On meds for the first time

[girlindc]

so my new therapist recommended me to this psychiatrist who i saw yesterday... first time i've been to a psych after years of depression and anxiety.

btw i absolutely love her!! she's damn expensive, but i guess there is no price for sanity huh.

anyway, so she gave me a starter pack of zoloft, and prescribed trazodone to me, to help me stay asleep at night.

anyone have any good/bad experiences with these?

i took one zoloft today, and i defly didn't have any anxiety attacks, but i was feeling somewhat dizzy and had headaches periodically throughout the day.

the trazadone i'm going to try tonight, because i'm just so tired of waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep.

anyway if anyone has experiences with these, i'd like to hear from ya!

[Live]

I am on Lexapro...similar to Zoloft and Trazadone.
For me, when I begun the trazadone...I would advise you to take yours well ahead of time as you will likely experience grogginess if you take it late. It is made for ensuring a full night's sleep. I also found when I first started taking it that it intereacted with coffee/caffeine...made me giddy....so you might watch that in the morning. I also got headaches when I first started but those passed. I still avoid most cafeine as I find it doesn't mix well with anxiety.
I will take weeks for the Zoloft to settle into your system.

I am very glad you found someone you like and can work with...that's the hardest thing! After this you both can work together!

Best wishes,
live

[BSPGirl]

Zoloft + addiction problems = one big mess. Especially if you got a problem with alcohol.

Marte

[StrongR2Day]

Hmmmm, didn't know that, Marte. It never caused that problem with me, just became sick every time I ate.

Trazadone works like a charm, though. Just helps me fall, and stay, asleep. It also allows you to enter more natural sleep state, entering all stages, than the hypnotics like Ambien and the like. Plus it has no abuse potential.

[D4HAND]

Can't remember the Trade name for Trazodone - but I was on it as some time. My meds have been changed so many times I can't remember.
I'm on Zoloft. It may make you dizzy and have the headaches in the beginning, but that should go away - if not, your doc will have to try something else. Don't get discouraged. I am bipolar also, with what my doc says is without the mania, but depression and vacillating to worst depression.
I've never had the anxiety attacks, but my niece does, and the Zoloft works well for her.

[Live]

Trazazdone is Desyrel. In higher doses it is also an antidepressant.

[BSPGirl]

Zoloft makes the buzz alcohol gives ya stronger and also speeds up this process in your brain chemisty that if ya drank one glass you wanna go for more, it amplifies the working of alcohol in some ppl so also its addictive effects. This hasn't been described much in official medical literature (of course not, pharmaceutical industries do everything to keep such knowledge from the public) but many ppl who were/are on Zoloft have experienced such thing.

On crazymeds.org I found some that could be of interest for any of you, tho:

Interesting Stuff Your Doctor Probably Won't Tell You: Unlike most antidepressants, mixing booze and Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) will get you drunker. Maybe, the PI sheet contradicts itself on this point. In the real world the anecdotal data I've collected is that Zoloft does get you drunker. So of course the oral concentrate is suspended in alcohol and you can't use that if you're taking Antabuse.

Pros: Zoloft is less likely than any SSRI but Lexapro to give you the common tummy problems. And they often aren't as bad. So if those are an issue and Lexapro is too expensive, you can get generic sertraline from Canada.



Cons: Probably the worst SSRI to take if bipolar is known or suspected. Definitely the worst to have taken if bipolar was a surprise.

Marte

[girlindc]

thanks for the info everyone.

i don't think drinking on zoloft is going to be a problem, unless i relapse, and i'm hoping at the same time the zoloft will help me NOT to relapse.

took the trazadone for the first time last night, and did not fall asleep or stay asleep easy, and was groggy as hell after the little sleep i did get.

dunno if it takes a couple times to work, but i'm going to try again tonight.

[Live]

It does not knock you out, per se but it helps you sleep and stay asleep. At first I had trouble falling asleep all day the next day I could nod off in a minute. That is the reason I advised you to take them early evening. This side effect gets better gradually. Even though I have taken them for 4 years now, I still must take them early evening. You will probably fall asleep more easily after your body adjusts to not having the alcohol.
Hang in there!

[BuDoc]

Girlindc. Remember that it takes your body and mind some time to adjust to new medications. I would definitely recommend being totally up front and honest about your alcoholism, but listen to the qualified professionals, anything else is just an oppinion...

Hang loose, Doc.

[girlindc]

Cool.

Yep i was honest with the psych i went to see about ALL of my drinking and drug use.... so and she seemed to know what she was talking about i guess...

[Live]

Way to Go!

[indigo]

I got to know late in life that most mind altering/aiding drugs and booze are a bad mix.

Said with gnosis!!!

[Latte]

Do you have mental health problems in your family?

I found out after some treatment with a psycholigst and a psychiatrist that I am bi-polar and one of the tell tale signs is alcoholism. I spoke to my birthmother (I am adopted) that there is sexual abuse, and mental health problems. It was such a relief to find out the background.

Keep on keeping on.

[indigo]

All but one (son) have mental problems in my family..

[StrongR2Day]

Zoloft + addiction problems = one big mess. Especially if you got a problem with alcohol.

Marte,

Ohhhhhh, now I see (duh). I thought you meant it was bad for people who were in recovery, that maybe it gave them cravings. Sorry, I misunderstood. (I'd already been clean and sober, so it wasn't an issue for me.)