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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:58:52
I'm curious if anyone's had agitation and tearfulness with Zoloft...I just
started it while tapering down on prozac, which
pooped out. I was fine, and even felt an improvement
on 50 mgs combined with 10 mgs of prozac, once I
increased to 100, now i'm feeling really agitated,
pacing the floor, crying, being really emotionally
reactive. I don't know if it's the zoloft or the
fact that my boyfriend and I are having some problems--
still my emotional reaction and the amount of anxiety
I'm having seems to be extreme...and usually an antidepressant
helps me not to react so intensely...maybe I'm one of
those people sensitive to dopamine? I've never reacted
this way to an ssri--always reacted very positively to
most of them--could it be because zoloft stimulates
dopamine?
Posted by geno on May 21, 2002, at 15:52:44
In reply to Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine??, posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:58:52
roo, i was just about to post on zoloft. I have a psychiatry book, that breaks down the neurtransmitters on each drug. Zoloft at higher doses seems to slightly block the reuptake of dopamine, and possibly NE. Im on 75mg of zoloft, and not activating, though im also on remeron which may be blocking out alot of zoloft axiety, aggitaion. I wanna bump up to 100mg this week. I find myself popping vivarin and ritalin to counteract the sedation.
When i bump up to 100mg, ill eliminate all caffiene and stimulants to see its effect. if still no effect, ill remain on the stimulants, or drop the remeron and take ambiengeno
Posted by jazzdog on May 21, 2002, at 16:16:39
In reply to Re: Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine??, posted by geno on May 21, 2002, at 15:52:44
I took zoloft for ten years and quit because if anything it seemed to cause dopamine depletion. I don't know if dopamine is the culprit in anxious states or norepinephrine - I suspect the latter.
On another note, Geno, could you tell me which neurotransmitters are affected by Celexa? Thanks -
- Jane
Posted by rainbowlight on May 21, 2002, at 22:08:18
In reply to Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine??, posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:58:52
I began Zoloft about a month and a half ago. I have found that if I take 50 mgs. it makes me anxious and irritated, so I then lowered my dose and it seems to help. For me is seems that Zoloft is one of those meds where there is a fine line between therapeutic and overmedicated. Maybe you can try to bring the level down a bit and see if that helps. It takes a few days for the levels to come down, and for me those days were pretty awful, but luckily it didn't last too long.
Posted by Jackster on May 22, 2002, at 2:07:31
In reply to I've had the same reaction, posted by rainbowlight on May 21, 2002, at 22:08:18
I too have had the same reaction. Couldn't get above 50mg without terrible anxiety and feeling like I'd had 10 cups of coffee. I tried for 2 months. Had no probs with Paxil.
Jackie
Posted by jay on May 22, 2002, at 2:09:19
In reply to Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine??, posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:58:52
> I'm curious if anyone's had agitation and tearfulness with Zoloft...I just
> started it while tapering down on prozac, which
> pooped out. I was fine, and even felt an improvement
> on 50 mgs combined with 10 mgs of prozac, once I
> increased to 100, now i'm feeling really agitated,
> pacing the floor, crying, being really emotionally
> reactive. I don't know if it's the zoloft or the
> fact that my boyfriend and I are having some problems--
> still my emotional reaction and the amount of anxiety
> I'm having seems to be extreme...and usually an antidepressant
> helps me not to react so intensely...maybe I'm one of
> those people sensitive to dopamine? I've never reacted
> this way to an ssri--always reacted very positively to
> most of them--could it be because zoloft stimulates
> dopamine?Hi:
I am *deeply* sorry for your reaction to Zoloft, as I had the same rough time with the med. Plus, you may still have a fair amount of Prozac in your system, adding to side effects.
But, please, I would suggest going *much* lower start with the Zoloft, and telling your doctor you *won't* tolerate crying and anger as side effects. I know the *hell*, and you should not have to go through that.
What you may need, either with the Zoloft or alone, is a 'mood stabalizer'. It is just my opinion, but you may be having a 'manic' reaction to the Zoloft. I honestly think this is more the case with many people, and most should be on a mood stabalizer as well. Also, a benzodiazepine, like Xanax or Klonipin, will help with the agitation greatly. There is help, please, believe me as I feel your pain and have been in a similar situation. If your doctor won't help you, then goto another asap. Heck, goto an emergency ward at a hospital, or a walk-in clinic.
Ask others on here also, as many have also been through a similar situation. There is help with the proper medication, but the wrong medication can cause all sorts of problems, like what you are going through. Please...get help asap. Thoughts and prayers are with you...
Jay
Posted by Roo on May 22, 2002, at 10:01:38
In reply to Re: Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine?? » Roo, posted by jay on May 22, 2002, at 2:09:19
Thank you everyone, for sharing your experiences...
I went to the pdoc and she said she thought maybe
my body was reacting from dropping the prozac...she suggested
I add on 5 mgs of prozac to the 100 zoloft and then to
drop the 5 mgs when I started to stabilize. She said
I should feel better in about 2 weeks. I'm unsure myself...
my instinct is to back down on the zoloft since it's when
I upped it that I started having problems...but who knows
maybe she's right and that it was just my body reacting to
having no prozac while the zoloft levels weren't up yet...Jay--Thanks so much for your kind response and sympathy...
yes, it's been hell and my new relationship has really been
suffering b/c of it too. I actually am on a mood stabilizer...
I've started to taper it down slightly b/c of bloating (Went
from 125 mg's of lamictal to 100) who knows maybe that's
contributing too.
Posted by geno on May 22, 2002, at 15:40:33
In reply to Re: Zoloft--extreme agitation/Thanks everyone!, posted by Roo on May 22, 2002, at 10:01:38
jazz dog,
Celexa does reuptake seratonin just ask zoloft, but doesnt have the reuptake properties of dopamine. Celexa is smoother for anxiety.
Zoloft seems more potent for seratonin.
geno
Posted by jazzdog on May 22, 2002, at 18:11:28
In reply to Re: Zoloft--extreme agitation/Thanks everyone!, posted by geno on May 22, 2002, at 15:40:33
Posted by bookgurl99 on June 7, 2002, at 9:07:37
In reply to Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine??, posted by Roo on May 21, 2002, at 10:58:52
Roo,
are you still having probs with Zoloft?
I started it about a month ago and had a crying jag myself last night after upping my dose from 25mg to 50mg.
bookgurl
Posted by Roo on June 7, 2002, at 12:31:31
In reply to Re: Zoloft--extreme agitation/tearfulness-dopamine??, posted by bookgurl99 on June 7, 2002, at 9:07:37
No, I'm really not....I think it may have been the
boyfriend problems and I was also changing medications
and kind of in-between adjustments. Also, I take
a small dose of an anti-psychotic (navane) and I had
quit taking it before...that could have been part of
it too, b/c the last time I quit taking that stuff, I
was really very agitated and tearful...It's all confusing, isn't it...what's drug and what's
not....I hope you feel better soon. How much zoloft do you
take? I find it extremely activating, and I can't sleep
worth shit--I take lamictal too, which doesn't help sleep
either. But you know, even though it's activating, I still
have apathy somehow and don't want to do anything...Personally
I think SSRI's suck (sexual dysfunction and apathy), but
they are the only thing that seems to work for my
depression...without them I feel suicidal (although
sometimes I wonder if that's withdrawal...I never could
make it much more than a month off prozac without getting
REALLY depressed...I often wondered if I would've waited it
out....but I just couldn't take it...)I'm rambling...thanks for listening to me vent.
This is the end of the thread.
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