Zoloft and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• bas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 22, 2013

For Depression "At first, I was reluctant to take a pill, even though I had been diagnosed with major depression. My family talked me into taking this medication. I am on my third week of taking Zoloft. The first week, my doctor started me on 50mg. The first few days, I felt awful but stuck with the medication. I had not felt much relief in my depression and anxiety on 50mg, so my psych doc put me on 100mg after two weeks. I am on day 4 taking 100mg sertraline and have already started to notice a difference in my mood. I am less anxious and worry much less at work. I am also beginning to venture out of the house more than I used to. The only side effects I've had on sertraline are mild headache, diarrhea, and a decrease in sexual performance."

• Jen...
• July 19, 2018

For Major Depressive Disorder "I tried everything over the past year to cure myself. I researched vitamins, supplements, holistic remedies, tried yoga, meditation. Everything. Nothing would help. I got to a point where I just couldn't take it anymore. My days were running together, and I knew I needed help. I went and saw a psychiatrist. She prescribed me this drug. Even after receiving it, I still waited another week out of hesitation. But I wasn't eating. My sleeping habits were horrible. All I wanted to do was lay in bed and cry. I started taking 25 mg for a week. The first day I felt nauseous and was on and off the toilet. Maybe a mild headache. The second day - no side effects. I literally had one bad day and that was it. I felt so much better even after a few days. I am now one month on this and I am so grateful that I just decided to do it. I feel like my old self again. I finally have an appetite again, I am sleeping great, and I don't feel antisocial. So happy to have my life back."

• Anx...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 12, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I wanted to share my experience with Zoloft because I know reading reviews helped me. I was 22 and started experiencing extreme panic attacks and anxiety. Depersonalization, out-of-body feelings, weird, basically off. You name it. I had it. I started Zoloft 50 mg, and it took a month to work. I know it sounds like a long time, but when it kicked in, it saved me. I was able to do life again, and it’s not like suddenly I changed, I just felt normal again, and I could function again. I had a few side effects initially, like stomach aches and headaches. But it was worth it. If you are considering Zoloft, well, it really saved me... coming off it was also not bad, as long as you taper slowly. But it was a godsend for 3 years for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 10, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I was once just like many of you when it came to taking medication for my anxiety and panic disorder. I was scared and put it off for about a year! I finally started, and I’m on week 2, and it has helped me so much! The first week definitely was rough because, of course, it does increase your anxiety. I only had diarrhea, headache, fatigue, and insomnia for the side effects. Day 8 is when I saw the change! I was happy and doing things again! I’m happy I looked at all the positive reviews instead of the negative reviews. Zoloft has really been helping me a lot, and I feel like I got my life back! Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for taking care of your mental health. It’s okay to take medication that will help you! You got this!"

• Ash...
• September 10, 2016

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder "I have OCD & PTSD. Zoloft is the only medication I've been prescribed. I have been taking it for 3 months, but am overjoyed at the results. I started at 25 mg. It took a month to start working. The first thing that I noticed was that I didn't feel as depressed anymore, and I lost the urge to do most of my compulsions. I am now taking 50 mg and barely have any anxiety anymore, and intrusive thoughts do not bother me anymore, though I do frequently have nightmares similar to the intrusive thoughts I used to have. I also have headaches and occasional diarrhea, but the benefits far outweigh these minor inconveniences."

• twi...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 19, 2013

For Depression "I have been on antidepressants since I was 23. I started on Paxil which made me a zombie and felt suicidal. Then switched to Effexor which worked for a while but made me have unconscious behaviors a lot. I have now been on Zoloft for almost a year and I feel clear-headed, not as reactive or erratic. I do have headaches and trouble sleeping, and a low sex drive. Overall, a better life on a daily basis. I feel happier."

• ACR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2022

For Social Anxiety Disorder "Just give it a try. I have wasted so much money picking up various prescriptions and never taking the medication due to fear of side effects after a bad reaction to a medication years ago. I finally had the courage to start Zoloft. I started out taking 12.5 for a few weeks and had very little to no side effects. I had a slight headache and no appetite. I increased to 25 mg after about 3 weeks and did not notice any side effects. After about a few weeks, I started to notice I just didn’t overthink the things I once had. Slowly, after each passing day, I started to notice how less reactive and calmer I have become. Certain situations have come up where I would normally be an anxious mess didn’t even pass me anymore. It wasn’t an overwhelmingly everything is better all at once. It was more of a “Oh hey, that didn’t even phase me.” I find myself joking around and smiling more than ever. I am forever thankful I just took the first step and took the first dose."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 19, 2022

For Depression "I suffer from GAD, that triggers depression. I started at 50 mg, then went up to 100 mg after 7 days. Week 1 was a living nightmare - increased anxiety, very suicidal, headaches, and some insomnia. I’d constantly read other people’s experiences on Zoloft for the slightest glimpse of hope, and I’m so happy I can say on day 9, I felt like myself again. I was on this drug for close to a year and thought because I was doing well, I should get off… well, 2 months after I relapsed. And now here I am, back on meds. I hope my experience can give others hope. Do not give up. I promise it gets better and is 100% worth the wait. Zoloft saved my life."

• Kat...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 28, 2015

For Major Depressive Disorder "I was started on 25 mg Zoloft about 3 1/2 weeks ago for long-term anxiety and depression, and it has made a huge positive impact on my life already. For the first two weeks, my side effects included decreased appetite, shaking hands, head fogginess, insomnia, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and clenching or grinding my teeth when I slept. Except for the decreased appetite (which I am happy about), all of the side effects are gone, and it was well worth waiting them out, I promise. I did have to play around with the time I took it and found that morning works the best for me. Not having those crippling feelings of anxiety and not being so miserable all the time-I should have done this a long time ago. I'm finally getting my life back."

• Fhd...
• October 1, 2018

For Panic Disorder "Be careful while taking this medication! You should start with a small dosage (25 mg) for a couple of weeks, then you can increase it slowly by 25 mg every 2-3 weeks. The side effects can be severe! The first week might be the worst week of your life, but you have to be patient because once your body adjusts to it, you will see the gains. Side effects were severe pressure in my eyes, headache, insomnia, high blood pressure, dizziness, stomach pain, severe nausea, anxiety, and passing out. But remember, although it has very severe side effects, it is worth your patience because once your body adjusts to it, it will change your life for the better and forever. I had anxiety and panic attacks for 7 years and tried dozens of medications (Cipralex, Seroxat, Pristiq, Effexor, Cymbalta, etc.), and this is the most effective medicine I've tried. Now I'm on 225 mg daily and will reduce it to 100 mg. Huge side effects in the first days... and huge gains forever. You decide."

• Sal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2013

For Depression "I have been on this for 3 days now. On the first day, I got severe sharp headaches in the back of my head and didn't feel as hungry as normal. The second day, I wasn't hungry at all and felt a little sick. Today, I woke up and almost fainted, my vision was blurry, I had a loud ringing in my ears, and almost threw up. I've been dizzy all day and barely eaten. The side effects are horrible, but I'm going to stick with it to see if it works."

• Anonymous
• April 9, 2010

For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "I've been taking 25mg for PMDD for about a month and a half. On advice of my doctor, I am taking it every day instead of just during PMDD symptoms. It has been absolutely wonderful! The first couple of days I took the whole 25 mg in the morning. I found this to give me headaches and tremors. So I decided to split the pill in 2 pieces and take half in the morning and half with lunch. I only had to do this for about a week; I now take the whole 25 mg in the morning, with or without food, no problems. No serious side effects, definitely not enough to outweigh the benefits. Zoloft has absolutely given me my life back! I was afraid to take it, especially after all of the negative reviews, but I am so happy I gave it a try. Wonderful!"

• Kav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 6, 2023

For Panic Disorder "This medication has completely changed my life. I cannot be more grateful for the way it has completely eliminated my self-harm urges, aggressive outbursts, and panic attacks. I used to be explosively reactive, constantly in a state of fear and negativity. I would scream and yell and cry for hours, I would hit myself and self-harm. I would take everything personally and feel that everyone was out to get me, and everything felt like the end of the world all the time. Since taking this medication, I feel calm, focused, and at peace. Even if there is a stressful situation, I do not react poorly, but instead, I am clear-headed, and I can feel my hurt but handle it much better. My self-esteem has soared, I can now determine how I should be treated rather than accept disrespect due to my bad self-image. I can stand up for myself but be understanding towards others at the same time. My dosage is 20 mg, and the only side effects I have experienced are nausea, fatigue, and headache (first 2-3 weeks)."

• Mad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 20, 2023

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I've been a person with high-functioning anxiety for a good portion of my life, but in February of this year, my anxiety reached its peak. I was having anxiety attacks that were lasting for days. I had high blood pressure, constant nausea, trembling, racing thoughts, racing heart, and wasn't able to sleep. After my third major anxiety attack in 3 weeks, I finally sought help from my doctor. I was prescribed Zoloft (25mg) and Propranolol (20mg). The first week was very bad. All of my previous symptoms were amped up. If it wasn't for the reviews on this site, I would have stopped. But I've pushed myself to keep going and I am now almost 4 weeks in and feeling a lot better. I still have issues. My biggest one is the tension in my jaw, which gives me headaches. I haven't been taking Zoloft for that long, so I'm holding out hope that this gets better. My advice to anyone starting Zoloft is to keep at it, even if you don't notice anything right away."

• Twi...
• November 5, 2016

For Depression "I've been on Zoloft for 2 months for depression and anxiety. The reason I don't give it top grades is that I don't have anything else to compare it to. Started 1 week on 25 mg and then moved to 50 mg. The first two to three weeks, the side effects were the same people describe: headache, tiredness, stomach issues, death thoughts, lack of appetite. After that, the first sign was no more tears, less anxiety for eating, my emotions went away, social anxiety too, fear and death gone too. Calmness, ability to focus on the now, lower PMS, ability to focus and interact. Some days are still hard, but it takes less for me to cope with them. I didn't know life could feel this way. Side effects: lower sex drive and return of big appetite and weight gain."

• ALD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I was just like all of us on here looking through the comments, scared to death to start. I have had panic disorder, anxiety, and OCD issues for the past 5 years. I could not drive far, I never went to social gatherings, stayed home for work, and made every excuse for why I could not drive to the office. At one point, I could not even walk my dog down the street. I was always at the doctor's and the emergency room. I have been in therapy for 2 years. I finally gave up my tactics that were not working and started Zoloft. I was originally prescribed 50 mg, and I was supposed to titrate up to 100 mg. I started at 12.5 mg. I stayed on that dose for 3 weeks. I had awful side effects, and you will too. I was so tired and had awful headaches, nausea, and diarrhea. The worst part about it was it made my anxiety and panic go through the roof. I am now on 37.5 mg, and my anxiety and panic are almost gone. Take it. It’s going to suck at first, but it will change you for the better."

• Lar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 18, 2013

For Social Anxiety Disorder "When I first started taking it, I had a lot of side effects, like nausea, sleepiness, insomnia, muscle twitching, decreased sexual interest, headache, nightmares, a need to move my legs, and others I can't remember, but I was desperate to get rid of the anxiety, so I persisted. Most of the side effects went away after several days. I still have the leg movement and insomnia, but it's manageable. It took about 5 ½ weeks before I noticed any effect when I feel happier, like I can't even think in a depressed way, and I can talk to people online with ease. I still panic about being outside with strangers everywhere, and conversing one-on-one is still hard. But now, after 6 weeks, my doctor has increased my dosage from 50 mg to 100 mg, so I'll see how that goes."

• Mia...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 29, 2023

For Panic Disorder "This really has saved my life. I had a breakdown in January and was in a really bad place for over a month. I had panic attacks almost daily and couldn’t leave my room without experiencing extreme paranoia. I was going to drop out of college, break up with my long-term boyfriend, and move back home. I started taking this and within two weeks felt like myself again. I feel so much better. Still have some issues, of course, but Zoloft combined with therapy and meditation has been a game changer. I was nervous about side effects, and for the first two weeks, my stomach was pretty messed up, and I had bad headaches. But it all cleared up after two weeks. If you feel you really need it, give it a try. I’m so glad I did."

• Jac...
• July 14, 2008

For Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder "For the past few years, I felt like I had a little demon sitting on my shoulders. The irritability and anger were bad enough to interfere with my daily life, work, and relationships. When I began taking Zoloft, I suffered severe headaches and fatigue. However, my doctor had warned me this would happen but would go away. Eventually, the side effects did disappear. I have to say that I did experience a total relief from the irritability."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 21, 2012

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I started taking Zoloft about three weeks ago. I have noticed various symptoms. I grind my teeth quite a bit, which brings on headaches. I yawn constantly, and I am always tired (even if I have eight hours of sleep). I have not experienced any weight gain as yet or any other symptoms associated with this medicine. I used to have panic attacks every second day, and I have not had one since I started taking Zoloft, which is a great outcome. I did get a bit panicky in a social situation two days ago, though I was able to control my emotions, so I didn't have a panic attack. So far, so good."

• mat...
• April 8, 2012

For Panic Disorder "After 1 week of loose bowels and strange stomach noises/sensations, week 2 came and the jaw clenching/teeth grinding sensation in my temples started. Along with throat pain and suicidal thoughts, it was tough to stick it out and stay on, but I did. I started on 25 mg, then up to 50 mg, then on to 75 mg by week 3. Things got better around then. I still felt anxious, but the medicine was blocking my physical response that my body would produce from stress and anxiety. I would get chest pains, stomach pains, head pains all the time, got checked out by every specialist under the sun, and I'm a healthy 31-year-old man with normal or better than normal heart, brain, lung, and organ function. It was all in my head, and Zoloft stopped my suffering."

• Its...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 13, 2019

For Postpartum Depression "First off, don’t stop taking Zoloft. I learned it the hard way. I suffered from postpartum depression (PPD) severely after I had my son in 2009. I was hospitalized for 2-3 weeks. Zoloft did give me side effects the first couple of weeks, like headaches, insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety, panic, and diarrhea. It felt like I was a zombie the first 3 weeks. My PPD gradually subsided the 3rd week. I weaned off of it when my son was 3. Fast forward 2 years later, I went through a rough patch and needed to be on Zoloft again. Then again, I tapered off of it after 2 years. Then I had another child 10 years after 2009, and my PPD came back, so I’m on it again. So far, I’m trying to pull through this tough time again. Zoloft has helped me plenty of times, and I hope this will help someone that is going through PPD."

• SCa...
• February 25, 2020

For Social Anxiety Disorder "I started having panic attacks and anxiety about physical symptoms I was feeling and trouble sleeping, which were actually caused by anxiety in the first place. My doctor prescribed me 10 mg Lexapro. I took a 5 mg dose for 3 days, then raised up to the full 10 mg dose. I felt awful all of the time with headaches, nausea, dizziness, more panic and anxiety, and would get fatigued in the middle of the day. I also started having tension in my neck and shoulders. Because of these new developments, I was given Zoloft instead. Once again, I had side effects like headaches, nausea, and brain fog, but they are not as bad. I did feel bad the first week, but things are getting better. While I still am nauseous and still don't sleep until my alarm, it isn't as bad. I have more focus, which I didn't have prior. I'm hoping that if I stick with this medicine, my sleep and phobia control will improve. I have a follow-up for 2 weeks from now to see if we might need to raise the dose from 50 mg to 100 mg."

• sha...
• February 14, 2011

For Depression "I've been taking Zoloft for 6 months now. Began at 25 mg and worked up to 75 mg. I'm a person who hates being on medicines, so I tapered off to 50 mg and then tried to go back down to 25 mg. Unfortunately, the symptoms came back, racing pulse and anxiety. I'm now back at 50 mg and feel even-keeled. It has been humbling for me to admit that I need this medication, and I dislike how it makes you feel dependent on it, but I also realize it is doing its job. I have lost 5-10 pounds since starting it. The first few weeks, I was in a fog and suffered horrible headaches and nausea, but per my doctor's words, those symptoms did subside. I've not had a single panic attack since starting Zoloft."

• Lun...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 29, 2019

For Depression "I started Zoloft 50 mg a week ago. I’ve been battling depression for a long time and finally had the strength to seek help, but the side effects have been a problem: diarrhea, headache, panic attacks, and extremely lightheaded to the point that I fainted and ended up at the ER. The doctor recommended to keep drinking and give it at least two more weeks while my body adjusts to it. I hope to start feeling better."