Zoloft for Major Depressive Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• not...
• April 15, 2016

"I have had good results with 200 mg of Zoloft and 0.5 clonazepam 3 times a day for ten years. I've tried many SSRI meds, and Zoloft has been the best so far. I suffer from depression, agoraphobia, panic, and ocular migraine. This current combo (sometimes I add gabapentin if I'm still anxious about leaving my house) has been the most effective for my mood. I gained weight on Paxil, and getting off was a nightmare. No additional weight gain with the Zoloft."

• KBS...
• March 19, 2015

"Although I have only been on this med for 12 days so far. I feel wonderful. I have had severe depression due to being sick the past 3 years, and nothing has been helping me get better (spinal nerve damage and severe migraines every day); sometimes I just felt like I wanted to die. I felt no hope. I haven't felt any side effects, and my migraines are almost completely gone. I get up and do more around my house, more than ever, and I am taking better care of myself. I'm happy for the first time in my life. I know most people will think it's too good to be true; but really, you should ask your doctor if it might be for you. I am so glad I am on this; never had a medicine work so good. Hope it lasts. Plus, right now I have the flu and still happy!"

• Ser...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 15, 2018

"Lifelong depression sufferer. First 3 days felt like Valium, floaty and nice, but symptoms were largely unaffected. Next fortnight was harrowing, with vastly increased anxiety and insomnia, mind roaring the entire time. After that, things chilled out a bit and life has gotten progressively easier since. First good day came at the end of week 4. Now in week 7, and it's as if depression is a thing of the past, any fog thoughts are controllable and no longer dominate my outlook. Should also mention a weird taste that stuck around for the first few weeks, has either gone now or I've gotten used to it. Sexual desire dropped off for a while but has returned, orgasm is definitely less intense, though. Weighing up pros and cons, I'm functioning better than for a long time and am seeing aspects of myself that were unthinkable just 2 months ago. I'd happily stay on it forever at this point."

• the...
• January 16, 2019

"Took this drug for 2 years at 100 mg to treat general anxiety, major depression, and PTSD. It was a lifesaver. I went from not being able to leave the house to being a normally functioning human. However, I had horrible side effects the entire time. I had severe hair loss, I was never hungry - I lost 15 pounds taking this. I was sweaty all the time despite being calm instead of anxious. Could not tolerate any alcohol. Had a lot of headaches. Ground my teeth at night. Could not orgasm EVER. Was also in therapy the entire time I took this - with the goal of getting off of it once I was able to deal with things on my own from therapy. Took a 3 month taper and lots of Benadryl to help me sleep, but I got off it and haven't taken any meds in 5 years. You have to weigh the pros and cons. It was a bridge to get my mental health where I needed it to be on my own. Would only ever take it again if I was SEVERELY depressed and for a much shorter length of time because the withdrawal 'brain zaps' sucked."

• Fan...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 10, 2017

"Zoloft actually changed my life. It's helped me cope with everyday situations in a non-reactive way. My thoughts have calmed down and my anxiety is minimal. I've actually lost 15 lbs on Zoloft. I started on 50 mg and now I'm up to 200 mg per day. I've been on it for about a year now and I like that it doesn't numb everything or make me super emotional or tired. I'm very well balanced. I just wish I could sleep better."

• Izz...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 17, 2020

"Zoloft literally saved my life and I wish I were exaggerating. I was in a deep depression for about 2 years, then started having manic episodes on top of erratic behavior. The first week, it felt like someone had poured cold water on my brain. I felt so relieved. For the first month or so, I was emotionally flat, but that improved with time and I no longer have that symptom. I started out on 50 mg and now moved up to 150 mg. There's no cure for depression/anxiety, and I still have episodes, but nothing compares to how I used to feel. I'll be sure to stay on this for as long as I can."

• Rub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2021

"For months, I was struggling with anxiety, and then I had a depressive episode, where I had suicidal thoughts. I knew there was something that I should do about this, so I booked an appointment with a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with depression, GAD, and SAD. While first taking Zoloft (50 mg), I didn't notice any immediate changes, I was still struggling to get to school and with my racing thoughts, that would leave me in bed all day. However, as days went on, I noticed I wasn't overthinking as much, my brain just felt much quieter, and I noticed myself getting an interest back into things. My family even commented that I seemed much like myself once again, laughing and smiling, etc. I've now been on Zoloft for about 2 months, and I only occasionally feel anxious (which is an improvement from every single day). I'm able to go to work as normal, study (and concentrate!), gym — overall, my quality of life has improved! (My sleep has also improved.) Zoloft is life-changing."

• FLG...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 6, 2017

"I've had a lot of success with Zoloft, both as an antidepressant and for generalized anxiety disorder. It has worked for me for almost 2 years now and has really kept my symptoms under control. I'm of very small weight and sensitive to medications, so 25 mg works for me reasonably well. I have had to up my dosage to 50 mg during times of high stress, and it has helped so much. The only side effects I have experienced were a little nausea, some apathy, and insomnia. Other than that, I have tolerated this medication very well. It helps me put things into perspective and stops me from having such negative, anxiety-ridden thinking patterns. It helps me live in the moment and takes away a lot of my worries. I would definitely recommend."

• jUS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2015

"I've been on Zoloft for almost four weeks now, and it's been a life changer. I used to suffer from poor impulse control, anxiety, and bad depression. About two weeks in, I started feeling better, happier, like the feeling of dread has been removed. The demons are silenced. I feel like I want to live. I want to succeed. It's like a dream come true. I've suffered from drug addiction in the past, and since starting Zoloft, I don't feel the craving, that overwhelming desire to get high. The only downside to Zoloft is the restlessness when trying to sleep, but it's worth the trade-off. I started on 50 mg and am now at 100 mg per day. Thank God for Zoloft."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2019

"I took sertraline 50 mg for two months and found myself sleeping through most of the day, decreased appetite, and no motivation. I was less social as well, so not sure how my anxiety was treated by it. I cut it down to 25 mg and still found myself sleeping way too often. This wasn’t the fit for me, but when I was out of bed, my friends and family said they felt I was less anxious. I just didn’t want the anxiety to come at a price of oversleeping!"

• Doo...
• September 10, 2019

"I’ve been taking 50 mg of Zoloft for a year and 2-3 months now. I’ve had depression for a while and only started medication recently. Before Zoloft, I was on Wellbutrin for about a year. I switched after ending up in the hospital. Both made me feel numb, which I guess is better than crying and crushing sadness all the time? Lol. Zoloft, unlike Wellbutrin, has killed my sex drive. I think it helped with my depression, but it’s hard to say. I started taking it after leaving a horribly abusive relationship, so I can’t say for sure if it was the Zoloft that made me feel better. I didn’t have any side effects in the beginning, but for the past 6 months or so, I’ve been feeling exhausted all the time. I’m weaning myself off now because I want to try and feel joy, have great sex, and not be so tired all the time. We’ll see. It’s different for everyone, and I’ve heard many success stories. If it’s gonna keep you here and keep you going, definitely give it a try."

• Kir...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 1, 2023

"Spoiler: This is trash! Worst medication out there! Seriously, do yourself a favor and do not take this. I gained over 100 pounds in a year on this medicine back in 2011 when I was in high school. It caused my liver enzymes to shoot up, and the doctor said I had the liver enzymes of an alcoholic at 13 years old. I am 28 now and have had problems with losing weight and morbid obesity ever since. Before I took this crap, I was underweight, but now I have a BMI of 41.2. I am 284 pounds, I was 164 pounds before I took this stuff. I should have sued them when I could. This is a dangerous medicine that needs to be pulled off the shelves. I know everyone is different, but oh my God, it ruined my whole life and my metabolism. I also still have problems with my liver to this day, according to my blood work."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2022

"I promised I would share my experience to offer hope to those who might be struggling like I was. This spring I suffered from major anxiety resulting from medical issues. When I began Zoloft at 50 mg, I had so many side effects! Insomnia, tremors, muscle twitching, jittery feelings, buzzing in my extremities, night sweats, and sexual side effects. I was discouraged because so many others felt better in 4-6 weeks and, while I had seen some improvement, I was nowhere near where I wanted to be. I started taking the medication in the morning to address insomnia, and that helped tremendously. Tomorrow marks week 8 for me, and I can honestly say this week has been a turning point. Side effects have reduced significantly, and I now am beginning to feel like my old self. Sexual side effects remain, and my doc said they would likely not improve. At some point, I will likely wean off. That said, it has still helped me tremendously, and I was slower to respond than others! Hang in there!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 11, 2014

"I've been on Zoloft for the past four months, and it's worked great! I'd been on three other medications before that, and none of them have worked as well as Zoloft when it's coupled with 15 mg of Buspar and 20 mg of Adderall. My anxiety has dropped, my mood has improved dramatically, and I've even lost weight, which I haven't been able to do since I recovered from my eating disorder. Unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to have my dosage upped because of my Seasonal Affective Disorder, but otherwise, it's worked very well."

• DAT...
• January 28, 2016

"For the past 9 months, I have had a mixed major depressive/anxiety episode. I have started therapy from the beginning of the episode, which helped me cope for a while, but it was going nowhere. Finally, I went to see a psychiatrist last week and was put on 50 mg Zoloft. Don't know if it's placebo or not, but I'm already starting to feel better. My anxiety level has gone down, and I'm feeling more clear-minded, level-headed, and hopeful. The first 4 days were hell because it was making me nauseated, bloated, and extremely tired and restless at the same time. On day 7 now, and I'm feeling great."

• Els...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2016

"Started at 25 for about two weeks, then went to 50. Each dosage change brought back a few symptoms, but all are gone in a few days. Zoloft helped me a lot, I had never taken an antidepressant before, so I was nervous. My intrusive thoughts are gone one month later!! Don't read too much into this page, it caused me to have anxiety/panic attacks. My biggest problem was swallowing, but that was due to anxiety. I didn't want to take the anxiety meds on top of Zoloft, so I just waited the attacks out, last max two hours. Just know to gradually increase your dosage and to check in with the prescribing person when you have concerns. Side effects: nausea, fatigue, loose stools, blurry vision in the morning, breast felt numb (gone now), dry mouth (gum!!)."

• Chr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2021

"Been on 25 mg of Zoloft for four weeks, upped it to 50 mg. Felt like I was on an amphetamine. Tried 37.5 mg, and I still feel revved up in my brain. Can’t handle this drug. Some people don’t always respond well, even though the psych nurse tells me Zoloft does not create this reaction. I say everybody is different in brain chemistry."

• EM9...
• April 5, 2016

"I'd been taking Prozac for a few years, but its effects wore off, so I switched to this. I'm very glad I did. It completely got rid of my panic attacks and obsessive worries, and reminded me how good life can be without them. I still feel sluggish, but I always have, even before I started SSRIs. The most noticeable side effects have been weight gain and erectile dysfunction. I'm going to try nefazodone and see if that works for me without the side effects. But if you don't have these side effects or they're not a big deal, I highly recommend Zoloft."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 18, 2022

"Was on this drug in conjunction with lamotrigine for a few years as a teenager for MDD/BPD/GAD. It got rid of my sex drive, made me feel more depressed, and I slept a lot of the day away. Wasn’t for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 28, 2016

"Overall, a very good medication. It made me very drowsy when I first started on it, but this passed after a couple of weeks. It did a good job of keeping me stable. I would have loved to stay on it, except I ended up developing severe urinary retention that got worse as my dose increased. (By severe, I mean I was unable to sleep at night because I had to get up and pee every 5 mins, and almost nothing would come out.) After I went off it, the urinary retention gradually went away and is now completely gone. Aside from that, I got no noticeable side effects from it. I would definitely recommend this med, as urinary retention is a more rare side effect, and I probably only experienced it because I am known to be sensitive to meds."

• Cas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 14, 2021

"I’ve had intense anxiety and depression for 3 years. I put off ever taking meds because I was scared of the side effects. Then I hit rock bottom and realized I couldn’t live another day how I was. Long story short, I began Zoloft. The first week was dark. Physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually dark. Then, on day 11, I woke up completely content. I talked to my family, laughed, hugged. Each day seemed to get 10% better than the day before. It was overwhelmingly good. My thoughts were clear. When anxious and dark thoughts or even days arise, which they inevitably do, I am able to move on. They don’t spiral and debilitate me. 3 weeks on and I am calm. Content. Happy. I socialize?! I feel like me again. I look back on the last 3 years and I truly didn’t realize how anxious and sad I was. It controlled my every move. Now, I feel as though I am the one in control of my life. I am so, so deeply grateful for this."

• Koa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2014

"Zoloft is a very good medication for anxiety and depression. For me, better with anxiety. I am bipolar I, am also on Zyban 150 a day. Taking these two medications together is fine, as is also taking when you are bipolar. Only with a specialist's direction, though. I have been on Zoloft a couple of times, the only side effect before was severe diarrhea. This time when I started taking it, I got butterflies in my stomach and flutters, but over time, this unusual for me side effect left me. Some say how many weeks to feel an impact. For me, this last time was around 6 weeks. Which is normal. It's been proven that any time prior to 4 weeks is most likely a placebo effect. But if you feel better, well, whether a placebo effect or not, it's good."

• Hol...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 27, 2024

"I started taking Zoloft for depression/anxiety. Pros: I was less irritable and angry. I felt slightly happier and more relaxed overall. Cons: It killed my sex drive (mostly the ability to orgasm) despite pairing it with Wellbutrin. It made me have bloating/indigestion more regularly and made me hot and sweat much more than normal. I gave the medication ample time to work, but for me personally, the side effects outweighed the benefits. I do think this may work for some people. Unless the side effects are severe, I'd say just be sure to give the medication 2-3 months to even out before making up your mind."

• Big...
• March 4, 2017

"Developed deep depression. Resisted drugs for a while. GP recommended Zoloft. First four weeks were hell, then it has been excellent. The best I have felt for years. In Australia, so drug very cheap: $13 dollars for a month."

• trl...
• November 8, 2023

"After a few years of extreme anxiety, I went into 15 years of 'fog'. I didn't really feel sad, I just felt empty/dead and like my mind was constantly blank. I could never interact with people because of that, it was just like nothing was ever coming to my mind. Got a lot of my confidence back. Looking forward to social interactions I'd do anything to avoid. Memory is also drastically improved and so are my grades at school. Looking forward to tests (like I used to long ago) and exams causes little stress. I'm gonna need some time getting to know the new me and getting my life on track, but to finally see the light after an indescribable battle is simply life-changing. Started at 25 mg, 50 mg made me worse, felt fatigued, upped it to 100 mg, instantly better, 150 mg first noticeable improvement, then 200 mg. 200 mg felt better and better for the 4 months I've been taking it. I'll leave one point for the chance it becomes even better."