Considering Zoloft - Depression Message Board

gillian30 · 09-16-2003, 12:55 PM

I'm considering trying Zoloft for the first time starting next week, and would like to hear some first person stories about how the drug may affect a person. I've been in a real depression ever since being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Celiac Disease, and since I've been getting sicker instead of better like I'm supposed to, I'm even more depressed. Anxiety is also a huge problem for me, since I must endure lots of medical tests at this time.I'm wondering if Zoloft is the right choice for me, or if there are other drugs that may be a better "fit". I'm female, 30, have celiac and also a problem with fast heart rate, and have frequent headaches. The only other drug I take at this time is Nexium for my stomach. Oh, and I'm rather prone to side effects of drugs, so the drug with the fewest side effects would be the best choice for someone like me. Does Zoloft sound right, or does anyone here know of any better choices that sound like they may be more appropriate?

MJK98 · 09-16-2003, 01:19 PM

i started it about 11 days ago 50MGs i really must say that i am feeling better you dont even realize it but it gradually happens, i was feeling very stressed out over a break up and i just couldnt shut down my thinking process constantly thinking and i called my doctor and asked him for some kind of help since i had a few friends that have been on this drug and they love it,,,anyway so 11 days into it and im feeling much stronger again and calm..This week will be the test when i pms cause i get it bad so far so good
thats my opinion

clairem80 · 09-16-2003, 01:22 PM

Zoloft works well for me, although I did have some side effects with it. I am a 23-year-old female. For the first couple days, I was really nauseous. I also discovered that unless I took the meds with food, I got really bad heartburn. The nauseous feeling went away, but I still have to take the zoloft with my dinner. The only other side effect I noticed was really vivid dreams when I increased the doseage. These lasted only a couple nights, but I still find that I am dreaming more (or at least remembering the dreams more) than I used to.

[This message has been edited by clairem80 (edited 09-16-2003).]

09-16-2003, 02:55 PM

I have to say that due to your circumstances it's quite logical for you to be depressed right now. It's a natural response. I think anti-depressants are for when it is unnatural or not due to common causes. That's when to me it signals that something is physically/chemically wrong and medication can truly help. Is the depression so bad that it's interfering with work? Home? family? day-to-day tasks? Is it unmanageable? Do you have a history of depression or is this the first time?

Unless it is really interrupting and interfering with your life then I would not recommend going on it. I would consider all the questions I posed in the paragraph above before taking it. Just wanted to present the other side of it, hope it helps. If you general MD prescribed them you might also ask for a referral to a Psychiatrist who has a lot more experience in prescribing that kind of medication.

peaceseeker2 · 09-16-2003, 10:27 PM

Hi!
I applaud your efforts to self-educate yourself prior to making your decision. I have been taking Zoloft since May and I have had a fabulous response to it! I am feeling SO much better. I feel like I have some sort of a life now. I do not want to give you a false picture though. The Zoloft has not been all fantastic. I am experienceing some really irritating and annoying sexual side effects from it. (I posted something on this board earlier looking to others for suggestions in trying to alleviate them.) Going on medication was a huge decision for me. I did not know what to do. If you look for information on the Internet, you come across web sites from the drug companies that make their drug sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread and Life will be perfect when you start taking their drug. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the pack of trial lawyer with web site looking for anybody who ever sneezed while on an antidepressant so as to add them to a class action lawsuit to suck money out of the drug companies. What does mean? It means the consumer, us, stuck in the middle trying to figure it all out. In a way I the decision made for me. I was at the point that I felt that my quality of life had gotten so bad that I would rather be dead than to live Life like I had. I was not suicidal (not during my last relapse that is), but not feeling the life I was leading had....value. Thus, I decided to go on meds. That is me and my story. As for my advice to you, here it is. First of all, I would have to agree, partially, with a previous reply from someone else about perhaps waiting to start antidepressants. My hesitation lies in you did not mention if you were seeing a counselor, licensed psychologist, etc. If you have not give psychotherapy a try, I would recommend trying it first before starting meds. If you have been in counseling and it has not helped, or has had a minimal benefit, then meds are definitely something to seriously look at. I also stress that if you are going to go on antidepressants, do so under the supervision and guidance of a psychiatrist if at all possible!!!!!!!!
These drugs are nothing to play around with. I have read, and firmly believe, that a patient's success with antidepressant medication is definitely statistically improved if it done by a psychiatrist rather than a family practioner for example. As far as the Zoloft, well that is something to discuss in detail with the psychiatrist. From my own self-education efforts, I came across info that indicated that Zoloft tends to be well tolerated. Also, it is common for older/elderly depressive to be prescribed Zoloft because it, well, it plays well with other drugs.

This makes sense. The elderly tend to have to take a lot more prescriptions that people younger do. Thus, you have to have a drug that is not going to interact with other medication. Well, good luck to you, whatever you decide. I guess I'll shut up with this last piece of advice. Self-educate!Self-educate!Self-educate. If you are well informed, you will make better, more appropriate decisions. Don't listen to the rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth anti-medication fanatics out there (I have ran across several on other sites.) nor listen to the drug pushers that say that pills will make everything better. Self-educate and YOU make the decision that you feel is best for you. Well, good luck and let us all know how things turn out.