If you haven't noticed any improvements after using an antidepressant for two months or longer, it may be a sign that your medication isn't right for you, or that you need to adjust your dosage. Your healthcare provider may switch you to a different type of medication or adjust your dosage to provide better results.
Zoloft doesn't provide immediate relief. It's designed to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety over time — not right away. It may even make some people feel worse before they start feeling better. You may experience some temporary side effects before you notice any improvements.
Zoloft is an SSRI antidepressant that treats a variety of mental health conditions, like depression, OCD, and PTSD. For children, Zoloft is only FDA-approved to treat OCD. For adults and children, the starting dosage ranges from 25 mg to 50 mg daily, and the maximum dosage is usually 200 mg daily.
Adults—At first, 50 milligrams (mg) once a day, taken either in the morning or evening. Your doctor may adjust your dose as needed. However, the dose is usually not more than 200 mg per day.
The maintenance dose is between 50mg to 100mg orally every day. Adult Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The appropriate Zoloft dosage for anxiety follows an initial dose of 50mg orally daily, while the maintenance dose is between 50mg to 200mg orally every day.
Your Mood or Energy Improve Too Much
If you're taking antidepressant medication and you either feel unusually elated, or you become very terse with your loved ones, feel noticeably more irritable, or have an uncharacteristic bout of rage, then it's likely that your antidepressant dose is too high.
It simply means that your body has either not yet adjusted to the new antidepressant or that the medication may need to be tweaked to reduce the anxiety response.
SSRIs are thought to improve mood by boosting serotonin activity in the brain. But serotonin is not always a bed of roses. In the early days of treatment, it can increase levels of fear and anxiety and even suicidal thinking in some younger people. As a result, patients may stop using the treatment after a few weeks.
Taking Zoloft may put you at risk for a rare, possibly life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome. This risk is higher if you are also taking other serotonin-related medications like triptans (a common migraine medication), tricyclic antidepressants, or the pain medication Ultram (tramadol).
How does sertraline work? Sertraline increases serotonin, a potent neurotransmitter, in your brain. With higher levels of serotonin is thought to come feelings of wellbeing and happiness.
Is there any food or drink I need to avoid? Do not drink grapefruit juice while you're taking this medicine. Grapefruit juice can increase the amount of sertraline in your body and increase the risk of side effects.
Many patients report an improvement in their symptoms within the first two weeks, however, most do not report a complete difference until at least four to six weeks. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, many patients first report an improvement in their energy levels, sleep, and appetite.
Research shows that taking antidepressants if you're not depressed can alter brain function and structure, particularly the medication Zoloft.
Once you've been taking Zoloft for long enough to feel its effects, you should start to experience feelings of relief, relaxation, and calm as the weight of your anxiety begins to lift. Some other changes that you might notice are an increase in your energy levels and appetite.
More than 100 million people worldwide take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac and Zoloft, to treat depression, anxiety and related conditions, but these drugs have a common and mysterious side effect: they can worsen anxiety in the first few weeks of use, which leads many patients to stop ...
If your depression symptoms get worse as soon as you start taking an antidepressant, or they get better and then very suddenly get worse, it's a sign that the depression medication isn't working properly, and you should see your health care professional right away.
Don't stop taking sertraline until you talk to your doctor or you may get withdrawal symptoms as well. Very common side effects of sertraline, affecting more than one in ten people, include: dizziness or headache. sleepiness, feeling very tired, or difficulty getting to sleep.
Common side effects of SSRIs can include: feeling agitated, shaky or anxious. feeling or being sick. indigestion.
You may be curious about the signs your antidepressant dose is too low or high. Some of the most common signs that your dose is too low include reduced progress in therapy, negative feedback from loved ones, and validation from your provider that your dosage should be increased.
Therefore, increasing your Zoloft dose without approval from your doctor should not be done under any circumstances. This can have serious detrimental effects on your health and wellbeing and can result in coma and seizures.
You can take it either in the morning or evening, depending on your lifestyle and any side effects you experience. For example, if sertraline makes you drowsy, taking it at night might be your best choice. It's important that you establish a set time to take this medication every day and follow that schedule.
Sertraline is one of a group of medicines called Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs); these medicines are used to treat depression and/or anxiety disorders. Sertraline can be used to treat: Depression and prevention of recurrence of depression (in adults). Social anxiety disorder (in adults).