Anyone wake up vibrating (feels like a cat purring) while on Zoloft?
Question posted by hopeless_in_MN on 30 Aug 2011
Last updated on 9 February 2022 by Mom in Iowa
I cannot sleep more than 3hrs per night and I wake up every 45mins in between with the vibrating shakes, it feels like a cell phone on vibrate or a cat purring but it is not calming, it is very alarming. Has anyone gone through this or have any answers as to why this might be happening??
Thanks
Added 30 Aug 2011:
I have been on Zoloft for 30 days now and I have always taken it in the AM
I was on sertraline for 4 weeks when I decided to quit because of tons of side effects, facial smash’s, vibrations, head pressure, tachycardia and irregular heartbeat, not sleeping at all. I have been off for two weeks but am still having a lot of these side affects. Hopeless in Mn-Did your internal vibrations ever go away?
Votes: +0
IN
Inactive
30 Aug 2011
My hubby is on Zoloft 100mg for his bipolar diaosrder & depression. He compalined all the time he could not sleep. Though he did not complain abbout this shkiness, After reading a lot of posts here, I found he was taking it before bedtime, & I suggested he take it in the morning. Hence no more restless sleep. (At least not from the Zoloft. He ws recently also put on Wellbutrin, & is now sleeping like a baby when his pain doesn't wake him. Just my thoughts...
Votes: +0
HO
hopeless_in_MN
30 Aug 2011
Thanks Mary.
I wish it was that simple of a fix, but I have always taken Zoloft in the AM and I've never been able to sleep since. I use to sleep 8-10hrs a night and now I am barely getting 3-4hrs and I am constantly waking up every 45mins with my body vibrating.
Thanks again for your comment =)
IN
Inactive
30 Aug 2011
Then I definately would cotact your doctor about your problem. I'm sure a change in medication may help you.
HO
hopeless_in_MN
30 Aug 2011
Yeah, I am a bit nervous about changing due to having to go through the hellish start up side effects with a new med. like I did with Zoloft (felt like I was going to die the first 2 1/2 weeks), but I really miss my sleep and I get so scared when my body (upper chest area) vibrates. It really makes me think I am having a painless heart attack. It is more disturbing than painful and it wakes me up alarmed which actually adds to my anxiety and I also experienced waking up feeling panicked without the vibration an hour ago so now I guess I am rotating from feeling panicky/dread to vibrating. I am really scared that I will never get better.
I wish to god Zoloft would have worked out for me since I invested so much time into it and I really had a horrible time at first with so many side effects.
Anyways… I am going in for a sleep study but, I am afraid my vibrations (feels like rotary phone) won’t be picked up in the sleep study since it is internal.
At any rate, Thanks again ((Hugs))
SC
Scorpio13
30 Aug 2011
I was on Zoloft a few years ago and experienced the same vibrating along with the sleeplessness. Almost as if a jolt of electricity was going through my body. It's a very unpleasant feeling so I asked my Dr about it. She didn't give me an explanation for it but instead put me on a different anti-depressant. The feeling went away and sleeping was much easier. Try asking your Dr and see if he can give you an explanation, or prescribe a different drug for depression.
Votes: +1
HO
hopeless_in_MN
30 Aug 2011
Thanks hun for your reply.
If you don't mind me asking, what medicine did you switch to? and do you have OCD, BPD, GAD and Depression?
((Hugs))
SC
Scorpio13
8 Sep 2011
After discussing the vibrating episodes with my Dr, she put me on Effexor. I found that the vibrating has stopped but still had trouble sleeping, so she prescribed a low dose of Quetiapine (25 mg), which I take just before bed. It has seemed to help. I take my Effexor in the morning and the Quetiapine before bed. My brother also takes Effexor, but he finds it is more effective to take it around supper time and doesn't need to take the other drug to sleep. I tried to take it at supper time first before being put on Quetiapine, but still had trouble sleeping so my Dr prescribed the other to take before bed. I don't know what time you take your meds, but maybe asking your Dr if it might make a difference at what time to take it for best results, and if the time you take it will make a difference with your sleep patterns. There is also an OTC drug that can be purchased at most drug stores to help with sleep..Dopimine.
My son has ADHD and his Dr says that it might help with his sleeping patterns as the meds he takes for his ADHD also effect his sleep patterns. Maybe discuss these options with your Dr to see what advice he might give you about your sleep patterns..I hope this information might be of some help... stay well and I hope you can get the rite meds figured out for you..
SC
Scorpio13
8 Sep 2011
Sorry I have to correct the drug Dopamine... it's not Dopamine... it's Melatonin to help sleep patterns... sorry for the mix up..
HO
hopeless_in_MN
11 Sep 2011
My psychiatrist took me off Zoloft as well and put me on 25mg lamictal (I’m supposed to go up to 50mg on #2 week), I'm not sure if it is working or not since I have had 0 side effects and I feel like I did before my anxiety went sky rocketing and Zoloft made me 100000 x’s worse but, since I have been off Zoloft for almost 2 weeks now, I am able to sleep a lot better and all the nasty side effects from Zoloft have gone away.
I do wake up a couple times throughout the night but, I can fall back to sleep without much of a problem, I will take that vs. waking up vibrating every 10-30 mins throughout the night with only getting 2-3hrs asleep per night like I did on Zoloft.
I guess the true test will be the week of the 23rd of this month and throughout the rest of the year depending on how the 23rd goes for me. I have a ton of stressors that are coming my way that should send me over the cliff so again we will see how lamictal does for me at that time (fingers crossed).
Thanks for your kind reply =)
SC
Scorpio13
12 Sep 2011
I'm glad to hear your vibrating has gone away now. Zoloft was obviously the cause of it. I have never heard of Lamictal, so I cannot give you any advice on that. I hope you have better results with it than the Zoloft. Are you on any other anti-anxiety meds? I also take Clonazepam (0.5mg) 4x a day for anxiety..which seems to keep my panic attacks down. Before being put on Quetiapine, my Dr tried me on Wellbutrin, I found that it made my sleep worse and was just not feeling rite during the time I was on it... I only took it for a week and went back to my Dr to let her know how I was feeling. I guess it does work for some ppl very well, but just not for me. That was when she switched me to the Quetiapine. Sometimes it's just trial and error I guess. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers the week of the 23rd. For me mid September has always been the worst time of year for me.
I've experienced a lot of loss this week, and this year is no different, 2 of my good friends passed away just a couple of days ago and the anniversary of my dad's death is on the 15th. Another one of my good friends also lost everything to a house fire today. Thankfully no one died in the fire and they're all ok, but it still is quite stressful with all the loss I've had this week over the years. So every year I dread this week and have extremely high anxiety. I seem to be handling it ok though... better than I thought I would..so far, but the week isn't over yet. Hopefully I will make it through ok. I hope your sleep study will give you some answers you are looking for..good luck with that. Feel free to msg me any time, I'm always here to listen. I will keep my fingers crossed as well and hope that the Lamictal works for you when you need it most..your friend Scorpio13... ((hugs))
HO
hopeless_in_MN
12 Sep 2011
Yes, I was put on clonopin .5mg 2x's a day after being put on and taken off of Ativan which is another drug that I plan to use on 9/23 since I have a few left that I have been saving for emergency cases only … I know I will need Ativan that day. I use clonopin for sleep if needed but I only take it when needed since it is hard to get off of and very addicting but not as bad as ativan. I do LOVE those two drugs though because it sure helps a ton!!
I am sorry to hear about all your losses, I know how you feel about losing a loved one... I lost my dad on 7/18/2011 and it is very hard to think about it let alone know that I will never be able to see him or call him for advice or just to spend time with him.
My dad was my wind beneath my wings.
I am glad I met you and we have one another for support - Thanks