So optimistic about Zoloft...letdown again!

naughtoj

naughtoj

Cathlete
Those of you who have "toyed" around with antidepressants will understand, I am sure.

I recently started on Zoloft due to some debilitating symptoms of depression triggered by my father's death. A relapse, actually.. I had been taking Lamictal....which was working GREAT..with NO side effects (can't say enough good things about Lamictal by the way)...until my Dad died. Anyhow, my doc put me on Zoloft, 50mg.

I have taken SSRI before and every time I get this overwhelming fatigue feeling. I don't know if my body hates serotonin or what. I'd rather be anxious, thank you.. I can't wake up in the morning, want to nap in the afternoon...and if I do lay down...can stay asleep for HOURS. Basically, I am always feeling like I just woke up and want to go back to sleep.I NEVER took naps before! It really sucks. I was really hoping it was going to give me the oomph to start working out again (Lamictal was working great before for that) but it didn't. All it has done is make me more apathetic. I guess I am less emotional but I don't think the trade off will be worth it.

Already I feel like I am gaining weight. You MUST if all you want to do is sleep!!!:eek:

I think I am going to stay on Lamictal but I need to look to exercise now to help me out of this. Even if the Zoloft helps me, I couldn't bear to be tired and fat. Being fit is too important to me. I think if I can get that back, I can get a better mood! It is just getting over that hump!

Please commiserate with me....x( }(
 
That's awful. When my doctor put me on Celexa I was told to exercise at least 6 days a week (at least 30 mins of cardio and whatever else I wanted to do if I felt like it). I didn't gain weight in fact I lost weight. I don't understand why the sudden change from Lamictal to Zoloft. I think it's normal to have a relapse once in awhile when taking any antidepressants. I know I've had mine. I think you should call your doctor as soon as possible to see what can be done (maybe switch back to Lamictal or keep using Zoloft and add more cardio to avoid weight gain). Take care.
 
Janice, sorry you are going through this. There are so many meds out there that it is really hard to find the one that works for the individual. Years ago when I was going through some things, my doctor had me try paxil, celexa, and at least one other one that I can't remember. Finally a visiting nurse said that what I was on was causing all these other problems. Switched to Wellbutrin and found relief. I've been off it for years now, but can relate to the cycle you're going through. I've heard good things about Lexapro too.

Hopefully you will find some relieve soon. Sorry to hear about your father. My dad's 2 year anniversary of his death was last week. I know how hard it came be.

Jean
 
Janice,
Sorry to hear you are not feeling well on Zoloft. I know many people on antidepressants and they all go through the tired thing for at least 1 month. I am newly taking Celexa myself for anxiety/panic issues and haven't had any sleepiness yet (I'm only on my 2nd week). A friend of mine is also taking Celexa and it is wiping her out the same way Zoloft is making you so tired. How long have you been taking it? It may just need time for your system to adjust.

About the weight gain, I know several people on zoloft and they haven't gained any weight at all although if you are worried about it, my psychiatrist said most people loose weight on Celexa and Lexapro. You could ask your Dr. about those options.

Good luck Janice and I sure hope you feel better soon!

Rhonda
 
Janice,

I feel your pain. Seven years ago I was going through everything you just described. I'd fall asleep on the couch around 7:00 in the evening, wake up long enough to shower and go back to bed. In the morning after at least 10 or 11 hours of sleep I felt like going back to bed. I was working my masters at the time and trying to do all that reading was killing me. I'd sit down to read a lesson and 5 minutes later I was dozing off. I'm still not sure how I actually finished the program. I would go through these terrible bouts of depression and didn't understand why. Thank goodness for a friend of mine in the medical field. She and I were having dinner and she noticed that my throat was looking swollen. Turns out I had a lump on my thyroid (turned out to be cancer) and since my thyroid wasn't functioning normally I wasn't functioning normally. Once I had the surgery to remove my thyroid I felt like my old self again, and I have felt great ever since. I don't know if your doctor has ever checked your thyroid, but if he/she hasn't you may want to check into it. I am amazed at the number of women some kind of thyroid disease affects. It is a very common probelm for women unfortunately, so that may be something you want to have checked if you haven't already. I am so sorry for what you're going through, and I know how hard it is to deal with feeling that way all the time. By the way I was also having that non-stop anxious feeling all the time and that was thyroid related as well. It's amazing how such a small part of the body can control so much of how we look and feel. Good luck and I hope you feel a lot better soon.
 
Ciddy and all,

Thanks for the info. I have had my thyroid checked and it is OK. I know this is a side effect of this medicine. I really want to feel better but in some ways I feel like I have to get through this grief on my own, even if it is debilitating. That said, if in a month I was guaranteed to feel much better I would stay on it and see if the sleepiness will abate. I know the weight gain won't likely be an issue if I can stay awake and WORK OUT! It just sucks when you can't even wake up in the AM. Makes it so much harder to set that alarm for 6am and go running! I miss my fidgety anxious feeling.;)

I just don't know if I should stick it out or call my doc and just see if I can get the Lamictal raised. It is an anticonvulsant used as a mood stabilizer but appears to be ineffective for depression at dosages greather than 200 mg. I am already at 150mg.

Oh well. I'll figure it out.;(
 
Hey Janice:

I was on Celexa 20 mg, it did absolutely nothing for me, after a year of crappyness, my PCP upped the dose to 40 mgs and all I feel is the overwhelming fatigue and drowsiness that you describe. And after 6 weeks of this, I have had enough. I have waited long enough for my body to adjust to the medication, and when I see my PCP again on 7th Sep, I shall inform her that I am dropping Celexa, and seeing whether the Wellbutrin on its own, which I also take, can help. I have the same feeliung as you: the serotonin route makes me more lethargic than ever and exercise goes straight out the window. I need the norepinephrine route which supposedly peps you up!

I have never heard of lamictal: I wonder whether it would work for me? Did you find that it helped maintain good energy levels, or increased your energy levels? That is what I need, a drug that can do that is the ideal one for me.

Clare
 
Unfortunately with any anti-depressant or most medications for that matter, it takes so long for it to get into your system and start making a difference in how you feel. I feel so much for you. I know the feelings you're talking about all too well and they are miserable. You know there's got to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but when you're feeling that way it's so hard to see it. Just keep pestering your doctor about how you're feeling. That's his/her job to help you.
 
Clare and Janice:

I think you should call your doctors as soon as possible. I can call my doctor whenever and if she's busy I'll leave a message and she always calls me back. Not all anti-depressants work for everybody and you shouldn't be suffering side effects until your next appointment. Your doctor is the only one that knows if you should give the medication time to work, or if it's not for you. When I was put on Celexa I felt like cr*p the first few days and I called my doctor and she told me to cut them in half and it worked. But not all anti-depressants work for everybody, in fact one of my best friends was on Celexa and didn't work for her. I wouldn't stick it out, I'd call right away and put my mind at ease.
 
My psychiatrist said to call her if I feel like I need to sleep 12 hours a day, but she said that some fatigue should be expected. Is this some fatigue? I suppose it is but that does not mean that I like it or can live with it. We have tried so many AD's. The serotonin ones make me totally sleepy and Cymbalta was the Devil's drug for me. I felt like I had the flu a couple hours after taking it, felt sooo nauseous. I took it for a week but every time I felt so sick, I couldn't stay on it. She said that wasn't normal so we gave up on that. I had a similar reaction to Effexor.

I feel super fat since taking Zoloft. I don't know if that is just coincidance or if this drug can really have this effect on some people. I literally feel like I have gained 10lbs in one week!

I was going to try to give the drug some more time. you just fear that the side effects are NOT going to go away but by then I'll have to go through withdrawal symptoms too.x(
 
I am surprised your doctor even prescribed Cymbalta for you, it is known to cause more sedation than most SSRIs. Makes no sense. Also make sure you avoid Remeron about which I have repeatedly read, in many different sources, that it tends to leave patients "fat and sedated." Who needs it?

Janice I had the same reaction as you to Effexor. It should be zapped out of existence. And I am as frustrated with the search for an effective drug as you are. The problem is compunded by a change in our health insurance through my DH's work, an insurance that hardly any therapists or psychiatrists in the U of M/Ann Arbor MI area accept!!! What is a girl to do?

My fingers are crossed for you Janice and please let me know if you luck out and find a drug that works!

Clare
 
Hey Clare,

Cymbalta wired me to the max. Plus, it made me so sick feeling. Horrible! Lamictal is an awesome drug. No side effects really. If you do have any, they are minimal, except for the BIGGIE, Steven-Johnsons Syndrome, a potentially deadly rash. Because of this danger, if you develop a rash while on Lamictal they will DC immediately. I have not been so unfortunate....yet.

Update:

I explained to my doc what was going on. Told her that the sleepiness had got better but was still there. The urge to nap every afternoon regardless of when I took my pill was still overwhelming. Waking up was still like pushing out of concrete. She thought that it may very well be how my body responds to serotonin drugs and she thought it best to dc Zoloft (gradually) and increase Lamictal up to 200 mg and see what happens. I cut back to 25mg on the Zoloft and already I am not sleeping so much. I was starting to feel a little better though the last few days on Zoloft, before I saw my doctor, so I hope I did not bail ship to early. But I was honest with her and she really felt it was not the drug for me and my body.

The only other thing to try would be the dopamine drugs..wellbutrin and ritalin. Ritalin was out of the question she said and with wellbutrin I have a history of itching, so let's hope Lamictal works. I have been trying to get out more and exercise in the sunshine which has helped some too.

The weather is beautiful here now!!! Thank God summer is finally over!

Thanks for all your help everyone!;-)
 
HI Honey - what a loss...but I have a suggestion too - grief is not the same as depression. Grief is a healthy process you must experience or it will become depression. Most people undergoing loss sleep ALOT - I remember up to 12 hours with naps. This is nature's way of restoring your body and mind, as we are finding out..sleep heals. Sleep repairs and is instrumental in avoiding obesity, cancer, and - you got it, anxiety and depression. I"m not at all convinced that this sleep is not something you need. An SSRI will not remove grief..and you need to cry and experience the loss and "sleep it off"...Give the zoloft a chance...often takes 4-6 weeks...but it will not remove pain...SSRI's are for unreasonable anxiety or overexaggerated feelings of sadness and crippling depression...so it may be helping you function better but you need to give yourself a break...100 years ago, people mourned a loved one for a YEAR!!! Now, after 2 weeks, we tell people to get it together and go on....and our society is paying a price I believe.

Hugs on your loss, I"m not in your shoes, but I sure remember it.
 
I am so glad you all are on this topic because I dont know who to ask about this kind of stuff. I think my DH is going through some sort of depression and I dont know how to deal with it. He has changed 100%. All he does is sleep, he barely gets any work done, and he has just let himself go completely. I have no idea what could have happend to make him like this, and I cant help but take it personally. What are the first steps to take? He hasnt seen a Dr. in who knows how long? So what kind of Dr. would he have to see? Please any info would help.


http://www.picturetrail.com/alio0026
 
I would start with your family doctor, a general practitioner. If the doctor knows specifically what DH's problems are, he'll ask the right questions and could prescribe a medicine, if needed. It's a place to start ...
 
I agree with myogamom ... not all depression is caused by an imbalance in serotonin levels, so SSRIs won't be effective for every case of depression, particularly for situational depression. A huge loss, such as your father's, needs to be grieved ... it takes time to heal. Perhaps some supportive counseling or a grief support group would help you process the loss. My condolescences and best wishes...
 
On grief needing to be experienced, I totally agree. I just didn't know if I was going to make it thru at all considering I was battling with depression before my father got sick and died.

Lately, I have had a hard time facing my Dad's death. Ok, well maybe I shouldn't say it that way, but in the beginning (we are only at 4 months post here) I cried all the time. Songs that reminded me of him would set me off into a teary mess. I read all sorts of stuff on the internet about how to deal, etc.. I thought about him all the time. The images of his horrid death haunted me. I felt so guilty for not being able to help him, relieve his pain and suffering. I felt worthless, like all my life I had tried to make things OK for him, but never could, even at the end. I wanted to make him happy but even in the end I could not provide him happiness. I have gotten past some of that guilt because I realize it is probably unfounded, but you can't help thinking it. He didn't have a full life. His life was hard. He wanted to turn things around, wanted to make amends for things he had done... He never got the chance. Life can be so cruel! I miss my brother. He moved to another town, 2 hours away and works a lot so I never see him now. Actually, I haven't seen him since my father's funeral. I feel like I lost him too, even though we do speak on the phone every now and then. He has come back into town but I just keep missing him. He reminds me a lot of my Dad. Our whole family dynamic has changed. Dad was the "glue" that kept everyone connected. We had to go to my brothers to see my Dad. When that all ended it seemed like my brother disappeared too. I don't even know how he is dealing. He already had lots of problems..

My father...I still think about him, everyday actually, but I have been avoiding the songs, switching the channels when they come on the radio, avoiding the internet grief forums, etc...It is not that I am in denial or anything, it is just that I can't focus all of my energy on it right now. I guess either I am dealing well with it or I have made a subconscious decision to put it aside right now while I stuggle back to life. Gotta focus on school, work, getting healthy. I hope that IS healthy. I did join a grief support but I got dozens of emails everday with (no disrespect) whining and crying and hoplessness. I wanted to help them but it seemed like it was tearing me down even more. So I ended the subscription.

I am trying my best to deal with this in natural ways, depending the least on medication. Trying not to sleep when the urge hits. Trying to force myself to be around others when it is the last thing I want to do. But that is how it gets better. Atleast that is what I hear!;)

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your sincere sympathy. It means a lot to me!
 
Ali,


You might want to check out a book about depression in males from your local library. I know there are a few out there that address depression symptoms and how it manifests specifically, in males. Oftentimes, there is a trigger for depression...a series of losses...or PERCEIVED losses. Has your husband gone through any of this lately? His lack of enthusiasm/motivation is called anhedonia and his sleeping..both signs of depression. First I'd ask him if he has had any thoughts of hurting himself. You must assess for suicide first..once you figure out how to approach it. Depression is no fun, it is hard on the person experiencing AND their significant other. My husband always wants to help but doesn't know how. AND he gets tired of the fight that never seems to end. Hopefully it will soon. I hope you can help your husband. Take care!:)
 
Janice, Depression is not natural..transient sadness, grief,that's normal, but depression is a disorder, like diabetes. If one is not re uptaking serotonin, it is foolish not to treat it....I have had patients in CCU using St.John's wort - who were in complete heart block and in need of pacemakers because they wanted to be "natural" (and yes,i'm a nurse,vegetarian,yoga teacher, peta and greenpeace activist) but why do SSRI with something unregulated when you can have something that has been FDA approved with peer reviewed study? Anyhoo- you are coping with something too heavy for your shoulders....the zoloft, maybe at 100 mgs, might negate your underlying pathology so you can do the work of grieving and maybe get through some other pain that you've suppressed....your dad's death is part of his story...he never got to make amends...but you can live life and not repeat his story, your children never need to experience the ramifications of his life - as they so impacted yours....you're trying to try - and that's all you have to do....and if you need a nap, TAKE the damn nap! That's the body attempting to HEAL!! We Americans sleep less than anyone on earth and its not healthy..sleep 12 at night at times and take a nap a couple times a week - till Christmas - GIVE yourself permission to heal! THEN, New Year, you can start kicking your butt in gear and back off the naps and sleep, but allow yourself the fall to rest, heal, and get recalled to life.

You are not alone...you have countless friends you've never met, just by sharing yourself. Hang in there .
 
Janice, Depression is not natural..transient sadness, grief,that's normal, but depression is a disorder, like diabetes. If one is not re uptaking serotonin, it is foolish not to treat it....I have had patients in CCU using St.John's wort - who were in complete heart block and in need of pacemakers because they wanted to be "natural" (and yes,i'm a nurse,vegetarian,yoga teacher, peta and greenpeace activist) but why do SSRI with something unregulated when you can have something that has been FDA approved with peer reviewed study? Anyhoo- you are coping with something too heavy for your shoulders....the zoloft, maybe at 100 mgs, might negate your underlying pathology so you can do the work of grieving and maybe get through some other pain that you've suppressed....your dad's death is part of his story...he never got to make amends...but you can live life and not repeat his story, your children never need to experience the ramifications of his life - as they so impacted yours....you're trying to try - and that's all you have to do....and if you need a nap, TAKE the damn nap! That's the body attempting to HEAL!! We Americans sleep less than anyone on earth and its not healthy..sleep 12 at night at times and take a nap a couple times a week - till Christmas - GIVE yourself permission to heal! THEN, New Year, you can start kicking your butt in gear and back off the naps and sleep, but allow yourself the fall to rest, heal, and get recalled to life.

You are not alone...you have countless friends you've never met, just by sharing yourself. Hang in there .
 
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