r/zoloft

I took zoloft for a six months (50 - 75 mg) and it helped with the negative thought spirals but it didn't make my overall mood or motivation better. Should I have taken it longer? What's your experience?

I’m 35 years old and have suffered from severe anxiety my whole life since as long as I can remember. Racing thoughts, over thinking, small tasks for no reason feel huge, underwhelming things feel overwhelming. Social anxiety as well, stores , driving, shopping. It’s basically controlled my life for as long as I can remember. I have always shelved it, hid it and for a long time could function while all this was happening. The last three years have been rough it seems to be getting worse to the point it exhausts me now. I finally took the step to the DR. And was prescribed sertaline. Now I’m scared and anxious about the medication. I know you shouldn’t look up reviews and people tend to post more negative than positive but I’m scared it’s going to take away my personality , make me a zombie. I got a good job I just landed, I have a more stable life but worse anxiety. Anybody have any success stories or positives to sertaline ? I’m prescribed 25 mg for two weeks then to 50 mg it seems relatively low but I’m still scared. How did you get over the hump ?

I've been on 50 mg of setraline for just under 3 months, started at the end of February to address my GAD and OCD symptoms (pure O) which was just making daily life so hard and exhausting. This is my first time taking SSRIs, and I was very nervous going in. The first week or so was up and down with side effects and adjustment, but by the end of week 2-3, I was really feeling better, it felt like anxiety and compulsions while still there were so much easier to let flow and move on. I compared it to rocks in a stream, where I could just flow around those bumps like water. I was happy to continue on them for the foreseeable future.

But since this past weekend, it's felt like my meds have just stopped working. Every morning, I'm waking up an hour before my alarm, with waves of anxiety and rumination compulsions storming in my mind. It all started when I forgot to take it Saturday, as I had to leave early for a half marathon, and didn't take it until 2 PM (when I usually take it at 7 am). Nothing felt off until I just started crashing that evening, and it's been really hard since.

Could the 50 mg just not be enough? Should I speak to my psych about increasing my dosage? He wanted to see how the week went for me, before any changes or responses.

Edited to add: to confirm, I am in touch with my psych, who is very responsive. As well as my therapist, who I’ll see tomorrow and next week as well.

Does anyone else notice that their Zoloft stops working the week before their period? I’m so so so depressed right now. It’s week 7 for me on 100 mg.

I’ve been on Zoloft for quite a while now, but upped my dose six months ago to 75 mg. I did not experience real side effects back then, but also was much better then I am now. 6 weeks ago I did a Stellate ganglion block and it did not went well. In stead of becoming better I became worse. It was horrible. So last week i decided to go up from 75 to 100 mg and I find it hard.
Most days are bad (housebound and couchbound) but for example yesterday afternoon I got Some little glimpses of good moments. But then this morning I woke up and it all sucked again. I also experienced headache, nausea, no appetite.
Can other people relate to dose increase in feeling worse? How long did it take to feel better? Please share you story here! Thanks!

I want to document my full experience after increasing Sertraline (Zoloft) from 50mg to 100mg because during the first weeks I genuinely thought I was losing my mind. Reading detailed timelines from other people helped me survive those weeks, so I’m posting mine in case someone else is going through the same thing.

Before increasing to 100mg:

I had severe insomnia

Sleeping around 4 hours

Constant panic

Crying every day for around a week and a half

Severe fear

Morning terror

Anxiety about sleep

Intrusive thoughts

Fear of losing control

I was in a really dark place mentally before the increase.

Day 1

Extreme fear, panic, intrusive thoughts, and severe anxiety after increasing to 100mg.

I had a terrifying feeling of losing control and felt mentally overwhelmed almost the whole day.

Day 2

Still severe panic and anxiety all day.

Fear of losing control continued. Constant adrenaline feeling in my chest and stomach.

Day 3

Morning and evening were horrible. Strong fear, panic, intrusive thoughts, chest tightness, and a feeling of mental doom.

Day 4

Severe fear and panic again.

Morning anxiety was unbearable. Evenings were slightly less intense but still very bad.

Day 5

Morning intrusive thoughts and anxiety continued.

However, I noticed my first “window” of relief: From around 5 PM until almost 11 PM I felt calmer.

That small window gave me hope.

Day 6

Probably one of the hardest days.

Morning anxiety was 100/100. Sweating. Intrusive thoughts. Fear. I felt frozen in bed and almost scared to even shower.

It honestly felt like the intrusive thoughts were stopping me from functioning normally.

After taking a shower, praying, going outside, and sitting with family, the anxiety slowly reduced.

I also noticed:

I became afraid of being alone

When alone, intrusive thoughts attacked harder

I wanted to stay near people

At this stage, when I was anxious I couldn’t even enjoy games or move from bed.

Day 7

First noticeable improvement.

Morning anxiety reduced slightly. The intrusive thoughts became less “sticky.” Fear dropped maybe 10–15%.

This was also my first day taking Gabapentin 300mg. I felt slightly calmer and emotionally softer.

Still had:

Fear in the evening

Anxiety

Intrusive thoughts

Xanax helped only partially

Day 8

Anxiety was still there but clearly less than previous days.

Intrusive thoughts also started reducing.

Day 9

A calmer day overall.

Still had:

Morning anxiety

Panic sensations after waking from sleep

Fear around sleep

But during the afternoon:

No intrusive thoughts

No major anxiety

I could sit alone comfortably

My watch even gave me a “high stress” notification but emotionally I actually felt calm.

I also used breathing exercises which helped.

Day 10

Woke up with mild fear but no intrusive thoughts.

Still had anxiety around naps and sleep. Used breathing exercises and anxiety reduced.

Intrusive thoughts were weaker now. I started recognizing: “This is OCD/anxiety, not reality.”

At around 2:30 PM I experienced a strong calm window: No anxiety. No intrusive thoughts. Just peace.

Day 11

Sleep became fragmented again.

Dreamed about failing school exams and begging teachers to pass me. I think anxiety was expressing itself through dreams.

Morning:

Anxiety

Broken sleep

Fear around sleep returning

No major panic though.

Day 12

Morning anxiety again. Calm afternoon. Sleep anxiety returned at night.

Day 13

Morning fear continued but less severe.

I kept obsessing:

“Will this medication work?”

“Will I go crazy?”

“Will I recover?”

But interestingly: I started wanting to play League of Legends again.

That was important because during the worst anxiety I had zero interest in anything.

Day 14

Mild morning anxiety.

Waves of fear came and went during the day.

Main thoughts:

“Will I recover?”

“Will I stay like this forever?”

I also started monitoring chest tightness and bodily sensations constantly.

Some moments:

I wanted to play games

Other moments: I forced myself because anxiety killed motivation

Day 15

Woke up with fear again but less severe.

The intrusive thoughts changed: Instead of terrifying thoughts, it became: “What are you going to do today?”

Almost like leftover anxiety patterns.

Important observation: When distracted, symptoms improved dramatically.

At noon:

Calm

Wanted to watch shows

Wanted to go outside

Wanted to sleep normally

Comfortable being alone

That was VERY different from the first week.

But later after a nap: Sleep anxiety returned again.

Day 16

Morning:

Anxiety

Didn’t want to be alone

Fear around previous night’s sleep

But after sitting and talking with my mother, the fear disappeared.

At this stage: The anxiety became centered mostly around sleep, not general terror.

Day 17

No major anxiety upon waking.

Still had:

Disturbing dreams

Fragmented sleep

Hypnic jerks while falling asleep

The hypnic jerks became a mental trigger for me.

Day 18

No morning fear.

15 minutes after waking: Sudden intrusive thoughts and mental hypervigilance.

It felt like my brain was “waiting” for anxiety.

But emotionally: The panic itself was much weaker now.

Day 19

No morning panic.

Main obsession: My smartwatch sleep data.

If I saw: “6 minutes deep sleep” it immediately triggered chest tightness and fear even though logically I knew the watch is inaccurate.

I also became obsessed with:

Naps

Sleep timing

Whether I should sleep more

Whether hypnic jerks would return

But after taking a nap: I became calm again.

Day 20

Major improvement.

I realized my watch was inaccurate and my mood became calm instantly.

This was one of the first days I truly felt: “I’m becoming myself again.”

No major intrusive thoughts. Enjoyed games, shows, food, and normal life.

Still had fear: “What if I lose this calm feeling?”

Days 21–24

These days were mixed.

I noticed:

Anxiety spikes after poor sleep

Anxiety after unusual events

OCD attaching itself to sleep quality

Fear of naps

Fear of sleep paralysis

Fear after hypnic jerks

BUT: Compared to Week 1: The intensity was dramatically lower.

Some afternoons felt almost completely normal.

I also started practicing ERP and CBT more seriously:

Labeling thoughts as OCD

Refusing reassurance

Accepting uncertainty

This helped a lot.

Days 25–31

Huge improvement period.

Some mornings:

Zero anxiety

Zero intrusive thoughts

Felt completely normal

Motivation returned fully

I genuinely felt like: “My old personality is back.”

I wanted to:

Study

Go out

Play games

Exercise

Socialize

Sleep also improved:

7–9 hours

More continuous sleep

Less panic before bed

However: Occasional anxiety waves still appeared during evenings.

Days 32–38

Mostly stable.

The main remaining issue: Sleep OCD.

Examples:

Trying to force sleep

Monitoring sleep hours

Fear after naps

Fear after fragmented sleep

Fear of not sleeping enough

I also stopped morning Xanax around this period and noticed temporary rebound anxiety waves.

But overall: Life quality was MUCH better.

Days 39–45

Another major improvement phase.

I started thinking positively about the future again. Even my fear about psychiatry as a specialty reduced dramatically.

At the beginning of treatment: I was terrified psychiatry would worsen my condition.

Now: I actually felt excited about psychiatry again.

Some days felt almost euphoric:

Calm

Motivated

Hopeful

Enjoying life deeply

But OCD still searched for “targets”:

Fear of medication dependence

Fear of routine changes

Fear of relapse

Days 46–50

More stability overall.

The anxiety no longer felt like pure terror.

Instead: It became waves.

Triggers included:

Poor sleep

Naps

Physical sensations

Sciatica pain at the gym

Thoughts about the future

Fear of relapse

But even during anxiety waves: I remained FAR better than Week 1.

Days 51–55

This stage surprised me.

I discovered something called a “theme shift.”

The original terror and sleep panic became weaker. But the anxiety transformed into something else:

Fear of emptiness

Fear of free time

Feeling uncomfortable being alone in the morning

Restlessness

Feeling mentally “on edge”

Feeling like I wanted to run away but didn’t know why

Day 55 especially: I woke up after 6.5 hours sleep. No panic attack before bed. Fell asleep quickly.

But in the morning: I suddenly got a very old feeling from Week 1–2:

Restlessness

Feeling unsafe emotionally

Fear of emptiness

Wanting to escape

Not wanting to be alone

What confused me: I was actually outside with my brother at the mall.

Then by afternoon: The feeling faded and I felt normal again.

That experience taught me: Recovery is NOT linear.

What helped me most

ERP

CBT techniques

Labeling thoughts as OCD/anxiety

NOT arguing with intrusive thoughts

Going outside even when anxious

Gym

Staying busy

Family support

Prayer

Accepting uncertainty

Stopping reassurance behaviors

Understanding that setbacks happen

Biggest lesson

SSRIs healing is messy and non-linear.

You can:

Feel normal one day

Get hit by anxiety the next day

Have old fears temporarily return

Develop new anxiety themes

That does NOT mean you’re back to the beginning.

Compared to the first 2 weeks: My condition improved massively.

If you’re reading this while suffering during early Zoloft adjustment: You are not alone.

Hey all. I (M21) have been on 75 mg of sertraline for about 3 weeks now. I started at 25mg about 14 weeks ago and have slowly moved up as per my doctors orders. But the sweats…. I can’t keep doing this anymore. I’ve experienced some other heavy side effects but I can manage them. I do not know how to manage waking up in the middle of the night absolutely just wet, when my ac is on 68 degrees and i’m legitimately naked with no blankets or anything. If someone could help me figure this out I would be extremely grateful.

A little over a year on 25 mil. I should have never thought I was safely part of the group that didn’t shit their pants.

Rookie mistake I tell you, rookie mistake.

So I have always been on the heavier side. I have lost and gained weight multiple times in my life so this isn’t new but I’m worried I wont be able to lose the weight because of the meds. Recently before I started my meds I have been at a 187ish weight. Now after 2 months on 50mg of sertraline I have gained 6 pounds 😭. Honestly I have always craved sugar and haven’t been eating right so I know it’s my fault too. Will a good diet and exercise help me lose the weight? Also I have been having HORRIBLE POOPS . Like not even solid poops. I got so worried I thought maybe I have colon cancer. (I’m always an anxious little shit) but yea any advice would help guys. Thank you for answering my questions when I feel alone about taking meds for my anxiety/depression

hello! currently on week 5 of 50mg of Zoloft. I’m actually amazed at how much better I’ve been feeling the last couple of weeks and am so glad I started taking it.

I started due to having 5 miscarriages over the past two years that have left me completely traumatized/depressed and recently started the IVF process. I had an egg retrieval a week and a half ago so I’ve been full of different hormones this month.

In the last 5 days I’ve woken up 3 times DRENCHED in sweat. The first time I actually thought I had peed in my sleep because my entire body was just soaked in sweat. The last two nights, same thing. (nothing like this happened after my first IVF cycle)

I asked my psychiatrist and she said this is likely from the IVF hormones and not Zoloft. Just wanted to know if anybody here has experienced anything similar?

I increased two nights ago from 25 mg to 50 mg for anxiety after being on 25 mg for two weeks for anxiety. I handled the 25 mg super well. I had minor jitteriness, sweaty palms for a day or so but then in was good. First night switching to 50 mg was way worse tons of jitterness, sweaty, felt super anxious etc. it wasn’t great but slowly got decent by the next night. Night two was ok till about four hours in the I had about as rough of a night as I ever had with anxiety. Jitterness was out of control I was so sweaty anxious etc. I ended up taking a Xanax and that helped. My mindset was I never want to take 50 mg again. Has anyone experienced this? Does it slowly get better? How long to take before symptoms went down?

I cold turkey quit 50mg Zoloft. I’ve gained 10lbs in 2 weeks and missed my last period. Multiple negative pregnancy tests later and just wondering wtf is going on. Anyone else experienced anything like this? When does it end?

Hello, 26 male. I have never in my life have problem with sexuality. Once in a lifetime i have tried zoloft 25 mg for two weeks and stopped taking it. That happened one year ago but i still suffer from erection problems and decreased orgasm quality. For months, i am constantly thinking about why that happened to me. I think like one of the good part of life is erased and stolen from me. I swear, I am gonna be crazy. I didn't deserve that.

Any opinions?

I started taking zoloft again i would say for 2 weeks now? And i am frustrated on how i cant mix anything with Zoloft like antifungal, cough medication, most of nsaids and supplements it is just annoying how everything causes serotonin syndrome and i always been on and off with Zoloft how do i get off of it in the safest way possible

Hi everyone. I’m considering starting sertraline/Zoloft and wanted to hear from people who have experience with it.
I’ve been dealing with depression, anxiety, emotional numbness, brain fog, and derealization. The derealization is one of the scariest parts because I often feel disconnected from myself, my memories, my emotions, and the world around me. It feels like I’m not fully present or like life doesn’t feel real.
I know everyone reacts differently to medication, but I’m wondering:
Did sertraline help your derealization or make you feel more grounded?
Did it help with emotional numbness, or did it make numbness worse?
How long did it take before you noticed improvement?
Did it help more with anxiety/depression first, and then the derealization improved later?
Were the beginning side effects hard to get through?
I’m not expecting a miracle overnight. I just want to know if this medication has helped anyone feel like themselves again, feel emotions again, and feel more connected to reality.
Any experiences, advice, or honest answers would really help. Thank you.

Do you ever feel like you're going backwards? I felt pretty good for the third week of sertraline 50 mg, but then I started feeling down again (mood, lack of motivation, rumination). I'm now in my fifth week of 50 mg. If I compare my current situation to the beginning, so far I've only seen improvements in my daily functioning, but not in my mood. I go to work and get through my day, but my mental state is bad. Has anyone been through a similar situation?

Im on day 4 and it's brutal. I fall asleep at 8 pm after taking it and sleepy the next day until mid afternoon.

I feel like my brain is wired while my body is disconnected. Diarrhea is a thing too. My appetite is all over the place. One day im eating 3 meals today I have 0 apetite and hasn't eaten anything.

Started taking it after winter because my seasonal depression just got worse during spring.

I got diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

My brain feels so scattered

i've been on sertraline (25mg) for a week now & have a dance recital coming up on june 6th. i've had really bad side effects including almost debilitating nausea. i finished my 25mg prescription & my doctor cleared me to just cut my 50mg pills in half so that i wouldn't have increased side effects from upping my dosage, but i'm beginning to think that i want to stop completely and resume after my dance recital so that i'll at least be able to dance in something that i've been preparing the whole year for.

i don't really think i have the time or energy to taper off, so would i be negatively affected by stopping completely without going down to 12.5, etc? again, it's only been a week and i definitely plan to speak to my doctor about it before i do anything, i just want input from people who've stopped/taken the medication themselves and info about how it felt