I just recently increased my dosage of Zoloft from 50mg to 100mg daily. I was doing good on 50 but still experiencing some anxiety which I think may have been residual since it has not quite been 4 weeks since starting the new med. Two days into taking my new dose I start experiencing severe stomach cramping, diarrhea, chills and goosebumps, increased sadness and feelings of depression. None of which I felt before increasing, I felt virtually no side effects on 50 mg, so does this mean that 100 is too high for me?
Is my new dosage too high for me? Experiencing worse side effects after increasing?
Question posted by Spicet11 on 22 Aug 2021
Last updated on 22 August 2021 by WildcatVet
Answers
Hi, Spicet11!
Not necessarily. New or increased side effects are very common after a dosage increase. Look at it this way... you just doubled your dosage so it will take a little while for your metabolism to adjust to this new amount of the drug.
If your side effects are as severe as they sound you might want to ask your doctor about temporarily reducing your dosage. Maybe 75mg might make things go a little more smoothly.
The reason for increasing was because you were still having some symptoms which might mean that the 50mg was not a therapeutic dose for you. The initial 50mg is just a starting point and everyone responds differently to this type of medication. The maintenance dose is 50-200mg/day so you can see that depending on your response some people will need to go higher on their dose.
These side effects will probably subside over a matter of days to a week or so but do let your doctor know what's going on so you can look at some options.
Best regards and feel better soon!
Related topics
zoloft, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, side effect, dosage
Further information
- Zoloft uses and safety info
- Zoloft prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Zoloft (detailed)
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