better. I actually get 8-9 hours of sleep at night something I didn't used to get.
As for being "hot and cold," you didn't say how old you are or whether you are male or female. This is important because you could be starting to go through "menopause" which causes women to be hot and sweating one minute and cold the next. Menopause can start for women as early as age 35 +/- a couple of years. I started at the age of 34 which is on the young side, but all the women on my father's side of the family started young. All of this is something you may want to discuss with your doctor.
Please do ask your doctor about the Hydroxyzine PAM 50 mg. It has made a world of difference for me.
Lastly, ask your pharmacist where you get your Zoloft and see what they say about the shaking and sensitivity to noises. This may be a REACTION or SIDE EFFECT to the ZOLOFT.
The reason I say ask your pharmacist is because they know so much more about the interactions between medications you take, side effects drugs cause, the "normal" ones and then the "rare" ones you don't hear much about or aren't on the information sheet they give you when you pick up your medication. Doctors rely on the pharmacists to tell the patient this information.
I wish you the best and please let me know how you are doing. You will be in my prayers.
Dottie25
1 Oct 2023
I used to be on Zoloft but hated the side effects. I get severe migraines and I’m very sensitive to light and sound. I can’t even listen to radio; people talking grates on my nerves. Bright lights are painful. Do you get migraines?
Check9-18
1 Oct 2023
I started experiencing sensitivity to sounds right after I increased my dosage from 100mg to 200 mg. It sounds like everything is amplified. At the same time, I developed head and ear pressure, tension headaches and neck and shoulder tightness. I have had these side effects for ten days now, and they are not getting any better. Does anyone else have these issues?
WildcatVet
20 July 2023
Hey, bulldog!
Side effects should resolve within a matter of a couple weeks at the longest. Six weeks seems way too long and even if you still had them they shouldn't be this severe.
Have you talked to your doctor? If not, I really think you should get their advice and do it soon.
WC
bulldog0923
21 July 2023
Thank you for your response. I saw my pain management doctor yesterday and told him of these symptoms. Off topic: I have been on buprenorphine/naloxone since February for acute back pain. When I questioned why I was on the combo, he agreed to write a new script removing the naloxone (2 weeks ago). Yesterday I told him that I thought these sensory symptoms seemed worse since removing the naloxone. He said he didn’t understand why but would put me back on my original script (B/N). I have been on Zoloft 63 days.25 mg 20 days & 43 days on 50 mg. I am almost 69 yrs old, and I have never felt anything like this in my life. Thankfully I was finally able to get an appointment (August 2) with a psychiatric group.
Related topics
zoloft, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, hypersensitivity, acute, symptom
Further information
- Zoloft uses and safety info
- Zoloft prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Zoloft (detailed)
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