prescribed Zoloft, worried bout taking it???? Plz help??

Question

i am having trouble coping at the moment and went to c doc. she prescribed me zoloft to help with anxiety, teariness, anger, lack sleep,she gave me 2 weeks to try as i am really reluctantt take this from some of the things i have heard, i have a young toddler n dont want this to effect him in a negative way, i just want to get back on track any one got other suggestions, i know every one is different and may not have the same effects i just dont want it to bomb me out???

Answer 1

Ok, first thing to know is that it will take about 7-10 days to feel any sort of improvement, so two weeks worth may not be enought to really let you know how the drug will work for you.

In general, Zoloft and most other antidepressants, have low risk of severe side effects. The most noticeable side effect people have is that the drug doesn't do what it was intended to do...so you will still feel teary, sleepless and anxious. If however you feel any of these increase, immediately contact your doctor. There are many other options in the world of antidepressants, so if the Zoloft isn't for you there will be others to try.

Anti-depressants are not addictive. In fact, anti-depressants do not "cure" things like anxiety or depression in the way we think of cures. Basically, the medication is to help relieve the symptoms to a point where you can have the energy and the ability to address the underlying issues. There are people, like me, who will be on antidepressants our entire lives. I have clinical depression, which is a disorder caused by an imbalance of chemicals in my brain. And people with OCD, anxiety disorders and other issues will stay on thier meds as well. But in most cases, there is a situational cause...stressors, illness, divorce, loss, etc..and in that case, using antidepressants in conjuction with therapy is the best treatment option. It sounds as if you may be overwhelmed (totally normal) as the parent of a young active child. Post partum can take up to 18 months to develop. Try the Zoloft. If it helps with the symptoms, consider asking your doc for a referral to a therapist...even just for a few sessions...to talk about what may be causing these feelings and how to work towards handling them without needing the meds.

Answer 2

When i was prescribed zoloft for anxiety, i was very reluctant to taking it as well. In fact I had it sitting on the counter for a whole week before I actually started taking it. I was just afraid it was going to make me worse or like you said, "bombed out". I thought I could get through the anxiety without the medication. However, I still wasn't getting better, so decided to finally take it. I didn't start noticing a difference until about the first week and a half. I greatly helped with my anxiety and still is. I was also having trouble sleeping and it greatly helped with that too. I don't feel any different when I take it, I just feel like I am able to concentrate and sort out my thoughts much better. Many people had to persuade me to take it just because I was so against it. I decided I needed to take it for myself to get back on track. Many people also told me, it's no different than taking an antibiotic if you're sick. If you have a problem treat it. You might want to see a therapist along with the medication if you decide to take it. That way you can talk to someone who knows what you're going through.
Good Luck

Answer 3

Hey there,

From my experience of hearing from people on Zoloft there are few people who are really unhappy with it.. There are some side effects - from personal experience these are minor and diminish quickly. Some people find it has no effect - some people love it.

I myself have taken Zoloft for approx 5 years, I love it! It's my sanity sometimes.. It helps a lot with teariness, anger, anxiety and depression and all related symptoms.

I think you have nothing to lose from trying it.. I'd give it approx 4-6 weeks though as it takes a few weeks to kick in, and also a few weeks for the minor side effects to resolve.

If you find it's not effective perhaps try something like Celexa, Luvox, Prozac etc.. ask your doc, as long as you stick of the SSRI medications (ur dr can explain this) you will be okay... the worst that can happen is they have no effect.. but i am sure one of them will work for you.

Make sure you consult with ur doctor before stopping taking any medication.

Hope that helps! :)

p.s. DO NOT ever take EFFEXOR XR - that is one that has awful side effects!

Answer 4

You didn't say how many mg. you were prescribed and how many a day. My 80 year old mother takes 25mg once a day as she had a lot of anxiety after her open heart surgery. It worked great for her. If you are not coping well right now you need some kind of help to get you back on track. Is there anyone close you can talk with ? Sometimes this is a great help. Good luck to you.

Answer 5

Well what you can do is have someone babysit for a day like a family relative or your mom or your husband/boyfriend/baby's father's mom take the child and see how it affects you. This may be difficult because you will possibly be alone and when the baby comes back you might be in another state of mind but you have to try all approaches. See how the medication makes you feel. If you feel irritable alone then you know it will not be beneficial to bring the child hime unless the meds are totaly out of your system. Just try and if not see if there are other measures you can take. Cheer up hon. things will look up you just have to be patient.

Answer 6

The only way to know whether it works is to take it. If it doesn't work, you can try something else. A few weeks of side effects will always be better than continuing to suffer from the depression and anxiety.

Answer 7

I suffered post natal depression and it's a terrible thing. I took, and am still on Zoloft. It's so wonderful to lead a normal life!
I'd definately recommend it. Your brain isn't getting enough of a natural chemical so Zoloft is replacing this.If you had high blood pressure you'd be on medication.Don't be afraid! Do yourself and your family a favour.I even took it throughout my entire 2nd pregnancy. He's absolutely fine and I feel great.

Answer 8

I took zoloft for a while and it seemed to help in the beginning but then it made me even more depressed and then suicidal. They had to take me off of it but it is different for every person. If you take it and it makes things worse, tell your doctor! There are many other anti-depressants you can consider.

Answer 9

It isnt going to make you freak out or anything so you should be fine taking it, just be prepared after a week or so of taking it to walk around with a big goofy grin on your face.

Answer 10

I hate to tell you this, but the pill they are giving you is only going to help YOU control the symptoms. It took me a few years of getting this through my head. I suggest going through psychotherapy and letting the doctor your feeling this way. I am in graduate school also, so it could be tons of stress too. Calm the stressors....