Sertraline (Zoloft)

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Hi I went to the GP doctor today to tell her of my aspergers and to tell her of my depression and anxiety problems. She was going to prescribe me something called sertraline (Zoloft). I said I wouldn't take the prescription until I've read up about it. I also filled out questionnaires and signed some things. She also is referring me to counselling and cbt. Overall I got what I wanted. Does anyone have any experience with sertraline? She said the other one she would prescribe is mirtazpine.

I have been on both and experienced no major side-effects. The sertraline didn't help me, and the mirtazapine so far hasn't helped me with depression or anxiety, but does help me sleep when combined with melatonin. I think the mirtazapine may have played a small part in causing me to gain some weight, but it seemed like that was mainly another medication. (I have known of people who have found sertraline and mirtazapine beneficial though)

Everyone is different so people might be affected differently, which makes it difficult to predict whether those meds will work for you, but I don't think I've heard of anyone having disastrous experiences on either.

Ty for response. I'm going to see how cbt goes. If it has no effect I guess I'll have to take the meds...

SCIENTIFICAMERICAN.COM: ?Antidepressants: Do They "Work" or Don?t They?? (March 2, 2010)
(http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... -dont-they)

MERCOLA.COM: ?Five Ways to Help Beat Depression Without Antidepressants? (March 9, 2010)
(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/artic ... acebo.aspx)

NEWSWEEK.COM: ?Why Antidepressants Are No Better Than Placebos? (March 13, 2010)
(http://www.newsweek.com/why-antidepress ... ebos-71111)

TIME.COM: ?Antidepressants: Are They Effective or Just a Placebo?? (June 3, 2010)
(http://content.time.com/time/health/art ... 41,00.html)

The choice is yours, but, after being prescribed SSRIs for seven years in 2000, I read other news reports (http://www.naturalnews.com/019342_antid ... harma.html) like these and decided that the longterm side effects for me were worse than doing nothing (the initial few months of euphoria being quickly replaced with the dysphoria of sleeping 16 to 18 hours a day, anger, being remarkably doped up ALL the time, short-term memory loss and avoidance of family and friends). Since then, I have resisted antidepressants and fluorides other than calcium fluoride (the real thing).

A good resource for anecdotal information on psych meds is Crazymeds. They are not doctors or clinicians, so be aware that the information there is only anecdotal. However, it is a place where people can recount their experiences with drugs and compare notes. It also has some plain-language descriptions of what they are supposed to do and side effects to watch for.

Again I cannot express this strongly enough that the site is not run by medical professionals and that the information should only be used as an adjunct to information from your doctors.

it worked a little bit for a few months then stopped working. after a while it made me suicidal and impulsive I ended up taking an entire bottle one night not too sure why but haven't taken it since

Ty for responses. Does anyone have experience with cognitive behaviour therapy for depression/anxiety? How does it compare to antidepressants?

I've been on Zoloft for a few years now its worked for me I feel so much better and I'm able to cope with things since I've been on it, before I went on it I was a mess.

Try very hard to stay away from doctor prescribed depressants. They have side effects, sometimes moderate, sometimes severe, and sometimes catastrophic. There are a number of natural depression and anxiety aids. Chamomile and peppermint teas are good. You can also spritz lavender on you or your pillow. There are a number of others, as well. I am sorry I don't have a more comprehensive list to give you, but you can easily look it up on the I-net. Just within the past couple of days I came across more about it at WebMD.com, so do some research into these safer methods, and give them a try, before taking a chance on the dangerous ones prescribed by docs.

I hate to have to call BS on questor, but I'm going to. Do NOT ever rely on herbal supplements. They are completely unregulated, untested, and up to 1/3 of the time don't even contain the ingredients they purport to.

Antidepressants are safer today than most antibiotics, as far as side effects go. However, they are not on their own a cure-all. You need to be in some kind of therapy as well. Think of the drugs as splints for your brain chemistry while it heals, and CBT, etc. as physical therapy-- strengthening your psyche, if you will.

CBT is very good for Aspies because it engages the intellect actively to solve emotional problems. This is something we're very good at.

I can't stress enough how important it is to use proven medications and not woo-woo crap like herbal remedies. Get the real help-- there's no substitute for it.

I have been taking 50mg of Zoloft every day for over two years. It was prescribed to me for PMDD, but I have a long history of anxiety and depression which I've been on other medications for in the past.

Zoloft is the first medication to work for me. Be warned, though, that is is addictive. I had my supply interrupted one month because the pharmacy messed up my mail-order re-fill (online it said it was delivered, I was charged for it, but when the package arrived it had only my birth control in it ). I had recently moved out of my sister's home to live alone for the first time, and I just couldn't handle this situation. I "decided" to just go without it for a month. The unexpected brain zaps and dizziness and irritability made life unbearable for that month, and I almost lost my job, but I just couldn't get those meds until the month was up and I could order them online again... I just couldn't.

So just be careful. Drugs are drugs, even when the doctor writes you a note for them.

+1

Do you live in the US by any chance? If so, insurance won't pay for it. But because it's not considered an addictive drug, it can be filled again by getting another prescription and going to one of the large chains for $4. I don't know whether there is any way around elsewhere perhaps others do.

In some cases, you can call the pharmacy, and they will get a hold of your medical office for a new prescription. They can't if your medication is considered a "controlled substance", but Zoloft isn't.

I was on it for a couple months and it didn?t do anything good or bad.

As for CBT I have found some improvement mainly by learning about the world which I do not know. The success or failure really depends on what you?re struggling with and your life situation. We all feel depression or anxiety for different reasons the only way to find out if it?ll help you is by trying it. If you know why you're depressed CBT will help more because you have a focus point to work on.

Questor is entitled to his/her opinion, as are you and I don't think it's fair that you've stated that this opinion is BS just because it differs from your own. Prescription Antidepressants have different effects on different people and for me I feel strange effects within one hour of taking, even though doctors insist that they take weeks to start working.

Herbal supplements bought from a reputable company are completely safe in my opinion. If you can show me evidence of this being wrong then I may change my mind but for me personally, I'd rather take my chances with natural herbs that have being growing on planet earth for thousands of years than some chemical concoction that Doctors always try to force upon me, which when I have taken creates more problems than it solves.

I take 5HTP which I buy from Just Vitamins UK. It's not a "cure all" but I'm definitely a lot better than I would be without it. I appreciate that herbal supplements are not enough for some people and these people may need to take a prescription medication, however herbal supplements do work for me and some other people so please allow people to decide what medication is right for them to take and please don't say that someone's opinion is BS just because what they are suggesting may not work for everyone. That wasn't very nice of you.