discussion Going to start Zoloft & I'm so damn happy! Anything I should know before?

[IBeMe]

After having avoided medication to treat my anxiety (specifically social anxiety) I have FINALLY come to the conclusion that I need some help. I am officially going to start zoloft tomorrow (when I pick up my prescription). I was prescribed 25mg for one week and then I will increase it to 50mg in perpetuity.  

 

After a couple months of being on zoloft I will then combine it with some CBT therapy to help with the social anxiety (though therapy is very costly here and my insurance can only cover two sessions  ). 

 

I'm so damn proud of myself....part of my anxiety is also anticipatory in nature and so I have been pushing back taking medication in fear of future side effects and random ish like that but now I have finally come to the conclusion that side effects would be worth it compared to how crippling my anxiety has become. 

 

Is there anything I should be very worried about or excited about? Has it worked for you? How was your anxiety before and after it? My doctor only told me that there could be ED issues but that after a week if nothing happens then I'm probably good to go!

[Dear Reader]

5 minutes ago, IBeMe said:

I'm so damn proud of myself....part of my anxiety is also anticipatory in nature and so I have been pushing back taking medication in fear of future side effects and random ish like that but now I have finally come to the conclusion that side effects would be worth it compared to how crippling my anxiety has become. 

Very proud of you for asking for help, sis... I can't really help you on your questions, but I kind of have the same issue... I suffer from anxiety in anticipation. I didn't even know there was medication for that. Maybe I should reach out to my doctor too. How did you touch on the subject, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Hope everything works out for you 

[IBeMe]

13 minutes ago, Dear Reader said:

Very proud of you for asking for help, sis... I can't really help you on your questions, but I kind of have the same issue... I suffer from anxiety in anticipation. I didn't even know there was medication for that. Maybe I should reach out to my doctor too. How did you touch on the subject, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Hope everything works out for you 

thank you so much  I told myself that if after my doctor appointment I felt heavy hearted or ashamed then maybe it was a bad sign...instead I came out of that office bursting with joy. I literally held back tears for a couple minutes because I was so proud of myself. This is such a huge step forward for me...   

 

The way I approached it with my doctor was very matter of fact tbh. A few years ago (probably like 7-8 years ago ) when I first mentioned my issues with anxiety to my doctor I was kind of dismissed as having just "normal amounts of performance anxiety" etc...I think it was because I was so young, didn't have a supportive parent with me during the appointment and so I didn't know how to advocate for myself. Looking back, I actually appreciate that my doctor wasn't a pharmaceutical shill that was excited to just prescribe something to me. Instead he basically just recommended therapy (which I obviously didnt do because my parents couldnt afford it and because they were not supportive of my mental health concerns namely because they were huge contributors my issues lol). So when I went in this time around...I'm a lot older now, have my own money, some insurance and most importantly...lots of knowledge about mental health now (I am studying in this field actually). I just ran down a list of symptoms I am experiencing ex: social avoidance, anticipatory anxiety, performance anxiety, physical manifestations of my anxiety such as occasional facial ticks, heart racing, feeling weak, rumination / overthinking things, lack of sleep due to the overthinking things, centering my entire day on tasks or events I must complete, dreading if I have an upcoming meeting or appointment and how that consumes my entire day etc....I gave him the full gauntlet lol and he was VERY compassionate and was actively listening to me with each point instead of just coming to a conclusion of what I needed half way through my appointment like most doctors do who are always in a rush to get you out their office lol. He genuinly was excellent during this appointment.

 

He then gave me two options that he thought would be best for me: zoloft & trintellix. After going through the potential side effects, efficacity etc...he kind of encouraged me towards zoloft and I trusted his medical expertise and agreed to it over Trintellix. He sent me a letter to provide to my insurance for CBT therapy which he recommended after 2 months of zoloft. 

 

I'm so happy sis...I will give u an update on how things go. Obviously everyone's journey is different but maybe me going through this as someone who has similar thought processes as u will help encourage u to seek out the help you need (whether it be medical or therapeutic).  

Edited May 13 by IBeMe

[Carla Rosón]

Have you ever tried CBT or any form of psychotherapy alone and lifestyle changes? Your sorroundings and what you eat/ingest are HUGELY important to neurologic health

Edited May 13 by Carla Rosón

[Dear Reader]

10 minutes ago, IBeMe said:

thank you so much  I told myself that if after my doctor appointment I felt heavy hearted or ashamed then maybe it was a bad sign...instead I came out of that office bursting with joy. I literally held back tears for a couple minutes because I was so proud of myself. This is such a huge step forward for me...   

 

The way I approached it with my doctor was very matter of fact tbh. A few years ago (probably like 7-8 years ago ) when I first mentioned my issues with anxiety to my doctor I was kind of dismissed as having just "normal amounts of performance anxiety" etc...I think it was because I was so young, didn't have a supportive parent with me during the appointment and so I didn't know how to advocate for myself. Looking back, I actually appreciate that my doctor wasn't a pharmaceutical shill that was excited to just prescribe something to me. Instead he basically just recommended therapy (which I obviously didnt do because my parents couldnt afford it and because they were not supportive of my mental health concerns namely because they were huge contributors my issues lol). So when I went in this time around...I'm a lot older now, have my own money, some insurance and most importantly...lots of knowledge about mental health now (I am studying in this field actually). I just ran down a list of symptoms I am experiencing ex: social avoidance, anticipatory anxiety, performance anxiety, physical manifestations of my anxiety such as occasional facial ticks, heart racing, feeling weak, rumination / overthinking things, lack of sleep due to the overthinking things, centering my entire day on tasks or events I must complete, dreading if I have an upcoming meeting or appointment and how that consumes my entire day etc....I gave him the full gauntlet lol and he was VERY compassionate and was actively listening to me with each point instead of just coming to a conclusion of what I needed half way through my appointment like most doctors do who are always in a rush to get you out their office lol. He genuinly was excellent during this appointment.

 

He then gave me two options that he thought would be best for me: zoloft & trintellix. After going through the potential side effects, efficacity etc...he kind of encouraged me towards zoloft and I trusted his medical expertise and agreed to it over Trintellix. He sent me a letter to provide to my insurance for CBT therapy which he recommended after 2 months of zoloft. 

 

I'm so happy sis...I will give u an update on how things go. Obviously everyone's journey is different but maybe me going through this as someone who has similar thought processes as u will help encourage u to seek out the help you need (whether it be medical or therapeutic).  

Ugh, you perfectly described everything I'm going through at the moment 

 

I actually was on therapy for the past couple of months but ended up giving up because of the anxiety of having to speak about my problems, which is an issue of itself lmao 

 

But yeah, I think I'll DM you one day so we can chat about this... You seem very intelligent and you are always very nice around this forum 

 

Again, I hope everything works out in the end and the medication does some effect. 

[G.U.Y. Gaga]

31 minutes ago, IBeMe said:

After having avoided medication to treat my anxiety (specifically social anxiety) I have FINALLY come to the conclusion that I need some help. I am officially going to start zoloft tomorrow (when I pick up my prescription). I was prescribed 25mg for one week and then I will increase it to 50mg in perpetuity.  

 

After a couple months of being on zoloft I will then combine it with some CBT therapy to help with the social anxiety (though therapy is very costly here and my insurance can only cover two sessions  ). 

 

I'm so damn proud of myself....part of my anxiety is also anticipatory in nature and so I have been pushing back taking medication in fear of future side effects and random ish like that but now I have finally come to the conclusion that side effects would be worth it compared to how crippling my anxiety has become. 

 

Is there anything I should be very worried about or excited about? Has it worked for you? How was your anxiety before and after it? My doctor only told me that there could be ED issues but that after a week if nothing happens then I'm probably good to go!

I could not sleep for like a week tbh 

Edited May 13 by G.U.Y. Gaga

[Carla Rosón]

I don't know if you're aware of this but there's tons of people like me who once thought medication was going to be our salvation. Only to end up suffering in ways we never could have imagined before.

[hypnodemiluv]

I'm happy for you! Let's hope it will be good for you. Personally i hate ZOLOFT. I got huge weight gain and my D wasn't having it. I know people which praise that medication. Good Luck Babe by chappell roan 

[ImpressMeMuch]

Congratulations on taking this step!

 

My advice here - don't be discouraged if it doesn't go well off the start. Medication can take a while to adjust to, or to find the right amount of for you. 

 

If after experimentation it's still not going well, don't be discouraged! Definitely don't quit cold turkey - that's dangerous and very hard to go through. Ease off the first drug and onto the next.

 

NO QUESTIONS ARE TO SILLY TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR and you have every right to switch to another one if you aren't vibing with yours.

 

You got this! 

[harwee]

Hope it works for you.

Persoanlly I just feel its an overly touted and prescribed medication, especially 10 years ago but now its even worse. Just watch for any D malfunctions and/or anything related to your peeing and report it to your doc if you see it. But overall hope it works.

[Goaty]

 

36 minutes ago, IBeMe said:

He then gave me two options that he thought would be best for me: zoloft & trintellix. After going through the potential side effects, efficacity etc...he kind of encouraged me towards zoloft and I trusted his medical expertise and agreed to it over Trintellix. He sent me a letter to provide to my insurance for CBT therapy which he recommended after 2 months of zoloft. 

Congrats! Sounds like your doctor did a good job running through the considerations and side effects, so my only real piece of advice as a pharmacist is that depression/anxiety meds are very hit or miss for a lot of people, and it can take someone many trial runs of different meds, combos, and dosages to find something that really works for them. So be patient, most take a good 4-6 weeks to really see any benefit -- and don't be afraid to communicate any problems to your doctor. 

 

[Marry The Gods]

It has different effects on people. Some people experience a drastic decrease in their libido. Others gain weight while others lose weight. Some patients have difficulty getting sleep while others feel tired throughout the day. Some patients are fortunate to not get any of these side effects. Zoloft didn't work for my ex boyfriend whereas for my cousin, it SAVED her life. 

[nostalgic]

34 minutes ago, Carla Rosón said:

I don't know if you're aware of this but there's tons of people like me who once thought medication was going to be our salvation. Only to end up suffering in ways we never could have imagined before.

Yes. I swore off anti-depressants after Zoloft, it was a terrible experience that only threw me further off track and made me hesitant to take ANY medications. I'm glad it works for many people and changes lives but that's certainly not a universal experience, unfortunately.

[hypnodemiluv]

After Zoloft and Lexapro (withdrawals are nightmare) i found good combo that doesn't do any huge side effects - Wellbutrin and BuSpar. Energizing (W) and anti anxiety (B) it's worth a try. 

[Reginald]

21 minutes ago, hypnodemiluv said:

BuSpar

This is my anxiety med. It has worked wonders for me. For the first month of taking it, I had extremely vivid dreams every single night. Otherwise I haven't had any side-effects, and it's changed my life drastically for the better. Good luck @IBeMe I hope Zoloft helps you out 

[Mtjjproducer]

I'm on it for ocd and depression

 

It took me about 2 weeks to get use to it. The first two weeks I was empty. I wasn't sad or depressed I wasn't even happy I had zero emotion. I would just sit outside and stare a nothing. It took about 2 weeks the. I got my emotions back. I've been on it for about 12 years. Upped my dose last year. 

[Junipero]

It won't make you happy. Your coordination will be off by a few centimeters. The first week on it will be horrible. Your privates will be numb, and you will loose your creativity/inner voice; you will feel like a robot.
It "works" because you don't think anything at all.

[leonbotstein]

Why did I read this as "Gaga to start Zoloft, I'm so happy!"

[konaa]

Congrats on taking the first step! I'm sure your doctor has already told you, but remember it takes up to a month to start seeing and feeling a difference. And remember not to be discouraged if it doesn't work out. Sometimes people respond well to their first medications, others have to try different ones that work with them. 
 

Also, be sure to keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and symptoms if you have any, for the first month or so. 

[bad guy]

I'm generally not a fan of any medications regarding anxiety because they don't actually cure anything, but rather act a numbing tool. Almost everyone I know that has gone on something for anxiety/depression still suffer from it so as far as efficacy goes I don't think it has much. As someone who used to have anxiety just as you described, and even went through a bout of depression, I went a different route and no longer deal with any of that now with no medications. Of course everyone is different, but the reason I'm bringing this up is because I think you should go through every single option before turning to medication that may not even be needed. Personally I feel like it's a last resort that may not even help at all long-term. 

[DeadInside]

I also took Zoloft for social anxiety/depression. Did nothing for me . Though to be fair, I don't think I gave it a fair shot. I took it for 2 months then stopped. I'm currently on Lexapro and have recently increased my dosage. Hopefully it's the right medication for you.

[Tizley]

Congratulations love ❤️ So proud of you. Sending you so much love and happiness. 
 

My advice to you would be if Zoloft doesn't work for you, is not to be discouraged and try something else. As other users have stated different medications work differently for everyone.

 

I started on Zoloft and had weight gain due to extreme hunger, switched to Lexapro which started making me pee my pants, to Prozac which was the one for me. 
 

❤️🫶