Sertraline (Zoloft)

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I've been on 50mg Sertraline for a few months now, and I must say they are working great. I haven't had a rage outburst since I went on them, and they have really helped with depression a LOT (depression was what was causing rage outbursts), and my family have even noticed a difference too. I still sometimes get irritable and impatient, but I can also be much calmer than I was when I'm out with my family. I even don't self-loathe any more either. I'm starting to think that life is worth living, that I'm a nice attractive person, and although I still hate having Asperger's I don't think about it as much as I used to. Taking Sertraline has helped me view things in a different way.

Also I don't have side effects, except for tiredness, but it's not the same tiredness you get when you haven't slept for days. It's a different sort, more like a lazy sort of tiredness, but if you get that it doesn't take long to get used to and you just sort of bear with it. It's better than being depressed anyway. I know different meds work for different people but I would consider you to try Sertraline anyway, and you might find it works effectively for you too.

Thank you. I DO live in the US, in CA, and a one month supply costs me $12.98. My insurance is and has always been through Kaiser, and so I've been using Kaiser's pharmacy for convenience, but maybe I should look into a cheaper source now that I'm unemployed again...



I definitely could have called the pharmacy, but making calls is almost impossible for me even on good days, and by the time I realized that I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms (I had believed that it wasn't addictive ), my emotional state was so horrible that I wouldn't have been able to call my own mom. Incidentally, this is how I almost lost my job; I wasn't able to make a return phone call and my supervisor ended up having to make it, which she gave me a write-up for. My job normally didn't require me to make phone calls, because everyone in the company uses email and I didn't often have to deal with people outside of the company.

I also could have jumped on the bus and ridden it for an hour to get a refill in person, because the pharmacy can just email my doctor for a renewed prescription, but this was also beyond me by the time I realized I really needed that re-fill. That was last summer; it was not a good summer for me. This summer is going much better, even though I got myself fired about three weeks ago.

Express-Scripts in Saint Louis will refill that stuff by mail for 90 days at a time.
Have your doc write your prescript for twice the amount and you can get 180 days supply in one mailing and never have to leave your house.

Express Scripts is perfect for avoiding hassles.
You can get refills by logging on to their website and even avoid doc visits or calls.

Thank you!

Thank you!

I was on Sertraline from 2010-12, it caused unpleasant side effects (like daily panic attacks and constipation) for the first 3 months I was on it, but I was told by my GP that this was normal.
It helped a bit with numbing everything and helped with fibromyalgia symptoms, but was more like a sticking plaster than a way of solving my problems.
I followed my GPs taper for coming off it, and since then my liffe has been hell. I'm improving now, but I had 8 months of daily panic attacks and couldn't leave the house. My digestion is completely messed up and I am intolerant to many things I was not intolerant to before starting Sertraline. My GP claims it cannot be the sertraline, but I see no other explanation for it, and my research shows it is SSRI Withdrawal syndrome. I wish I had done more research rather than just blindly following my GP, as I wouldn't have taken them. I'm 2 years 4 months off it, but still in a very bad state (physically and emotionally).
I know everyone reacts differently to meds, so other people may not have the same reaction I've had, but please research them and other alternatives before just doing what your doctor suggests.
As for CBT, I didn't find it helpful at all, because it was quite insulting. It didn't address my real problems, just told me off for thinking badly as a result of my problems. I think it depends what your problems are as to whether it is helpful.
Sorry this is a negative post.

Before I went on Sertraline, everything else I tried to reduce depression didn't work. I done voluntary work, gentle exercise like walking, ate healthy foods like fruit regularly, kept up little talents like playing the piano, met up with a friend sometimes, kept at my part-time job, done online CBT, had counseling, joined a social group for a while, took up a temporary course to improve social skills and learn new skills - I could go on forever. But I still didn't feel happier. I still had outbursts, hated myself, wanted to commit suicide, and even wanted to quit my job. So I thought the last straw was to try meds, and I must say they are working well. I am more able to straighten up and fly right, and now I have a better attitude towards myself and life in general. And all of those things listed above do work more for me now that I'm on meds.

Now that I'm on meds...
-I'm doing more voluntary work, and feel more enthusiastic too
-I feel a lot better after fresh air and exercise, and can think more clearly
-I feel more willing to get out there and make new friends
-I feel more motivated to go to work
-When I go on sites like the CBT site and WP, I feel more positive instead of moping about on the internet and self-loathing like I used to
-I am currently doing counseling sessions and I feel it is helping more than it did before I went on meds
-I feel I have more self-esteem and can be happy for the good things in life, and I am also more optimistic too.

Talk about improvement!!

That's great news, Joe90

There are plenty of websites out there that will give you basic information on each respective drug, there are also quite a few Drug Guides you could look at in most larger book stores or your local library. I personally like Davis' Drug Guide. Keep in mind that drugs work differently on different people. This is even more complicated when prescribing for someone with a Neurological developmental disorder as both AS and ASD are currently classified. Current research suggests that AS and ASD patients may need significantly lower or significantly higher doses that their NT counterparts so my only advice would be to seek a provider experienced in treating As and ASD individuals; be knowledgeable of potential side effects and communicate any problems to your provider promptly. Oh, also, DO NOT STOP taking a med without first contacting your doctor, some meds you need to be weaned off of or you can have some nasty side effects.

SSRIs are great at one thing, causing erectile dysfunction.

I'm on sertraline (100mg) and I love it. I've tried other anti-depressants/anti-anxiety before but sertraline is definitely the most effective one I've tried. And, amazingly, it really, really helps with my obsessive thoughts! I used to have problems with getting obsessed with people which was really hard to deal with, but for the first time in 15 years, I DON'T have any people obsessions which is the best thing that has ever happened to me. And incredibly, it's also helped with social anxiety and mood, and my social relationships are better than they ever have been. I'm so much more relaxed and less paranoid now I'm taking it. It's genuinely like having half your brain back! Only downsides are that I have more of a tendency to go 'hyper' now when I get excited which I did a bit anyway but now I'm almost literally bouncing off the ceiling for days and not needing much sleep but also can't concentrate, but it's worth it for the other effects. Also have night sweats so i have to wash my sheets every day which is a bit of a pain, but again, worth it!

It helps with the anxiety a bit (OCD and Panic Disorder). Never been depressed, so I'm blank there. Never had any side-effects either.

When thinking of taking something, look up what the drug actually does and its mechanism of action (pharmacology or whatever it is). That way you can get a better insight into what to expect.

It's fairly innocuous as far as drugs go (i.e., don't expect to die when taking it). Kinda funny how people will pop an antibiotic without care, but shudder at an antidepressant, but that's beside the point.

I currently take Sertraline. It is helpful for me. There aren't a lot of side effects, and it's not harmful.