Collins

I used to be on Zoloft years ago, but it didn't do anything other than make me a zombie. Same with the others like lexapro, Luvox, etc. Paxil does too, but it at least helps in other areas.

Yesterday was the worst. I guess I've never been off cold turkey for that long before, but what started as a normal day turned into a hellish nightmare. By the time I got home from work, I just needed to immediately take my meds and lay down. It's something called Paxil flu, but it sure felt worse than the regular flu. There are these things called "brain zaps" that have to do with seratonin. It's horrible. It really is. I get them even if I forget my medicine for one day. I felt like I was going to die last night. I feel all better today though. I can't do that again. I'd rather not say why I stopped, but nothing is worth having to feel that all again. When I see my doctor, I'm getting off of this stuff. I know it takes a little while, but I'll just have to bare through it.

sunnykerr

And, see, Zoloft (well, sertraline) has saved my sanity, as far as I'm concerned. Again, low dosage and all that, but I can see the change it's made in my life and it's all good from where I'm sitting.

But meds don't work the same way for all people and they don't work the same way for the same person for all of their life.

Sunrise at Midnight

Meds and dosages sometimes take a lot of fine tuning and sometimes it ends up being a combo of meds that do the trick. I hope you find something that works Chris


Guys, It's getting to be that time of year that's gets rough for a lot of people, so just remember that this thread exists and to use the heck out of it if you need too. There are no judgments here, only love and support.

Collins

Thank you, Kali. I made the appt, but it won't be until mid-December unfortunately.


And yes!!! Like Kali said. Please, please use this thread if you need to or message someone. We all care and will only show kindness and support for you.

Depression has a really good way of making you feel alone in the world. I thought I was until I realized so many people fight the same feelings every day.

There You'll Be

Thanks Kali, for reminding us.

I get exhausted and frustrated, from having to pretend everything is okay, when it isn't .It's nice to remember there is this thread to come to.

I've never been on Zoloft, though almost everyone I know who suffers from depression is. I don't know why it's one they never tried me on.

Hang in there Chris. It'll be mid-December before you know it You're not alone.

sunnykerr

I think doctors start you off on the meds they think will work best for you, whatever the reasons are you are on them. So it could be they didn't try Zoloft with you, Kim, because they figured something else would work best.

I know my doctor put me on Zoloft for a six weeks at first, to see how I reacted to it, and then since it was all good, that's what we stuck with. But it's not like it was Zoloft or nothing when we started out. It just happened that Zoloft worked.

reason to believe

Just curious about how or what the change is from not taking a med compared to taking one that works! How do you feel to know one works? In other words, how do you feel different or improved with it?

Collins

^ For me, I think it helped me better control my feelings; instead of things like Prozac, Lexapro, Zoloft and Luvox, that seemed to take away all feeling. It suppresses/controls all my anxiety as well for the most part. I feel as though I can have my dosage reduced and continue to feel better.

reason to believe

The only time I felt like what I think a normal person must feel like was when I took a high dose of steroids. During that time, I felt energetic, motivated, on top of work, clarity of my mind and confident, and just good hyper, feeling like I even breathed better. I don't remember feeling anxiety and sad and now I wish there was something like that but not with the bad side effects of steroids.

It was nice to feel so good like that... I almost started wondering if being on steroids was like being on speed

There You'll Be

True, Sunny.

It's good that the Zoloft helped you during that time, and that you didn't have to try something else.

Leanne, when I take a medicine that works for my depression, I don't feel hopeless; I don't sleep all the time; I have an appetite again; I interact with others more; things like that. I don't see doom and gloom everywhere I look.

I've always been told steroids are not good for you if you don't have a medical need for them. They put me on them when I had bronchitis, because antibiotics don't work the way they used to against it.

Steroids, from what I've heard, give you a false sense of things being good.

reason to believe

I got put on steroids cause I lost hearing in one ear suddenly without a good explanation so it was for that. (And I did get my hearing back although now I sometimes have tinnitus) but my side effects made me into a go-getter champion for about a month. But there were bad side effects, the worst being I think I got something close to a stomach ulcer and I could hardly eat for months afterward.

But it would be nice to feel that confident non-anxious feeling to do what you say you can do, interact with others more would be nice. And not feel hopeless!

Collins

That sounds really bad.. I'm sorry Did they ever find out what caused the hearing loss? It's a big fear of mine actually.. I already don't have great hearing. Which really sucks for social situations because sometimes I mishear what someone said or have to keep saying "sorry?"

Don't feel hopeless There's solutions out there that won't cause you to have bad side-effects.

sunnykerr

I was put on steroids years ago to treat an infection, too. But I don't remember what kind of steroids and I don't remember feeling different because of it.

For me, the change was immediate and drastic. I have PMSDD, which means that there's a week each month where things would get really bleak for me. It took me a long time to notice it, because I'm not the cheeriest person to begin with. Like, I tend to be fairly neutral in general. But that week... Anyway, I started thinking maybe it was a perimenopause thing, so I brought it up with my doctor. And she immediately went "Sounds to me like you have PMSDD, let's hook you up with Zoloft. We'll start you up at this really low dosage and see how that goes."

And, right away, that first month, no bleakness. The hills still aren't alive for me. That's just not how I am. But things are taken up to Eleven anymore during that week, you know?

Collins

So do you just take Zoloft, a low dose, daily?

I'm trying to get back on taking my meds.. I still have the dizziness and brain zaps. Maybe someone will cancel and I can get an appt sooner..

*KindKennen*

I am on 150 mg of Zoloft(Sertraline) a day. I have been on that dose since 2009. Whenever trying to decrease my dose to 100 mg, I would immediately become depressed. Not severely but enough to immediately go back up to 150 mg