Zoloft

[kers]

I've read on another forum that drinking alcohol while on Zoloft is the worst thing you can do. The alcohol is intensified and you feel even worse than your usual hangover.
I don't drink enough to get a hangover, but I do enjoy a glass, or two when doing yard work and my hobbies. Do I need to worry about this?

Again, this is best directed toward your doctor. I drank once a week or so when I took Zoloft alone, but when I went on Trazodone my doctor told me I would have to go off alcohol entirely (I can have one drink every so often, but not more than that). The combination can be bad--fatal--because they are all sedating.

 

[Ruth09]

I've been on Trazadone for 9 months and never got that kind of warning.

Before Trazadone, I'd go through about 2-3 bottles of wine a week. When I was on Trazadone alone, I was drinking about 2 bottles of wine a week. My Doc knew this. And beer isn't a steady on my things to drink, but I had two glasses about an hour before taking the Zoloft. And I didn't get nauseated, either, this time. Second day. I guess I'll have to call the Doc monday.

But, I think I'm having an issue with coffee. I had a cup, today. And my heart went racing, for no reason, an hour later. It went away in a few moments. And I'm healthy enough for it to not bother me. But, its a concern. I'll have to ask the Doc about this, too. Odd.

Thanks for the reply

Again, this is best directed toward your doctor. I drank once a week or so when I took Zoloft alone, but when I went on Trazodone my doctor told me I would have to go off alcohol entirely (I can have one drink every so often, but not more than that). The combination can be bad--fatal--because they are all sedating.

 

[the racha]

Thank you all for your replies. The zoloft has helped with my anxiety, and my psych was very direct in telling me that drugs would only be 30-50% of my recovery; the rest would have to come through CBT and coping mechanisms.

I appreciate both sides of this issue, and believe that ultimately no one really "wants" to be on any of these things. In my case, I certainly wish I didn't have to take them, but unfortunately they are the best that science has to offer us right now.

I, too, am scared of the potential withdrawal symptoms or, as the drug companies call it, a "discontinuation syndrome," but I guess i'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.

Thank you all again for your support.

 

[Ruth09]

Well,... I'm off the Zoloft. This time I only had half a cup of coffee.
I got sent into a series of racing heart/flushing (panic attacks), so much so, I almost passed out. Heart rate at 100, but, by the time the EMT's showed up, they said my vitals were normal 80 bps with 137/87. However, for the past 23 years, my normal was 102/64. So, I sent them off thinking it was over, but it wasn't. Just made it to the ER at VA, in time to flip-out.
When the panic attacks subsided, they sent me home and told me not to take Zoloft anymore.
My heart feels like someone punched me in the chest.
I'm glad this stuff works for most of you guys, but,...I'm not gonna be taking it anymore. sigh.

 

[tazbat]

Ok, well have been on zoloft for a week now, and the naseua is gone. Sometimes get a head ache, but not feeling as ill anymore. I am sleeping much better and not having nightmares, but find I get tired during the day even if I do get 8 hours sleep. I'll stick at it, though, because I really want this to work I need something to save my relationship with the greatest guy in the world.

 

[cherryblossom]

I started taking Sertraline (trade names Zoloft, Lustral) last summer. They had no positive psychological effect, so my dosage was gradually increased until I was on 200mg. However, they still had no benefit to me. Throughout my time on sertraline, I suffered with diarrhoea. Also, as my dosage increased, I experienced profuse sweating with just the slightest exersion. After about 1 month on 200mg, I was unable to cope with this side effect, due to the physical nature of my job.

However, I have been trying to come off sertraline now since the beginning of November, and I still have side effects. I have a pins and needles/ or zapping sensation throughout my body, if I drop too low, too quickly. The profuse sweating has now stopped and I currently take 50mg every other day, to stop the side effects. However when I try to reduce further, the 'zapping' begins again. I honestly thought that I would be okay coming off them, but the experience has been, and still is horrendous.

As has been stated already - everyone's experience with antidepressants is different, and no 2 people are the same. Even in this thread, experiences differ hugely, but I thought I'd share my experience. I hope you manage to benefit with little or no side effects.
Regards, CB.

 

[Shamstalat]

I'm terrified to come off Sertraline HCl now. I started it on July and I was supposed to take it till April. And now I'm terrified! Plus I just doubled my dosage and since my double dosage, I've had two episodes of drug-induced "mania" and two episodes of suicidal behavior. So, I don't really know what to do.

On the other hand it makes me sleep so much better. My social anxiety has decreased and I don't get as many flashbacks. So there is definitely an upside on that front.

My loss of appetite/nausea from the medication has finally subsided, but it took about 3 weeks each time (starting it and doubling it) before they subsided. This worried my doctor the first time around because normally people only experience symptoms for a week while getting used to it. But things in my body often just take longer since my body is very sensitive to everything.

shamsi

 

[Shamstalat]

cherryblossom,

The tingling sensations you mentioned sound really scary. As does the sweating easily. I sweat easily and always have, but I think that's a result of my sympathetic system being in overdrive (in other words, PTSD.)

 

[cherryblossom]

Shamstalat,

I wasn't trying to scare anyone by posting about my experience with sertraline. I would like to re-iterate that everyone is different and has different reactions to both taking a drug and withdrawing from a drug.

I think my withdrawl reaction is quite rare, otherwise it would be more widely reported.

Perhaps I'm particularly sensitive to these types of drugs - Sertraline is the 5th antidepressant that I have tried. 4 have been stopped due to intolerable side-effects, while the one that was tolerable to me, was stopped due to lack of efficacy. Having said that, none of the 5 have ever shown to be of benefit to me, but once again, we are all different.

You can only make a decision to take/stop a medication based on the pros and cons of a specific drug and with the advice from your Doctor.

Regards, CB

 

[cherryblossom]

Perhaps I should add. I saw my doctor today, who has stated that these withdrawl effects are rare. But because of the effects, I have to take withdrawl a whole lot slower than others who don't suffer the effects. The worst of the side effects from taking the med have how gone, so if I now need to taper off the drugs incredibly slowly, so be it. It may take me 6 months to be off them completely, compared to 3 weeks for the average patient. But if I stick with a really slow withdrawl, the side effects and 'zaps' should be minimal.

 

[Shamstalat]

Cherryblossom, it still worries me because I have read numerous stories in addition to yours. On top of that, my body is extremely sensitive to medications of any kind. I tend to be the exceptional case in medicine, so even those "only 1%" statistics worry me so much because I have been that 1% in other medical contexts. But thank you for trying to reassure me. I appreciate it.

shamsi

 

[cherryblossom]

I suppose, if your body is extra sensitive to medications, then you have to be extra careful to weigh up the pros and cons of any medicine. Having said that, there is always a potential for any of us / anyone to suffer those 1% statistics. I started the medication because I was desperate enough to try anything that I thought might help. I find that the logical and analytical part of my brain doesn't work so well, when in crisis. I just hope I won't be so desperate to try medication in the future, without full insight and thought, but who knows?

Regards, CB