# Anyone here take Zoloft? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751 "2015-09-27T19:33:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/21 "2015-09-28T03:00:32Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I’m not attacking you, I’m responding to your posts. Like this, according to your link, _“For patients with very severe depression, the benefit of medications over placebo is substantial.”_ The medications being discussed are SSRIs. Yeah. The problem here is that you don’t actually know what you are arguing. I said “most of the benefits are actually placebo”, which is exactly what the article says. Only in severe cases are the chemical effects more significant than placebo. Hence most of the benefits are actually placebo. Just let it go. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/22 "2015-09-28T03:13:20Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > Yeah. The problem here is that you don’t actually know what you are arguing. I said “most of the benefits are actually placebo”, which is exactly what the article says. Only in severe cases are the chemical effects more significant than placebo. Hence most of the benefits are actually placebo. Just let it go. ummm… look, I am aware of the rules of being polite in different parts of the SDMB and usually, honestly, I either agree with or find your “meditating hippie”… “all of our problems stem from our own ego”… usually I actually like reading these posts. Not in this case. 15 years ago I had periods where for 3 weeks the only time I even got out of bed was to eat or use the bathroom. Literally. I didn’t even watch TV I was so depressed. I realize your comments have good intent, I do. I realize there are a lot of opinions, some of them possibly valid, about SSRI’s and medication. But, well, please don’t be so quick to be so vocal to dismiss modern science and medication. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/23 "2015-09-28T03:15:39Z")
To everyone else: This particular SSRI seems to have more side effects that I want. I think I may stop the Zoloft. Maybe I will give it 30/60/90 days. The point is… the Lithium keeps me pretty stable and the depression itself is mild and periodic so if I can get by without Zoloft I will but maybe I’ll try it for 30 days first. IdK, Thanks for the comments everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/24 "2015-09-28T03:21:14Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > ummm… look, I am aware of the rules of being polite in different parts of the SDMB and usually, honestly, I either agree with or find your “meditating hippie”… “all of our problems stem from our own ego”… usually I actually like reading these posts. Not in this case. 15 years ago I had periods where for 3 weeks the only time I even got out of bed was to eat or use the bathroom. Literally. I didn’t even watch TV I was so depressed. > > I realize your comments have good intent, I do. I realize there are a lot of opinions, some of them possibly valid, about SSRI’s and medication. But, well, please don’t be so quick to be so vocal to dismiss modern science and medication. Uh… I am not dismissing modern science and medication. I am pointing out that **modern science** seems to be dismissing a form of medication that you’re asking about. And that modern science show other non-chemical methods that work, like [meditation](http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/01/07/260470831/mindfulness-meditation-can-help-relieve-anxiety-and-depression) > [@](#): > > Meditation does help manage anxiety, depression and pain, according to the 47 studies analyzed in JAMA Internal Medicine on Monday, but does not appear to help with other problems, including substance abuse, sleep and weight. > > “We have moderate confidence that mindfulness practices have a beneficial effect,” wrote the author of the paper, Dr. Madhav Goyal of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, in an email to Shots. He says the positive effects on anxiety, depression and pain can be modest, but are seen across multiple studies. > > “It was surprising to see that with so little training [about 2.5 hours of meditation practice per week] we were still seeing consistent effects,” Goyal wrote. I’m suggesting you look into another method of treatment than Zoloft, based on scientific info. If you didn’t want advice and have decided that Zoloft is the drug for you, why the hell create a post in the first place? Good luck and have fun. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/25 "2015-09-28T03:25:00Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > To everyone else: > > This particular SSRI seems to have more side effects that I want. I think I may stop the Zoloft. Maybe I will give it 30/60/90 days. The point is… the Lithium keeps me pretty stable and the depression itself is mild and periodic so if I can get by without Zoloft I will but maybe I’ll try it for 30 days first. IdK, Thanks for the comments everyone. My experience is starting off on an SSRI, it can have immediate effects that are not indicative of it’s long term effect. If the side effects are not too severe and you can tolerate them giving it a chance to stabilize in your system may alleviate the initial side effects. It’s a question you should talk to your doctor about. There were certainly a few drugs I tried and after a week, it was ‘no i’m not going to wait, I’m done with this we need to try something else’ ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/26 "2015-09-28T03:26:47Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > If you didn’t want advice and have decided that Zoloft is the drug for you, why the hell create a post in the first place? Actually, the opposite, I knew there were enough people here with mood disorders that If I made the post people would probably have feedback to help me decide… ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/27 "2015-09-28T03:32:56Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > {_snip_ Anyway, anyone ever been on Zoloft? I presume at least a couple of people have… The OP is asking for peoples’ experiences with Zoloft, not medical recommendations. > [@Stoneburg](#): > > I would actually recommend against it. How can you recommend what medicine he should/should not take? This is bad advice, all around. He is asking for experiences, which he can then bring to his doctor for further advice. ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/28 "2015-09-28T03:42:15Z")
I take lithium, zoloft, and klonopin. Before taking zoloft, I was taking lithium only. I’d convinced myself I didn’t need an anti-depressant. WRONG decision. After about 4 years I admitted myself to the psych ward (again) because I was too depressed to function. Dr. described zoloft as an anti-depressant that had been refined to minimize side-effects. The only real side-effect I have noticed is that my hands shake a bit more than when I was on only lithium, but not enough to cause a problem. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/29 "2015-09-28T04:31:16Z")
I’m on Mirtazapine (which is not an SSRI). I tried Zoloft and found it wanting. I am no longer suicidal (never was - I just consider it the ultimate ‘escape clause’), but am no longer interested in anything beyond simple survival. I have set up auto-pay on all utilities and most other routine bills, so I don’t have to force myself to write checks/click bookmarks. The old line ‘You call _this_ Living?’ seems to apply. Be careful of what you get when you trade in your depression - these drugs\*\* are\*\* miracles-in-a-pill, but they come at a cost. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/30 "2015-09-28T04:50:52Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > I’m on Mirtazapine (which is not an SSRI). > > I tried Zoloft and found it wanting. > > I am no longer suicidal (never was - I just consider it the ultimate ‘escape clause’), but am no longer interested in anything beyond simple survival. > I have set up auto-pay on all utilities and most other routine bills, so I don’t have to force myself to write checks/click bookmarks. > > The old line ‘You call _this_ Living?’ seems to apply. > > Be careful of what you get when you trade in your depression - these drugs\*\* are\*\* miracles-in-a-pill, but they come at a cost. Yeah, sometimes I get in a state like that, occasionally, but thankfully I am more often in Limbo than I am in purgatory, so to speak. (whichever one of the two is the one that is not as bad, that is where I am, stuck, but at least I am no longer miserable) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/31 "2015-09-28T05:07:22Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/32 "2015-09-28T05:14:10Z")
It’s a godsend for me, to be honest. Side effects are pretty much zero in my case and I can actually function so what’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/33 "2015-09-28T11:34:35Z")
The OP is asking for experiences with medical care and medicines. Opinions about medical issues generally go to IMHO which is where I’m sending this. Just because the thread is being moved does not mean the previous mod note can be ignored. Do not turn this into a debate and stop with the personal sniping. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/34 "2015-09-28T11:47:14Z")
> [@Whatever4](#): > > The only real side-effect I have noticed is that my hands shake a bit more than when I was on only lithium, but not enough to cause a problem. Interesting. Zoloft exacerbated my Restless Leg Syndrome, to the point that I had to discontinue it. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/35 "2015-09-28T13:01:07Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > To everyone else: > > This particular SSRI seems to have more side effects that I want. I think I may stop the Zoloft. Maybe I will give it 30/60/90 days. The point is… the Lithium keeps me pretty stable and the depression itself is mild and periodic so if I can get by without Zoloft I will but maybe I’ll try it for 30 days first. IdK, Thanks for the comments everyone. I didn’t like Zoloft. I like citalopram. But SSRIs are highly individual things, so you have to find what works for you - not what works for me. Lithium is really old school - and my understanding is that stability is exactly what you get - but its often stability at the expense of any emotional range. My aunt has been on Lithium for decades, and for her, its the thing that keeps her functional - but she doesn’t feel joy (now, she wouldn’t feel joy without the Lithium, but the Lithium cuts the variation both ways). ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/36 "2015-09-28T14:12:25Z")
I was on Zoloft for a good many years for dysthymia. The longer I took it the more it numbed me to the point where I was merely the walking dead. I’d go to work, come home, and stare at the ceiling. I lost my appetite. I swear it also did something to my long-term memory because I barely remember anything from that period. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/37 "2015-09-29T09:05:13Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > Yeah, sometimes I get in a state like that, occasionally, but thankfully I am more often in Limbo than I am in purgatory, so to speak. (whichever one of the two is the one that is not as bad, that is where I am, stuck, but at least I am no longer miserable) Great that you don’t feel miserable! I’d like to know if you had the same side effects I had when I took Zoloft. But as I mentioned, I took it not for depression, but because the neurologists thought it was best to keep the brain calm while I healed over the next few months. And I hate how doctors will prescribe things like this so loosely. You clearly have depression and are treated for it (GOOD!). So the side effects I experienced might not even be there at all for you. I’ve met people who claim aspirin gives them acid reflux. All side effects are individual. So for all the medication out there, you have to find what works and FEELS best for you. Pain in the ass, yes, but I’m glad you’re working and fighting this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/38 "2015-09-29T09:15:59Z")
> [@ryan](#): > > I’ve taken it, on and off (due to lapsing medical coverage), for years. It helps a fair bit with my Dysthymic disorder (now called persistent depressive disorder) and with the secondary depressive episodes I’ve had. > > For me, SSRIs like Zoloft seem to make the world a bit “brighter”. I took it in the late 90s/early 2000s for dysthymia/depression. I found the same effects as **ryan** mentions. It helped quite a bit. I’m normally very internally-motivated, and it gave me that back. **kiz** – the effects you describe can come from depression. Maybe the drug wasn’t right for you, or wasn’t dosed correctly. ☹ It didn’t do anything to my libido, but my partner was put on the drug at the same time I was taking it. His libido stayed, but orgasm became elusive. He seemed to enjoy it. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/39 "2015-09-30T10:58:46Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > **kiz** – the effects you describe can come from depression. Maybe the drug wasn’t right for you, or wasn’t dosed correctly. ☹ It obviously wasn’t the right med for me. Everybody talks about SSRIs in general “making the world brighter” but all they did – and I tried other SSRIs after the Zoloft – was cast an opaque gray curtain between me and the world. I told a psychatrist that if I’m having that kind of reaction to a med that’s supposed to help me, I’d rather go without the med. Ergo, I haven’t been on anything for the last few years. Do I still have dysthymia and whatever-else-I-may-have? I do. However, I’m functional in that my brain chemistry doesn’t overwhelm my everyday life unless something triggers it. The triggers, thankfully, are far and few between now. (that’s not to say I’m against meds or therapy…both have helped me in the past but until I find that magic pill which agrees with my chemistry I’d rather go without.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2015, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751/40 "2015-09-30T13:40:32Z")
I took it for several years. In terms of unwanted side effects (sedation/fatigue and anorgasmia), I found it to be better than Paxil (paroxetine), slightly worse than Celexa (citalopram). The “discontinuation syndrome” is hell for all SSRI’s in my experience, but I’d place them in that order for withdrawal effects too. As far as effectiveness? I honestly don’t know. Sometimes I feel like taking antidepressants was worthwhile, and sometimes I think it was a decade-long pointless experiment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-here-take-zoloft/732751.md?page=3)