| Key to ratings for zoloft: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
| Rating | Reason | Side Effects | Comments | Sex | Age | Time Taken | Date Added | |
| | F M | | | | ||||
| Change sort order by clicking arrow under column heading. | ||||||||
| 1 | depression, anxiety | Serotonin Syndrome | Zoloft sent me into a manic state and eventually to the ER. Serotonin syndrome is a rare side effect, but it happened to me. This effect took only 1 week. | M | 8 | 6 days | 12/4/2008 | 2 | anxiety disorder | nausea,diarrhea,headache,muscle pain,tingling,pins and needle feelings,abdominal pain, gas,dry mouth,altered sense of taste | F | 74 | 10 weeks | 7/1/2009 | 5 | Depression | Night sweats but not sure it's from the Zoloft. I also didn't like the weird feelings when I first started so I took half doses until I got used to them and then moved to the full dose. | I classify my life as "BZ" & "AZ" (before zoloft and after zoloft). I spent over sixty years depressed before. With zoloft I now know what "normal" life is like. But in addition to eliminating the depression it also eliminated the highs. (I used to consider myself a "mini manic depressive".) I take 100mg a day. | M | 73 | 3 years | 6/13/2006 | 4 | M | 72 | 180 days | 9/14/2004 | 2 | Depression | Horrible -- I don't think I will continue this trial. Constant nausea, some vomiting, constant blinding headache not relieved by any pain meds, jaw-clenching, tooth grinding -- all on the lowest possible dose. | Started with starter pack from Zoloft, skipped 4th day due to vomiting, decreased to 12.5 mg on 5th day, still with awful headaches and transient nausea on 8th day. I hear you have to get thru the side effects, but so far it has made my life worse and I am having a difficult time talking myself into continuing with this medication. | F | 72 | 8 days | 10/18/2006 | 1 | anxiety | My 7 year old son took zoloft to help with anxiety. It made him exremely bouncy, violent and aggressive. He became delusional and his thoughts were scarey-violent. He also was more paranoid. | After more research and doc appts. we've learned there's a high chance my son has early onset bipolar disorder. Drugs like Zoloft and other SSRI's (ex. Prozac) will cause bipolar-like children to become aggressive, bouncy, violent and affect their thoughts. Please be careful giving this to your child if you suspect they have more of a "mood-based" disorder. If they haven't been diagnosed with a mood disorder but placed on a drug like Zoloft and respond similarly to how my son did, please call your doc right away and discuss the possibility of a mood disorder. My son no longer takes any SSRI meds and is back to his normal self. We found that a mood stabilizer works best! | M | 7 | 4 months | 7/16/2009 | 5 | anxiety, anger, depression | Chewing the tip of my tongue. Constant music in my head that is repetitive. I cannot make it go away unless I have music on so that it distracts me. | But still, I would not go off it. It has made my relationships with everyone better. | F | 67 | 4 years | 5/30/2005 | 2 | depression | dry mouth prickly tongue unable to sleep | F | 67 | 4 months | 5/2/2006 | 5 | Depression, anxiety | It's been so long I can't remember. | I couldn't live without it. Have had to increase dosage to 150 mg/day. If I went to 200 mg/day I had more anxiety and restlessness. | F | 65 | 12 years | 5/10/2007 | 4 | anxiety | anxiety agitation sleepy but now insomnia | youve got to do something about the cant sleep at night bit! its chronic! | F | 65 | 5 days | 4/14/2005 | 1 | bi-polar disorder | Went into toxic situation when drug began to work opposite of intended usage. | Post-Polio nerve damage may have effected the horrendous situation I found myself in. Hospitalized during withdrawal when it caused a full-blown manic attack. | F | 64 | 5 years | 5/16/2005 | 5 | Anxiety and Depression | None that I can remember after ten years of taking it. The generic had a burning foul taste if it stayed in my mouth too long. Burt my throat for at least a half hour. Had no problem with the original Zoloft. | I had been taking Zoloft for ten years, very satisfied but the effectiveness as with any drug wore off. I have been put on Effexor in the past couple of days and I am not liking what I am reading about it. Hoping it will have the same effects that Zoloft had for me, NONE | F | 63 | 10 years | 10/5/2007 | 4 | extreme stress | It helped calm me during an extremely stressful time of assuming a caregiving role. I felt | F | 63 | 1 years | 6/20/2005 | 3 | Depression | None | Seems to be doing the trick. I do feel better but very lethargic. | F | 63 | 1 years | 6/9/2006 | 5 | Panic attacks after 13 surgeries | The first week was difficult; I wouldn't recommend driving at that time. I wasn't sure I was stopping the car and felt very unsafe. Some nausea the first week, too. | This drug absolutely saved my life. I began having what I called "daymares" after having 13 surgeries in a year and a half. These panic attacks were unbelievably frightening. I called my surgeon to ask for something for depression and she blew me off and told me to "deal with it"; I never went back to see her. I found another dr. who prescribed 100mg Zoloft. The shocking thing for me is that Zoloft relieved 90 % of my fibromyalgia pain !!! This is a HUGE thing for someone like me. I decided to go off of Zoloft about 5 years ago and BAM ! .... back came the pain. I worship this drug; I'm not sure I would have made it without it. | F | 60 | 10 years | 6/9/2008 | 5 | Emotional Instability | I have taken a lot of ssri's over the last 35 years but this is the only one that works without any noticable side effects. It helps with ED also. I take generic, 50mg but buy 100mg tabs because the price is the same. I used to take brand zoloft until generic came out, I can tell no difference in the two. | Congrats to Pfizer Inc. You got it right this time. | M | 60 | 3 years | 7/18/2007 | 5 | Depression following cancer | No side effects except constipation which is manageable with natural products. Worked quickly to lift my spirits and increase my optimism | I'm continuing a long term treatment for cancer which has a potential to increase depression which often follows a cancer diagnosis. I resisted taking anything for depression and anxiety but I couldn't stand being with myself. I feel better now, I'm calm and manage my break through anxiety well. It does not help me sleep but does help me be calm about not sleeping well. It is a good choice for me | F | 60 | 2 months | 4/6/2008 | 4 | depression | I can't take the full dose without severe tension in my muscles. Therefore I take a lower dose with slightly less benefit to my depression. | Before taking Zoloft (started 2 years ago), I had taken 3 other antidepressants, each of which I had to stop because of either ineffectiveness or side effects. | F | 60 | 2 years | 3/26/2005 | 3 | F | 60 | 6/3/2009 | 3 | suicidal ideation | I was on 5 mg and breaking that in half. once I went to one pill I be came MORE suicidal | didn't seem helpful | F | 60 | 2 weeks | 9/1/2009 | 1 | severe depression/anxiety | Constant nausea, alternating constipation/diarrhea, very anxious, sleepy but can't sleep, clenching jaw, waves of sadness, total loss of appetite, tremors when trying to write, moody and low. lethargic, no desire to do anything I used to love to do, feeling like I want to cry all the time | This drug works well for two of my kids, but they are taking it for anxiety only. They seemed to suffer very few side effects. I had taken Prozac for many years, but it wasn't seeeming to help anymore. I never had these kinds of side effects. Have since had trials on Cymbalta, Seroquel and Remeron. I didn't like any of them. I'm only taking 25 mgs of Zoloft in the morning, and it's only been for ten days, but I can't see doing this much longer. I'm already too thin, so weight loss and loss of appetite is not a good thing for me. Everyone says to give it more time, but I don't think this is the drug for me. | F | 60 | 10 days | 10/27/2008 | 5 | DEPRESSION | sexual side effects | M | 59 | 9 months | 12/16/2006 | 5 | fibromylia | some dizziness, | creates unreasonable sense of ephoria at times when you normally shouldn't be that happy | F | 59 | 14 years | 7/14/2008 | 5 | brain injury (right-frontal) | Difficulty reaching orgasm (might also be a combination of other drugs plus age) | M | 59 | 7 years | 1/17/2005 | 4 | depression | None worth mentioning. | This medication has turned my life around; I'd been suffering from moderate to severe depression for decades and was afraid to take antidepressents until my doctor convinced me to at least try Zoloft for a while. It's been about 4 years and I truly feel like a new person. | F | 59 | 8/1/2008 | 4 | seasonal depression, ptsd | jaw clenching, improved by taking dose at bedtime and reducing dose | F | 59 | 2 months | 11/20/2004 | 3 | depression/dysthimia | Flattening of mood, dry mouth and weight gain. | It's the thrid anti depressant I've tried. I was allergic to Effexor and Prozac only worked for a short time. The Zoloft worked and did help my depression for a while, but after a year I don't feel like it's still helping. I tapered off once, but started to feel depressed again and went back on it. Now the dry mouth is really bothering me and I'm considering going off of it again. | F | 59 | 13 months | 10/13/2007 | 3 | Anxiety and depression | Zoloft worked very well with the exception of a chronic stiff neck. | I had trouble sleeping when I began taking Zoloft, but after a week I was sleeping very well. I did have some mild agitation, but the worst problem was a stiff neck which became unbearable. | M | 59 | 6 times | 11/20/2002 | 2 | depression, anxiety | increased anxiety, nausea, loss of appetite and weight,heartburn, diarrhea, eye twitching, jaw clenching, insomnia, have to take xanax in order to take Zoloft. | I have only been on this for five days, after coming off of Prozac. I'm not sure that I'm going to like this med. Will report if it gets any better. | F | 59 | 5 days | 4/25/2007 | 5 | Depression | Only good side effects | Low dosage (25mg) daily. I literally felt it 'kick in' on the 8th night of taking it. Perhaps because it is a low dose, I don't notice any side effects, except that I'm not as depressed. I wouldn't want to increase the dosage because I think I wouldn't care about much of anything!LOL. After 2 years, I have starting having night terrors (yelling in my sleep) about once a week and after research on the net, I'm wondering if it is from the Zoloft. | F | 58 | 2 years | 1/7/2009 | 5 | migraines | loss of sexual desire for first 6 months, gradually came back...:-) occasional night sweats from neck up... | no more migraines | M | 58 | 8 years | 8/16/2004 | 4 | anxiety, ADHD, etc. | None - it works just fine. I am very calm and relaxed and do not have the weight gain or sleepiness when I took paxil. | M | 58 | 2 months | 5/9/2004 | 3 | POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, DEP | BEEN ON THIS FOR OVER A DECADE. IT HELPED MY DEPRESSION AND INCREASED MY APPETITE. BUT NO APPETITE WAS ONE OF MY PTSD SYMPTOMS. BIGGEST NEGATIVE IS VIRTIGO, BRAIN ZAPS WHEN I TURN MY HEAD QUICKLY. ESPECIALLY WHEN I FIRST STARTED. NOW IF I MISS A DOSE I KNOW WITHIN HOURS BECAUSE THE VIRTIGO STARTS AS A WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOM. NO LIBIDO ALSO IS A PROBLEM | THIS DRUG HELPED ME, BUT I THINK THERE ARE BETTER DRUGS AVAILABLE WHICH DO NOT CAUSE VIRTIGO. HAVE HAD TO ADD WELLBUTRIN NOW FOR DEPRESSION, ZOLOFT NOT WORKING WELL ENOUGH ON ITS OWN BUT NOT ABLE TO STOP DUE TO VIRTIGO | F | 58 | 12 years | 8/26/2009 | 2 | anxiety, depression seasonal affect | Increased anxiety, restlessness, and feeling out of control and panic. I told my doctor and they gave me seraquel (which is used for bipolar treatment. The thing is they just gave me samples without explanation. At this point I am ready to get all these poisons out of my body and just exercise. I am so tired of feeling bad, it's been 4 months now. | F | 58 | 12/19/2007 | 1 | depression | nausea, gases, diarrhea, eructation | F | 58 | 25 days | 2/24/2005 | 1 | Depression | Of all of the antidepressants I've tried, this one had the worst side-effects. On the third day, I was climbing the walls (serotonin syndrome, it's called), praying to God to allow the effects to wear off more quickly. The only benefit I got from Zoloft was the relief of having it leave my system. | M | 58 | 3 days | 1/4/2006 | 5 | mild depression, panic attacks, IBS | IBS immediately started calming down, panic attacks gone, after a few years bowels completely normal. depression lifted immediately. Migraines less severe. Slight weight loss :-) low libido :-( | this has been a wonderful help for my life. After some years of talk therapy, my shrink was convinced that my problems were largely biologically based. Reluctantly, I went on Zoloft - - it has enabled me to do well with work, balanced finances, more enjoyable and better quality relationships with friends, family, and husband. It's also helped minimize symptoms of menopause. Zoloft's persistent sleepiness symptom went away totally by increasing dosage from 75 to 100 mg. | F | 57 | 7 years | 3/4/2007 | 5 | Life long depression | Sexually, I am unable to obtain an erection. | 600mg daily of Zoloft is quite effective.Yes, I said 600mg daily. It has increasted the over all quality of my life. While, concerned about the side effects the beneiftes from the medications outweigh the side effects.I encourage any one on the medication to continue taking the medication. | M | 57 | 12 years | 10/15/2004 | 5 | depression | loss of sexual desire and anorgasmia; difficulty maintaining a quality diet; difficulty getting up in the morning | My experience is that there is a minimal dose required to be effective, and that there is a maximum dose above which the effectiveness wears off. At the proper dose, the effect is darned near magic. Whoever said that the generic is not as good as the real Zoloft is exactly right. There is a profound difference, and it's not made up by increasing the dose. The drug acts very quickly, and the loss of sexual desire is almost immediate. I haven't gained weight yet, but I can see how it would be possible. I have a yearning for donuts and recommend an aggressive program. Also, the combination with alcohol is seductive...watch out. | M | 57 | 3 months | 6/28/2007 | 5 | depression | none, except my cheeks were aching at first from smiling so much :-) | Wow, this took me from an anxious moody depressed person to a calm optimistic one in only a few days - I've been taking it for years, and don't ever want to stop! | F | 57 | 5 years | 8/15/2007 | 5 | restless leg /insomnia/anxiety | A little nausea, off and on for the first week only. | It is the best medication that has ever happened to me. I go to bed, get a good nights sleep, no restless leg sydrome since the 4th day of taking Zoloft. I love each day. | F | 57 | 1 years | 2/26/2009 | 4 | panic attacks | I'm filling this out for my husband. The only side effect he is having is tics--rubbing his forehead constantly. Really having difficulty stopping. Worth it, though, considering that he's back to normal. | It has completely helped his edginess and feelings of panic. | M | 57 | 2 months | 9/30/2007 | 1 | anxiety | insomnia, severe muscle aches, increased anxiety, eye pain, constipation | My mood greatly improved quickly. I have experienced illness within my family which caused a great deal of anxiety. Have always suffered from anxiety and panic. These symptoms improved very quickly. All crying stopped. Panic controlled. I hated to go off the medication, but my doctor took me off due to bad side effects. I hope to find something else to help me. | F | 57 | 2 weeks | 9/4/2005 | 4 | anxiety | F | 56 | 3 days | 3/10/2007 | 4 | depression | Absolutely no libido! | F | 56 | 8 years | 11/17/2002 | 4 | depression | slight headache | F | 56 | 13 years | 1/25/2009 | 3 | Depression | Sleepy, buzzed, spun out, however I was like that before I started medication, then became more accepting of abuse. Not good. | In hindsight, should have kicked out manipulative verbally abusive husband, taken half of his pension, and started a new life, then I would not have needed to take any medication at all!!!! Now he's just an old ugly fart and has made a decision for his family. Was it worth the fight? I'm not sure. | F | 56 | 12 months | 11/9/2008 | 3 | anxiety | Fuzzy thinking, memory loss | F | 56 | 1 years | 5/8/2005 | 3 | depression | loss of sex drive | Of all the antidepressants I've tried Zoloft is the one I would recommend. Be careful if you go off this drug, if you restart it it may not get you back to where you were before. I learned this the hard way. Somehow the brain chemistry changes. | M | 56 | 10 years | 3/10/2007 | 3 | depression | Tolerence. | F | 56 | 4 years | 12/19/2004 | 1 | anxiety | big time dry mouth, tremblies, insomnia, after 4 days a total activation of intense and unbearable anxiety | Had to quit after 14 days. Feeling much better. Lesson: If one is treating anxiety reasonably well already, then watch out for quickly jumping to an ssri. | M | 56 | 14 days | 6/3/2005 | 5 | Depression/ Anxiety | Constipation, low sex drive, weight gain | Zoloft has really improved my quality of life. I'm happy & the anxiety is gone. The benifits outweigh the side effects for me. I try to eat well & exercise to fight the weight gain, also increase water intake. I take Zoloft in the morning & Trazadone at night to balence the increased energy from the Zoloft. I sleep GREAT. | F | 55 | 10 years | 8/29/2009 | 5 | depression and anxiety. | None | F | 55 | 4 years | 5/10/2004 | 4 | depression | Difficulty in reaching orgasm. | Dizzy spells when coming off of Zoloft if done cold turkey. | M | 55 | 5 years | 12/15/2000 | 4 | chronic panic attacks | delayed ejaculation to the point of occasional embarrassment, some loss of libido,slow but very steady weight gain. (30 lbs) | Works great for anxiety and panic attacks prolonged erections are a plus | M | 55 | 2 years | 8/10/2008 | 4 | Depression/Panic Attacks/IBS | Strong feelings of being spaced out several times a day, uncontrollable muscular twitches (tics) throughout my body when I lay down, 'brain fog', lousy short term memory, dizziness | I was prescribed Zoloft 50mg and have also taken alternatives Xydep, Xypex and generic brand GenRX. They all work fantastically for depression/negative feelings - I've gone from deep depression, 'black moods', panic & anxiety attacks and suicidal feelings to feeling positive & happy; also more patient and tolerant with others. SSRI's don't work at all for my IBS. Initially I had no side effects - I felt great - but after 4 months,I started to experience the abovementioned side effects - the muscular twitches particularly concern me, and after losing my balance and falling twice within 10 mins one evening, I am slowly reducing the dose and hope to quit entirely soon. | F | 55 | 5.5 months | 5/10/2008 | 4 | depression related to health issues | difficulty reacing orgasm, weight gain | i've been taking zoloft for over 15 years and yes it works although the generic does not seem to work as well. as long as i do not exceed 100 mg, the above side effects are minimal. i've tried many other antidepressants over the years but had too many side effects and always came back to zoloft. | F | 55 | 15 years | 4/12/2008 | 4 | M | 55 | 2 years | 2/4/2002 | 4 | panic/depression | yawning ,no big deal, tired all the time legarthy sweating, but overall 90% cure of panic attacks,thank goodness. seems to have lowered my anxiety . | at least has me back where i can function . would appreciate any comments. also on xanax and therapy every 2 weeks | M | 55 | 2 years | 2/4/2002 | 3 | major depression; ocd | breathlessness, twitch, sleeplessness, increased appetite | I am ramping up right now due to increased suicidal ideation. I don't like the way I feel physically but the intrusive thoughts have eased and the depresion seems to be lifting. Hope I can stay the course; it may be interacting with my blood pressure med--metoprolol. | F | 55 | 6 months | 2/12/2009 | 2 | depression | weight gain, hairloss, hallucinations, back pain, muscle spasms, numbness in hands | The drug has made a difference in my life. I have people who work for me that have seen a change and don't know I am taking an anti-depressant. I only take 50mg and life is a lot nicer. I am more tolerating and less judgemental. But the side effects I am experiencing are bothersome. I was suprised to read through the comments and no one elses experienced hairloss. | F | 55 | 30 days | 2/29/2004 | 1 | depression | Buzzsaw high followed by near-paralytic low | My doc gave me samples. I took ONE tab one morning, turned into a whirlwind at work...at 11 at night I was still going strong, packing my briefcase to take work home to finish until someone on the night shift stopped me. I'd already worked 14 hours! Then the next morning, I was so totally exhausted, I literally could not lift my arm off the bed to dial work and tell them I couldn't get there. The experience ranks among the worst in my life. Took about 48 hours to feel like something other than a total zombie. | F | 55 | 1 days | 5/5/2004 | 1 | OCD Doze was high...250 mg. | involutary back spasms when falling asleep; feeling of sexual stimulation in genital area ... very distracting; social withdrawl; thinking I'm going crazy Back spasms may be permanent...now on 150 mg and still have them every night | F | 55 | 3 months | 1/23/2005 | 5 | PMDD...Menopausal symptoms | Initially, I experienced a dry mouth, diarrhea, headaches,and dizziness. | I have been taking Zoloft for 10 years now and it really helped my severe PMS/Menopausal symptoms...However, I don't think the generic is working as well. Everytime I go and get a new batch, I experience what feels like withdrawal symptoms (body ache, down feeling, etc.) After a few weeks on the new batch my body seems to adjust, but I don't think I can continue going thru this, so may ask my doc. to switch me back to the brand name...Has anybody else experienced this??? I would appreciate feedback...THANKS!!! | F | 54 | 10 days | 5/9/2009 | 4 | Anxiety | Weight gain, teeth grinding (cracked teeth) low sex drive | Zoloft did reduce anxiety however (50mg) cannot stand weight gain and loss of sex drive. How do I wean myself of it?? | F | 54 | 6 months | 2/28/2006 | 4 | relieve hot flashes | some dry mouth, headaches | it actually worked. Didn't get rid of them, but makes them a lot less. It also improved my mood, although I didn't take it for that. | F | 54 | 2 years | 3/13/2007 | 3 | Depression | Lack of orgasm, yawning, tiredness, jaw-clenching. | Started on 50mg, then 100 after 2 months. Initially felt like I had the flu for a week, then kicked in and felt much better for a couple of weeks. Still less depressed, but feeling a bit dopey, and side-effects getting me down. | M | 54 | 3 months | 2/20/2006 | 2 | Clinical Depression | Extreme neuropathic pain | I have been on quite a few antidepressants, and the doc and I decided to try Zoloft. Started with 50mg, then 100mg, then 150mg intending to work up to 200mg. By 150mg, I was in excruciating pain from my feet, burning and stinging and traveling up my legs. My back muscles also hurt, but the feet were by far the most unbearable. I am diabetic, with good blood sugar control, so this intense pain made no sense. I went back to Lexapro, and doc appointment is today - I think we are going to try Cymbalta. | F | 54 | 3 months | 5/4/2009 | 2 | Severe Restless Leg/Insomnia | Weight gain, it set off my irritable bowel with pain, cramping and high mucus content. Upper GI bloat and feeling like my guts were irritated. I felt floaty and confused, no concentration. Poor sleep. Over emotional. | It seemed to work for the first two weeks then my dancing legs came back, and I started to get over emotional, shaky, depressed, confused, crying, agitation and not helping with sleep. I will stop using it. | F | 54 | 2 months | 4/18/2009 | 5 | depression anxiety | Very sick first day, thought I was going to pass out and was on only 25mgAfter that felt great for 3 months | Have raised dosage to 100 mg and feel like myself, No side effects, Regained my appetite. Thank god for this drug | M | 53 | 150 days | 11/18/2008 | 5 | panic disorder | weight gain | Had debilitating panic attacks for more than 25 years before starting zoloft (100 mg.). I have now been panic free for years thanks to this miracle drug. | F | 53 | 13 years | 1/26/2005 | 5 | Depression | Some ringing in the ears, diarreha (not terrible), harder to achieve orgasm, few headaches the first week. Some insomnia, and sleepy more during the day. | Had been on Serzone in the past - this is better for the depression, but not for the sex thing - fair trade-off however. Had also tried Paxil, Celexa, Prozac, & Topomax in the past - hated all of them. Got immediate relief from this candy - the brain fuzziness lifted immediately - I mean the second day I was on it. Maybe the other symptons will subside over time - we'll see. On 50mg a day - not severe depression, but felt myself sliding into it. I had been off SSRI's for about two years, and have been feeling like I'm wearing a mask. | M | 53 | 21 days | 5/3/2005 | 4 | depression | M | 53 | 18 months | 2/20/2005 | 4 | Depression | Weight gain (15 lbs)in six years, fatigue, no interest in sex; decreases initiative (ho hum, who cares? syndrome)! Note: weight gain might be menopause and may have occurred anyway. | Stops hot flashes due to menopause. | F | 53 | 6 years | 10/26/2002 | 4 | depression | diarrhea at first. sexually I get an erection but ejaculation is delayed and sexual pleasure is low | M | 53 | 9 years | 9/1/2004 | 3 | depression/anxiety | none | F | 53 | 7 months | 8/2/2005 | 3 | depression, panic, anxiety | tinnitus, annoying ear ringing, increase in headaches | was hard for first 3 weeks--insomnia, intense depression It did help the emotional aspect after that but the ear ringing is very distracting and hopefully not permanent. My doctor urged me to stay the course so I am still taking it but he doesn't know about the ear ringing yet. I have noticed small increase in wax in the ears. I scheduled an appointment to see him in 10 days due to my work schedule and just hope this ear ringing is not permanent damage. It has helped my attitude with some very complex problems I am dealing with. I am afraid of withdrawing this med without talking to my MD | F | 53 | 7 weeks | 1/31/2006 | 2 | Anxiety | Sleepy, night sweats, nervousness, loss of appetite, no sex drive | I feel a little calmer, but not enough for me to continue taking this drug. Can't sit still, constantly shaking my leg, absolutely no desire for sex. Enjoyed the weight loss. Think I'll just try to cope with life without any medication. | F | 53 | 3 months | 7/11/2002 | 1 | "depression" | Weight gain, hypomania, serotonin syndrome, total and permanent sexual dysfunction | Evil, pure poison....run for your life | M | 53 | 4 years | 4/29/2009 | 3 | bi polar | Loss of sex drive,electrical like brain zaps going off in my head feeling like Frankenstein, diarrhea and the worst effect of all, grinding my two front teeth down to nubbins at night in my sleep in the course of being on it for ten years. | Had to get constructive surgery on my two front teeth that got ground down to nubbins due to this drug and grinding my teeth in my sleep at night. Got off this drug recently and glad I did. Still haven't gotten my sex drive back after three months of being off of it. | F | 52 | 10 years | 11/18/2007 | 2 | depression/anxiety | A few days of sick feeling when starting, and when increasing dose | Got up to a fairly high dosage (think it was 200 mg) and felt nothing. No good, no bad, no energy, no lack of energy... just nothing. Some people love it. Actually, I haven't found an SSRI yet that works for me. | M | 52 | 3 months | 4/12/2008 | 2 | Depression | nausea if I took on an empty stomach, diarrhea after dosage increase which subsided after a month | Started off on 50 mg Zoloft daily and gradually increased to 150 mg. Had about 1-2 weeks of feeling great on the 150 mg dosage (especially after the diarrhea subsided), and then suddenly symptoms returned. Added buproprion 100 mg twice daily and symptoms greatly improved after 4 weeks (which is where I'm at now). | F | 52 | 5 months | 10/28/2009 | 1 | Mild Depression | Severe teeth clenching/TMJ which caused excruciating headaches -- clenching came on right after taking the dose and would gradually wear off -- took me three days to figure out the connection, during which I was laying in a darkened room with a migraine. | Do NOT take this drug if you have a history of migraines or TMJ -- this was the worst three days of my life till I figured out the connection from Googleing it -- the manufacturer doesn't say anything about this but there are thousands of hits on the topic. | F | 52 | 3 days | 2/23/2008 | 1 | Adjustment Disorder | None | No effects--postive or negative. Quit cold turkey with no problems. | F | 52 | 5 weeks | 10/12/2007 | 5 | severe chronic depression | apathy, occasional dizziness when dose is not 'on time' | terrific for overcoming 'black hole' depression; worked when others failed..allows a much better outlook on life | F | 51 | 9 years | 11/11/2006 | 5 | anxiety | Good response almost immediately - I felt less anxious from the first few doses. I was very sensitive to the medication, and had drowsiness, stomach upset and tiredness. Some of these were unpleasant - I felt almost like I was getting the flu - sort of out of it. Cutting back on the dose resulted in immediate improvement. I learned to increase the medication very very slowly. increased by 12.5 mg every 3 to 4 weeks. Took nearly 6 months to get from 25 mg to 100 mg daily, and another 4 to 6 to get up to 150. I occasionally take 175 if I feel that I need it. | Zoloft works for me, but also in combination with psychotherapy. I don't think the meds were enough for me. The biggest difference that I perceive is that I now experience a whole range of feelings rather than irritation, anger and anxiety. | F | 51 | 3.5 years | 9/4/2006 | 5 | Severe PMS | When on 50 mg, had jaw clenching--very weird. Lowered to 25 mg, no symptoms. Helps with the PMS, also helped with IBS and overall outlook. | F | 51 | 11 years | 10/6/2008 | 5 | Depression (borderline bi-polar) | The only significant side effect I have had with Zoloft is weight gain--I have been taking the drug for about 8 years, and have gained about 30 pounds over my normal weight. I never had a weight problem before this. When I first began taking the drug, I did have a few other side effects, but they only lasted a few weeks. Dry mouth and constant thirst were the negative ones (that only lasted 3-4 weeks, then went away), and, oddly enough, weight loss was the positive one (I lost about ten pounds, but obviously it all came back, and more.) | IMPORTANT---I was prescribed Zoloft by a psychiatrist after a thorough psychological exam. I go in for a re-check every three months. Having a psych professional regularly monitoring my mental health care has been the reason, I believe, for my success with Zoloft. If you are having problems with Zoloft, and have not consulted with a psychiatrist, you may want talk with one about your treatment. For me, Zoloft has been a life-saver. | F | 51 | 8 years | 5/2/2009 | 5 | anxiety, couldn't sleep | I find myself rubbing my feet in bed (never did this before) and tend to want to shake my legs. Lost weight at first. | This medication has helped me reduce my level of anxiety. I sleep better at night (most nights). I used to wake up in the middle of the night and think about all the things I should have done and what I need to do, etc. The Zoloft has helped me a lot. | F | 51 | 3 months | 3/24/2009 | 4 | panic attacks, nervousness | loss of desire in sex weight gain | F | 51 | 3 years | 9/16/2002 | 4 | panic attacks | none | F | 51 | 3/31/2005 | 4 | Depression Premenopausal | Slight headache the first few days starting medication. Some diarrhea the first week. Started on 25 mg daily and moved up to 50mg. Lack of appetite which is a good thing for me. | It has helped me tremendously. I had panic attacks for years and never told anyone. They are completely gone. I do not cry as much and do not have sad feelings or obsess as much as I was doing. I do not seem to over react as easily. I was against taking this medication and have never taken an antidepressant before. I have to say it has worked well. I have no sexual dysfunction on it at all. I would say it has eased my premenopausal symptoms also. Difficult time in life, parents dying, kids leaving, losing my beauty and aging. It has made it easier. I stay on 50 mg daily. 100 mg seems to make me grit my teeth and make me a little tense. 50mg works well for me. Also I felt the effects right away, it did not take weeks for it to kick in. Hope this helps others. I have had no yawning. No weight gain. | F | 51 | 2 years | 2/5/2005 | 4 | depression | Severe diarrhea, which caused bad abdominal cramping | It worked better than any other medication I have ever taken for depression. Only had to stop it because the diarrhea never stopped. | F | 51 | 5 months | 5/4/2006 | 3 | bipolar disorder | attention deficit disorder | worked to alleviate depression, but left me feeling numb | M | 51 | 3 years | 2/1/2007 | 3 | Weight Loss | Positive: After about six months you will reach a minimun weight. Don't blow it like I did. My weight went down to 190 lbs. the lowest in years. Negative: After an additional year my weight approached 300 lbs., 60 lbs. higher than ever. I also believe it is somewhat of a Chemical Labotomy. I have been off the drug for six months. | M | 51 | 2 years | 3/3/2003 | 3 | Depression panic disorder | Just came off of 12 years on Paxil for panic attacks and depression. Paxil worked excellent for stoppingn panic attacks and depression, but after 12 years i THINK it was wearing off. I also gained 50 lbs in about 10 years. Dr. Prescribed 25 mgs. of generic Zoloft(Sertraline) I was so scared to take the full dose, so i cut the tiny pills in about an '8th'. This is the third day, last night, i awoke about 3:00am with extreme anxiety. I had to get up and walk around inside the house and outside too. I have diarrea. I have 'cotton mouth' this morning. I finally had to take half a generic xanax last nite. Helped a little but not much. Think i only took half a mg. calmed me for about ten minutes, but then the 'speedy' feeling came back. This morning, i am still having diarrea although, not extreme. I'm so scared to take my does this evening, but i have to take the chance. I | It is too early to tell. I am on GENERIC Zoloft. Don't know if there is a difference or not. I hope i don't have to go back on paxil (generic) but i just can't handle this anxiety and speedy feeling, which i realize can subside if i just hang in there. My daughter and best friend is on zoloft and they swear by it. | F | 51 | 3 days | 6/4/2008 | 1 | Depression panic attacks | oh gawd. I was on Paxil for 12 years, but THOUGHT it was wearing off. Think menopause is a huge factor in this....i have only been on generic zoloft for about a week and a half...our doggie is very sick, and i was up with her all night last nite, didn't sleep. My stomach is a wreck............burning and diarrhea all nite.......had to pee every five minutes all night. I feel very speedy and my heart is racing. My stomach is on fire, and feels like i drank draino. I hate this so much sometimes i don't know how long i can go on. | Just dont know yet. Paxil seemed to calm me down so much. Yes i gained a ton of weight on it, but i haven't on the zoloft so far. | F | 51 | 10 days | 6/13/2008 | 1 | depression | felt wired all the time, had halicinations, irritable, shakey and thought about suicide all the time | F | 51 | 2 months | 7/3/2004 | 1 | depression/anxiety | Severe intestinal side effects: Two years ago, within one weekof taking Zoloft, I was so weak from the intestinal side effects that I fainted upon getting out of bed. I lost six to ten pounds in a month,and I was normal weight. I was encouraged to continue with the treatment, to see if the effects would lessen as my body adjusted. Bad choice! I ended up seeing a gastroenterologist. On the table prepped for a colonscopy, the specialist noted,"get off the Zoloft." Post colonoscopy, and no Zoloft, the diarrhea went away. I have been successfully treated with another anti-depressant for the last two years. | Watch the gastro-intestinal side-effects. | F | 51 | 2 months | 4/2/2007 | 5 | depression/occasional panic attack | Started taking: very minor side effects that went away quickly. While taking: experienced sleepiness, some dizziness, and sexual function decrease. When missed 2 days of dosage, bad headache. Stopped taking: headaches, irritability that tapered off in a month. | Definitely helped with depression & greatly reduced panic attacks. Did not feel "high" just normal, and helped me function normally. Side effects minor. As I am not married and choose to live a celibate life, sexual side effects were not bothersome. I took Zoloft for 12 years, and I felt that in the past year it was not really effective anymore, so decided to try life with out it. I am ok, but now I know it helped me more than I realized. I also realized that I had spent the last 12 years sleepy!! And occasionally dizzy. In the 7 months since I have stopped Zoloft, I am slowly falling back into depression & anxiety. I have tried Wellbutrin for 2 months-- no effect. Unfortunately, many of us have faulty brain chemistry that needs a boost, just like diabetics need insulin. There is no shame or weakness about this-- just the way our bodies are built. We are complex organisms, though, so what works for one doesn't work for another. I can definitely reccommend Zoloft, with | F | 50 | 12 years | 10/14/2005 |
| Key to
ratings: 5-Very Satisfied: this medicine cured me or helped me a great deal. 4-Satisfied: this medicine helped. 3-Somewhat Satisfied: this medicine helped somewhat. 2-Not Satisfied: this medicine did not work to my satisfaction. 1-Dissatisfied: I would not recommend taking this medicine. |
