Zoloft and Depression: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Ano...
• September 23, 2016

For Social Anxiety Disorder "Definitely helps my depression, although I still get random bouts of it at times, but no improvement whatsoever in my social anxiety. Can't do any of the things normal people do, talking to people, being in stores, etc. Also, every time I increase, it triggers me to feel more depressed and suicidal for at least a week, then it leaves. It didn't help the anxiety part for me, but I hope it works for someone else."

• OCD...
• February 9, 2021

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I've been taking Zoloft/Sertraline for 8 months. It didn't start working until I increased my dosage to the highest amount (200 mg per day). For the first 8 months, everything was great, I didn't have any OCD thoughts or obsessions, and it felt like my life was back on track. Unfortunately, the drug stopped working in December 2020. I'm not sure why it suddenly stopped working, but I just woke up one morning with my mind scrambled with OCD. I thought it might go away on its own, but it hasn't. I'm really depressed and distraught. I don't think I'll be recommending this drug to anyone if it has a propensity to randomly stop working!"

• Kil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "Triggered depersonalization, blank mind, and anhedonia, which I didn't have prior to Zoloft. At first, I felt good, even too good, which I can now consider hypermania (lack of need to sleep, running around the house, insisting that I'm an art piece). Two weeks later, not feeling myself, as if my head is filled with cotton, the world appears different, and I can't feel anything towards my GF. I wish I had never touched this full apathy inducer of a pill. Later on, I found that I have a short/short version of the 'serotonin transporter gene,' AKA SLC6A4 or 5-HTTLPR, which is known to cause more side effects with SSRIs and SNRIs. Beware."

• Anonymous
• April 9, 2010

For Depression "I have been taking Zoloft for about a month and a half now. I have noticed severe loss of appetite, and I have been vomiting after I take the medication (even with the consumption of food). I have also been dizzy and more tired throughout the day. I also experienced low sex drive, slight memory loss, and lack of motivation. On the upside, I haven't had any panic attacks, thoughts of suicide, and I have not cried since taking the medication."

• Nad...
• December 29, 2020

For Depression "Just started college recently, so I decided to start on Zoloft in order to manage my depression and anxiety in time for school. The first two weeks were hard as I was very nauseous while adjusting from 25 mg to 50 mg, but that went away after my body adjusted. Shortly after, I started experiencing emotional blunting and numbness, which is something that I don't like because I am a very emotional person, and I need to let a good cry out sometimes, but on the medication, I felt very numb. I also started experiencing extreme sexual side effects, which is VERY common for Zoloft, so I decided to switch medications. Ultimately, the side effects were not worth it."

• Mim...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 13, 2021

For Depression "I have gained 2 stone in 1 year from taking this med. I am calmer than before, but the weight gain is making me depressed again. So feel like it is pointless taking this. Going to get my doctor to start taking me off this."

• hal...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 20, 2013

For Panic Disorder "I have panic disorder along with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Zoloft did help me for a while, but over time I noticed weight gain, emotional numbness, night sweats, and just general laziness. I didn't care for anything! After much research, I discovered that all anti-anxiety meds begin to lose their effect over time. But it did help me for the first 4 years I took it."

• aan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 7, 2020

For Panic Disorder "I started taking 25 mg of Zoloft when my anxiety became too intense, and I started getting panic attacks. I would sometimes feel depressed but do not have depression all the time. My first panic attack happened when I was driving on the highway, and I thought I was having a heart attack. The first few weeks of taking Zoloft were pretty bad for me, I experienced extreme dizziness, and it worsened my anxiety for a few months. Then it started to help my anxiety decently. I was moved up to 50 mg a month later, and it helped my anxiety, but I noticed my depression getting worse. My doctor moved it up to 100 mg, and after a week of taking that, I felt extremely suicidal and had very intrusive, horrible thoughts, which I have never had before. He moved me back down to 50 mg, and I have been on this for about two weeks now. I feel a bit better now but still get intense waves of depression and self-harming thoughts. This medication worked very well for my mom and grandmother, though."

• Dep...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 6, 2016

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I have social anxiety disorder and depression. I never knew how unhappy and stressed I was until I started taking Zoloft early in the year. The drug did wonders for me. It brought out such happiness and a zest for life that I had not felt in a very long time. I began to exercise and eat right, and as a result, I lost a lot of weight. However, I stopped taking Zoloft mid-year because my wife and I are trying to have another baby, and it might affect fertility. A few weeks ago, I got back on Zoloft for some anxiety I was feeling. I have done one week at 25 mg and the following two weeks on 50, but my anxiety is through the roof and I'm very depressed. I hope it starts to work again, I'm really anxious and praying I get my calm back."

• SNa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I developed very intense anxiety, moderate depression, and insomnia in May of 2021. My doctor started me on a dose of Zoloft 50 mg for two weeks. I got every side effect symptom in the book - my anxiety skyrocketed to the point I needed to go on 2 mg of Clonazepam every day, dry mouth, night sweats, increased depression, major gastrointestinal issues. We increased to 75 mg for 10 days despite my intense side effects. At about a month, I upped the dosage to 100 mg because I was seeing slight improvements, moments of lessened anxiety. I stayed on 100 mg for a month and was very up and down. One day I would feel minimal anxiety and even felt happy. Then the next day I would cry all day. There was no consistency, but the fact that some hours of the day I felt 'normal' kept me pushing forward. After 8 weeks, I then went up to 125 mg. I am now 3 months into my journey with Zoloft, and I am about 85% myself and feeling so happy that I kept with it, even though I had many dark, hard days leading up to where I am today."

• Mum...
• September 18, 2016

For Depression "I'm on day 3 of Zoloft. I think I'm going to stop. I feel angry, more depressed, no motivation to do anything, feel like I can't handle my kids. Super dizzy and over it, like 10x more suicidal than I've ever been. Also, kind of feel numb and like I can't think properly. Not a good feeling, and I don't think it's worth waiting it out..."

• Mum...
• September 18, 2016

For Depression "I'm on day 3 of Zoloft. I think I'm going to stop. I feel angry, more depressed, no motivation to do anything, feel like I can't handle my kids. Super dizzy and over it, like 10x more suicidal than I've ever been. Also, kind of feel numb and like I can't think properly. Not a good feeling, and I don't think it's worth waiting it out..."

• GLO...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 15, 2020

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I started taking Zoloft 25 mg with food for anxiety, well, my stomach got really bad, burping to excess, bloating horrible. Finally, I took it without food and still bad stomach. Then I started having panic attacks, worrying, anxiety, even a little depression when I never get depressed. Now they switched me to escitalopram 5 mg, 1 pill, 2 times a day. Some of these medicines are not good for older adults like 65 years and over."

• Buc...
• June 9, 2014

For Panic Disorder "I started taking birth control for acne a month ago and felt as if my anxiety had only gotten worse. After talking to my doctor, she recommended I try a low dose of Zoloft. I've been on the medication for a week and have had 2 panic attacks. One yesterday as my plane was taking off. The most embarrassing experience ever! The flight attendants had to get me a bag to throw up in and had ice over the back of my neck. Today I am feeling exhausted and down. I have read there are serious side effects within the first 2 weeks of taking this medication, so I'm hoping I start to feel better. I am definitely cutting out any coffee, energy drinks, or alcohol."

• Ken...
• January 29, 2016

For Depression "I was diagnosed with depression about 6 months ago and started with a very low dose of Prozac. About 3 months later, I was institutionalized and switched to Zoloft. Most of the people there for depression were on it, and it worked for them. However, it does not work for me at all. I've been on 100 mg for about 2 months, and I feel jittery when I sit for too long or when I'm trying to sleep. I get really grouchy and rude (which is unusual for me), and things that only bothered me before make me really depressed."

• Anonymous
• December 21, 2017

For Depression "I started this medicine for depression and anxiety. Every medicine works differently on everyone, but this medicine altered my life completely and not in a good way. I turned into a person who wasn’t me, I lost friends from my changed personality, ruined relationships, and went from 130 lb to 160 pounds in just three months. I cried and was more suicidal and sad than I’ve ever been. People would always tell me, “What happened to the old you?” I didn’t know and went to my doctor, was quickly switched off, and went onto a different medication, and getting off of it was the best thing. My personality went back to the old me, and I regained my relationship and friendships back, and I lost almost all the weight I gained. Zoloft wasn’t for me personally."

• CBa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2019

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I have tried Zoloft twice due to being that desperate. I had done a lot of reading about people's experiences and opinions before taking it. A few articles that I read discussed increasing violent thoughts/behaviors from taking Zoloft. Maybe that influenced it, but both times I tried it, I found myself having intrusive violent thoughts, which is not usual for me. The second time I had it, it did not work out with Ritalin as it made me extremely depressed and had dark thoughts - granted that was only one day I took it, but it was enough to reassure myself that I need to develop managing my anxiety without it, as hard as that will be. While I definitely do want to live in less fear, I don't want Zoloft's effect of no fear, I just want to find a middle ground."

• Anonymous
• July 29, 2010

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on Zoloft for the past 12 years, and it truly gave me my life back. It was a godsend. I am still taking 150 mg per day, but have noticed more anxiety and depression lately. I question whether it is working anymore. My doctor wants to wean me off Zoloft and put me on Lexapro. I am torn over what to do. I don't want to be like I was before I started taking Zoloft, and I am so afraid to go off it."

• Ser...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2017

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I took it for 5 months under prescription because of work-related anxiety and developing sleeping disorder. The side effects: low mental capacity, low willpower, emotionally dead, no libido, and memory and concentration impairment, and really feeling down. My psychiatrist insisted that the side effects are actually manifestations of my anxiety. But my mental and emotional health were going down. 'It will work eventually,' he said at our last meeting. One day, I crashed my car against a wall. I stopped immediately the medication, went through one week or so of withdrawal hell. I quit my job, went on a holiday, and never took a pill again. It took me two years to restore my abilities, partly because of anxiety, but mostly because of Zoloft."

• Hel...
• December 8, 2020

For Depression "I went to the doctor over panic attacks and my mind always going to the worst scenario about every situation. He suggested Zoloft 12.5 mg for a week, then move the dosage up to 25 mg the following week. I'm guessing it was about day 2-3 I started having insomnia, nausea through the night and mornings, brain fog, heightened anxiety, and depression. I stayed on the medication for a total of 8 days and just couldn't take the side effects any longer, especially the insomnia, it was taking a toll on me. I went back to the doctor, and he prescribed Klonopin for sleep, which worked really well, and it took care of my insomnia and wanted me to try Celexa. I gave it a few weeks before I started the Celexa because I just wanted to feel somewhat normal again. I currently started the Celexa on day 2, currently with no side effects so far. Hopefully, nausea stays away, and I feel the Klonopin at night will take care of my insomnia if I have any."

• Use...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 19, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I was on Zoloft for 3 years at 50 mg and did well. It started to lose its effectiveness, and we raised the dose to 100 mg. My life turned into a giant panic attack for weeks. I went to the ER 3 times. My vision was blurry, I couldn't stand up straight, I lost 25 lbs from nausea and apathy, I was emotionally a zombie, I couldn't smile at my kids, I developed such a deep depression that I checked myself into inpatient. Doctors tried to stabilize me back at 50 mg, but the depression wouldn't lift. I have been off it for 2 weeks now. I'm scared I'll never find my normal again, but I feel so much better than I did on it. After completing genetic testing, I discovered this drug does not work with my genes."

• Qui...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 7, 2018

For Depression "Took 150 mg for 2 years. Helped a lot, but always tired and lack of motivation. Dropped to 100 mg, and motivation is better, but a tad more anxiety. But I guess it’s better to be on the lowest possible dose for less side effects and dependency."

• Ash...
• April 12, 2012

For Social Anxiety Disorder "Do these SSRIs actually work for anxiety? I have tried a few over the last year with little success and horrible side effects. I took Zoloft 100 mg for 3 months and noticed a very slight decrease in anxiety. As with all SSRIs, I had the standard intolerable side effects, including: loss of emotions, loss of sex drive, decreased motivation, etc. I don't think SSRIs should be the first line of medication, as personally, none of them worked for me and all had intolerable side effects."

• Kar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2021

For Depression "My husband died a little over a year ago. Major depression, panic, and anxiety hit me hard. While I still am very depressed, I don’t cry all day. A few things interest me, but for the most part, I’m just treading water. The thing is, Zoloft makes me feel detached; it takes the edge off."

• kal...
• April 6, 2017

For Panic Disorder "My recommendation - if you have a panic disorder, get on situational meds like Klonopin or Xanax. This may not be a wise decision if you have an addiction problem/addictive personality, but Klonopin saved my life. Before Klonopin, though, I took Zoloft. Zoloft made me incredibly sick and very depressed. I have never had depression, only the panic disorder. Situational meds reminded me what it felt like to be normal, and after a while, I was able to mimic that normalcy on my own."