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View Full Version : Anxiety back? Zoloft symptoms?



strlrd
28-09-14, 23:17
I had my first panic attack back in late March. After that it was downhill, I was always anticipating it was going to happen again and I would constantly worry about my health. I've gone from I thought I had a brain tumor to heart problems. In early April I was prescribed Zoloft and for the first 2 weeks or so the symptoms were awful. My cognition seemed to be reduced, I had been pretty depressed and disassociated with everything around me. Anything I thought could be wrong somehow seemed like I had symptoms of. I barely left my room. I was so worried about health conditions I thought I had all day. I had blood tests done and EKGs and nothing was found.

Skipped to June/July I felt much better, not 100% but definitely happier and functioning. I wasn't so worried about health problems as much but it was still in the back of my mind, and I still had frequent worries about my heart. By August I was barely taking the sertraline at all and for September I can't recall taking it once. This past Wednesday I had my first panic attack in 2 months, I had almost forgotten what it was like. I was certain I was dying. I was home alone so it got very out of control and ever since I seem like I'm back to the way I was back in early April. I had a few zolofts left and started taking them again that day. I had been breaking up the pills in half to stretch them out longer. The past couple of days I have been fighting anxiety, getting those thoughts back, and from taking the pills feel pretty disassociated with everything else and feel kind of hazy in my head.

Should I be concerned? Can this happen all because of anxiety? I tried weening myself off the pills and thought I was doing a good job. I mean I only had 3 months worth of refills but I thought maybe I could have been over it. I haven't been back to the doctor since around May. I want to make an appointment to see if I should get back on Zoloft. It seemed that have been working besides the fact I had horrible side effects for 2 weeks maybe a little longer. But that could have been amplified by the severe anxiety I was feeling, right? I'm definitely not as panicky as I was 4 months ago dealing with this, but obviously I'm still very concerned and a little scared. I hate having the feeling of impending doom, it is really debilitating. I start a new job tomorrow and I can't have this ruining it.

I will say that during this entire time I have developed a kind of tick I guess by checking my pulse very frequently and the last week and a half had have dreams about having panic attacks, so I guess that should have been my first guess I'm not quite over it.

---------- Post added at 17:17 ---------- Previous post was at 16:51 ----------

I don't know if this is the right forum to be posting in but any replies are appreciated. I just feel really confused and worried at the moment. I was wondering if anyone else had similar experiences? And if it could just be the lack of medication/getting back on it that is causing these feelings.

SADnomore
30-09-14, 19:39
Hi, there! Sorry it has taken so long for you to receive a reply! There is a link for zoloft so that may produce more comments if people are going straight to that medication (I check Active Topics whenever I come online here and that's where I found your thread).

At any rate, yes, it does seem as though your relief of symptoms that had begun has fallen away again after you stopped taking your medication. Definitely it makes sense that you are confused and feeling unwell after that AND doing the stutter-start back on. Are you able to get back in to see the doctor?

I don't know what you/your physician may want to try in order to make start-up less hard for you this time. Propanolol is helpful for anxiety for many people, and ought not to make you feel weird at all. You could ask about it. The thing I remember about zoloft is that it really did work well against obsessive and negative thoughts. Really well. Mine caused depression rather than anxiety, but it seems that it is the persistent negative thoughts being stopped that brings relief in any case.

Are you okay with doing long-term therapy on this drug, and would you be able/willing to take CBT? I guess much of that will depend on whether you can get leave from your new job, did you manage to start it okay?

Marie