[JazzyJazz]

No, no, no, never start off on 100mg of Zoloft! I'm not surprised you felt awful!

SSRI medication has a profound effect on the entire body (not just the brain) and, whether you are starting it or stopping it, you must do it gradually.

I started off on 25mg (building to 100mg) and felt dreadful for several weeks whilst my body adjusted. That was 9 years ago (I'm no longer on any meds) and unfortunately these days the smallest tablet size is 50mg.

Even on 50mg, you would feel rough for at least 3-4 weeks, possibly longer. However, once you got past that initial phase, you would hopefully start to feel better. The dosage could then be increased to 100mg if necessary, although you might find that 50mg is enough.

Can I ask whether you have been seen by a psychiatrist?

It sounds to me like it was a regular doctor who prescribed you the medication. General practitioners often have limited knowledge of psychiatric medicine and, as a result, can make some pretty bad decisions. I have personal experience of this.

The reason I ask whether you have been seen by a psychiatrist is that treatment for anxiety works better when medication is combined with behavioural therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). A psychiatrist can arrange this for you.

Based on my own experience, I would not suggest taking the medication on its own. Nor would I suggest you take this medication under the "supervision" of your current doctor, as s/he clearly has very little idea about what s/he's doing.

My best advice is to get yourself seen by a psychiatrist and be advised as to the best course of treatment for you (it may not even be Zoloft*). You can then be properly supervised whilst you start taking medication, as well as having the opportunity to augment it with other types of therapy.

Zoloft is strong stuff and must be used properly and carefully or you can really mess your head up (again, I say this from experience).

~ Jasmine


*You're right that Zoloft is often prescribed for depression. It is particularly useful for people who have a comorbid diagnosis, such as depression combined with an anxiety disorder, e.g. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

To answer your question, "Is Zoloft the best medicine for anxiety?" Not necessarily. There are many types of medication that can be prescribed for anxiety and what works for one person may not work for another. Finding out what medication works for you may take some time and you may need to try more than one type.

This also leads me on to the subject of whether medication is even necessary for you. Anxiety is an in-built response to perceived external threats and most people are anxious for a reason. They may not be aware of the reason, but there usually is one. What I'm saying is that if you can get to the root of the problem and deal with that, you may not require medication at all. A psychiatrist can help you with all of this so, again, I really recommend that you see one.