Tremors, especially of the hands, is a very common, but benign, side effect for many of us while our bodies adapt to sertraline.
Since we all react to medications differently, there is no way I can predict when this particular side effect will stop for you. Just know that it will.....probably in a few more weeks.
If all you were taking was the Zoloft for one day and the Xanax, I hardly think you had serotonin syndrome. Serotonin syndrome is usually caused by higher doses of serotonin producing drugs taken along with SSRI's. 5 mgs is a very small dose of Zoloft. Why would your doctor prescribe another SSRI if he believes that to be the problem? Heart palps and nervousness are not uncommon when beginning SSRI's.
I started 50mg of zoloft 9 months ago, and the side effects were gnarly from hot flashes to anxiety,grinding teeth to weird vision and losing 20 lbs. About 3 months ago I decided to wean myself off because I felt great, so I went to 25mg to see how I felt, big mistake! The past 3 months have been hell, I'm slowly regressing to how I was. So I slowly got myself back to 50 to try and bypass side effects. Well I'm experiencing them all over again :( is that normal?
When I came off of it, my doc put me on a taper as I came off of it. I did notice some side effects like naseau and increased anxiety, however I kept an open line of communication with the doc. I asked if it would be okay to go on a slower taper as I came off of it. He agreed and the slower taper seemed to help with the side effects.
I am glad that you are seeing a psychiatrist to help you with your medication prescriptions and questions.
I believe you can continue to take your Ativan as it is in a different class of drugs from your other meds. BUT.................I am NOT a doctor nor a pharmacist and I will tell you right now that you MUST check this out with someome with real knowledge of the interactions of medications. And that is NOT me!
Zoloft, an antidepressant, normally reaches steady state in about a week and in my humble opinion, you should not still be feeling "really anxious and nervous.
Has anyone here ever taken Zoloft? If so wat were your side effects? I started Zoloft on Monday. I only took one pill n within a couple of hours I felt horrible! I had nausea n diarrhea. Today is Thursday and I still feel nauseas. Keep in mind it took one pill on Monday n no more after that. Please give me some input.
Zoloft has a fairly long half-life of 26 hours. A half-life is the amount of time it will take your body to excrete 1/2 of the amount of Zoloft in your body. I really suck at math, so I'll leave that up to you. Bottom line though is that it's not going to take very long. Couple days at most. Hell, you only took a grand total of 75mg. Drink lots of water and understand that your anxiety about "withdrawing" from that tiny amount of Zoloft IS just that......anxiety.
Zoloft, like other SSRI's, often makes anxiety worse before it gets better. Sometimes a doctor will prescribe something like Klonopin (which is basically a longer-lasting benzo like Ativan or Xanax) to take along with the SSRI for the first 2-3 weeks to help keep those temporary negative side effects at bay, then wean the patient off of them about the time the SSRI benefits kick in. Also, it is often recommended to "start low, go slow" with an SSRI.
I too am on 175 - 200mg of Zoloft and I admit when first starting the medication I was feeling quite dizzy and nauseated. Dosage started at 50mg, then after a week increased, and every week increased until I reached 175mg. In the past my doctor has had me on Celexa and Effexor but Zoloft seems to work the best, for me that is. Everyone is different. I waver between 175 - 200mg depending on the kind of day I'm having.
I was on buspar. It was very mild. No side effects at all after the first three weeks or so. Go on it gradually...1/2 a tablet twice a say for a week or so then a full tablet twice a day. I had bad brain zaps but they diminish. It would hurt my stomach when i took it in the a.m. for a couple of minutes. Nice thing is its nonaddictive and its eady to go off of. Just rough getting on it.
I experienced the most significant side effects at about the same time period on zoloft that you are. Some good folks on here, plus my psychiatrist, advised me to wait at least 4-6 weeks, because it takes time for the meds to level out in your system. I'm on day 55 on zoloft and all my side effects are gone. Just my experience, though, yours may be different.
I'd give it a solid 2 more weeks. Keep focusing on good things - what is better vs. what is worse.
I have been on zoloft for two weeks and the side effects are still pretty bad, without any benefits (it seems like it has been two years!). (I have tried lexapro, paxil, and celexa, but zoloft was the first AD I have taken and from my first experience seemed to produce the least side effects for me (although this time seems bad). I know it takes awhile for SSRI's to get working and initial side effects are common. I started taking 25mgs for a week and have been on 50mgs for a week.
In my opinion, medical doctors know way to little about the side effects of withdrawal. Listening to a lot of people's personal experiences about the matter, the consensus is that you *will* feel rather bad for a short period of time, generally from one to four weeks, until your system stabilizes. This applies to Zoloft, but probably also similar drugs. The electrical sensations is actually quite common. I've had those myself when going off Zoloft.
I can relate to not wanting to take meds. I do take zoloft (50mg) and have for quite some time. Often my therapist suggests either taking a higher dosage or switching meds. For me to switch is like asking me to lop my arm off with a rusty butter knife. I just don't want to do it. My rational is how do I know if I'm truly getting better through therapy if I mask the symptoms? My goal is to be med free if possible.
Welcome..We have a whole thread on this...Let me see if I can find it for you.....
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