A question about Zoloft?

Question

I started taking Zoloft a couple of months ago due to stress-related heart problems. I exhibited no physical symptoms of anxiety, but the doctor prescribed it for me to take the internalized stress off my heart.

Since taking it, I've felt no different. No happier, no sadder. Nothing. Just the same old me from even before I took it. But in the last few weeks, my hands have started shaking, which they never did before. Not annoying or disturbingly so-- just slightly.

Not to mention, my balance has been off. I'm not tripping and falling everywhere, but, for instance, when I take a shower and I wash the shampoo out of my hair, I have to prop myself against the wall because walking backward with my eyes closed makes me dizzy.

Are these normal side effects of the drug? If they are, is there an alternative that will keep me from experiencing them?

I know for a fact it isn't my heart with the problem. I've had EKGs, ultrasounds and even dye run through it to search for a problem. But there's nothing physically wrong with it. It's stress.

Answer 1

You can be sensitive to zoloft if you have side-effects happened. But there are many other anti-anxiety drugs, see here http://bisina.info/order_anti_depressant...

Answer 2

Hmm. Interesting. It's not a usual side effect from SSRI meds, but it has been documented to happen. Pretty rare, you could try swapping to another med in the class, but to be honest you don't sound like the best candidate for this sort of med. And you haven't described any anxiety symptoms - no panic attacks, no paranoia, no excessive worrying or 'free-floating' anxiety right? If so, then you're not the best candidate for benzodiazepine tranquilizers either.

Heart problems can show up in a somatically focused anxiety disorder, but to be honest you haven't described that either. I'm willing to bet that the best solution for you is going to be to address the stress sources in your life and deal with them, here medication doesn't sound like a good option (based on the info you've provided). If you're having trouble finding a way to deal with these things, maybe a little therapy to lend a hand - it can never hurt.

Answer 3

You definitely need to discuss this with the MD who prescribed the Zoloft to you. You may need a lower dose or different medication all together. Also, if you take the medication in the morning, try taking it in the evening instead. It may help with the dizziness. My hands shake more since taking Zoloft too and I don't know if it is coincidence or the drug.