I started taking 50mg of zoloft 8 days ago. The first 2 days were fine, just a little spacy feeling but then on day 3, I started feeling anxiety and kind of a speedy feeling. It got worse on day 4 and 5 then it has slowly declined but I still feel very anxious. I am toughing it out at work but finding it hard to concentrate. I take it at night and I take sleep meds to go to sleep so I sleep good but when I wake up I feel anxious. I keep thinking it will go away soon but it keeps hanging on. Has anyone experienced this and if so what was your experience?
How long does it take for the increased anxiety to go away from starting zoloft?
Question posted by jrlundy on 11 Nov 2015
Last updated on 21 December 2022 by phdrio
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
51 Answers
phdrio
25 Aug 2022
I’m on end of week 2. Week 1 was at 25 and started week 2 at 50.
Side effects:
Headaches-
vlanzalaco
24 July 2021
Started on 50mg Zoloft, had anxiety and depression for 3 weeks than added 1mg abilify and the side effects went away. At 6 weeks I felt good but not great. Increased to 75mg and have had increased anxiety and some depression going on 3.5 weeks. I’m scared that the side effects won’t go away and maybe 75mg is too much for me. I’m willing to go the distance to 8 weeks. Has anyone else had side effects for longer than 3 weeks?
WildcatVet
24 July 2021
Increased anxiety and other side effects are not unusual after any dosage increase and generally resolve over a couple of weeks. It often takes 4-8 weeks after the increase to get the full benefit of the medication.
Everyone responds differently to these medications so there's no set dosage that is therapeutic for everybody. It just depends on how your individual metabolism adjusts to the drug. 75mg is still a fairly low dose but it may work for you and be what your brain needs. Give it a little more time and stay positive. Getting through this initial period can be tough but once you stabilize I think you'll be happy you perservered.
barbiecorn
25 March 2022
Thank you.. do Do you have any advice on how to keep the fear of not getting better.
WildcatVet
25 March 2022
Don't let your anxiety do the talking for you. You will get better! Try to distract yourself as much as possible from negative thoughts... take a walk, read a good book, catch up on some old favorite movies, hobbies, yoga, meditation.
Are you seeing improvements like you were before? It means the medication is working.
Try to be patient. The best is yet to come.
Mmorningstar
14 Oct 2020
I’m glad I found this forum. I was on Zoloft for over a year 2018-2019. I went off it because I gained 40lbs on it. I regret going off it I should have remained on it. I was on Wellbutrin since January then dr threw 10mg Viibryd into the mix and it was horrible I ended up being taken off everything because anxiety and panick became so severe and put back on Zoloft starting on 25mg/day. I’m having such a hard time. The fear, the panick the weird feelings. First day I took 50mg it was too much so today and yesterday I took 25mg. I hope this gets better soon I’m on day three and feel horrible I feel overwhelmed and just beyond exhausted. My head feels full and I have impending feelings of doom. I’m just exhausted and so scared. I want this to get better.
barbiecorn
25 March 2022
How are you now?
WildcatVet
20 July 2020
"Side effects have been reported to be generally mild and transient. They are most common during the first 2 weeks of treatment and decrease in intensity and frequency with continued treatment. They generally do not lead to treatment cessation."
"You may notice an improvement in your anxiety within 2 weeks of taking SSRIs, but it can take up to 6-8 weeks for them to reach their full effect. However, everyone responds to medication differently, so you may see changes sooner."
"Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood, anxiety, and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve.
Sertraline (Zoloft) | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness"
Side effects will continue to lessen but it may take 4-6 after each dosage increase for your metabolism to fully adjust to the medication.
Be patient and positive... get through this initial stage and you'll likely find that it was entirely worth your time and efforts.
barbiecorn
25 March 2022
You should be a therapist you are very uplifting
JeanCarol
20 July 2020
I'm on week 6 and it's been brutal. 25 mg for 2 weeks, 50 mg for 3 weeks and 75 for a week. I still get anxiety in the morning when I wake up and have the fatigue and insomnia. But the anxiety is less intense than it was in the beginning. I'm suppose to go up to 100 mg. Most say it should take 6-8 weeks to finally balance out but my dr told me it can take up to 12 weeks. I'm feeling more speeded up since going on 75 mg. but my depression (which I've never had prior to zoloft) is minor now. It was really bad by the 4th week. I find if I'm distracted I forget the anxiety and agitation for a while. You're lucky your sleeping good. I really believe it's going to go away and get easier. I think every time you go up in the dosage it can change things. My anxiety increase when I went to 75 and now its slowing down. Just have to pray a lot and believe what others in this group are saying. It will get better. So sorry you're having to work at a time like this.
Martin698
30 Dec 2019
Stick with it best thing I've done confidence much much better first week or so was bad but doc says this would happen by 3/4 weeks you will feel much better
hungarian25
7 Dec 2019
After 3 weeks of anxiety, daily dry heaving, tremors, digestive issues and a trip to the ER with blood pressure of 219/125 I had to quit the sertraline. One "size" apparently does not fit all. This is not a drug to be used as a cookie cutter remedy for everyone. Those for whom it works are fortunate that it helps them but in my case it was hellish.
hungarian25
7 Dec 2019
After 3 weeks of anxiety, daily dry heaving, tremors, digestive issues and a trip to the ER with blood pressure of 219/125 I had to quit the sertraline. I forgot to mention occasional double vision. One "size" apparently does not fit all. This is not a drug to be used as a cookie cutter remedy for everyone. Those for whom it works are fortunate that it helps them but in my case it was hellish.
WildcatVet
7 Dec 2019
"Side effects have been reported to be generally mild and transient. They are most common during the first 2 weeks of treatment and decrease in intensity and frequency with continued treatment. They generally do not lead to treatment cessation."
"Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first 1-2 weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. Depressed mood, anxiety, and lack of interest in activities may need up to 6-8 weeks to fully improve.
Sertraline (Zoloft) | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness"
"Some side effects of sertraline may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects."
Tj1978
14 Sep 2019
Hi all, signed up just to respond to this post as it's been really helpful for me and so want to add my experiences to hopefully help others going through something similar. I'm currently on day 6 of Sertraline 50mg to treat anxiety that has always been hanging around but has flared up due to starting new career whilst going through relationship problems with my wife (first time ever taking any kind of antidepressant). Day 1, took the pill in the morning and by bedtime felt a sense of well-being which had been absent for many years (I'm 42, 6ft 3, 210 pounds). Many will say that this is merely placebo but I would beg to differ. This was a profound physical sensation, a bit like that feeling you get when you notice warm sunshine on your skin. This feeling was still present the next morning when I took my second dose on day 2 but anxiety returned to 'base level' later that day.
No other side effects so far other than nuasea, heavy head and dry mouth. During day 3, I started to experience the 'speedy' feeling others have mentioned which was later accompanied by INTENSE physical anxiety. Hard to explain but although my heart was pounding, chest tight etc it didn't actually bother me mentally. I was aware it was just a side effect and presumed it would pass shortly. Unfortunately it did not pass and by day 5 of constant anxiety and hardly any sleep it certainly WAS affecting me mentally to the point where I was feeling slightly desperate so called my GP for a phone appointment. She was tempted to take me off Sertraline and try something else bit I felt like I didn't want to waste the first 5 days and decided to stick it out for a few more days. After enquiring whether she could prescribe anything else short term to take alongside and help me sleep, she gave me a prescription for diazepam 2mg x12 tablets which certainly helps but I am wary of becoming reliant on so am saving for when things are really rough and only then splitting the tabs in half (1mg dose). Day 6 today and after a rough start, around 1pm the anxiety has started to subside a little. Haven't used the diazepam yet today but did take some high EPA fish oil after reading a report that stated it might help effectiveness of SSRIs. On the plus side, the nausea has completed gone although the heavy head is still there (not enough to call a headache). Hope this is useful to someone and I will continue to log my progress. Ps. One other thing I did use to elivate the terrible anxiety initially caused by the Sertraline is a high quality 5% CBD oil (2-4 drops under the tongue) which works extremely well for an hour or 2. Unfortunately however, I have read that CBD may interfere with the working of the SSRI meds so again, I am only using this as a last resort and would urge folks to do their own reading up/consult a health care professional before trying this or any other supplement alongside your current medication. I'm a big believer in the power of nature and truly believe that if cannabis was legal, regulated, grown safely/cleanly and available in strains lower in THC and higher in CBD then I would a safe, natural way of managing my mental health with nothing but positive side effects. Maybe one day!
barbiecorn
25 March 2022
I had to be on Xanax with the antidepressant in order to get through the side effects then I slowly taper off the Xanax
Frances01
12 July 2019
I was switched from Lexapro to Zoloft and have had horrible anxiety and tremors. I'm starting week 3 and can't imagine going much longer on this without needing to switch to another medicine. The Lexapro did not help with my OCD. I had taken Zoloft years ago and never had this problem. It is very discouraging to see that so many other people have had this anxiety with this drug. Do you think that it could be that the dose is too high?
krdjr7
13 July 2019
I’m at 50mg and have been for many weeks now. My anxiety was terrible for 5-6 weeks, and honestly it’s only slightly better now. I’m not sure if the Zoloft is helping me or hurting me at all unfortunately, I hesitate to change for that reason. I’m doing CBT work to hopefully I’ll improve things but that’s a slow process. What dosage are u at? I think anxiety ramps up for most people initially no matter what dosage
Frances01
13 July 2019
I was taking the maximum dose of Lexapro, so am taking the max dose of Zoloft 200mg. Doing a little research, I'm thinking that may be part of the problem. I will only take 100mg and see what happens. I take both pills in the morning and find that I feel less anxious at night. I think this may be part of the reason for the anxiety and tremors. Thank you for your response.
Vmaddogg27
9 July 2019
I also started taking 50mg of Zoloft due to my anxiety. I was prescribed this cause June 20 I had a heart attack. I’ve had a slight anxiety/panic issue before the heart attack but now my anxiety panic has increased especially when I feel any discomfort in my chest which automatically sets off my anxiety/panic attack. I take it in the morning and my anxiety is fine during the day but at night I fall asleep then an hour or two later I’m up the rest of the night with my chest burning and rapid breathing. Reading this thread gives me some comfort knowing it will get better with time. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get sleep when on Zoloft?I’ve tried meditation but it has not worked.
krdjr7
9 July 2019
Hi Vmaddogg27, I also had trouble sleeping but not sure if it was the anxiety or the zoloft causing it or maybe both. My sleeping has improved over several weeks, I do have some crazy dreams but I do sleep now. I get some exercise end of day and I think that helps my sleep cycle. Also, I listen to sleep meditation music all night and this helps me. Originally, if I couldn't sleep I would just meditate and not worry about sleeping. This would eventually make me tired enough to go back to sleep.
barbiecorn
25 March 2022
Xanax Helps in fact when I first went on Zoloft I had to take Xanax to stop the panic attacks Until the antidepressant worked then I went off the Xanax
hungarian25
1 July 2019
I finally quit the Zoloft about 3 weeks ago. Could not tolerate the side effects and it was driving up my already labile hypertension. Not sure what the neurologist will suggest but I am now leery of any of this type of medication. I will see him in a couple of weeks and will weigh in when I find out what the next step is. The tremors have lessened and the anxiety/panic is pretty much gone. Still have occasional bouts of nausea and not much of an appetite. I'm not sure how long it takes for Sertraline to be completely out of one's system.
krdjr7
1 July 2019
Good for you on quitting Zoloft, sounds like you're in a better spot not on the Zoloft. It's really tough to tell what good or bad the drug is doing for you when on it. My Dr tells me to increase the dosage and maybe that's the thing to do, but I'm just not sure if it's making things better or worse. Good luck
hungarian25
1 July 2019
Good luck to you, as well. I empathize with any and everyone going through the early stages of acclimating to this drug. It's not easy and I hope that before long the advantages will "kick in"!
krdjr7
1 July 2019
Hi all, just an update on the Zoloft. I'm still at 50mg several weeks in now, I feel like I had a couple good days here and there but mostly not good as far as the anxiety and 'in my head' feelings. I was trying to avoid it, but I think I have to bump up to 75mg to see how it works. I'm not looking forward to the increase of side effects, but I need to pick my poison I guess. Still a real struggle especially at work, any little bit of stress seems to set my anxiety and thoughts off. Really frustrating and exhausting.
hungarian25
5 June 2019
After almost 3 weeks of going through hell with side effects I got the ok to stop. I cut back to 25 mg. from 50 to wean off of it. If the side effects go away or lessen I may stay on just the 25 mg. It got so bad that I couldn't eat, losing weight, and the anxiety was horrific. Fortunately, I am retired and don't have to deal with a work day. Good luck--everyone says it can take several more weeks to acclimate.
krdjr7
5 June 2019
Hi Hungarian25, sorry to hear about your struggles. Like you said, at least you don't have to work... that's no fun for sure. Good luck cutting back, I understand what you're saying about the side effects. My appetite has been terrible for a couple months now.
Related topics
zoloft, depression, anxiety, social anxiety disorder
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- Zoloft uses and safety info
- Zoloft prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Zoloft (detailed)
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