50g Zoloft prescribed ... Can I start on 1/2?

[Peony]

I've been prescribed 50mg of Zoloft. I've never been on any type of AD and I'm pretty sensitive to medications.

I've done some research here (aka let me health anxiety override) and I'm freaking out that 50mg is too high to start with.

Can I/should I start with 1/2 a tablet (25mg) for the first week or 2?

[sparkles71]

Hi I started on 25mg & stuck with it for a few weeks before going up to 37.5 & now on 50mg as I'm quite sensitive to meds, we are all different but it has worked for me. Side effects have been minimal with each increase & only lasting a couple of days. Good luck

[panic_down_under]

Can I/should I start with 1/2 a tablet (25mg) for the first week or 2?

Yes, 25mg is the recommended starting dose for those with an anxiety disorder. However, you should get the okay from your doctor first as there may be reasons why the higher dose is preferable in your case.

The rule of thumb is to increase (or decrease) the dose no sooner than 5 times the half-life of the med, about 26 hours for sertraline, so at no less than 6 days. Increasing earlier can produce more severe side-effects, but delaying it won't significantly lessen them no matter how long you wait.

[Peony]

Thank you both so much for your reply. I was in quite a state this morning about what to do (take the 25mg on my own or the 50mg as doctor recommended) so I ended up calling the the doctor and he was happy for me to start with 25mg for 2 weeks. If it works he said that's wonderful, if not I'm to go up to the 50mg. He did say that not to get my hopes up over the 25mg working but he did reassure me that he has a lot of patients on Zoloft and it's his preferred AD as he finds it has the least amount of side effects.

So I've taken my first dose this morning and while I know it's placebo effect. I'm already feeling better. I think the decision to start meds has been weighing on my shoulders for quite some time and it's a load off to have finally made the decision

[panic_down_under]

If it works he said that's wonderful, if not I'm to go up to the 50mg.

Go up to 50mg anyway as this is usually the minimum therapeutic dose. Some do respond to less, but there is a danger of plasma levels dropping below the therapeutic threshold from time to time which may increase the risk of the med pooping-out.