5 Days On Zoloft Feel Super Depressed

[TimidZiggy]

Okay I'm not going to lie because I was a bit depressed before, not to a high level. It was more depression because I was always worried/anxious and I was tired of feeling that way. I was depressed because my anxiety was holding me back, making me sick, whatever. However it was a mild level of depression what was far worse was my anxiety and panic.

I've been on 25mgs of Zoloft for 5 days now. I feel FAR more depressed. I BARELY can get out of bed. I'm exhausted but I can't sleep. I can't even think. Well obviously I can think but what I mean is I'm a writer for my job (write articles I guess you could call me professional blogger) and I can't even write my blog. I can come up with NO ideas for a new article even though there is no lack of new ideas in the field I write in (trust me it's a political blog there's always news to write about) but nothing. Nada. I try to do one article once a week for a growing audience and I can't DO ONE THING. I can't even work on the novel series I'm writing which is also very important because I want to finish it. I mean the panicked thoughts are less (I still have intrusive thoughts from time to time) but all I do is lay in bed and stare blankly at the TV while it's on.

I feel physically sick. Nauseous almost all the time. Even if I force myself to eat it doesn't really stop. I haven't been puking but I have other issues (IBS) and that's horrible too. BEFORE this, despite the depression I had I at least was motivated to do things. I at least had ideas, could be creative, was writing, there was more motivation to move to clean to take care of myself. It's like zoloft put a HUGE blanket on my brain telling me "Hey don't do anything life sucks" and I wasn't LIKE this before. It's only been 5 days and people always say it gets worse before it gets better but HOW LONG is it going to be worse because I'm going INSANE! I want to sleep, I want to eat, and I want to be able to think properly and nothing is helping. The only thing that is better is less panic OR if I do start to panic it only lasts about a minute before it stops. Honestly I'd rather be able to write all the time and suffer through the panic then have this crap going on. It's not an even trade off. Any suggestions? Not to mention the fact that in another few days I have to up the dose for 50mgs and that's just going to make it all worse. What do I do?

 

[Jnean]

I would let your psychiatrist know before continuing the plan with the increase. I have IBS and I had a hard time with Zoloft. I take Effexor and haven't had many issues. Good Luck! I'm so sorry that you have been feeling so depressed.

 

[TimidZiggy]

Yeah I'm going to give her a call tomorrow. Honestly I don't feel hopeless or worthless or even suicidal but I do feel completely unmotivated and numb most of the time and that's what bothers me. I don't want to die but I feel like no motivation to do anything and this isn't at all what I was like before. I am trying to push through it but maybe another week on 25mgs will be a good idea before upping it to 50. I just don't want this to ruin my writing completely or be a permanent thing cause it's kind of how I make my money (albeit not TONS)

 

[anthony]

I've been on 25mgs of Zoloft for 5 days now. I feel FAR more depressed.

Unfortunately, a side effect of anti-depressants is depression. I know... go figure, but the prescribing persons often don't tell you that, but you can read it under the side effects of them. It isn't uncommon for a person to become suicidal level using them, thus you should stop them immediately if you feel worse on them. The longer you take them and feel worse, your doctor will tell you to keep going, but really you should trust your instincts... stop them and ask them to put you on another medication type, which makes you feel instantly better and not worsen what is being treated.

 

[ladee]

Yes please contact your prescribing person.. I am on Celexa, and have no problems. I am like you are now without it. Also take Klonipin when things get bad.. sorry you are feeling this way. hope your creative mind wakes up and you feel better.

 

[TimidZiggy]

I already tried celexa and it made me super incredibly panicky I couldn't breathe and was terrified of everything. Anything I've tried to go on recently has made me react terribly. I was on Prozac for six weeks and went insane with how apathetic I became so I stopped it. Celexa drove my panic into an all time high I had to quit it very quickly. Paxil was the same. Isn't it possible that I just need to push through this? I've been on a long list of stuff I already know doesn't work. Wellbutrin, Prozac, abilify, buspar, zyprexa, celexa, Paxil, there aren't many more things for me to try. Also I was on Zoloft before, like 6 years ago and I didn't feel like this at all but I can't remember how it felt going on it. I can't do this, starting and stopping meds like this. Especially since I have work to do and starting and stopping all these meds are slowing me down. I was on Zoloft for like 12 years then quit it for six. It was helping me before. Why is it not helping me again?

 

[Friday]

Ditto Anthony. If it's making you worse? Stop.

I was on Zoloft for like 12 years then quit it for six. It was helping me before. Why is it not helping me again?

Our neurochemistry can change, often drastically, over time. Especially for women ((hormones during puberty, pregnancy(ies), & menopause can completely alter the way our bodies handle certain medications before / during / after each hormonal shift)), but also for men as well. Brains age. They become better at some functions and worse at others.

Same token, even if your baseline physiology has not changed, the issues at hand may durn well have. Meaning the Zoloft in the past may have been treating an imbalance that no longer exists, as you're dealing with something else from a chemical standpoint. Last time, inhibiting serotonin reuptake may have been helpful, this time? It's not. Like taking antibiotics for a virus. They may have helped the bacterial infection you used to have, but they do jack for the viral infection you have now... Even if symptoms are roughly the same. Different cause = Different treatment needed!

In either case: If it ain't working? It ain't working!

Isn't it possible that I just need to push through this? I

It's possible, but from what you've written? Unlikely.

Depression & Suicide look rather like this : -U-

Going down, & coming up. Those dashes? Those represent extreme danger for suicide. There is a certain point in depression where suicide is, essentially, impossible. Too depressed to care enough to go to the effort of offing yourself when you're below the line. But going down or coming up? Extremely dangerous.

The psychiatrists I personally know insist in inpatient treatment if they have a patient they suspect is coming up to the suicide line. Meaning that the antidepressants are helping, but their patient is going to be at a lot of risk of suicide. Many docs, though, just Rx a stronger dose, to try & get them through it faster. Risky risky risky. For 2 reasons; 1, because that only works sometimes. 2, because for a lot of people? They're not coming "up". The medication is making them worse, either on the downward slope, pushing them down... Or drop kicking them to the dash & keeping them there. Acting as a mood stabilizer in the worst of all possible ways. Instead of stable midline, or stable up, stable suicide.

From what you've written? It doesn't sound like you're coming up. It sounds like the med is either pushing you down, or drop kicked you to the dash. Both places are not places you want to hang on just a bit longer. Both places are where you want to get away from, fast. As fast as medically safe to.

 

[TimidZiggy]

I appreciate the input but I'm not suicidal now, I haven't been in years since I was in my teens, right now this medication just feels like it's physically kicking my ass. I have no thoughts of harming myself or any thoughts of dying. Dying still scares the crap out of me. You seem to think it's possible that I'm going to actually kill myself when I really have no actual thoughts of it as of now and still haven't even after going on this stuff? My biggest issue as of now is I can't brainstorm I can't think I can't focus on one idea long enough to write. My head is completely silent. I don't have thoughts other than the current events going on. It's like my creativity went out the window. I wasn't suicidal before going on this stuff, I'm still not suicidal, I'm unsure of how it could make me suicidal suddenly when I'd describe my symptoms as more of physical and being depressed because I literally feel physically ill. As in when someone is sick for a long time they get depressed cause they are sick? That's how I feel. Not depressed as in life is hopeless and I wanna die. Depressed as in I don't want to feel physically ill any more cause I suffer from several chronic illnesses and this medication is making them all worse like IBS. I'm going to call my doc in the morning but I really highly doubt I'm a suicide risk at this point.

 

[Ocean5]

Ziggy
"I BARELY can get out of bed."
"My biggest issue as of now is I can't brainstorm I can't think I can't focus on one idea long enough to write."

Can relate too well. I sleep more, can't get up, always returning to bed (unless I have a nightmare), and can't get my work done. Destroying my career. Every task drains me so much. I "need" to be able to do critical thinking to do work. Yet it takes me forever just to compose thoughts for consulting email. Phone - uh....embarrassing.

I told new p-doc no ssri. But I accepted Luxor (reducing now.) Relative says I sound better as I reduce. Scene just repeats itself with every ssri (Wellbutrin, Zolofot, Lexapro...) New p-doc says I'm sensitive to medicine (as did old one).

I'm also on Klonopin. Which I did fine on until old p-doc increased dosage by 6 times. Why give a depressed person such a drug? I'll take high anxiety over massive depression. Now I have to deal with getting off this addictive medicine which will take months.

 

[TimidZiggy]

Luckily for me I've only been on it for six days and at a low dose, 25mgs so I'm seriously considering stopping. I'm going in to see someone today about it but I'm just probably going to tell her I'm going to quit it or ask how to quit it because I can't stand how it makes me feel. I wish it was helping but it's not. It seems SSRIs just make everything worse and I've tried a lot of them. It's frustrating but maybe meds just aren't for me.

 

[TimidZiggy]

Update: The side effects I explained to my doctor were really concerning to her she told me to stop taking it. Today seems to be the worst day by far. I can only focus on really negative thoughts and I'm very very sleep deprived but luckily they are taking me off the meds.

 

[Ocean5]

Glad your doctor is working with you Ziggy. Hope you feel better soon.