My doctor put me on Zoloft last week for depression and night time anxiety.
I've looked online about it and found some pretty scary side effects. Now I'm afraid to take it. People talk about huge weight gains, and suicide, hair loss, no sex drive. What kind, if any side effects have you all had?
I want to feel better, but taking it is giving me anxiety because of the fear of what it may cause.

The doctor diagnosed me with OCD...she says I compulse over the thought of always thinking bad things are going to happen....go figure.

By Eve on Monday, April 11, 2005 - 12:43 pm:

I think the benefits far outweigh the risks! Give it a try. I took Prozac for a period of time and it was WONDERFUL! Just wait, you'll feel wonderful and you'll notice all the people that probably need medication! Go for it! Feel free to email me if you need any support.

By Jann on Monday, April 11, 2005 - 01:51 pm:

My husband takes it. You just need to be aware if you see any disturbing changes in yourself and ask your spouse to watch and report them to your doc.

By Palmbchprincess on Monday, April 11, 2005 - 03:47 pm:

I took it in high school and it made me feel very "odd". I can't even really describe the feeling, just sort of out of control and unbalanced. Some people swear by it, so just give it a shot, and keep a journal of how you are feeling. Good luck!

By Palmbchprincess on Monday, April 11, 2005 - 03:50 pm:

Oh, and Mara, I've been diagnosed as an adult with generalized anxiety because I obsess over bad things that could happen and such. Was this a general practitioner or a psychiatrist that diagnosed you? The OCD thing just struck me as odd for anxious thoughts like that.

By Missbookworm on Monday, April 11, 2005 - 03:54 pm:

I'm taking wellbutrin for depression, and OCD and post traumatic stress...I found the original twice a day dosing was too much for me and we cut it back to once a day. I've noticed marked improvement while on them although at the moment I've slidden a bit due to more stress in my life but I found it working reasonably well. My b/f is watching for the severe side effects and I questioned my doctor about them and they tell me that they exist but aren't always prevalent in everyone and that you just need to watch and get your partner to watch too for any drastic changes. When my doctor put me on wellbutrin he recommended cognitive behavioural therapy combined with the medication. Did your doctor mention this to you at all? Normally in my experience they don't just medicate you and leave you medicated but combine it with therapy as a part of treatment. I'm not being treated aside from the medication but my doctor did recommend two books on behavioural cognitive therapy to pick up and he told me it can be gone through on your own. The only reason he's not treating me is that my diagnosis isn't considered threatening enough according to the higher up's to have me covered and I can't afford the rates they charge. I can't recall the titles of the two books he suggested but I am going to call him and get them again. Feel free to email me hedgehog 774 @ hotmail . com (no spaces) if you'd like.

By Katherine on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 08:28 pm:

I took Zoloft for about 7 years. I started taking it after my 2nd child and post partum. The benefits definately outweighed the side effects. When I first started taking it, I had diarhea (sp?), (sorry gross I know), but that went away. I felt so much better that it made me realize just how bad I felt before. It is great for anxiety too. I did have a lack of sex drive, but it was not completely gone, it also too longer to reach the "big O", but hubby understood and we worked through that. Eventually, I did switch over to Lexapro which has virtually no side effects, but it does not make me feel as great as the Zoloft. I think Zoloft is a great medication and it got me through some of the hardest times of my life!

By Hol on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 02:00 am:

I have taken Zoloft for eight years, since my oldest DS passed away. It has really helped, because at the same time that I started taking it for grief/depression, and post-traumatic stress, I was entering menopause.

It has helped a GREAT DEAL, and I wouldn't want to STOP taking it. I DID gain twenty pounds. However, I also developed severe hypo-thyroidism while everything else was going on, so until they found the right dose of Synthroid, I gained weight.

Another benefit of Zoloft in hypothyroidism is that it helps to convert T4 thyroid hormone to T3, which is neccesary for proper metabolism.

My sex drive really went down, and I too, have trouble now with the "big O". However, it could be menopause, as I refuse to take hormone replacement.

Give Zoloft a try. It takes about 2-3 weeks before you get the full effect. It's very safe, and you will most likely feel a whole lot better.

By Latonya on Wednesday, April 20, 2005 - 03:27 pm:

My sister takes it and she has gained alot of weight. I dont think it was from the medicine though. Shes diabetic and she does not do anything but eat and sleep and she eats alot. I dont think it helped her much though. She was diagnosed with OCD and depression and she is still fighting with it. So I am not sold on it too much.