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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 28. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:17:13
Hi,
i'm just wondering if anyone has suffered from severe anxiety during high doses of zoloft? I'm currently 150mg and was heading for 200mg but will likely step down to 100mg. If you have, did you continue, did it pass? Any input would appreciated.
/Mattias
Posted by BobS, on December 23, 2004, at 12:39:27
In reply to Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:17:13
This is not quite your situation, but at the end my third week on a first time start up of Zoloft at 37.5 mgs, I had a restless episode bordering on akathisa, if not outright akathisia.
It can happen to those intolerate of Zoloft.
Regards,
BobS.
BTW, I was no other drug other than Xanax, which had a hard time controlling the problem.
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 12:43:40
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by BobS, on December 23, 2004, at 12:39:27
Are you the individual who is combining it with remeron. I never had anxiety on zoloft alone, but when It was combined with remeron I had major anxiety bordering on psychosis.
Probably the alpha-2 antagonism.
Linkadge
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:50:54
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 12:43:40
> Are you the individual who is combining it with remeron.
Yes, i am.
I never had anxiety on zoloft alone, but when It was combined with remeron I had major anxiety bordering on psychosis.
This is what i am going through right now.
What doses were you on?> Probably the alpha-2 antagonism.
Can you explain this?Best regards,
Mattias
Posted by Racer on December 23, 2004, at 12:57:55
In reply to Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:17:13
The anxiety I experienced on Zoloft was probably secondary to the akathesia, and I was also on Lamictal, which added to the whole mess. I can't tell you if it would have gotten better, because after a couple of nights of racing thoughts and no sleep and anxiety that had me at the edge of suicidal -- this after an increase in the Lamictal -- I stopped all the meds.
Sorry that didn't help much. Remember, the Lamictal probably caused most of my problems, and everyone's reactions will vary.
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 13:05:05
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by Racer on December 23, 2004, at 12:57:55
Hi fellow babblers,
When you come the point when it feels like you are losing the grip, feeling of near the edge of psychosis, what do you? Throw down a bunch of sedatives and hope for the best, please tell me, i need to know. I don't get much relief from clonazepam right now, and i've taken 8mg today + a glass of wine, i normally take 2mg daily.
Kind regards,
Mattias
Posted by ed_uk on December 23, 2004, at 14:01:46
In reply to So how do you cope with the anxiety/akathisia?, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 13:05:05
Hi Mattias,
I think the best thing to do would be to reduce your Zoloft dose. Are you experiencing anxiety or akathisia (restlessness) or both?
Ed.
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 14:02:38
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » linkadge, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:50:54
I was combining 100mg of zoloft with 15mg of remeron. This caused extreme anxiety upon combination with the remeron.
Zoloft is an atypical SSRI, in that it has some effects on increasing dopamine as well as serotonin.
Remeron is an alpha-2 antagonist. The alpha-2 receptors serve to shut off the release of dopamine and norepinephrine, so when they're blocked by remeron, the firing of norepinephrine and dopamine goes up. When this is combined with the dopamine reputake blocking abilities of zoloft, you get a lot of extra dopamine, which was what I believe caused the acute panic and fear
reaction I had to the combination. IT was terrible, like living in a nighmare.I had an extremely hard time shutting parts of my brain off. The slightest things that I had not fully figured out, my mind went over and over like a broken record. I couldn't let it go untill I had a solution.
I would talk to your docotr since I know what you are going through, and it is a result of the combination.
YOu may to better on adding Trazedone to Zoloft instead of Remeron, but I don't know.
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 14:04:50
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 14:02:38
How much remeron are you taking ??
Linkadge
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 14:13:57
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 14:04:50
> How much remeron are you taking ??
>
> LinkadgeI'm taking 30mg, it worked fine at 15mg remeron and 50mg zoloft. That is, before the relapse.
Thank you for the post above!Kind regards,
Mattias
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 15:10:47
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » linkadge, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 14:13:57
I would consider reducing the ADs, and perhaps trying lithium like you mentioned.
Or trying zoloft with less remeron.
Linkadge
Posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2004, at 16:05:01
In reply to Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:17:13
> Hi,
>
> i'm just wondering if anyone has suffered from severe anxiety during high doses of zoloft? I'm currently 150mg and was heading for 200mg but will likely step down to 100mg. If you have, did you continue, did it pass? Any input would appreciated.I received my BP II DX when I was on Zoloft. At the time, I was just happy to have a name for what I was feeling, but looking back on it now, I believe I may have been misdiagnosed. My main feelings were of agitation and anxiety... And now I'm stuck with a BP II DX!
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 17:01:26
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2004, at 16:05:01
Thats *exactly* what I had.
THe doctors don't believe that Antidepressants can be agitating. They think that since they are prescribed for panic & anxiety that they must be calming. They don't know that even in normal, nonbipolar people they *can* actually cause agitation.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when a series of stressfull events couppled with antidepressants left me very agitated.
If I had been prescribed a little valium to get over the situation, I wouldn't have been stuck on lithium, and divalproex.
Linkadge
Posted by ed_uk on December 23, 2004, at 17:22:23
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 17:01:26
.......... and the worst thing is.... they treat the agitation by increasing the dose of the AD. When I went to the ER with severe AP-induced akathisia the doctor wanted to give me more chlorpromazine! Apparantly, the agitation was due to my 'underlying condition.' Pdocs attribute far too much to people's 'underlying conditions.'
Do you think that bipolar is an inappropriate diagnosis for yourself? If you were your own pdoc, what would you diagnose yourself with?!
Ed.
Posted by theo on December 23, 2004, at 17:51:01
In reply to Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 12:17:13
Zoloft at 50mg gave me high anxiety after a 6 week trial and I was on no other meds.
Posted by theo on December 23, 2004, at 18:04:17
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2004, at 16:05:01
Funny, the exact thing happened to me. I tried Zoloft before I went to my first pdoc appointment ever. She said my panic and agitation I was having told her I was bipolar 2 and couldn't tolerate SSRI's. I went on to tell her I had no problems with Paxil, Prozac, etc. and she ignored me and changed the subject!! Sometimes these doctors amaze me.
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 20:30:53
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » linkadge, posted by ed_uk on December 23, 2004, at 17:22:23
I havn't taken any mood stabalzer in 4 months, although I am prescribed to do so. I am taking 10mg of citalopram, and am not doing too poorly.
I don't have manic episodes but I do still get agitated. I feel like my brain is dammaged and I get very depressed based on that belief.
I think I probably have unipolar depression. I do live a lot in my imagination, and I think that gets me into trouble.
But you are exactly right. When you have a mental illness you get lumped into a group of people that many doctors have no respect for. Many docotors have a very difficult time accepting a patient's "intuition". I strongly believe that if I was prescribing the pills that I would indeed be well.
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 20:45:12
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » Minnie-Haha, posted by theo on December 23, 2004, at 18:04:17
"I went on to tell her I had no problems with Paxil, Prozac, etc. and she ignored me and changed the subject!! Sometimes these doctors amaze me"
-----------------------------
That absoulutely discusts me. The doctors are so worried about their precious "diagnosis", that they ignore the chances to get people truely "well".
My mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder based on a manic like reaction to sinequan (an old TCA). When I brifly swiched from citalpram to sinequan, I was extremely agitated and replied: "no wonder they diagnosed you with bipolar!!".
I honestly believe that had she tried a different AD such as citalopram or luvox, that she would still maintain a unipolar diagnosis.
Many intellegent docotrs have noted that a manic like reacton to one antidepressant does not equate a manic like reaction to another antidepressant and does not indicate a bipolar disorder.
But the not so intellegent docotors maintain that agitation on any antidepressant = bipolar.
Anybody knows that drinking too much coffee will make normal people agitated why is it not possible with and AD !!!???
Linkadge
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 23:23:35
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » linkadge, posted by ed_uk on December 23, 2004, at 17:22:23
Hi Ed,
> Do you think that bipolar is an inappropriate diagnosis for yourself?
Yes, i do. I'm not sure about hypomania, how close to mania or how close to normal is that? Are you still in the 'reality'? Because i can feel very energetic and up for a week or so when not depressed and the return to a lower state(not depression).
>If you were your own pdoc, what would you diagnose yourself with?!
That's a good question, definitely something that would require a mood-stabilizer. I think treatment resistant cycling atypical depression is the closest, i'm 100% sure on this one.Best regards,
Mattias
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 23:29:46
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 15:10:47
Hi Link,
> I would consider reducing the ADs, and perhaps trying lithium like you mentioned.
Yes, that is what i'm doing right now, took 15mg remeron last night and only 50mg of zoloft, i will continue with 100mg zoloft however but i want to lower the blood concentration more rapidly. Adding lithium is probably the next step.
> Or trying zoloft with less remeron.
It's not a bad idea, the question is what dose of zoloft i should continue with, 100mg, 150mg or even 200mg. The first AD that ever worked for me was remeron. This is difficult.
Best regards,
Mattias
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 23:33:03
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 23, 2004, at 20:30:53
Hi Link,
> I havn't taken any mood stabalzer in 4 months, although I am prescribed to do so.
Why not? Which mood stabilizer is it? Severe side effects?
/Mattias
Posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 23:41:34
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by Minnie-Haha on December 23, 2004, at 16:05:01
Hi Minnie,
What meds are you taking now?Best regards,
Mattias
Posted by linkadge on December 24, 2004, at 11:17:34
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » linkadge, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 23:33:03
I have been prescribed to take lithium and divalproex, but I don't feel any different on them, but perhaps a little more sedated. I get an identical feeling if I just take a sedative.
Linkadge
Posted by linkadge on December 24, 2004, at 11:18:05
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft? » linkadge, posted by tensor on December 23, 2004, at 23:33:03
If the remeron works then lower the zoloft
Linkadge
Posted by tensor on December 24, 2004, at 13:01:19
In reply to Re: Anyone experienced severe anxiety with Zoloft?, posted by linkadge on December 24, 2004, at 11:18:05
Hi Link :-)
> If the remeron works then lower the zoloft
Neither of them seems to work, i now have to take both alprazolam and clonazepam to live through this. I have lowered zoloft to 100mg and remeron to 15mg, i used to take 50mg zoloft. I was talking to an er pdoc this morning, my own doctor isn't back until monday. I will call her and ask what to do next. Lithium, probably. I have heard people say it's shit and people that say it's godsend, i'm not sure what to believe. But my doctor and her colleagues were very convincing that lithium is the #1 choice.
Kind regards,
Mattias
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