Re: New Member - Grateful for Zoloft, but not the side effect

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I was on zoloft. I cant imagine what you had to go through losing

your son. I suggest that you get mentally prepared to come off

zoloft if you are. Right now, you prob feel that you have no problem

since you are on the med, but for me I felt the same way until I

came off of it, and I was so depressed that I started having many

suicidal thoughts with positive effects gone while still having

negative side effect. This was my experience and hopefully not

yours, I dont think anyone deserves to go through the withdraw

symptoms.

>

> Hi everyone,

> I have been looking everywhere for information on this strange

side

> effect. I never thought it would happen to ME!!! But rather than

> bashing antidepressants and meds and doctors in general, I would

rather

> just learn more about what causes the loss of libido and possible

ways

> to get it back.

> I am very grateful to zoloft, which I have taken for years, for

almost

> instant relief of the lethargic depression that plagued me. It has

also

> helped me through the depths of grieving for my son who died

nearly 3

> years ago. But I am ready to make positive changes in my life as

far as

> diet/ exercise, etc. and am also very slowly, lowering dose of

zoloft.

> Whether or not I will ever be able to do without it completely

still

> remains to be seen.

> I wish there was some publication that would deal with this

subject -

> anyone know of one?

> Sharon

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience with it. I have

considered the possibility that if I started taking it I would have

to keep taking it, but mainly because it was supplying something that

I needed...and without it, I wasn't going to necessarily be healed of

that deficiency...Kind of like a thyroid deficiency, or insulin.

deficiency. I heard negatives about antidepressant use, and decided

to try them anyways. Because my life just wasn't worth living the way

I felt, and nothing else had helped. (vitamins, exercise, etc...)

Whenever I have gone for a few days - a week without it ( " I feel

great - I don't need this! " ) I have had a relapse into the same

depression I had before, but even worse, because of the fact that I

had felt so good not long ago, and there was a real discouragement

just in being back down in the pit.

I think we are just at the beginning though, of fine-tuning meds like

this, and various unpleasant side effects will be counteracted in the

future. And yes, we are all very different.

I hope you will gradually begin to be able to look on the positive

side of life again.

Sharon

> >

> > Hi everyone,

> > I have been looking everywhere for information on this strange

> side

> > effect. I never thought it would happen to ME!!! But rather than

> > bashing antidepressants and meds and doctors in general, I would

> rather

> > just learn more about what causes the loss of libido and possible

> ways

> > to get it back.

> > I am very grateful to zoloft, which I have taken for years, for

> almost

> > instant relief of the lethargic depression that plagued me. It

has

> also

> > helped me through the depths of grieving for my son who died

> nearly 3

> > years ago. But I am ready to make positive changes in my life as

> far as

> > diet/ exercise, etc. and am also very slowly, lowering dose of

> zoloft.

> > Whether or not I will ever be able to do without it completely

> still

> > remains to be seen.

> > I wish there was some publication that would deal with this

> subject -

> > anyone know of one?

> > Sharon

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I am so sorry Sharon for your loss and I can only imagine how great the grief must have been for you.

Perhaps, medication like Zoloft, had saved your life. However, please allow me to disagree with you when you compare it with insulin deficiency. There is no such thing and nobody, including the drug manufacturers, are claiming this. As matter of fact, they claim they don't know how it works. Many other drugs, including illegal drugs like cocaine, do increase serotonin and other transmitters in the brain, but they never ease depression. Other drugs, like Wellbutrin, increase dopamine and not Serotonin. The other puzzling fact is, within a day of taking SSRI, the serotonin level is increased, however the benefit of the drug may not notice until 4~8 weeks later. I tend to believe depression is a condition and not a disease. It is our body reacting to a change, either inside our body like illness, or some environmental change, like divorce.

I am glad that you could tolerate the side effect of the medication and you are thinking to tape off the medication. I think this is great step. Take as many as help you can, and don't forget your exercises and vitamins. They make wonders. In my case, last time I lower my dosage by half, I went through a relapse and were crying for few days till I change my dosage back. About a month ago, Dr. suggested to take a break from medication, due to panic attack side effect, and when I did, I felt fine without it. The only difference was I was taking my Vitamin E and B12, and exercising every day. That was the magic for me.

Good Luck to you.

Steve

Hi, I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience with it. I have considered the possibility that if I started taking it I would have to keep taking it, but mainly because it was supplying something that I needed...and without it, I wasn't going to necessarily be healed of that deficiency...Kind of like a thyroid deficiency, or insulin.

deficiency. I heard negatives about antidepressant use, and decided to try them anyways. Because my life just wasn't worth living the way I felt, and nothing else had helped. (vitamins, exercise, etc...) Whenever I have gone for a few days - a week without it ( " I feel great - I don't need this! " ) I have had a relapse into the same depression I had before, but even worse, because of the fact that I had felt so good not long ago, and there was a real discouragement just in being back down in the pit.

I think we are just at the beginning though, of fine-tuning meds like this, and various unpleasant side effects will be counteracted in the future. And yes, we are all very different. I hope you will gradually begin to be able to look on the positive side of life again.Sharon

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Steve,

Your sentance about depression is interesting:

I tend to believe depression is a condition and not a disease. It

> is our body reacting to a change, either inside our body like

illness, or

> some environmental change, like divorce.

If true, how do we treat a change that can't be unchanged?

And thank you for this tip. I have been changing my life habits to

healthier ones, due to a recent high cholesterol test and the threat

of meds for it. I want to gradually make positive changes, and the

vit B( Any reason for B12 rather than B complex?) and E might be a

good place to start. Most important: Daily Exercise. I agree.

> only difference was I was taking my Vitamin E and B12, and

exercising every

> day. That was the magic for me.

>

> Good Luck to you.

> Steve

>

>

>

> >

> > Hi, I'm sorry that you have had such a bad experience with it. I

have

> > considered the possibility that if I started taking it I would

have

> > to keep taking it, but mainly because it was supplying something

that

> > I needed...and without it, I wasn't going to necessarily be

healed of

> > that deficiency...Kind of like a thyroid deficiency, or insulin.

> > deficiency. I heard negatives about antidepressant use, and

decided

> > to try them anyways. Because my life just wasn't worth living the

way

> > I felt, and nothing else had helped. (vitamins, exercise, etc...)

> > Whenever I have gone for a few days - a week without it ( " I feel

> > great - I don't need this! " ) I have had a relapse into the same

> > depression I had before, but even worse, because of the fact that

I

> > had felt so good not long ago, and there was a real discouragement

> > just in being back down in the pit.

> > I think we are just at the beginning though, of fine-tuning meds

like

> > this, and various unpleasant side effects will be counteracted in

the

> > future. And yes, we are all very different.

> > I hope you will gradually begin to be able to look on the positive

> > side of life again.

> > Sharon

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

SSRIs cause high cholesterol. They screw up metabolism. The longer

you stay on the meds, the more biochemical problems will arise. And

the statins have a serious list of side effects as well, of course.

It's a never-ending cycle.

>

> And thank you for this tip. I have been changing my life habits to

> healthier ones, due to a recent high cholesterol test and the threat

> of meds for it.

[Guest guest]

Interesting. I never knew SSRI can cause high cholesterol. My cholesterol jump from under 200 to over 259 in 6 mo. I was eating healthier and had started exercises. The funny thing was my cholesterol was under 200 for the past 6 years or so. It was pretty un-rewarding when I saw the result. One of the Dr. asked me if I was willing to take pills. I said no. I have other problems to deal with.

Do you know of any study on SSRI causing high cholesterol?

-Steve

SSRIs cause high cholesterol. They screw up metabolism. The longer you stay on the meds, the more biochemical problems will arise. And the statins have a serious list of side effects as well, of course. It's a never-ending cycle.> > And thank you for this tip. I have been changing my life habits to > healthier ones, due to a recent high cholesterol test and the threat > of meds for it.

[Guest guest]

I think you just answered to your question:

If true, how do we treat a change that can't be unchanged?And thank you for this tip. I have been changing my life habits to healthier ones, due to a recent high cholesterol test and the threat of meds for it.

You just said it. " changing my life habits to healthier ones... " I read this pray, it does make a lot of sense to me:

God, give me the understanding to accept things I can not change.

Give me the courage to change what I can change.

And give me the wisdom to know the difference.

We need to find for ourselves, the wisdom. We are all in the same journey.

About B12. I read a book called The Brain Chemistry Plan by

Lesser,

Colleen J. Kapklein. It claim lack of B12 causes depression and taking more B12 than normal will help you coming out of depression. You may want to read the book. It has some interesting way of looking at brain and its chemistry. That's where picked up Vitamin B and E.

Cheers,

Steve

Thanks, Steve,Your sentance about depression is interesting: I tend to believe depression is a condition and not a disease. It

> is our body reacting to a change, either inside our body like illness, or> some environmental change, like divorce.If true, how do we treat a change that can't be unchanged?And thank you for this tip. I have been changing my life habits to healthier ones, due to a recent high cholesterol test and the threat of meds for it. I want to gradually make positive changes, and the vit B( Any reason for B12 rather than B complex?) and E might be a good place to start. Most important: Daily Exercise. I agree

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi everyone,

> I have been looking everywhere for information on this strange side

> effect. I never thought it would happen to ME!!! But rather than

> bashing antidepressants and meds and doctors in general, I would

rather

> just learn more about what causes the loss of libido and possible

ways

> to get it back.

> I am very grateful to zoloft, which I have taken for years, for

almost

> instant relief of the lethargic depression that plagued me. It has

also

> helped me through the depths of grieving for my son who died nearly

3

> years ago. But I am ready to make positive changes in my life as

far as

> diet/ exercise, etc. and am also very slowly, lowering dose of

zoloft.

> Whether or not I will ever be able to do without it completely

still

> remains to be seen.

> I wish there was some publication that would deal with this

subject -

> anyone know of one?

> Sharon

>

Hi Sharon,

So sorry about your loss. The decision whether to stop taking a

medication that's helping is always a difficult one. I guess it

comes down to what's worse, the depression or the side effects. If

you decide to stick with it than you should take the lowest effective

dose. If you do decide to stop taking it, taper down as slowly as

possible. The body doesn't like abrupt changes to it's chemistry.

You might also want to talk to your doctor about taking a small

amount of 5-htp. This might enable you to take a lower maintenance

dose of the Zoloft. It also might make tapering off the drug

easier. But only do it under the supervision of your doctor because

there is the possibility (albeit a small one) of serotonin syndrome

when one takes tryptophan or 5-htp with a serotonergic medication.

Also, you might want to pick up a copy of " The Mood Cure " by

Ross. It's a nontechnical and easy to read book about using amino

acids and supplements to treat depression. I think it's about $12 or

$15 for the paperback. By the way, my sister has been on Zoloft for

7 years and it's been a huge help to her. The latest studies are

showing that SSRI's seem to be more effective and have less side

effects for women than for men. There are some interesting theories

as to why this is. I have a few of my own but I won't get into them

right now. Anyway, good luck...