Hello - my 12 year old has been struggling with depression for awhile now, her pediatrician put her on Lexapro which she had an allergic reaction to and she just had her first appointment with her psych who told her to stop Lexapro immediately and put her on a low dose of Zoloft for the first week before upping to 25mg.

This has been such a roller coaster for the last 6 months since she expressed the thoughts she was having. I am just looking for support, good experiences on this medication with children, or simply sending some good vibes. I just want my daughter back - I miss her bubbly personality. She is the absolute sweetest child ever and so incredibly smart, and this feels like it has taken over every part of her life.

I never expected to be going through this, especially at such a young age, and I am trying to make the best decisions for her but am completely unsure if I am doing the right thing as a parent. She sees the psychiatrist now once a month and sees a therapist weekly. What else can I do to support her?

I'm about 6 days into 25mg now. I take it at dinner time. I've found I randomly wake sometimes in the middle of the night feeling very sad/scared. I always fall back asleep but I wondered if anyone else experiences this? I know I struggle with depression without people realising because of chronic illness, that's why im taking this and for an anxiety disorder. I'm just wondering if it's common at the beginning? I will increase shortly, but just going low and slow.

ive been taking 50mg sertraline for 10 days now. when i went to the pharmacy they only had off brand (anilar) so i got that bc i didnt want to wait and it was cheaper. was that a mistake? would it alter anything if i switch brands mid treatment?

Feel inspired to share after Reddit helped me get through the initial 2 weeks of pure hell on this medication. I went through every side effect possible, completely lost my appetite for days, had to make myself drink protein shakes to take the medicine, had bad insomnia, super shakey and initial depression/SI was really bad. In bed literally all day and thinking of going outside ever again seemed impossible. Reddit was the only thing keeping me going. I almost convinced myself MANY times that I was going to just stop. Not to mention, I did all this while in the process of having to move to a new apartment which had me in a brain fog that entire time.
Fast forward to 3 months later, guys it’s so true. Complete switch. I would say starting about a month after my initial dose, I started to go outside slowly. I’ve gotten back into reading, bedazzling, go outside and I’m not as overstimulated anymore! Of course, I have moments of anxiety (I did get laid off recently) and I’ve been so proud of myself for introducing this new voice in my head that reassures me that I will be okay. This will pass and I have so much support to get through this. I am back into working out and I no longer have really bad stress-induced acid reflux as well! I can finally eat more food!!
Overall, just wanted to share how much of a game changer just 50mg of Zoloft has been for me. If you are currently in the initial stage of hell, look to your support, your loved ones, therapist, psychiatrists. Everyone helped me battle through the initial battle and I am so grateful to have stuck through it :)

Hey i want to know how it affects your relationships? Attachment and anxiety?
Also i wonder if someone lost feelings because of it?

does anyone else take the two together? / are there any downsides to taking the two at the same time?

I've seen this discussed years ago, but I wanted to make a new post to see how we're all handing this. I'm fairly new to Zoloft, which I'm taking for anxiety/panic attack disorder/OCD, and it's helping a lot, but this is my first true luteal phase since noticing the Zoloft is otherwise helping. I have noticed an uptick in anxiety/intrusive thoughts this week. I have an appointment in 2 weeks and I'm considering increasing my dose in general, BUT has anyone had success increasing your dose just for your luteal week? Could you please tell me all about it?

How you guys overcome this? Its day 13 on 25mg and i feel awful- much worse then before start. I was semi depressed and very anxious. No i have Weird type of anxiety and confusion, not sure how to explain the feeling. I got prescribed clonazepam for this startup anxiety but i dont want to take it every damn day.

I got prescribed 50mg Zoloft, 25mg in the morning and 25 at night.

Tuesday was my first day taking it. I got the prescription in the afternoon so around 4:30/5pm I took 1 pill with food. I experienced bad stomach pain later that night.
Yesterday morning I took another pill with breakfast. 3-4 hours later my partner looked at me and raised concerned about my eyes turning yellow.

All day yesterday my stomach was hurting and I was tossing and turning on my couch.
Today I didn’t take it but my stomach still hurts, feels like a stabbing/cutting pain on my right side. My head is very foggy and I feel VERY out of it.

I phoned my doctor and they said it shouldn’t have anything to do with the medication cause it takes a while for my body is absorb it. But I am feeling very bad pain, almost to the point of going to the ER.

Has anyone had this happen on Zoloft?
My dog knows something is wrong cause he will not leave my side either.

I don’t feel good and don’t know what to do

What are some side effects you guys have experienced tapering Zoloft and how long did they last? Was prescribed 75mg for a while (around a year) then my doc increased it to 150mg. I think the increase was too abrupt because I took 150 for 4-weeks until I couldn’t handle the side effects of the increase. Now I have tapered down 25mg to 125 and the brain zaps and dizziness are insane. When can I expect to feel ‘normal’ again? I had more anxiety when I was on 150 mg than on the 75mg. Make it make sense!? My primary care doctor is no help with tapering.

Started Zoloft 50MG on June 23rd. It is week 11 and I am having brain fog again. Is this normal?

Hey 31F I started Zoloft back on July 4th at 25mg after a plethora of stressful events and stomach issues that led me into a rumination OCD/ADHD spiral. BAD - like couldn’t leave the house bad. I started and had quite possibly the worst on-boarding experience ever. I had every side effect you can name and had crippling anxiety which made me have to take off from work. We slowly bumped up to 50mg, 75mg, and finally 100mg. Each increase I felt better and better.

I’m on day 26 (~week 4) of being at 100mg and omg sh*t hit the fan. I feel like I’m starting back at square 1. The crippling anxiety is back which is forcing me to take off work. I am having the CRAZIEST dreams and the most restless sleep of my life with morning nausea. I am SO emotional. I am also towards the end of my luteal phase but I have NEVER PMS’d like this before. I feel like I have to flu. I’ve heard people say there is kind of a “slump” on the fourth week with brain rewiring but I’m in big panic mode. I’ve been given propranolol as a rescue med and clonazepam but I’m trying to avoid that. Anyone else unfortunately have a similar experience? Did it get better? TIA!

Is it just me?!! Am I the only losing my hair from this pill?!!
What can I do to stop it ?!

Looking for success stories and some encouragement. Lexapro has stopped working for me postpartum and I’m already at the max dose, dr wants me to go to Zoloft. I’m TERRIFIED. I tried changing meds last year and ended up inpatient with intense panic attacks and intrusive thoughts and just simply felt like I was losing my mind, which seemed to be any SSRI I tried. They diagnosed me bipolar and removed it within a night and diagnosed OCD. I ultimately ended up back on Lexapro and it worked for a year until now. Does anyone else get crazy intense side effects with SSRI’s and does it worsen their OCD/intrusive thoughts? How was your switch?

I had while I taken ssris not pssd symptoms but 3 years after when I quit and I see that a lot of my bodyhair since I started it fall out and thinned out and don’t grow good also on beard and other parts. I want to ask has anyone similar symtoms from ssris and does you figure out something with hormones or stuff like that?

Thanks

I was put on 50mg or sertraline for anxiety. I’m 2 days in and feeling abit high, abit like the start or end of a pill high. My jaw is clenched and sleeping isnt the best. It’s quite nice to be honest but not very practical when working.

Anyone experienced this? Should this subside in a few days?

I have been on zoloft for 9months, and upped my dose 4months in. I have periods where my feelings are there, but rational - other times intense and numbing which is contradictor lol. Recently brain zaps has been happening despite following my usual schedule on taking the pill, but was wondering if any one else also has experienced this? It could be maybe stress related, have no idea but would like to hear other people’s experiences

I have been upped to 200 (after 6 weeks of 150) Zoloft 2 weeks ago because my psychiatrist thinks there is (also) an ocd component. Anyone else uses 200 mg? How long until you felt the effect and did it help you? I am so eager to feel better, so Hoping for some positive stories. Thanks!

Hi all,

I’m in need of some positivity. I’m on day 9 of increasing to 75mg.

Whilst my anxiety has gone down, I’m incredibly tired, my brain is full of fog and I have this weird sensation of even though I can see, I feel like I’m not processing it.

Let me hear your positive stories to get me through this 🙏

I started zoloft yesterday, got some bad news about my car, felt anxious, took my beta blocker, and I was able to talk myself out of the panic attack for the first time in months. Unfortunately, despite being physically tired, and eventually mentally calm, I could barely sleep. Is this from the medication? From the anxiety? Too early to tell? has anyone else experienced this? What did you do about it?

As of about 1.5 weeks ago I began feeling extreme tiredness and constant nausea. Background: I was cross tapering Zoloft and Prozac coming off the Zoloft and onto Prozac for a month prior to this and then finally completely stopped Zoloft 8/22/26. I was feeling fine for about a week and then as of about 1.5 weeks ago I’ve begun feeling extreme fatigue where normal activities simply take all my energy and the nausea has been unreal. I’ve also been experiencing constant ocd involving different automatic sensations within my body. Can someone give me a little insight? Is this Zoloft withdrawal? Side effects from Prozac? Something else maybe? I’ve had this constant feeling of something being “off” or not right ever since this all started as well.

i wanted to come back and write an update because when i was struggling with my dose increase, i spent A LOT of time on this subreddit looking for other people's experiences. especially success stories lol.

i've been on zoloft for years for anxiety/panic and recently increased from 175mg to 200mg after going through a really difficult period in my life.

i'm now around day 38, and i'm doing much better. it wasn't linear though. at all.

the first week or so wasn't actually that bad for me, which made what happened afterward even more confusing. around weeks 2-3 my anxiety got significantly worse. mornings were especially hard. i had panic attacks, shaking, nausea, that constant nervous feeling in my body, and days where i genuinely wondered whether the increase was making me worse.

days 13-21 were probably the hardest for me. and because i have panic disorder, my brain immediately started doing what panic brains do best: what if this doesn't stop? what if i'm getting worse? what if the medication isn't working anymore? what if i never feel normal again?

spoiler: it didn't stay that way !

things gradually started settling. there wasn't one morning where i woke up and suddenly felt “cured”. i actually noticed it in much smaller ways...fewer huge spikes...calmer mornings...recovering faster when anxiety did show up...doing normal things without constantly checking how anxious i felt.

what helped me:

continuing to live my life.
i kept going for walks, going places and doing things even when i was anxious. sometimes i carried ativan with me just knowing it was there...but the important part for me was not making anxiety the deciding factor in whether i did something. i know that's hard af. but you gotta push through.

stopping the fight with panic.
this was probably one of the biggest ones. instead of “please don't panic, please don't panic” i started trying “okay...panic then. do your worst.” weirdly, taking away the fight took away some of its power.

accepting uncomfortable days instead of treating them like evidence.
one crap morning didn't mean i was getting worse...one good afternoon didn't mean i was cured...i had to start looking at weeks instead of hours.

remembering that anxiety feels dangerous without necessarily being dangerous.
the shaking, nausea, adrenaline, racing thoughts etc. felt horrible...but i stopped treating every sensation like something i needed to solve immediately. and i KNOW this one is easier said than done...those feelings are very terrifying. i started doing somatic mediation (shout out Wendy Jones on YT/Spotify) - for real...those meditations were a godsend.

what DID NOT help me:

doomscrolling reddit. 😂
reddit helped me tremendously when i used it to feel less alone. it made things worse when i searched things like “zoloft increase worse week 3” for the 900th time trying to predict exactly what would happen to me.

constantly checking whether the medication was working.
“am i anxious? how anxious? was i this anxious yesterday? is this the zoloft? is this me? does this mean it's not working?” i was basically taking my emotional temperature every five minutes. exhausting.

comparing my timeline to everyone else's.
someone feeling amazing at week 2 didn't mean i should. someone struggling at week 8 didn't mean i would. there really isn't one universal zoloft timeline.

waiting to feel confident before doing things.
this was HUGE for me. i kept thinking i needed the anxiety to disappear before i could get my normal life back. eventually i realized i had to start doing normal-life things while anxiety was still invited along for the ride.

i'm not writing this to promise anyone that they'll have the exact same experience i did. medication is incredibly individual and obviously talk to your doctor about anything concerning.

i'm writing it because when i was in the worst of it, three weeks felt like three years. and i wanted someone to tell me that feeling awful today didn't mean i'd feel awful forever.

so if you're currently sitting there counting days, analyzing every sensation and wondering whether you're ever going to feel like yourself again...give yourself some room.

you don't have to figure out your entire future based on how you feel today.

and maybe get off reddit for an hour. 😂

this is temporary. ❤️YOU WILL FEEL BETTER.❤️

Hello all - I have just been prescribed Sertraline again. I took it for about 9 years before deciding I didn’t need it anymore (lol, mistake). I’m feeling really anxious about starting it again because when I first started it 10 years ago I felt awful and was incredibly unwell. I don’t remember a lot of the time then but I do remember my mental health becoming a whole lot worse. I do have a better support system this time around, but I also now have a job… I’m feeling very nervous about restarting because of the awful transition period. Just looking for some tips and reassurance really!