Posted by ace on February 20, 2003, at 19:59:18
Zoloft, out of all the SSRIs, according to Dr. Stuart Shipko (a neurologist & psychiatrist), is especially liable to cause serious long term clinical depression on withdrawal.
I can personally testify to this. A lot do not experience it if they change drugs. But the first time I stopped zoloft, after about 5 weeks a black depression kicked in. I am SURE this was due to Zoloft, as I never befor suffered any depression apart from moderate episodic depression (Very occasionally serious depression).
The depression from Zoloft was horrendous - nothing I'd ever had before. Motivation was 0. Every which way I turned I was trapped.
I was treated for anxiety probs with Zoloft )esp. OCD) -- It barely helped OCD, it didn't touch my derealization or phobic anxiety. BUT this is the interesting point -- on withdrawal, after 2 or 3 weeks, the derealization and phobic anxiety good extremely bad. So, in the first place it doesn't help a prob when on the drug, but on withdrawal makes it worse! Great stuff Zoloft!
If you are going off Zoloft I would reccomend switching to another drug -- at least to stop the Zoloft withdrawal. All this stuff about Zoloft withdrawal being confined to 'zaps' and nausea, GI distress etc. (for 2 weeks or so) is not true, in my opinion.
Dr. Shipko has evn said that the depression from Z withdrawal may take months to pass. I had to re-start the drug to get out of the pain.
Thankfull, the second time I got off it I went straight to the Antidepressant which is head and shoulders above ALL else --NARDIL.
Ace.
Zoloft sux.
poster:ace
thread:202279
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030219/msgs/202279.html