This is my 4th week on zoloft for depression and anxiety. I started with 25mg and am now at my prescribed dose of 100mg daily. I take it at night after my dinner. I am terribly lethargic all day, I feel like I'm in a fog and it's making it impossible to do practically anything productive. I sleep fine, but I could just sleep all day or just lay down and stare at nothing all day because I'm so zoned out. I forgot my pills two days in a row this weekend, and I felt so much better on Monday - so I'm debating just cutting my losses and stopping. I have tried basically every SSRI under the sun and am starting to think they are just not for me. I'm so frustrated because I can't function well due to my depression, but when I take meds I still can't function. I really don't know what to do. Should I stick it out with Zoloft for a while longer? Maybe add Wellbutrin as well. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Extreme lethargy with Zoloft?
Question posted by Katechak on 18 July 2018
Last updated on 18 July 2018 by crazygirl66
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Answers
I have the same problem & have taken many ssri’s & snri ‘s. Zoloft is the only med that has helped my depression. I have been on it almost 3 months and am only taking 25mg, I couldn’t function on 50mg. Wellbutrin isn’t an option for me as I’ve had a bad reaction to it previously. Otherwise my doc would have added Wellbutrin. You may actually feel better with a lower dose. I’m very sensitive to meds & even my Adderall doesn’t pep me up much. If you were more awake on a lower dose I’d ask your doc about that, the fatigue hasn’t left me, hopefully for you it will depends on how long you’ve been taking 100mg. If it’s been longer than 2-3 weeks it may be a side effect for you also. But if you’re able to take Wellbutrin that is also worth a try. It’s also possible your dosage was increased too fast for you.
Hello Katechak: Sorry to hear the Zoloft is not working for you at this point in time. Sounds like you are titrating up starting with 25 mg to a target dose of 100 mg. Personally, I'd give the Zoloft at the 100 mg dose a full 4 to 5 weeks to work before making a judgment on its effectiveness But I am a little bit concerned about your statement that you've "tried every SSRI under the sun and am starting to think that they are just not for me", and I'm wondering if your Physician has ever done any genetic testing on you. Some of us suffer from a genetic condition that makes us resistant to SSRIs only because our bodies don't produce enough serotonin to begin with. In other words, there's not enough serotonin to inhibit the "reup" of to begin with or at least not enough that the SSRI does much good. A simple genetic test can determine this. There are some prescription "medical foods" (Deplin for instance) that help us produce more serotonin. There are other supplements as well that can assist with the production of seretonin , norepinephrine and dopamine. If the Zoloft does not work for you in a few weeks you may want to ask your Physician about a genetic test. If the Physician is not aware of the causes of SSRI resistant depression, you may want to find one who is.
Good luck to you and all the best!
Related topics
zoloft, depression, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, fatigue, prescription
Further information
- Zoloft uses and safety info
- Zoloft prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Zoloft (detailed)
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