reguarding medication for depression?

Question

i am a 27 year old female who has recently been put on zoloft for depression. i have a chemical imbalance and an underactive thyroid. iv'e been on zoloft for abouot a month now and there are no positive effects. im already overweight(250 lbs.) and its making me hungry and very tired. i joined a gym but i never go because i have no energy. also out of all the problems i have anxiety was never one of them now it seems i panic just to go to the store. any information on alternative medication will be appreciated especially if it's coming from a doctor or fellow peer on medication. thank you

Answer 1

Hi! I started my spiral downward with anxiety disorder when I was 29 and now I am In my fifties. I take synthroid for my thyroid. LA weight loss for my weight. Zoloft never helped me. Paxil, wellbutrin and effexsor didn't either. The only things that worked for me was Triavil--best-- but after 5 yrs. had eye aches, so then took prosac which made me so sick the first month I lost alot of weight (later it got better) and celexa. Now every 5 years, I change because the body gets used to it. This disorder and the chemicals that help us cause extreme tiredness, sadness, hatred of ourselves, feeling like you just wanna die, dry mouth, stomach problems, agoraphobia, virtigo, and weight gain. Stores bother us because it is an open space and we panic because we feel scared we'll loose control. The ultraviolet lights (in stores etc.) hurt our condition because it actually has strobe effects that our brains detect and cause anxiety. We seem to have light sensitivities. I found you must fight it and do what you are afraid to do or you won't be able to do anything. All I want to do is stay in bed, but I push myself hard to be a successful person---which means to survive the day without giving up. I had to say no to alot of my meetings and activities that weren't the most important things. I had to get centered with what was the most important things in my life. I stretch, swim or walk for exercise, and I take big deep breaths. When I have really bad days I just stay in bed and my husband is very supportive. It is a physical handicap like diabetes. We don't have the proper chemical makeup and must take supplements. You wouldn't say to a diabetic, "get over it!" but yet we feel so embarrassed of this disorder. I found out one thing--I have become a more caring and good person because of this disorder. I read that many saints had the same ailments and it was the way God allowed a soul to realize they have no control other than God and he comes very close to that soul. It's not all bad. Call on Jesus' name--he really comes through! It will get better. Don't try to loose weight at this time because it will cause too much stress. You must allieviate stress! Only focus on one stress at a time. This disorder is partially hereditary and partially stress related. (usually from stressful younger years)
I was in a Study in Stanfford University with this. My whole family was interviewed because doctors are trying to help people with this disorder get collect SSI moneys, because of the way many cannot work . I will pray for you , God bless your heart (some doctors believe it is from a small defect in the heart) God Bless you!

Answer 2

The following was sent to me several years ago and still helps me! It may help you too:
Things That Will Help Make You Feel Good! Think about them one at a time before going on to the next one. It does make you feel good, especially the thought at the end #45.
1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting a card or letter in the mail
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.!
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake (vanilla or strawberry).
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling
14. A good conversation.
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20 dollar bill in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Looking into someones eyes and knowing that they Love you
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke
24. Friends.
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29 Playing with a new puppy or kitten.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips with friends.
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies.
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38. Holding hands with someone you care about.
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40 Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present from you.
41. Watching the sunrise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

Answer 3

Oh my gosh, sounds like me. I lasted two weeks on zoloft. I HATED that drug. Made me more crazy. And I was also having panic attacks, zombie issues, heavy vomiting, lost 22 pounds in two weeks. Went back to my doc and he put me on Lexapro. Working great as far as side effects go. A little insomnia issues, but everything is different. This drug was like night and day compared to where I was. Of course I have only been on it a week and they take a month. but so far so good. No zombie feelings either. Each drug (antidepressants) work differently for everyone , sometimes you have to try two or three or four to get it right , and only your doc can help you. BUT be honest with him, tell him you don't want to take this drug, there are soooooooo many out there to choose from.
I don't know, ask him for Lexapro and see how it works, if it doesn't others are just around the corner.
Good luck

Answer 4

other medications will not cause weight gain. definately if you are now experiencing anxiety, tell doctor. you could also take topamax, a mood stabilizer (for bipolar usually) to help lose gained weight. ask your doctor about a tricyclet antidepressant that won't cause weight gain, or remeron, or welbutrin or effexor: all different classes of antidepressants that work differently than zoloft if zoloft is not effective. (remeron causes weight gain though). don't let him talk you into a different ssri such as prozac or celexa; if won't work, neither will another. waste of time and money. if all else fails, try an maoi. that's what i'm on now, it's the first thing i think might be working. it is rarely used because there are restrictions on food & other medications but it is worth it to me.

Answer 5

Sweetie, there are tons of different medications out there that can help you. It sounds like this one isn't doing the job. I had to try six different meds before finally hitting on the right combination for me. I would strongly suggest that you go back to your doctor and tell him/her that the meds aren't working. It is true that you have to give the meds enough time to get into your system - but you should have seen some positive results by now and if it isn't helping at all, you should go back and see your doctor. If you aren't already, maybe you could look into counseling as well. Some times having someone who isn't involved in the situation to talk to really helps. I hope that helps. Good luck and good health.

Answer 6

My fiancee has anxiety and depression and he had to be one a # of meds before he found the right one. Actually the docs had a habit of only treating him for depression. Tell your Doctor what is going on and that you want a new med cause this one just isn't working. Paxil, Lexipro, etc ( may not have spelled them right but you got the idea) they are just a few of your options.

Good Luck I hope I have helped in some way.

Answer 7

You sound like a younger version of me when I was placed on Zoloft (I was 34). It was the 3rd med that my psych prescribed and probably the worst. Once I tried it for a while and realized that it was never going to get better, I talked to my psych and then we tried Welbutrin and that has been a God send!!!
For me, all of my side effects are gone and most importantly my sex-drive is back to normal. I love Welbutrin! I have been on it now for almost 5 years. I tried Prozac (gained 40 pounds in 3 months), Topamax (felt no effect), and Zoloft (felt like a zombie) before I finally found the right one!
I have a friend who has never tried Welbutrin but was placed on Paxil after prozac didn't work for her and she loved Paxil and never tried another.
I think they all work differently for all of us. I wish you luck. Let me know if you try Welbutrin and like it, shopnbarefoot@yahoo.