Anyone tried Zoloft for depression / anxiety

[RichardThailand]

Would like to hear if anyone has tried this and if it worked for them.

[Sheryl]

Many have posted here about that, maybe do a search in google: "zoloft site:thaivisa.com" and "sertraline site:thaiviosa.com"

 

but how it worked for some  people is not necessarily how it will work for another.

[ThaiPauly]

I was prescribed some once.

 

They completely threw me out of kilter, I just could not function, after 2 days using them I binned them

[RichardThailand]

5 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

I was prescribed some once.

 

They completely threw me out of kilter, I just could not function, after 2 days using them I binned them

 

Do you recall what dose you were taking?  Perhaps it was a high dose. 

[Sheryl]

I took it for several years but for PMDD which is treated at a low dose. Worked well with no adverse effects for that.

 

I know many people who have taken it for depression. I would say it worked well for maybe 2/3 of them. People do vary in their response.

 

A big danger to be aware of is that if someone is bipolar this medication may trigger a severe manic episode. Happened to my nephew and indeed that was the 1st we recognized it was bipolar; bipolar people can sometimes have mostly depression. In his case the manic event proceeded into full blown schizo-affective disorder. Can't say if that would have happened anyway or not.

 

Some people also have mixed depression and anxiety disorders and the sertraline might worsen the anxiety. There are better drugs to use in that instance.

 

And lastly need to get baseline liver function tests and monitor periodically.

 

For all these reasons it is best not to self prescribe but rather see a good psychiatrist, emphasis on good i.e. not your average one.

 

Alcohol will worsen adverse effects to this drug and alcohol intake needs to be very limited if at all. Many of the people who find they can't tolerate this, it is because they continue to drink while taking it. A single beer or glass of wine might be ok but not more than that.

 

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[ThaiPauly]

On 9/27/2018 at 2:56 AM, RichardThailand said:

 

Do you recall what dose you were taking?  Perhaps it was a high dose. 

Sorry, I don't recall.

 

I am now taking Ambien every other night for sleep, but again it is a very powerful drug which leaves me like a zombie for the following day.  Awful, I am going to discontinue it.

 

I think my body just cannot take the hard stuff.

[wpcoe]

On 9/28/2018 at 6:45 AM, ThaiPauly said:

Sorry, I don't recall.

 

I am now taking Ambien every other night for sleep, but again it is a very powerful drug which leaves me like a zombie for the following day.  Awful, I am going to discontinue it.

 

I think my body just cannot take the hard stuff.

 

Did you inquire about taking a lesser dose?  I have a friend who is on medications for a psychological disorder and he required a bit of tweaking of the meds to find what worked best.

[jackspade]

I took Zoloft on two separate occasions, spaced 8 years apart, prescribed by two different doctors, on two different continents. On both occasions, I couldn't get past the 3rd day. I felt weak and sick during my workouts and had terrible insomnia. I've also read about the pills being tested positive for heavy metals.

 

FWIW, both times I started with half a pill, or 25mg.

 

I'll never touch it again, but then again, I'm not a fan of antidepressants; I think they cause more problems than they fix.

Edited October 1, 2018 by jackspade

[Rally123]

On 9/26/2018 at 3:43 PM, RichardThailand said:

Would like to hear if anyone has tried this and if it worked for them.

Suffered depression/anxiety for many a year. Over the years I've tried a few antidepressants and up until I started using Sertraline I never found one that worked as good. I never heard of it until I got prescribed it at a Thai psychiatric hospital. I initially started on 50 mg but took a bad turn after 4 weeks so I self increased the dosage to 100mg a day. It more or less kicked in straight away as I recall. And I've now been on that dose rate for about 9 months. I drink beer, 2 bottles in an evening, and all I can say is that it makes me forgetful.

 

1 hour ago, jackspade said:

I'm not a fan of antidepressants

Why if they make you feel better? They're not addictive and I've never suffered side effects like some have on this thread.

 

1 hour ago, jackspade said:

I felt weak and sick during my workouts and had terrible insomnia.

If you're prescribed Sertraline then that will cause sleep problems. My doctor prescribed Lorazepam for sleep at the same time as he prescribed Sertraline. I only take Lorazepam if I haven't had a beer. The beer induces my want to sleep. 

[jackspade]

14 hours ago, Rally123 said:

Suffered depression/anxiety for many a year. Over the years I've tried a few antidepressants and up until I started using Sertraline I never found one that worked as good. I never heard of it until I got prescribed it at a Thai psychiatric hospital. I initially started on 50 mg but took a bad turn after 4 weeks so I self increased the dosage to 100mg a day. It more or less kicked in straight away as I recall. And I've now been on that dose rate for about 9 months. I drink beer, 2 bottles in an evening, and all I can say is that it makes me forgetful.

 

Why if they make you feel better? They're not addictive and I've never suffered side effects like some have on this thread.

 

If you're prescribed Sertraline then that will cause sleep problems. My doctor prescribed Lorazepam for sleep at the same time as he prescribed Sertraline. I only take Lorazepam if I haven't had a beer. The beer induces my want to sleep. 

 

Antidepressants are a crutch and shouldn't be considered a long-term solution on their own. However, it's good to feel good, and if used in conjunction with therapy then they can certainly be helpful in the short-term. The end goal should be to address the underlying problem via some form of therapy so that the crutch can be thrown away, just as real crutches are used while healing a broken leg, but eventually gotten rid of.

 

Benzodiazepenes such as Lorazepam are best used as one-off emergency solutions for panic attacks or other conditions which manifest acutely. They are highly addictive and if used daily can quickly lead to physical dependance, moreso than cigarettes or heroin. Over the long term benzodiazepenes are proven to cause brain damage and—take it from me—withdrawal symptoms can be utter hell.

 

But if you are able to take the Lorazepam only occasionally, you should be fine.

Edited October 2, 2018 by jackspade

[seajae]

I was on zoloft for many years, they tried me on a few different meds until they found one that worked and zoloft did work. Due to pain I would have severe mood swings but zoloft actually helped me control them, unfortunately when I moved to Thailand I could no longer get it as the doctors told me  it is not on the thai allowed lists for medications. These days I have no way to control the swings as I am unable to take anything for it, if I feel it happening I seclude myself until it has passed, used in conjunction with the meds I was on for pain it worked well but these meds effect everyone differently, for me it was positive but I am unable to remember what dosage I was on these days.

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by seajae

[jackspade]

2 hours ago, seajae said:

I was on zoloft for many years, they tried me on a few different meds until they found one that worked and zoloft did work. Due to pain I would have severe mood swings but zoloft actually helped me control them, unfortunately when I moved to Thailand I could no longer get it as the doctors told me  it is not on the thai allowed lists for medications. These days I have no way to control the swings as I am unable to take anything for it, if I feel it happening I seclude myself until it has passed, used in conjunction with the meds I was on for pain it worked well but these meds effect everyone differently, for me it was positive but I am unable to remember what dosage I was on these days.

 

 

I've gotten Sertraline (Zoloft) from Bangkok hospitals before.

[Sheryl]

I was on zoloft for many years, they tried me on a few different meds until they found one that worked and zoloft did work. Due to pain I would have severe mood swings but zoloft actually helped me control them, unfortunately when I moved to Thailand I could no longer get it as the doctors told me  it is not on the thai allowed lists for medications. These days I have no way to control the swings as I am unable to take anything for it, if I feel it happening I seclude myself until it has passed, used in conjunction with the meds I was on for pain it worked well but these meds effect everyone differently, for me it was positive but I am unable to remember what dosage I was on these days.

 

I do not know why you were told this as it is completely untrue.

 

Sertraline (Zoloft and other brand names; there are locally made genetic equivalents) are not only approved and registered for sale in Thailand but available over the counter without prescription.

 

However Zoloft treats depression not bipolar disorder and cannot safely be used in BPD unless accompanied by a mood stabilizer.

 

Are you sure it was Zoloft and not something else?

 

 

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[Rally123]

6 hours ago, jackspade said:

The end goal should be to address the underlying problem via some form of therapy so that the crutch can be thrown away

If only it was that easy. After many years of therapy and medication I still don't know what my 'underlying problem' is that gives me bouts of depression. I'd love to know why me.

[Sheryl]

Indeed some people require medication indefinitely. Most people, if they get effective therapy will be able to taper off it but by no means all.  Some people's biochemistry is just wired such that they suffer severe depression unless maintained on effective medication. In soem cases even medication is nto enough.

 

This is not a one size fits all situation and all depression is nto alike.

[seajae]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I do not know why you were told this as it is completely untrue.

 

Sertraline (Zoloft and other brand names; there are locally made genetic equivalents) are not only approved and registered for sale in Thailand but available over the counter without prescription.

 

However Zoloft treats depression not bipolar disorder and cannot safely be used in BPD unless accompanied by a mood stabilizer.

 

Are you sure it was Zoloft and not something else?

 

 

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I was on it for around 15 years,  it was taken in conjunction with 400 mg of tramadol sr and endone as needed. Always on prescription and by the box, 3 months worth at a time for all of them till I weaned myself off them before moving to Thailand(took several months). When I started getting pain/mood swings here and ended up in hospital the doctors told me that I was unable to get zoloft here because it was on the not allowed list, that was several years ago and I have done without since, if this is not the case I will see what I can do about it as it did work very well for me

[Rally123]

12 minutes ago, seajae said:

I have done without since, if this is not the case I will see what I can do about it as it did work very well for me

Go to your local government hospital. 3 months supply of 100mg Sertraline cost 630 Baht and 50 Baht to see the psychiatrist. I'm coming up to a year on Sertraline and compared to Venlafaxine and Fluoxetine it wins. I suppose after a year I'll be asked if I would like to reduce my dosage. This year has been good. The thought of going back into depression scares me into staying as I am. We'll see.

[jackspade]

4 hours ago, Rally123 said:

If only it was that easy. After many years of therapy and medication I still don't know what my 'underlying problem' is that gives me bouts of depression. I'd love to know why me.

 

It is a complex problem, indeed, and yes, it is easier said than done.

[Sheryl]

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