My experience with zoloft

[Tommo1980]

Good luck to you. Enjoyed reading your thread, found it inspiring how you have remained so upbeat throughout. I've done a week on 50mg and 2 weeks 4 days on 100mg. The start up anxiety and insomnia was horrific and I thought of giving up most days. Things are starting to settle down now I am approaching week 4. This forum has been my lifeline.

Starting slowly definately seems to be the way to go. I do think you should try to hit the min therapeutic dose of 50mg this time. Hopefully then you will see more long term benefits.

[helena8888]

Hi Tommo, yes starting at 50mg is tough, you are at 4 weeks so you should get much better very soon.

I think for me the maintainance dose is 25mg and I was doing very well on that dosage. At 50mg I had durable side effects (lost libido and weight gain) that I did not have at 25mg so if it works for me again I will try to stay at 25mg. If I am not mistaken the best dosage is the lowest one working for each individual. I was on 50 and even 75mg the time before but that did not prevent a relapse.

[Cee]

Thanks for documenting your journey Helena - very helpful.


I am at 4 weeks on 50MG and getting to sleep and having a good night's sleep is horrendous at the moment (was fine before the med). Does this get any better?

[helena8888]

Hi Cee, yes it definitely gets better, for me the turning point is 5-6 weeks where everything settles, you are at 4 weeks so you should be seing the light at the end of the tunnel soon ! Did you ask your doc for some sleeping pills to help you go through the early stages ?

[Tommo1980]

Just to second what Helena said, I've now hit 4 weeks (3 on 100mg) and the insomnia is starting to abate. I was waking every hour for the first few weeks, tossing and turning all night and then up at 4am. Ironically I couldn't keep my eyes open past 10pm so it made for a long night.

The last few nights I have stayed up until 11pm, woke up once during the night for a short period then slept until 5am, comfortably dosing for an hour or so after that before getting up to meditate.

Tommo x

[helena8888]

Back on sert. Day 10 (5 days at 6.25mg and 5 days at 12.5mg).
Tough, really tough, the hightened anxiety is so bad, ears buzzing, slight GI issues, early awakening (5.30 am). Just have to survive the first 5 weeks. Tomorrow increasing to 18.75mg

[helena8888]

Day 12 (5 days at 6.25mg, 5 days at 12.5 and 2 days at 18.75)
Today a bit less anxiety but very low mood and so tired. Insomnia started 2 nights ago, I wake up at 3am and take a xanax 0.5 to sleep another 3 hours. Overall since I started I sleep 5-6 hours which is far too little for me. Also I have no appetite so feeling weak.
I had better days , been there before it worked so I have to stay positive, not easy.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Just to second what Helena said, I've now hit 4 weeks (3 on 100mg) and the insomnia is starting to abate. I was waking every hour for the first few weeks, tossing and turning all night and then up at 4am. Ironically I couldn't keep my eyes open past 10pm so it made for a long night.

The last few nights I have stayed up until 11pm, woke up once during the night for a short period then slept until 5am, comfortably dosing for an hour or so after that before getting up to meditate.

Tommo x

I've got the same problem. By 10pm I get very sleepy. I can usually fight it until around 11pm and then I'll doze off. But I am always awake early. Yesterday I managed to wake early and fall back asleep until 9am. Today it was 6.44. Day before it was 5 :( But once I'm awake I usually feel wide awake and irritable so I have to exercise in order to stop the irritability.

Combined with the no appetite it's really beginning to take its toll. I'm going to treat myself to a big greasy dominos tonight and see if I can get a few slices down me to load up on calories.

---------- Post added at 10:39 ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 ----------

I'm also feeling dizzy today. It seems to happen if I lie down, or tilt my head. Vertigo.

[helena8888]

Same for me, as soon as I am awaked in the morning I need to get up otherwise the anxiety and adrenalin start building up. I have been for walks at 6am for the past 2 weeks which is nice though I would have prefered to be in bed sleeping. Walking slower and slower day after day do due to not eating enough !
Good week-end to all of you !