Got put on antidepressants today

[rabbit_feet]

I've never been medicated before so I'm a little nervous about taking these. I really hope they can help me stop feeling so miserable all the time.
To be more specific, I've been prescribed a months worth of 50mg Zoloft pills/tablets. Is anyone familiar with Zoloft? If you've taken these before, please let me know what it was like.

 

[orca87]

You were put on another antidepressant and got Zoloft? That's interesting because in most cases, Zoloft is the first try. If you don't mind me asking which one(s) did you get before?

 

[rabbit_feet]

You were put on another antidepressant and got Zoloft? That's interesting because in most cases, Zoloft is the first try. If you don't mind me asking which one(s) did you get before?

No this is the first time I've ever been medicated for my depression lol. I have zero experience with other medications. There was Zoloft and one other one that my Doctor suggested as a first try (can't remember the name of the other one, stupid scientific drug names) but I have a relative that takes Zoloft so that's what we settled on

 

[orca87]

No this is the first time I've ever been medicated for my depression lol. I have zero experience with other medications. There was Zoloft and one other one that my Doctor suggested as a first try (can't remember the name of the other one, stupid scientific drug names) but I have a relative that takes Zoloft so that's what we settled on

Ok, sorry, I misread your message.

Do you talk to a therapist? I don't know the story behind your depression, but therapy is most likely more important than medications. I've written about that in another thread:

My theory on depression

After ruminating about my own life, a lot of reading in this forum, and some valuable conversations in private messages, I found some common patterns that lead me to develop my own theory about depression. What is depression? There are many forms of depression in ICD-10 and DSM-5, and all of...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[oneeyed]

Thing is, everyone's experience is going to differ with each antidepressant. Some people will have a bad reaction to Zoloft and for others it works wonders. With any antidepressant, it will take minimum a month to actually see any real difference.

 

[nerve]

with ssris like zoloft, we dont really know how they work or why they work when they do or why they dont when they dont. i was on it for a while and it made no difference. tons of other people say it saved their lives. its a crap shoot with these drugs really. doctors can at best make educated guesses, but there are standards and conventions and zoloft is usually one of the first antidepressants someone tries. 50mg is the standard starter dose so if you dont notice any changes in like 4-8 weeks, a doctor will probably want to go up to a higher dosage. i think zoloft goes up to 200mg.

good luck out there

 

[rabbit_feet]

Ok, sorry, I misread your message.

Do you talk to a therapist? I don't know the story behind your depression, but therapy is most likely more important than medications. I've written about that in another thread:

My theory on depression

After ruminating about my own life, a lot of reading in this forum, and some valuable conversations in private messages, I found some common patterns that lead me to develop my own theory about depression. What is depression? There are many forms of depression in ICD-10 and DSM-5, and all of...

sanctioned-suicide.net

Yeah I've been talking to a therapist for about 2 1/2 years now. My depression kinda just came back in recent months and it's been really really bad. Therapy just hasn't seemed to be working for me anymore and I wanted to do something about it before it got worse and I started doing things that I would regret. I figured I might as well give medication a shot

 

[orca87]

Yeah I've been talking to a therapist for about 2 1/2 years now. My depression kinda just came back in recent months and it's been really really bad. Therapy just hasn't seemed to be working for me anymore and I wanted to do something about it before it got worse and I started doing things that I would regret. I figured I might as well give medication a shot

Acting before it gets worse is a great idea. That motivation alone will most likely bring you some results.

Most importantly, find out what circumstances need to change. Here is my 3-step plan:

1. If you don't know what's causing your pain, find out
2. If you have found out, try to dream about your life. Don't be realistic. Just dream
3. See what's preventing you from achieving that dream and assess if there is a glimpse of a hope

 

[rabbit_feet]

with ssris like zoloft, we dont really know how they work or why they work when they do or why they dont when they dont. i was on it for a while and it made no difference. tons of other people say it saved their lives. its a crap shoot with these drugs really. doctors can at best make educated guesses, but there are standards and conventions and zoloft is usually one of the first antidepressants someone tries. 50mg is the standard starter dose so if you dont notice any changes in like 4-8 weeks, a doctor will probably want to go up to a higher dosage. i think zoloft goes up to 200mg.

good luck out there

Thank you for the kind words. I've heard stories from many people about bad experiences with antidepressants in general but i also just learned the other night that some of my other relatives have been taking them for years with success

 

[HyenaRadio]

I've never been medicated before so I'm a little nervous about taking these. I really hope they can help me stop feeling so miserable all the time.
To be more specific, I've been prescribed a months worth of 50mg Zoloft pills/tablets. Is anyone familiar with Zoloft? If you've taken these before, please let me know what it was like.

I never took it but my brother has. He said that they can't stress enough how important it is to not miss a dose. He also says it's a hit or miss and to be honest if it's not working out for you. It can work out really well for some people but it could also really mess with others. If you have any specific questions I could ask him!

 

[WearyHSP]

Hi Rabbit_feet,
As others mentioned, people can have a variety of reactions to SSRIs - many positive.
I was put on zoloft when I got diagnosed with a disabling illness that affects nervous system, brain and immune system and I'd been sick for 15 years before that. I noticed a difference right away - I stopped crying all the time - I could manage without becoming a puddle. Depression for me has always been situational (well, and now medical since I have ME). I didn't notice a change in mood. The downside was that I never was able to sleep after that - it didn't matter what time of day I took the 50mg zoloft, I was wide awake - so then I had to take sleeping pills. That sucks for someone with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome who NEEDS to sleep.
If zoloft didn't make sleeping impossible, I'd probably go back on it.

Years after getting off that I tried a different anti-depressant (sorry, can't recall the name) and gained about 5 pounds in a week and that was it. I refused to take them because I couldn't afford to keep gaining weight as I already have gut infections that cause weight gain.

I'd say, try the month's worth of zoloft and see how you feel. You can always titer off it.

 

[sancsuinet]

hi! im on 150mgs of zoloft right now! 50mg didnt do anything for me, 100mgs was great for my anxiety but 150mgs (i was just put up this month) has made me spiral a bit and no amount has helped with my depression. I have a lot of friends who have tried it, and some say it helps and others it sent them downhill, it often is good for evening out emotions rather than making you less depressed from what ive gathered from people.

but its all really personal! but keep in good contact with your doctor and therapist, you can always change if its not working for you! wishing you luck!