Zoloft ?'s
Question:
Cindy, my doc switched me from Zoloft to Paxil and I am definitely sleeping much better now. Unfortunately, I am still experiencing the yawning. I guess that is just the way my body reacts to the SSRIs. I’ve been on them for 7 weeks now and the yawning is still there. It drives me nuts too and my GF is always yelling at me to stop, as if I was doing it on purpo
LOL! My husband is always asking me why I’m so tired all the time…I’m not! But I yawn anyway. It’s especially embarassing when I’m with friends 
I guess they think they’re boring me. I’m moving up to 100mgs as soon as I pick up my script today. I hope the increase doesn’t mean an increase in yawning! -Cindy
Response:
Thanks for all your help. I started it yesterday and already got a little shaky and quesy. At first i felt almost manic for a couple of hours…THEN felt like a zombie.. my husband said i woke him up in the middle of the night smiling and pointed to the window at my cat in the window sill and thought that was the neatest thing..uh oh…lol still not sure if i should take it in am or pm..because it did both…jitters and drowsiness.. i do feel more panicky…is this normal so soon? .aaahhhh
Response:
Yep unfortuanatley your anxiety may get worse before it gets better. Maybe you should call your doctor and tell him/her what is happening to you. They might be able to prescribe something to help you through it. And keep in mind that sometimes it takes antidepressants a few months before they work. I’ve been on Zoloft for almost a month, and I havent seen any progress. 
So just hang in there and keep your doc notified of your problems. Good luck!
Response:
Thanks for all your help. I started it yesterday and already got a little shaky and quesy. At first i felt almost manic for a couple of hours…THEN felt like a zombie.. my husband said i woke him up in the middle of the night smiling and pointed to the window at my cat in the window sill and thought that was the neatest thing..uh oh…lol still not sure if i should take it in am or pm..because it did both…jitters and drowsiness.. i do feel more panicky…is this normal so soon? .aaahhhh
Yes, I’m afraid it is. That’s why it’s best to start on a very low dose (did you?) and have a benzo *as needed* (Xanax) on the side. I started some AD’s without all this and always made it through the first weeks but it wasn’t a nice experience. Now I know better and wouldn’t start one without the above mentioned aids. Maybe you would be better off too of you had some Xanax now. Philip
Response:
I have been on Zoloft for about 6 months. Start on a very low dosage, 12 1/2 mg. When you feel a little better, go up another 12 1/2 mg. I am only on 37 1/2 mg. a day. Yes, I did have some side effects. Most of them went away. Just remember, they are usually temporary. The worst was the stomach thing, alot of loose stools. Also, going from having a bowel movement every other day to once, twice, or three times a day. Strange. The only problem I am having now is getting to sleep. Once I fall asleep I sleep thru the night. I am not sure it is the Zoloft though. I am in my late 40’s and all my friends are having the same or similar problems with sleep. Getting old is not pretty! Good Luck and hang in there!
Response:
oh no…loose stools?!? yikes!! What it’s done so far is turn me into a zombie. I slept 25 hours in 2 days! I thought this was supposed to give you energy? (i’m taking 25 mg.) Of course, I’ve only been taking it for 3 days, so maybe this will wear off.
Response:
writes: In my own experience, Zoloft did help but it caused unbearable insomnia for me. I had some jitters, sweaty palms, and uncontrollable yawning.
Oh man…this uncontrollable yawning is driving me nuts! Does it ever stop? I’m at 75mgs and will likely go to 100 next week. I don’t even feel tired and the yawns aren’t even ’satisfying’ (for lack of a better word). On the good side, I sleep pretty well at night. -Cindy
Response:
The stomach pains are driving me nuts! Anyone have this? They’re like gas pains..ouch!
Response:
Oh man…this uncontrollable yawning is driving me nuts! Does it ever stop? I’m at 75mgs and will likely go to 100 next week. I don’t even feel tired and the yawns aren’t even ’satisfying’ (for lack of a better word). On the good side, I sleep pretty well at night.
Cindy, my doc switched me from Zoloft to Paxil and I am definitely sleeping much better now. Unfortunately, I am still experiencing the yawning. I guess that is just the way my body reacts to the SSRIs. I’ve been on them for 7 weeks now and the yawning is still there. It drives me nuts too and my GF is always yelling at me to stop, as if I was doing it on purpose. //Todd//
Response:
Hi, I’ve had pd for 14 years now. I haven’t had any major attacks in the last 5 years..until recently. I am mainly having them while driving on the interstate. I went to my dr. today and he gave me Zoloft. What side effects can I expect to have? All he said was shakiness and nausea. He also said it’s now shown to have helped with Irritable Bowel Syndrome..but doesn’t this cause diarrhea?? Is it better to take it in the morning or at night? Also, has this helped anyone with the actual attacks? thanks
You’ll find all the info you need at www.mentalhealth.com Click the medications button on the l/h frame and then scroll down to Zoloft. My advise is to skip passed the side effects section. Knowing about S.Es is a good way of ensuring that you’ll have them all. Zoloft should be taken with meals, its about 40% more effective that way. Most people seem to take it in the morning, but if you have trouble sleeping try taking it at night. Ian
Response:
I went to my dr. today and he gave me Zoloft. What side effects can I expect to have? All he said was shakiness and nausea. He also said it’s now shown to have helped with Irritable Bowel Syndrome..but doesn’t this cause diarrhea?? Is it better to take it in the morning or at night? Also, has this helped anyone with the actual attacks?
Just my two cents worth, but try not to "expect" any side effects. Hope for none, be prepared for several. There are many potential side effects, but this doesn’t mean you are going to experience them all. That being said, you might want to do a web search on the word Zoloft. There are actually a lot of resources out there that can provide all the information you could ever want on potential side effects. The thing to remember is that drugs like Zoloft affect people in very different ways. It seems that most people experience a couple of the known side effects, some experience a lot of them, and some experience few if any. It all depends on your body chemistry and the way the drug will affect you. In my own experience, Zoloft did help but it caused unbearable insomnia for me. I had some jitters, sweaty palms, and uncontrollable yawning. But it did help somewhat. Then my doc switched me to Paxil and I am having much better results with fewer side effects. //Todd//
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, I’ve had pd for 14 years now. I haven’t had any major attacks in the last 5 years..until recently. I am mainly having them while driving on the interstate. I went to my dr. today and he gave me Zoloft. What side effects can I expect to have? All he said was shakiness and nausea. He also said it’s now shown to have helped with Irritable Bowel Syndrome..but doesn’t this cause diarrhea?? Is it better to take it in the morning or at night? Also, has this helped anyone with the actual attacks? thanks You’ll find all the info you need at www.mentalhealth.com Click the medications button on the l/h frame and then scroll down to Zoloft. My advise is to skip passed the side effects section. Knowing about S.Es is a good way of ensuring that you’ll have them all. Zoloft should be taken with meals, its about 40% more effective that way. Most people seem to take it in the morning, but if you have trouble sleeping try taking it at night. Ian
Hi, Anxiousgrl — Along with skipping over the possible side effects, might I suggest you skip over the "59 Most Common Mental Health Disorders" unless you are really, really interested and can be extremely objective….FWIW…. Best Wishes — Blue (still sticking with the SIMPLE diagnoses of anxiety and depression)
Response:
Hi, I’ve had pd for 14 years now. I haven’t had any major attacks in the last 5 years..until recently. I am mainly having them while driving on the interstate. I went to my dr. today and he gave me Zoloft. What side effects can I expect to have? All he said was shakiness and nausea. He also said it’s now shown to have helped with Irritable Bowel Syndrome..but doesn’t this cause diarrhea?? Is it better to take it in the morning or at night? Also, has this helped anyone with the actual attacks? thanks
Response:
Hi, I’ve had pd for 14 years now. I haven’t had any major attacks in the last 5 years..until recently. I am mainly having them while driving on the interstate. I went to my dr. today and he gave me Zoloft. What side effects can I expect to have? All he said was shakiness and nausea. He also said it’s now shown to have helped with Irritable Bowel Syndrome..but doesn’t this cause diarrhea?? Is it better to take it in the morning or at night? Also, has this helped anyone with the actual attacks? thanks
Zoloft is an SSRI-antidepressant often used for anxiety/panic. Like most AD’s it may worsen your symptoms in the intial stages. This should pass within at the most 8 weeks but probably much earlier. Don’t worry about IBS. If Zoloft does anything for that, it will diminish it which is not the same as causing diarrhea. You may experiment a bit ti find out which time of day is best for you to take Zoloft. generally speaking it is advisable to take it with a meal. It seems to work better that way. For breakthrough attacks, if any, you’d better have some Xanax *as needed* in the side. reactions to meds are very personal, so YMMV. Philip
Response:
I have been taking Zoloft for a few weeks now. It seems that my anxiety has actually gotten worse, but I am hanging on in hopes that it will go away after a while. I have had some nervousness and shakiness, but the biggest problem I have had is insomnia. As soon as my head hits the pillow at night, I lay there and think about all my problems and worries. And when I do finally get to sleep, I have terrible nightmares about my worst fears. Hopefully this will pass too. I hope Zoloft works for you though, and I wish you the best of luck! Tami
