Zoloft and Depression: What Users Say (Page 3)

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2023

"I was given this for generalized anxiety disorder. It works for some, but for me, it was a nightmare. Forewarning people that have OCD - this will increase those thoughts times a million. Have therapy set up if you're going to take it. If you have bipolar disorder, then be sure to be on a mood stabilizer as well. Emotional numbing, couldn't focus, my anxiety was horrible, OCD thoughts extremely bad, depression, and I cried nonstop some days. Other days I was mean and angry. Also, hard to come off of it even when it's toxic to your body and you need it out of your system."

• Mom...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2023

"I was given this for generalized anxiety disorder. It works for some, but for me, it was a nightmare. Forewarning people that have OCD - this will increase those thoughts times a million. Have therapy set up if you're going to take it. If you have bipolar disorder, then be sure to be on a mood stabilizer as well. Emotional numbing, couldn't focus, my anxiety was horrible, OCD thoughts extremely bad, depression, and I cried nonstop some days. Other days I was mean and angry. Also, hard to come off of it even when it's toxic to your body and you need it out of your system."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 1, 2016

For Social Anxiety Disorder "The drug worked in the sense that it completely numbed me, at least mentally. It also numbs you a bit from the waist down if you are on a high enough dosage - you will have little to no libido. I felt like a zombie and have never experienced this much apathy in my life. I was only on 50 mg and started to feel this way after 2-3 weeks. I continued on until 7 weeks to give my doctor the benefit of the doubt. I have never cared less about everything in my entire life - relationships, work, physical activity - I had no motivation for any of these anymore. I would come home from work and just sleep until the next day due to lack of motivation. Extremely scary, would not touch it again."

• FJW...
• September 27, 2015

For Depression "Worst experience I've ever had on any medication. My doctor started me on a small dose. Within 30 minutes of taking it, I felt a buzzing in my head and a fuzzy, numb feeling. Then, about an hour later, the really bad side effects kicked in. My heart started racing and feeling like it was going to explode. I started hearing voices. I felt so bad I almost called 911 -- I couldn't even stand up or lay down -- just laid propped up on the couch for about 24 hours until the effects started wearing off. It was the scariest experience I've ever had and made me afraid to take any other antidepressant."

• Anonymous
• November 17, 2009

For Depression "I've been on Zoloft (generic) for about three months. I noticed an immediate difference in the way I felt. I began taking it for mild anxiety/depression. I am now starting to feel more depressed and empty again, like my body is becoming immune to it. I don't want to switch because I don't want to go through another medication. Zoloft, though, in general, has helped incredibly within the last three months -- my boyfriend and I don't fight, I don't get snappy on people, and I feel so much better about going out and doing things. I am more productive now than I ever was. I just don't want my body to become used to it because I love the way it felt to feel okay."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 23, 2017

For Panic Disorder "I was on Zoloft for a few years as I have generalized anxiety disorder. I am also somewhat ADD and suffer from chronic insomnia but no depression. It helped, but I got a new doctor and we decided to try Wellbutrin and Vyvanse respectively to treat the ADD. Wellbutrin actually made me depressed, and the Vyvanse did wonders for the ADD but was horrible for anxiety. We then tried Effexor. Not the one. I went back begging for my Zoloft and a clonazepam at night. By far the best drug for me. It does take a couple of weeks before it calms me down enough to sleep. Being back on it feels like coming home again!"

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 2, 2022

For Depression "I finally caved and spoke to my doctor. I started my prescription only 3 days ago. I care for my father, who has been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. I'm finding it a little overwhelming, but at the same time, I feel privileged to be able to do this for him. Unfortunately, I've been quite sad, angry, all the stuff that comes with worrying. My father has no clue how I'm feeling, I would never want him to know. I've been good at hiding my feelings around Dad, but by the time I go to bed at night, I'm exhausted and cry a lot. I have faith that this is going to help me after reading all of the positive comments. I'm not going to give up, and I'll keep you posted on how it's going. Take care of yourselves."

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

For Major Depressive Disorder "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."

• jud...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I'm on this for anxiety and stress. I posted a while back, but wanted to check in after about 8 months. Only 50 mg daily. My anxiety has basically completely subsided. The only continuing side effect that I seem to have is a deep afternoon tiredness, to the point that I have to take a nap nearly every day now. I still have some depression, and some days I can get pretty dour. My doctor prescribed Wellbutrin to me today. I'll be combining it with my Zoloft to try to offset some of the fatigue and help with the doldrums. If not for the tiredness, I would give Zoloft 10 out of 10. It eliminated my anxiety."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2022

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I am suffering from HOCD, harming OCD, and Pure O. Harming OCD came recently. A little more than a month ago, I broke up. This triggered a mental breakdown for a reason! Headaches, depression. I was like losing my mind. Uncontrollable thoughts made me feel scared and desperate. I had panic attacks, and I was thinking so much. Couldn't sleep. Feared the worst. I was so tired from my brain and my thinking rituals (that were a 'solution' for many years now). Lexotanil (Bromazepam - something like Xanax) helped me at the beginning of my breakdown, but I had so many intrusive thoughts. I was prescribed Zoloft. I started with 0.25 mg, went up to 0.50 mg, and stayed there for some days. Then I went up to 0.75 mg for 2 days, but it was feeling 'too much' and went back to 0.50 mg. I am less than a month on Zoloft and started feeling better. More relaxed and my mind did calm down a bit. At the beginning, I was against medication. It was my only choice. Needs time. I am optimistic. Side effects subside, I guess."

• all...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 25, 2018

For Depression "I've been taking it for nearly 4 months now. For about the first month, I experienced hypomania, which is fairly common to my understanding. Then, on my cycle, I still felt a little depressed, so my doctor upped my dosage from 100 mg a day to 150 mg a day. After that change, I was fairly manic and hyperactive all the time, except the week of my cycle, during which I was 'normal'. My friends and family have noticed changes in me that neither they nor I particularly like (zoning out, agitation, frequent dizziness, etc.), and more recently, I have had semi-emotional numbness/no motivation to do anything and have had elevated thoughts/actions of self-harm and suicide (before this, I hadn't self-harmed for several years). Now, I sometimes get into a headspace where I am thinking very irrationally and don't consider consequences. My anxiety is still high, and at this point, it doesn't seem to be helping my depression either. I plan to stop taking this."

• all...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 25, 2018

For Depression "I've been taking it for nearly 4 months now. For about the first month, I experienced hypomania, which is fairly common to my understanding. Then, on my cycle, I still felt a little depressed, so my doctor upped my dosage from 100 mg a day to 150 mg a day. After that change, I was fairly manic and hyperactive all the time, except the week of my cycle, during which I was 'normal'. My friends and family have noticed changes in me that neither they nor I particularly like (zoning out, agitation, frequent dizziness, etc.), and more recently, I have had semi-emotional numbness/no motivation to do anything and have had elevated thoughts/actions of self-harm and suicide (before this, I hadn't self-harmed for several years). Now, I sometimes get into a headspace where I am thinking very irrationally and don't consider consequences. My anxiety is still high, and at this point, it doesn't seem to be helping my depression either. I plan to stop taking this."

• van...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2019

For Depression "Just plain awful. While on it, I gained 10 lbs, still felt depressed, still had anxiety, and was mentally unstable. Because I'm an idiot, I went off of Zoloft cold turkey over the summer of 2017 and was absolutely miserable and extremely mentally unstable (because I wasn't crazy enough while on it, apparently). Super unstable + brain zaps = catastrophe. However, we later found out I didn't respond to it because of my genetics, so I can't be too mad about it not working since I'm a super small part of the population."

• Joe...
• May 30, 2018

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "One of the worst drugs to give anyone. The side effects are out of control. The fact that a medicine that has been approved to treat PTSD can make you harm yourself is beyond me. Took for 3 months before the active duty Navy doctors finally changed the medicine. Not only did it make everything worse (not able to sleep, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, among others). On a weekly basis, my spouse was concerned for my well-being, requiring her to call the ambulance about 1 to 2 times a month. After being taken off the medicine, I was able to get away from the awful feelings. A new up-to-date study needs to be done because I am not the only one that has had these effects."

• Joe...
• May 30, 2018

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "One of the worst drugs to give anyone. The side effects are out of control. The fact that a medicine that has been approved to treat PTSD can make you harm yourself is beyond me. Took for 3 months before the active duty Navy doctors finally changed the medicine. Not only did it make everything worse (not able to sleep, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, among others). On a weekly basis, my spouse was concerned for my well-being, requiring her to call the ambulance about 1 to 2 times a month. After being taken off the medicine, I was able to get away from the awful feelings. A new up-to-date study needs to be done because I am not the only one that has had these effects."

• men...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 6, 2015

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "For a long time, I've struggled with OCD, trichotillomania, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Now I take Vyvanse for ADHD, but for the rest, I take Zoloft, and I take 150 mg every day. By the way, I'm a 15-year-old female. It's really helped with the anxiety and depression, and my trichotillomania has gotten better with the use of the drug Lamictal at night, which is a mood stabilizer (50 mg)."

• rsb...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 14, 2017

For Depression "Gave one star to Zoloft for its effort, but really it deserves zero stars from my experience. I was on Remeron, then Cipralex (Lexapro for American users) for almost a year, and when it stopped working, I decided to go with Zoloft after reading good reviews. Zoloft slowly turned me into the worst version of myself. Constant anger, irritation, nausea, no appetite, no motivation, and, man, the heartburn was unreal. And the list goes on and on. I took it for a week at 25 mg and 3 weeks at 50 mg to give it a shot, but I had to stop because I was just falling apart. I am currently on Effexor, it's been almost a week, and it is slowly putting me back together from the Zoloft disaster."

• Kfr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 23, 2016

For Major Depressive Disorder "I've been on Zoloft for about a year, at 25 mg. But I've recently developed panic disorder and can't seem to handle the side effects of going up. I believe I'm not even at the optimal dose yet. My doc prescribed me Effexor XR, and I'm on day one of taking that, and I feel completely emotionless. I'm going back to Zoloft tomorrow because initially it worked for depression and anxiety. Everyone is different, but I've tried citalopram, escitalopram, and now Effexor, and they all make me feel numb and like a zombie. Zoloft all the way. My doc won't prescribe me benzos, and I feel that Zoloft will be great with Xanax! Going back to the doctors next week to tell them to shove the Effexor, and I'm staying on Zoloft."

• tah...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2023

For Depression "NOTE: I was on this medication for a short period while my doctor was trying to change over my previous medications. I took this medication with an antipsychotic to manage sleep only. In short, this medication did not work for me. After deciding to change my medications, my doctor decided to put me on Zoloft. I only took it for two weeks and was told to have a direct switch with my medications because it just wasn't working the way I needed it to. I had low moods, sadness, and lethargy, was heavily deprived of energy, and had no motivation. However, I did not experience severe depression, which was the reason I was taking medication in the first place. I believe that this occurred because it just didn't do much compared to my previous medications and was probably not strong enough. This medication is not strong at all, so it is a very safe option with minimal side effects, especially if a patient is just beginning to take antidepressants."

• tah...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2023

For Depression "NOTE: I was on this medication for a short period while my doctor was trying to change over my previous medications. I took this medication with an antipsychotic to manage sleep only. In short, this medication did not work for me. After deciding to change my medications, my doctor decided to put me on Zoloft. I only took it for two weeks and was told to have a direct switch with my medications because it just wasn't working the way I needed it to. I had low moods, sadness, and lethargy, was heavily deprived of energy, and had no motivation. However, I did not experience severe depression, which was the reason I was taking medication in the first place. I believe that this occurred because it just didn't do much compared to my previous medications and was probably not strong enough. This medication is not strong at all, so it is a very safe option with minimal side effects, especially if a patient is just beginning to take antidepressants."

• Aar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 5, 2018

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I think Zoloft caused permanent brain damage and more depression than I had before. I was only on 50 mg for about 3 or 4 months but started having serious memory problems like having no clue where I parked. Not even a general direction. The scariest part was that I noticed when people were talking to me, things stopped registering. Like I was trying to listen but couldn't. I stopped taking it hoping this would go away, but it didn't after over 2 yrs now. And now I'm left with more depression than before and serious cognitive issues. I might not be able to keep my job or function in life anymore. It did make me feel better and be more social, but wasn't worth it."

• Wor...
• February 23, 2016

For Panic Disorder "I have been on this medication for over a year. Was prescribed 50 mg by my doctor due to severe anxiety and panic disorder. I have since not had a single severe panic attack, it also helped a little with my social anxiety. However, it takes longer to reach orgasm, and I am only in the mood at nighttime. I have gained 40 pounds, and I seem to lack motivation. I also feel like the effects are slowly wearing off, so I may have to up the dose slightly or switch to a new medication. I had no initial side effects. I think this medicine works a lot better for anxiety than depression."

• Sas...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2019

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started on 50 mg of sertraline for two weeks and had nausea and a dull headache as side effects. I am now on 100 mg and have been on the 100 for two weeks, and I can honestly say I feel dreadful. Nausea, fatigue, and no motivation. The doctor would like to try me on venlafaxine, but I have heard that these are even worse. Don’t know what to do."

• Lac...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 14, 2016

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I've been taking Zoloft for over a year (100 mg tablets) for my SAD and depression. Before Zoloft, I was engaged in self-harm, overly complicated fear, panic attacks, depersonalization, no motivation, and missing school at least once a week from lack of motivation. Now that I've been on it, I've been less involved in those problems, though I wouldn't say it's 100% from the Zoloft, but rather just some life choices, though the Zoloft did still cater into those choices. I'm still depressed and have anxiety, but I have improved since I started taking it, and I thank it for helping me. I would say that my panic attacks and motivation have improved, and I'm having fewer problems, I can finally say I'm even just a little happy with life again."

• CL7...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 6, 2017

For Panic Disorder "Came off opioids in March after taking them for 2 years till I had my hip replaced. The anxiety and depression I experienced post the pain medication was horrific. I had no idea that I would become suicidal because of stopping opioids, but I did. Every morning I awoke with the most intense panic and major depression, which lasted day after day after day because I hadn’t been producing my own dopamine or serotonin while on pain meds. I thought I’d never recover. I stuck it out for two months when I got to the point of truly fearing for my life and afraid for my sanity. My doc was fantastic and very understanding. It’s only coming to light now the dangers of opioids. Anyway, I started on Zoloft and I’m feeling so much better again. Thank goodness!"