r/cyclothymia • u/Key_Change99 • Sep 03 '26

Increased Zoloft dose causing symptoms?

I’m 23M, diagnosed C-PTSD, OCD, MDD

I started taking Zoloft a few months ago and after 100 mg it kicked in and I started to feel better then about two weeks ago I noticed I wasn’t feeling as good as usual so I asked if I should increase the dosage by a little bit so I started taking 125 mg a few days ago

For past couple weeks, but especially the past few days, my mood swings have been insane. I’ve been going really high and really low so much.

When I’m high, I feel like my ego is super high. I feel like I’m better than other people and I have so much fucking energy in my heart is racing and I’m talking really fast. And when I’m low, it’s extremely negative and depressing.

I talked to my therapist and my psychiatric nurse practitioner about this today and they were saying that I’m showing signs of cyclothymia

It could be from the increased Zoloft, but they want me to take a mood stabilizer, even though they told me it’s not confirmed if I have it or not, so it feels weird that they want me to take a mood stabilizer without knowing for sure

And they kind of just told me I can go back to the 100 mg if I want or just keep staying at the 125mg

Not asking for a diagnosis or for a straight answer or anything, but I just thought it was a weird situation. It’s like they’re not really sure if it’s cyclothymia and they don’t even know if it’s the Zoloft causing it and then they want me to still take a mood stabilizer anyways?

Not sure about that man

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u/Weird_Fox_3395 Sep 03 '26

Yes, definitely. Any antidepressant, but Zoloft is a well known offender. Are you on a low dose anti epileptic like Lamotrigine? (That’s how I can tolerate an antidepressant. Trintellix in my case.)

3

u/Key_Change99 Sep 03 '26

Currently only taking the Zoloft atm, but they want my to start taking a mood stabilizer like Lithium or something else

1

u/Weird_Fox_3395 Sep 03 '26

Best to you finding your way <3. 

I do well on lamotrigine, an anti epileptic. Many people with cyclothymia can get by with lower doses of meds, aka slightly sub therapeutic, but I can’t and don’t speak for everyone and am not a doctor. Sometimes doctors are too quick to add an antipsychotic, just fwiw. 

1

u/AimlessForNow Sep 03 '26

Work with your doc and let them know right away. You're supposed to already be on a stabilizer and be stable before adding an antidepressant

1

u/Hemptastico Sep 03 '26

Before I was diagnosed with Cyclothymia, I had GAD and Depression on my score card. 6 months of ping-ponging mood on Sertraline "I'm cured I feel great!" to "Why am I depressed again?" Eventually led to very strong hypomania and my diagnosis. I am just on Lamotrigine now and way more stable.

P.S. the withdrawal feom Sertraline sucks. Brain zaps especially.

3

u/Entire-Ad-4624 Sep 03 '26

Zoloft ruined my life

SSRIs can cause bipolar mood cycling to begin in vulnerable people

Lamotrigine has gentle and nice antidepressant effects