People's Opinions On Zoloft?

Hi @yangedd I know people who take this and do great on it, however, I have had issues with it as well. Zoloft makes me agitated. They have tried me on it twice. The first time was about 20 years ago. I was sitting quietly at home one evening and I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to smack my ex upside his head. Fortunately, I realized something was wrong and I called my doctor, who had me stop taking it immediately. A few years ago, I was going through a rough time and the doctor was having trouble finding a medication to help with my depression. My doctor suggested I try Zoloft again. I became agitated again and wanted to snap people's heads off and I felt like I was going to bounce out of my skin. Zoloft does not work for me either and agitation can be a side effect. The good news is that there are other options and they finally found a combination that worked for me.

@ssbionicknee Hello and thank you for the reply. I'm sorry that you also had problems with Zoloft. The anger and aggressive thoughts were unbearable for me too. I wanted to slap people I was talking with across the face for absolutely nothing I felt so bad. I will never take it again. I'm on other meds too. Seroquel and Mirtazapine and was on a severe dose of Lyrica (Pregabalin) for years but finally managed to get off it after horrific withdrawal symptoms that made me think I'd commit suicide just to stop them.

@ssbionicknee and @yangedd - I'd also like to invite @rascal1 @pankaj @pdnorm @cathy514 @rmeyers1ppk @birchmere @klaren @amberpep @anoushey @nerak to share their experiences with sertraline (Zoloft), including whether they experienced any problems with it like anger, aggressive thoughts, acting without thinking and generally not functioning properly. @parus and @gailb also may have some thoughts.

@yangedd Your cocktail sounds similar to mine. I was on Zoloft at some point. Speaking only for myself-Antidepressants never worked for me nor did Lyrica or Gabapentin. I find myself wondering if various cocktails of meds has messed with my internal wiring somehow. Temporary derailment of topic. Now these types of meds turn me violent towards others and myself. Not sure why it affects some in this way. Maybe others will have some input.

Yes I am on it and it is the only antidepressant that works for me. Everyone is different in how they react to medication. There have been other antidepressants that make me agitated. Our DNA determines how we react so each person is different.

@parus I know exactly what you mean. I often became even more enraged than normal I was on so many anti-psychotics. I mean I was put on Haloperidol and and a 200mg Clopixol injection weekly along with Chlorpromazine (Thorazine) on top of my normal Zyprexa, Seroquel, Mirtazapine and Lyrica and my brain was addled to the point where I was so belligerent and angry that I errupted on my partner on a daily basis. Without going into too much detail I was eventually told that I was such a mess that I wasn't ready for a relationship and we separated after over three years. Some of those old school 1960's medication can cause even more havoc and turmoil in your life,

Ed

Hi there .... I hate to sound like an "old harpie" but he increased it way too fast! I'm no Psychiatrist, but over 20 years with this type of meds. I've learned a lot. My Psychiatrist first put me on Zoloft - 25 mg. for 2 weeks; then 50 mg. for 2 weeks. I was on 50 til it seemed it no longer worked. He upped it to 75. I took it for years and years and wound up at 175 mg., when it just totally stopped. Then we worked on finding another one.
I don't want to sound "know it all" but I wonder sometimes what these doctors think they're doing; also, depending how old you are, older people (I'm 73) process medications far differently than younger people and thus need a lower dose.
abby

Why I have decided to steer clear of most medications and focus on finding the kind and compassionate person I know is still within me. Psych meds were not for me. I am striving to find the inner strength I once had. I am only speaking for myself as psych meds have helped others. I only know what they did to me. I know I have issues with them and would not want another to make choices on my experiences.

Hi @parus ,

I know I'm not that old (Turned 38 at the start of this month), but I've also had enough of sedatives, sleeping pills and copious amounts of anti psychotics. I think I've learned my lesson there after going around zombiefied for a long time. To be honest here there was a time going back six or seven years ago that I was at my Doctor almost on a daily basis in a terrible state of anxiety and agitation along with paranoid feelings and exhaustion begging for Valium and sleeping pills. At the time he was very understanding and often prescribed me Xanax and a sleeping pill called Halcion, but when my mental health team at the time (I was living in Dublin with my partner at the time) found out they were none too pleased and contacted him to say that I was not to be given those kind of medications again. I can see now why they did it (Them being highly addictive) but at the time I felt like a victim and that it wasn't fair that I was left in such a condition to suffer.

After being on such heavy medication for years though, I am glad that I am off all the old school stuff, even the Lyrica after such horrific withdrawal. A few weeks ago I went through a little period of difficulty and my regular Doctor was going to give me a few days worth of Valium (Can I just point out that the reason she was doing this was because she knows that I'm not in her office regularly asking for this?) and three nights of Zopiclone. I refused the Valium but did take the sleeping tablet.

Have you ever been on a beta blocker? I'm currently on 40mg of Propranolol daily which stops the palpatations and tremors associated with anxiety and I find it better than Benzodiazapines for my anxiety.

Ed

@yangedd Due to high blood pressure at the age of 67 the primary has put me on 10 mg of Lisinopril which set me reeling and was scary because it was affecting my head/body in a way that was reminiscent of those 9 years in a sick mental health system. Thanks to the support here at the connect community I have now taking the 10 mg. I don’t like the fuzzy feeling. Due to those years with shrinks I have limited trust in health professionals of any kind. Just mentioning thus is very uncomfortable.
Tough to have anxiety. 🙁