Zoloft questions

[~Heyokha~]

Did you gain wt on zoloft?

Did your babe act differently?

What happens when babe stops getting med in BM? ( when you wean off the med??)

When can you wean off the zoloft?

What did you try before taking?


I have been trying everything. B-complex, multi vit, exercise, 5-htp, etc.....
I feel I really, really need to treat. I feel very, very uneasy about taking a pill ( as most mothers do.) I am so worried this drug will effect dds neuro chemical balance and interfere with her normal brain/chemical development. I never take meds.....only a Tylenol very occasionally. any suggestions/answers will be greatly appreciated.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Did you gain wt on zoloft? I didnt notice any weight gain at all

Did your babe act differently? Yes in a good way because I was in such bad shape it made her more cranky once I started the zoloft her mood and mine changed for the better. With my ds I started it before things got as bad so it didnt affect him that I could see at all.

What happens when babe stops getting med in BM? ( when you wean off the med??) When I weaned off after 15months with dd there was no change in her behaivor at all. I weaned off very slowly as well.

When can you wean off the zoloft? I weaned off it when I felt that I was getting better. I decided to try and watched my moods and when I saw that I was doing ok with a smaller dose I kept dropping it till I was all the way off.

What did you try before taking? I didnt know anything to try other than just pushing thru. It soon became apparent that wouldnt work so I went on it when dd was almost 3 months old and it was a horrible mistake to wait that long With ds I started it within a week of his birth when I felt ppd creeping in so I caught it soon enough that I was able to actually enjoy him. Somehting I totally missed out on with dd.


Neither of my children have shown signs of it hurting them. But I can guarentee you had I not started zoloft ds probably wouldnt be here and dd wouldnt have a mommy. The benefits in my case far outweighted any possible risks.

[mamaboobaAES]

Did you gain wt on zoloft? YES - I gained about 10 pounds. Afterwards my cholesterol and thyroid were adversely affected.

Did your babe act differently? yes he was fussy and had tremors and often stopped breathing in his sleep.

What happens when babe stops getting med in BM? ( when you wean off the med??) The baby goes through withdrawal and has a lot of diarreah

When can you wean off the zoloft? You should never take it in the first place. If you are taking it and you want to wean off, please read about withdrawal side effects and what to do to replinish your body of the nutrients that Zoloft prevents your body from absorbing. See www.drugawareness.org and theroadback.org

What did you try before taking?
I didn't try anything because I was very rash and careless and trusted my doctor.

I have been trying everything. B-complex, multi vit, exercise, 5-htp, etc.....
I feel I really, really need to treat. I feel very, very uneasy about taking a pill ( as most mothers do.) I am so worried this drug will effect dds neuro chemical balance and interfere with her normal brain/chemical development. I never take meds.....only a Tylenol very occasionally. any suggestions/answers will be greatly appreciated.

Go to www.doctoryourself.com, www.abchomeopathy.com for ides, and also check the CHAADA database.

These medications DO NOT TREAT depression. They make it worse. They cause worsening of depression in the long run. The studies that were used to get FDA approval showed no benefit over placebo and when the drug companies took 2 of the studies to submit for approval they first removed the suicides and episodes of aggression and psychosis and coded those as "no effect."

The drugs do cause lifelong anxiety and depression when fed to infant rats.
They are brain damaging. They can cause heart problems. They are the chemical mirror image of phen fen. They can cause violence and suicide / homicide, psychosis, seizures, sleepwalking (including sleepwalk murder), breast cancer, diabetes, liver cancer, hepatitis. ET CETERA please get informed before you make an awful choice you are going to regret like I do.


PLEASE go to www.uniteforlife.org, www.chaada.org, www.ssristories.com, www.breggin.com, www.drugawareness.org, www.cchr.org and GET INFORMED. THis is a mistake you do not want to make. There are hundreds of thousands of victims of these drugs who have been forever silenced because they are dead. The rest of us are trying to warn everyone. My son and I are lucky to have survived Zoloft. I was psychotic on it within 3 days.

The AAP also lists "antidepressants" as a possible concern.

[mamaboobaAES]

Also just wanted to let you know to google serotonin syndrome...
which is what happened that killed both Anna Nicole and her son.

Serotonin which is present in snake venom is a smooth muscle constrictor that will lead to death if serotonin gets too high. You don't want to go down the same road as Andrea Yates. It all starts with sleep meds &SSRIs and the drug companies know it and they like it that way.

The drugs constrict heart muscles, lungs, back muscles, et cetera.

[mamaboobaAES]

oh yeah, also there is www.ssriresearch.org as well as www.tapersafely.org

[mamaboobaAES]

oh yeah, it's a good idea to get your thyroid tested too. A lot of the time people think they have "depression" but the depression is merely a symptom, of thryoid problems, nutrient deficiencies, et cetera. Get a full blood workup.

Also if you tell your doctor that you want a test for a chemical imbalance of the brain, he will tell you there is no such thing.

[mom0810]

Wow, what a lot of negative information about SSRI's.

i have to say that I really disagree and that zoloft has SAVED my life and made it possible for me to live again. I had severe PPD and PTSD following childbirth, and I tried everything before starting zoloft. I have been in therapy for over a year. The meds make it possible for me to work my therapy.

I am only on 25 mg, and that is enough for me. I seem very sensitive to it. Yes you might gain some weight. I have both gained and lost on it.

I noticed NO side effects in my child. NO withdrawl effects. If anything, it benefitted him more to have a healthy mom who would SMILE at him. He was much better once I started the meds.

I totally disagree that dr's or drug co's want people to be addicted to these drugs. Most people only need them for a year, and then wean off of them. A good friend of mine, who had breast cancer in 2000, took Paxil afterwards due to depression and anxiety, and weaned off of it no problem after about a year.

These medications do save lives. Yes, they are prescribed unneccessarily often, but if/when you need them, they are wonderful to have. I will take a small weight gain over not being able to get out of bed.

I also do not think there is any scientific basis for saying that's what happened to Anna Nicole, or anyone else. That is scare mongering. Yes she was on an SSRI, but she was also taking METHODONE, and many other meds. This is not advisable.

Andrea Yates would not have been in the situation she was if she had been on meds and been going to a psychiatrist. Her husband has even said that she should have gotten help. Yes, you do not want to go the way of her, which is why if you need help, and possibly meds, you should take them.

Please don't decide based on messages here. You need to find a GOOD doctor and listen to what they say. You can find resources in the sticky at the top for locating a good doctor. Postpartum international is a good place to start.

Best wishes to you.

[mom0810]

Wanted to add that one of my doctors is a classical homeopath, and also an MD. He also advised that I take the zoloft. Sometimes you can help depression with "natural" meds. Sometimes you can't. And if you do not believe that depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain, then perhaps you did not need the meds in the first place. When you have the physical problem, and a medicine helps it, you know. My depression would not go away with therapy, lights, exercise, omega 3's, amino acids... I tried it all first. My family doctor is very holistic minded, routinely tests all of his postnatal patients for thyroid, does not push vaccines, does homebirths, and HE recommended the zoloft for me, as well. I did not take the decision lightly.

Of course there are people for whom these drugs will not work. Or they may need another SSRI. But there are those of us who appreciate what they can do and have done for us, and I cannot imagine where I would be right now if I had not taken the leap of faith and started the meds.

My psychiatrist is a D.O. He advised ALL of the above things before going to meds. So some of us DO need them, and they do help many people.

[mamaboobaAES]

Originally Posted by mom0810

Wow, what a lot of negative information about SSRI's.

i have to say that I really disagree and that zoloft has SAVED my life and made it possible for me to live again. I had severe PPD and PTSD following childbirth, and I tried everything before starting zoloft. I have been in therapy for over a year. The meds make it possible for me to work my therapy.

I am only on 25 mg, and that is enough for me. I seem very sensitive to it. Yes you might gain some weight. I have both gained and lost on it.

I noticed NO side effects in my child. NO withdrawl effects. If anything, it benefitted him more to have a healthy mom who would SMILE at him. He was much better once I started the meds.

I totally disagree that dr's or drug co's want people to be addicted to these drugs. Most people only need them for a year, and then wean off of them. A good friend of mine, who had breast cancer in 2000, took Paxil afterwards due to depression and anxiety, and weaned off of it no problem after about a year.

These medications do save lives. Yes, they are prescribed unneccessarily often, but if/when you need them, they are wonderful to have. I will take a small weight gain over not being able to get out of bed.

I also do not think there is any scientific basis for saying that's what happened to Anna Nicole, or anyone else. That is scare mongering. Yes she was on an SSRI, but she was also taking METHODONE, and many other meds. This is not advisable.

Andrea Yates would not have been in the situation she was if she had been on meds and been going to a psychiatrist. Her husband has even said that she should have gotten help. Yes, you do not want to go the way of her, which is why if you need help, and possibly meds, you should take them.

Please don't decide based on messages here. You need to find a GOOD doctor and listen to what they say. You can find resources in the sticky at the top for locating a good doctor. Postpartum international is a good place to start.

Best wishes to you.

No, I am not scaremongering. I am sorry that you doubt that what I say is true. But luckily you do not have to take my word for it. There are literally HUNDREDS of organizations and survivors who are desperately trying to get this word out. And this is all documented. I recommend going to the sites I mentioned above to find out more. For starters go to www.uniteforlife.org

If you can't do that, read the label on your drug.

Prozac has had more adverse reaction reports than any drug in history.

On www.breggin.com there are numerous articles including one called "The Spellbinding Effects of Psychiatric Drugs" which I highly recommend you read.

Also it is well-documented by the drug companies that there is an 8.6 greater chance you will become suicidal on paxil than on no antidepressant at all. The drugs are dubbed antidepressants but they are actually depressants.

The number of suicides in the clinical trials was enough evidence for alarm before Prozac was ever marketed but Eli Lilly had friends in the Bush administration who pressured the FDA to approve it anyway. If the drug companies did not have these drugs they would go bankrupt.

The only reason I am spending any time on this board posting about this is because I genuinely care about the well-being of women and I want to warn them. Unfortunately some of you are not going to listen, but I do the best I can to warn you anyway.

Please become informed before you risk your life on the BLACK BOX WARNING-BEARING drugs.

Also if you do not believe that Anna Nicole died from Serotonin Syndrome I highly recommend you look it up like I said. You can write to Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, Ph.D. who is an expert in these drugs and has been studying them for about 20 years. www.drugawareness.org also www.ssristories.com

And she has the information about Andrea Yates. Every mother that has killed their child as of late has been taking psychiatric drugs. Yates was also going through abrupt withdrawal from Haldol, and had lowered her dose of Effexor and was in a drug withdrawal state.

I think it's ironic people do not realize how these drugs can affect you. We recognize you should not drink in pregnancy or drink heavily while breastfeeding, yet we're willing to recommend drugs that act on the brain and body the same way that cocaine, PCP, and meth do.
http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldforma...at/acf2fa6.htm

Drugs that Affect Serotonin Levels

Effect Drug
Increase serotonin synthesis L-tryptophan
Decrease serotonin
metabolism isocarboxazid
phenelzine
selegiline
tranylcypromine
Increase serotonin release amphetamines
cocaine
reserpine

Inhibit serotonin uptake amitriptyline
clomipramine
desipramine
doxepin
imipramine
nortriptyline
protriptyline
fluvoxamine
fluoxetine
paroxetine
nefazadone
sertraline
trazodone
amphetamines
cocaine
dextromethorphan
meperidine
venlafaxine
Direct serotonin
receptor agonists buspirone
lysergic acid
diethylamide(LSD)
sumatriptan

Nonspecific increase in
serotonin activity lithium
Dopamine agonists amantadine
bromocriptine
bupropion
levodopa
pergolide
pramipexole
References 2, 4

[intorainbowz]

I believe people on anti-depressants are more likely to kill themselves is because they are depressed and the general population is not. The corelation is between depression and sucide risk, not anti-depressants.

I have not taken zoloft. I will state that without Wellbutrin I likely would have killed myself at some point because I have severe depressive disorder. My grandfather and uncle killed themselves. I'd really rather take a pill every day and spare my family that pain.

[momz3]

Originally Posted by intorainbowz

I believe people on anti-depressants are more likely to kill themselves is because they are depressed and the general population is not. The corelation is between depression and sucide risk, not anti-depressants.

I have not taken zoloft. I will state that without Wellbutrin I likely would have killed myself at some point because I have severe depressive disorder. My grandfather and uncle killed themselves. I'd really rather take a pill every day and spare my family that pain.

I know the feeling. I have an uncle who just commited suicide in May...
Zoloft helped me...the only side effect I noticed was nausea and nothing else.

[female18-]

Wow I feel worried and scared now.

Im on Zoloft, its only been 4 weeks and I see my doctor again tomorrow to evaluate things and maybe increase the dose.

Since September I have been on Celexa and Prozac in low and high doses too.

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

Zoloft isnt a good SSRI for depression?? Well after the first 3 weeks Ive started feeling less depressed. Im enjoying spending time with ds, im not so fed up all the time, I have a slight bit of enthusiasm coming back. The constant suicidal thoughts have gone So tomorrow I will tell him it seems to be helping the depression, but anxiety wasnt as bad as the depression just at certain times and right now theres a big change going on in my life and im so anxious especially at night that I cant sleep for ages.So i'll tell him the anxiety seems worse right now. I want him to increase the dose of Zoloft to be honest.....ugh I hate having these 2 things.

[mom0810]

Zoloft is a very good drug for depression. It has helped SO MANY here on this board. I think it is really reprehensible to try and freak people out who are already in a delicate frame of mind and try to scare them about taking a drug that is CLEARLY HELPING THEM.

It's fine if your personal philosophy is to not use SSRI's. But to try and freak out the rest of the population based on your beliefs is cruel. Many of us here were at a point of serious depression and NEEDED the meds. They have helped us. LLL and Dr. Hale BOTH agree that zoloft is fine during nursing and pregnancy. It is, in fact, the safest of the SSRI's in that situation, and several studies have shown that little to no sertraline gets into breastmilk.

There is much negative information on the INTERNET about ssri's. I read it all. I read the labels on the drugs I take. The black box warning applies to TEENS, who are by nature more impulsive and the research suggests that they committed suicide because of the depression, NOT because of the drug. IT takes these drugs an average of four weeks to work, and in that "lag time" is when these suicides happened.

If personal experience has led you to not take ssri's, then that's fine. But different people react differently to drugs. MOST people who need ssri's and take them do great. SOME people will not do as well. Perhaps those who do not do as well did not need the meds in the first place, which is often the case, especially when they are prescribed without therapy, and without a psychiatrist.

It's just plain irresponsible to go spouting off information that is questionable and not scientifically sound. I have seen the websites you describe, and am not impressed.

If it's not broken, don't fix it. If people are doing well on zoloft, then it's wrong to try and scare them out of taking it. Especially when it has saved them from the despair and darkness of depression. It's just mean.

[elizabeth rose]

I've been on zoloft for 2 1/2 yrs now. It has really helped me immensely. I did not notice any negative side effects or weight gain. What I noticed was a much calmer, patient emotionally stable me. I can sleep at night whereas before I was unable to sleep consistently due to anxiety. I do not spend time worrying abt wether or not I left the stove or toaster on. I am much more patient with my children. I am thankful for all the wonderful benefits I have received, and no haven't felt any of the scary effects mentioned in this thread.

[mom0810]

Yes, and that will be the case for the VAST MAJORITY of us. I know that for me, I was worried constantly that I would die, or my ds would. I worried about everything, was hypervigilant and scared all the time, which led to a depression in which I could not function. Did not get out of bed for two weeks.

Then the zoloft. Within days I could live again. I could think about the future. I could smile at my son, and he would SMILE BACK! It was wonderful. I could let myself think ahead to when he was older and how much fun we will have.

I think that most of the trouble people have is that they really did not need the meds in the first place. I would think that if you have, say, hyperthyroidism and not depression, that the meds would do osome harm. But if you have a true depression, one that requires medication, then the drugs are a godsend, and that is the truth.

There are plenty of websites out there criticizing everything, from asthma meds to Advil. Any drug is capable of negative effects, but that does not mean that it is bad for everyone.

ETA: There is also an abundance of information out there that things like Diet Coke will kill you... the internet is full of inaccurate and misleading information. The amount of nutrasweet it would take to have any adverse effects is equivalent to the size of a building in relationship to a human being.

I have read the articles on Anna Nicole and Serotonin Syndrome. I cannot agree that her death was caused by zoloft. You have to be taking several serotonin affecting drugs for this syndrome to occur, and if she was doing so, then her doctor or pharmacist should have been aware of this. JUST taking zoloft, like many of us are here, is not enough to induce this syndrome, and should not worry anyone. The articles out there are based on nothing more than speculation. Irresponsible and misleading.

I agree that TOO MANY people are on these drugs and many people taking them do NOT need them. Same with ADHD meds. BUT, for those who really do need them, they are wonderful.

[female18-]

I feel dreadful today. Im in such a bad mood. I have no patience with ds, I hate everything including myself, I feel like punching someone or screaming, Im so fed up its awful. :

I see the doctor today, I dunno what to even say. Something like 'first 3 weeks noticed no effect, 4th week noticed I had more patience, enjoyed time with ds, felt incredibly good compared to usual, just better state of mind. That only lasted 5 days then the past 3 days Im feeling very agitated, moody, fed up, depressed, anxious and worrying about everything, cant sleep for a couple hours when I go to bed, I hate everything.

Hope he increases zoloft dose, but he will probly think im a raving lunatic too. Ugh, why did it only seem to work 5 days and now I feel worse!!??

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH:

[NotTheOnlyOne]

Originally Posted by indigo515

Did you gain wt on zoloft?

yes, about 10 pounds

Did your babe act differently?

not at all
What happens when babe stops getting med in BM? ( when you wean off the med??)


saw absolutely no difference in him

When can you wean off the zoloft?

They reccommend not before 6 months, I am weaning now and its been a year
What did you try before taking?

nothing, but I wish I had tried increasing my omega 3's along with magnesium, calcium and zinc (which is what I am doing now). Do some research about those things and I hope you are feeling better soon.

.

[Ceinwen]

Did you gain wt on zoloft? I actually lost about 25 lbs, because I had my energy back, and stopped eating to make myself feel better

Did your babe act differently? Not that *I* noticed, she was a crank to begin with seriously though, she was taking prednisone for a completely unrelated medical issue, and that affected her so seriously, the zoloft wasn't even registering with me

What happens when babe stops getting med in BM? ( when you wean off the med??) We went very, very slowly under direction of both my psychiatrist and my naturopath, and neither of us showed any signs of withdrawal

When can you wean off the zoloft? Very personal - I took it about 18 months, while addressing issues in my life with therapy, things settled down, I implemented new healthier options in my life, and my health team and I decided to give it a shot (weaning)

What did you try before taking? Fish oil, counselling alone, nutritional alterations

I hope you find some peace mama, no matter which route you choose.

[daniedb]

I've taken Zoloft after both babies - first time, no weight gain (was only on 25 mg, which I found out was a preteen dosage), second time, I've had a hard time with the last 10 pounds, but don't know if it's due to the drugs or not.

Babe acted no differently in his behaviors. He seemed happier that I was not crazy anymore.

When I weaned off with Henry, he was 2, and I noticed no side effects at all. With Ben, I'm on a much higher dose, so we'll see. I anticipate weaning off so slowly that any behavior change will be negligable.

I weaned off when H was 2, partly because I was ready, partly because I wanted to start getting ready to TTC #2. I felt awesome after getting off, was scared to do it, but it was a great time. I'm back on PP, because of PPD with Ben, but I had a great experience with it after weaning off with Henry, so I'm planning to not even think about getting off until Ben is 2.

What I tried before taking: various supplements. I had to get on meds fast, though, after Henry, because I was having suicidal thoughts, and I knew I needed immediate intervention. With Benton, I tried a few weeks of supplements like fish oil, B vitamins and other mood boosting stuff (sam-e), but felt no change. Every day, I slid further into the pit, so I didn't wait like I did with Henry, just started the meds so I could enjoy Ben's infancy instead of feeling like I wanted to die.

Best wishes to you, I hope you find the right thing for you.

[daniedb]

Hey female18 - I know that you've been struggling for a while, so my heart goes out to you. I'm glad you're getting care with your meds, do you mind if I ask how much you're on? What's the dosage? Are you seeing a psych, or a physician for prescribing? Lots of q's, sorry.