# Zoloft, your experiences



## 21857 (Aug 15, 2006)

Hey everyone!I have been givem Zoloft, and i couldnt find any recent info on it, so I wondered if you could all help me out and tell me your experiences on it, side effect? Benefits? everything!! Thanks in advance!


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## 19739 (Mar 3, 2006)

Hi Zoe,Unfortunately I cannot give you any insight but if you could please share with me how it works for you, I would so much appreciate. My GI has recommended zoloft to me before but I was able to manage with daily zelnorm and milk of magnesium with dulcolax when needed. Now that I have to find an alternative for zelnorm I am sure he is going to bring zoloft back up, which I might try. So if you would not mind sharing your experience, I would very much appreicate







Good Luck !


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## Jasmine523 (Apr 3, 2007)

Hi Zoe!!!!I just started back up on zoloft yesterday (25mg/day) to help me with my anxiety/stress (now most of my anxiety now is due to 'what is wrong with me?')Anyways, last year I was also on it (50mg/day) and it did help my stress. My biggest drawback was it made me very tired and lack of sex drive. I am only going to take 25mg this time around and take it later in the day (to help with tiredness).The positive was it really did help with my stress, and I remember telling my dh when I first started taking it I had better bowel movements (at that time I did not really have IBS systems ). I am hoping this time around it will help again.Oh, I also remember it made me NOT cry (which i did not like)....like last year when my best friends mom passed away and i was at the funeral, I did not cry at all. I was always the type of person who could cry at the drop of a hat at something very sad (or you know, the happy tears when watching something moving/touching on tv or in a movie). But I guess on the other hand, it helped with the 'I am so stressed' crying.Sorry to ramble! Good luck to you if you decide to try it. If you ever want to pm me to chat more please do!Edited to Add: It did not make me have diarrhea, but I am on the IBS-C side.


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## 21857 (Aug 15, 2006)

Thanks for your reply! How are you going with the zoloft now? I have been on it for 2 weeks now - the anxiety is still there, maybe even more so, but i seem to be able to take things as they come, instead of dwelling on everything. I enjoy each day more, and dont feel so overwhelmed with things, so i suppose things are getting better! I'm finding it hard not to drink socially with my friends, i went to a big party on the weekend and it was hard to watch everyone drink and relax but I suppose not being able to drink is a good thing in the long run, do you drink alcohol on zoloft?I havent cried yet actually.... come to think about it, im alot less emotional - silly emotional! Please let me know how your going!


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## 14989 (Aug 3, 2006)

Zoloft takes a month or so to kick in.I've taken countless medications, and Zoloft is by far the best. I wouldn't advise drinking alcohol, as it's certainly not safe -- but it will get you drunk faster.


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## 21723 (Aug 19, 2005)

This is the problem with medications, they work differently on everyone. I took Zoloft and thought it did nothing for IBS, anxiety or depression. You have to try everything for yourself and get your own opinion.


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## Jasmine523 (Apr 3, 2007)

I am doing good on it. I am sleeping better at night, but I still find myself dwelling on 'what is wrong' ~ not quite as much though as before.When I first was on it, my doc said DO NOT drink alcohol alot , and just limit yourself to 1-2 drinks when you do.


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## Iwillcuremyibs (May 17, 2007)

Zoloft did nothing for IBS. It made it worse.


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## Displaced (Feb 14, 2007)

I've just been prescribed Zoloft because of my recurrent IBS-C. Perhaps it's because I've been reluctant to take the Amitiza prescribed months ago. I realize I have to make this decision for myself, but I can't decide which would be worse! I really need to shake that pessimistic attitude, I guess. Perhaps I am under a lot of stress, so maybe the Zoloft would have a sort of sideways benefit. Any thoughts, fellow sufferers?


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## Iwillcuremyibs (May 17, 2007)

Zoloft made me gassy anxious, nervous, shaky, depressed, and suicidal thoughts. It was not worth taking just to avoid constipation from antispasmodics.


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## Displaced (Feb 14, 2007)

I started taking Zoloft just a week ago, so I'm hardly an expert. My most immediate symptom was drowsiness, felt just a few hours after I took the first dose. This has been a problem most of the week but seems to be tapering off. I also experienced minor headaches and some loss of appetite as well as light-headedness. Again, I think all of these are fading away. I spoke to the nurse at my doctor's office, and although I told her that I thought these side effects were within the norm for this drug, she advised me to stay on the 25-mcg dose for another week instead of bumping up to 50. That's fine with me. What I'm curious about now is how I'll know if it's having any effect. Just before starting to take the Zoloft, I'd made up my mind to get out of a very negative frame of mind that was probably aggravating my IBS and (among other things) stop spending time on sites like this and otherwise obsessing about my problem. In fact, I've been much calmer the past week to 10 days, and it's much too soon for this to be due to Zoloft. I'm sure it's just coincidence, but my IBS has been relatively quiet the past week, which makes it easier to think on the bright side.So, how would I be able to tell if any improvments in my IBS are due to: 1. just another swing in the cycle of symptoms 2. the result of my efforts to be stop negative thoughts or 3. the drug? I'd really love to NOT take Zoloft or anything else (I have an unopened prescription bottle of Amitiza), but if it helps, I'll put up with it. How the heck do you know, and how long do you think the trial period should be? The nurse said I could give it up after another week if things aren't better, but especially since the side effects seem to be going away, maybe I should stick with it for at least a few more weeks. (I would like to be able to have an occasional glass of wine, however.)


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## 18438 (Dec 14, 2006)

you need to give it 4-6 weeks to see its full effect, so just hang in there, and remember that if you are feeling better it is probably the medication and you shouldnt go off of it (this is a common mistake with psych meds)you can drink, just take it easy, you will feel it twice as fast, having a drink or two will not harm you, just be cautious.


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## Displaced (Feb 14, 2007)

Zoe said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> I have been givem Zoloft, and i couldnt find any recent info on it, so I wondered if you could all help me out and tell me your experiences on it, side effect? Benefits? everything!!
> 
> Thanks in advance!


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## Displaced (Feb 14, 2007)

I've been on Zoloft not quite two weeks and my situation seems to keep changing, perhaps not unusual for a first-time user. At first, it made me very tired and suppressed my appetite. I also felt light headed. Those symptoms have pretty much stopped. I had trouble sleeping for a couple of nights after that, but I can't say for sure it was related to Zoloft because I have a history of occasional insomnia and am at that perimenopausal stage of life where insomnia can also be an issue because of hormonal changes. Then just earlier today I had a nasty episode of diarrhea--was this due to a swing in my IBS or to the drug? I'd been feeling kind of queasy for the last day or two and wasn't really surprised when I finally got "hit," but I don't think it's possible to identify a cause and effect. I'm due to increase to a full tablet (50 mcg) in a couple of days and coincidentally will be going on vacation. I really hope the drug doesn't give me problems while I'm gone. Very unfortunate timing. I'd love to just stop, but then that's no guarantee of being trouble free, given that I do have unpredictable IBS.


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## JenS (Dec 18, 2000)

Displaced said:


> I've been on Zoloft not quite two weeks and my situation seems to keep changing, perhaps not unusual for a first-time user. At first, it made me very tired and suppressed my appetite. I also felt light headed. Those symptoms have pretty much stopped. I had trouble sleeping for a couple of nights after that, but I can't say for sure it was related to Zoloft because I have a history of occasional insomnia and am at that perimenopausal stage of life where insomnia can also be an issue because of hormonal changes. Then just earlier today I had a nasty episode of diarrhea--was this due to a swing in my IBS or to the drug? I'd been feeling kind of queasy for the last day or two and wasn't really surprised when I finally got "hit," but I don't think it's possible to identify a cause and effect. I'm due to increase to a full tablet (50 mcg) in a couple of days and coincidentally will be going on vacation. I really hope the drug doesn't give me problems while I'm gone. Very unfortunate timing. I'd love to just stop, but then that's no guarantee of being trouble free, given that I do have unpredictable IBS.


I was on zoloft a few years ago and loved it! It did wonders for me and my diarrhea. for me, I felt good in about 2 weeks....then at six months, they up'ed my dose from 50 to 100mg and I felt even better. Hang in there!!


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## Kelly_K (May 15, 2007)

I had panic attacks around the time I started getting my IBS symptoms last July. The dr put me on Zoloft and gave me Alprazolam for a "just in case." I was on the Zoloft for a week when I had to stop taking it. I had insomnia really bad, to whereas my head and eyes were hurting and my head felt like it was going to explode from the lack of sleep. It also caused tremors, which were going on 24 hours straight. On the 7th day I was just constantly crying because I wanted the tremors to stop and I wanted to sleep. So I called my dr and told him I wasn't going to take it anymore. 24-48 hours later I finally felt better from the side effects.


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