Should i stop

[TorchZero]

I was on the medication for 8 months the first two times. The first two times I was on Zoloft was because I was having panic attacks which were cured but now realizing I suffer from GAD which caused the panic attacks, a long term plan is best. You should probably talk to your doctor about tapering right away or waiting a few more weeks since the drug hasn’t taken full effect. There are some bad moments/days/weeks during the startup and at week 7 you’re almost there. Your taper schedule should work fine since you can break up your pills, not the one I used but slowly is the best way. People that have a hard time coming off of it usually went cold turkey on a high dose or didn’t stick with it in the beginning making themselves worse. A dosage so low as 50mg won’t be any trouble to taper and from, you won’t even notice if done right which is what you have planned.

[sunriseeveryday]

I was on the medication for 8 months the first two times. The first two times I was on Zoloft was because I was having panic attacks which were cured but now realizing I suffer from GAD which caused the panic attacks, a long term plan is best. You should probably talk to your doctor about tapering right away or waiting a few more weeks since the drug hasn’t taken full effect. There are some bad moments/days/weeks during the startup and at week 7 you’re almost there. Your taper schedule should work fine since you can break up your pills, not the one I used but slowly is the best way. People that have a hard time coming off of it usually went cold turkey on a high dose or didn’t stick with it in the beginning making themselves worse. A dosage so low as 50mg won’t be any trouble to taper and from, you won’t even notice if done right which is what you have planned.

Thanks. This is week 8 now so it really should be working ? I havent been helping myself by googling all the time and i think now that there is no hope for me with AD's because of all the stuff i have seen online. Do you think i should give it 12 weeks ?

[TorchZero]

If it was me, I’d give it 4 more weeks then go back to see the doc if it doesn’t start working. Maybe 50mg is too weak of a dose for you. Some people need to be as high as 200mg. Did you get the initial startup side effects that you must of read about from others online? My first week on 50mg was so horrible, didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin and gradually got better. Kinda gives the indication that it’s doing something from what most people experience. What got me through and keeps me feeling great is daily exercise especially now that the meds are working I get that extra serotonin boost when the endorphins release.

[sunriseeveryday]

If it was me, I’d give it 4 more weeks then go back to see the doc if it doesn’t start working. Maybe 50mg is too weak of a dose for you. Some people need to be as high as 200mg. Did you get the initial startup side effects that you must of read about from others online? My first week on 50mg was so horrible, didn’t feel comfortable in my own skin and gradually got better. Kinda gives the indication that it’s doing something from what most people experience. What got me through and keeps me feeling great is daily exercise especially now that the meds are working I get that extra serotonin boost when the endorphins release.

I had some effects at startup, like loss of apetite etc but nothing major. I am just petrified. All day online again today reading medical journal articles about the withdrawels. I am terrified of being incapacitated by them and being in hell

[TorchZero]

The drug isn’t even affecting you and it sounds like your startup side effects were mild enough that 50mg is too weak or the drug won’t work for you. You could almost go cold turkey and not have any effects. You gotta stop reading the medical journals and if you’re gonna be online stick to the forums cause at least there are more positive than negitive experiences. Reading the worse possible scenario isn’t gonna make you feel any better and you don’t know what other meds the people in them were on, what other medical conditions they have and what kind of person they are. I read an article before I had surgery about a girl who was on Zoloft and her meds reacted with the anesthetic during her surgery and she couldn’t come out from being under, was on breathing support for 2 days before finally waking up. I was really worried before my surgery after reading that and read on the forums that alot of people, around 20% of people that have surgery are on an SSRI. I took it in the morning like the doc told me, told the docs before that I took it and everything was fine, built up worry for nothing. Stop reading so much and trust your docs, it will save you alot of stress and headache.

[sunriseeveryday]

The drug isn’t even affecting you and it sounds like your startup side effects were mild enough that 50mg is too weak or the drug won’t work for you. You could almost go cold turkey and not have any effects. You gotta stop reading the medical journals and if you’re gonna be online stick to the forums cause at least there are more positive than negitive experiences. Reading the worse possible scenario isn’t gonna make you feel any better and you don’t know what other meds the people in them were on, what other medical conditions they have and what kind of person they are. I read an article before I had surgery about a girl who was on Zoloft and her meds reacted with the anesthetic during her surgery and she couldn’t come out from being under, was on breathing support for 2 days before finally waking up. I was really worried before my surgery after reading that and read on the forums that alot of people, around 20% of people that have surgery are on an SSRI. I took it in the morning like the doc told me, told the docs before that I took it and everything was fine, built up worry for nothing. Stop reading so much and trust your docs, it will save you alot of stress and headache.

Look at these stories on this forum about withdrawels ? These guys are still suffering after 3 months!! That thought fills me with fear and panic

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=208279

[TorchZero]

Well the first guy is taking 2 ADs at once which is never recommended so that can't be good. How can you really tell the difference between the side effects of each drug. The second guy sounds like he has GAD since he is focusing on every twitch in which reappearance of original symptoms pre-meds will return. The way I picture anxiety is like a path in the forest. The more you travel on it, the wider the path gets. So in relation to anxiety, the more time you spend anxious, you're training your brain to always be in an anxious mode to the point where it can become unbearable. Zoloft closes that path for me and prevents me from feeding unnecessary stress and anxiety. When the drug is working you can't think and obsess on any negative thoughts or even really form or worry about anything, just truck through any situation and move on.

[sunriseeveryday]

Well the first guy is taking 2 ADs at once which is never recommended so that can't be good. How can you really tell the difference between the side effects of each drug. The second guy sounds like he has GAD since he is focusing on every twitch in which reappearance of original symptoms pre-meds will return. The way I picture anxiety is like a path in the forest. The more you travel on it, the wider the path gets. So in relation to anxiety, the more time you spend anxious, you're training your brain to always be in an anxious mode to the point where it can become unbearable. Zoloft closes that path for me and prevents me from feeding unnecessary stress and anxiety. When the drug is working you can't think and obsess on any negative thoughts or even really form or worry about anything, just truck through any situation and move on.

I am going to pysch in two weeks and ask to move to prozac as that is associated with much less withdrawels. Once i get the script then i think i will taper the zoloft and give it a month without any meds to see if i am ok and if not then i will just hand myself over to my doc and wife to make all the decisions

The withdrawels after 10 weeks of 50mg zoloft wont kill me will they ?

[MadWomanintheAttik]

Hi there I've been on zoloft and sertraline the generic of zoloft for over 13 years. This medication changed my life. I was suffering from debilitating panic attacks as well as depression and other things. I had to increase my dosage after recently but 13 years on the same dose is pretty cool as for the addiction side of it.... I dont think you can become addicted per se.. however, you do become sort of dependent on it, meaning once you want to get off you have to taper and yes, you will go through all of the side effects of not having it anymore and it sometimes takes weeks, just like when you started the medicine.

After I increased my dosage I had major start up symptoms again which lasted for a good 10 weeks. When I hit the 10 week mark I am feeling better, although some of my anxiety is still there. They take forever to work so keep on and yes, dont go to the internet. It's one thing to gain knowledge and another to feed the anxiety.

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They will not kill you. Although I've heard benadryl is good for the brain zaps you might get

[TorchZero]

After 10 weeks the meds should be working 100% or close to it at your 50mg dose. Tapering should be easier since your body is adjusted to the medication now. Just remember that the symptoms you were put on the meds for will slowly come back during the tapering process and a brain zap here and there are normal but I only had 2-3 during my 5 week taper. You are going slower so you may not get them or notice them. They aren't painful, just an annoying all over body sensation that lasts for 1-2 seconds. I had 1 last month when I skipped a dose by mistake in which it came at the end of an intense workout. Be firm too when you see your doc cause ultimately you know whats best for you and since it's only been 8 weeks they may want you to keep on it for a few weeks or right to a dose increase.