Question:
Hello, I am new to this group and to having panic disorder. I have been taking 50 mg of zoloft for 7 weeks. I don’t seem to be having anymore panic attacks but I have some side effects. A few weeks ago, my doctor increased my dose to 75 mg. After a few days, my pulse went up to 150 and I ended up passing out as well as having uncontrollable shaking. My dose was reduced back to 50. However, I find that my pulse rate goes up to 120-150 while sleeping. When I wake up, I breathe slowly and my pulse goes back down. But when I go back to sleep, I again wake up and have to breath slowly to get my pulse back to normal. So, my sleeping pattern is one of having to wake up several times a night to slow my breathing. During the day, my pulse is my normal 60-70. Has anyone experienced anything similar, and if so, did it go away or get worse? I don’t believe these are panic attacks at night but who knows. My psychiatrist said to monitor this effect and see him in 3 weeks. I have klonopin I can take to counteract the high pulse and blood pressure but I don’t want to take this everyday and become dependent on 2 drugs. Any comments would be appreciated. mike
Response:
Hi Mike, I suspect that you are having nocturnal panic attacks. I have had them annd they were scary. As well as Effexor, I take Xanax to counteract the anxiety symptoms, racing pulse being one of those. I am dependent on Xanax but I prefer it to the Panic attacks. love Meryl – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Hello, I am new to this group and to having panic disorder. I have been taking 50 mg of zoloft for 7 weeks. I don’t seem to be having anymore panic attacks but I have some side effects. A few weeks ago, my doctor increased my dose to 75 mg. After a few days, my pulse went up to 150 and I ended up passing out as well as having uncontrollable shaking. My dose was reduced back to 50. However, I find that my pulse rate goes up to 120-150 while sleeping. When I wake up, I breathe slowly and my pulse goes back down. But when I go back to sleep, I again wake up and have to breath slowly to get my pulse back to normal. So, my sleeping pattern is one of having to wake up several times a night to slow my breathing. During the day, my pulse is my normal 60-70. Has anyone experienced anything similar, and if so, did it go away or get worse? I don’t believe these are panic attacks at night but who knows. My psychiatrist said to monitor this effect and see him in 3 weeks. I have klonopin I can take to counteract the high pulse and blood pressure but I don’t want to take this everyday and become dependent on 2 drugs. Any comments would be appreciated. mike
Response:
Meryl, Thanks for your feedback. Maybe I need to take the klonopin and not worry about getting hooked on it. Since my pulse was so high only while sleeping and I felt normal while awake, it was hard to know if I was having panic attacks or zoloft side effects. SSRI’s have similarities to cocaine and ecstasy so I thought it was possible that the stimulating properties of zoloft were causing my increased heartrate. People say you can’t die from panic attacks but a pulse rate of 160 is not something to take lightly. As for your situation, why do you take both medications? If you are dependent on xanax, why not just take the xanax? I wonder if I end up getting hooked on the klonopin that I should stop the zoloft. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi Mike, I suspect that you are having nocturnal panic attacks. I have had them annd they were scary. As well as Effexor, I take Xanax to counteract the anxiety symptoms, racing pulse being one of those. I am dependent on Xanax but I prefer it to the Panic attacks. love Meryl Hello, I am new to this group and to having panic disorder. I have been taking 50 mg of zoloft for 7 weeks. I don’t seem to be having anymore panic attacks but I have some side effects. A few weeks ago, my doctor increased my dose to 75 mg. After a few days, my pulse went up to 150 and I ended up passing out as well as having uncontrollable shaking. My dose was reduced back to 50. However, I find that my pulse rate goes up to 120-150 while sleeping. When I wake up, I breathe slowly and my pulse goes back down. But when I go back to sleep, I again wake up and have to breath slowly to get my pulse back to normal. So, my sleeping pattern is one of having to wake up several times a night to slow my breathing. During the day, my pulse is my normal 60-70. Has anyone experienced anything similar, and if so, did it go away or get worse? I don’t believe these are panic attacks at night but who knows. My psychiatrist said to monitor this effect and see him in 3 weeks. I have klonopin I can take to counteract the high pulse and blood pressure but I don’t want to take this everyday and become dependent on 2 drugs. Any comments would be appreciated. mike
Response:
Rsina: Everyone reacts differently to different meds. Basicly it’s "trial and error" method I had major side effects from Zoloft, however, my wife has no side effects with Zoloft(100mg) twice a day. Only time will tell, you need to at least try for 6 weeks.
Response:
Hi all, I started taking 25mg of zoloft on sunday and the first two days I was OK, although I didn’t sleep much. But last night and today (wednesday) I am much more anxious than even bofore, and I think my blood pressure has dropped somewhat. I also think had a mild panic attack which I haven’t had for months. Is this to be expected? Should I discontinue it or should I weather the storm. My blood pressure is usually low to begin with. I am scheduled to increase it to 50mg this coming sunday. Thanks, Rsina
For people with anxiety, we tend to need to start on really low doses and work up slowly. Who gave you the script for this med? One of the side effects of starting on SSRI’s is more anxiety. Many of us have gone through this and also took a benzo to keep our anxiety beaten back while we are weaning onto the SSRI. What you are experiencing is very common, but if you have any fears about it, make sure you contact the doctor. Take care, Liz
Response:
Thank you Liz and everyone for reassuring and helpful responses. I sure appreciate all your help. I went to my physician today and told him about my side effects with zoloft. He put me on paxil instead and I am going to start with 5 mg (the old pdoc who had put me on zoloft has moved away). But he absolutely refused to prescribe xanax, saying it was dangerous and not needed, even with my GAD and Panic attacks.
Xanax is not dangerous. Your doc is ill-informed and benzophobic. I’d find a doc who isn’t afraid to use benzodiazepines. Chip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – He did put me on Ambien though so I can sleep better at nights. So anyway, after taking 25mg of zoloft for 4 days, I’ll be starting 5 mg of paxil without loss of continuty… Cheers, Rsina My general physician prescribed it. I am going to see him to ask for Xanax tomorrow. But taking medication and drugs scare me. specially addictive drugs. I was just reading a lot of horror stories in http://www.dispace.com/message_boards/drugs/Zoloft/default.htm and they really scare me. It seems that almost everyone there has had a serious problem with Zoloft (weight gain, some side effects starting after 2 to 3 months, serious problems weanning off it). But I guess I need it to get rid of mt panic attacks. I guess it is one of those "damned if we do, damned if we don’t" things… I went years having the same feelings…stayed clear of the meds. Now I wish I had started meds much sooner, to have saved the years of feeling so darned helpless. Starting my first SSRI was very difficult, and the side effects were very unsettling, but now that it is all in the past, and I have been on meds for a few years or more, it is no big deal at all. Take care, Liz
Response:
Thank you Liz and everyone for reassuring and helpful responses. I sure appreciate all your help. I went to my physician today and told him about my side effects with zoloft. He put me on paxil instead and I am going to start with 5 mg (the old pdoc who had put me on zoloft has moved away). But he absolutely refused to prescribe xanax, saying it was dangerous and not needed, even with my GAD and Panic attacks. He did put me on Ambien though so I can sleep better at nights. So anyway, after taking 25mg of zoloft for 4 days, I’ll be starting 5 mg of paxil without loss of continuty… Cheers, Rsina – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My general physician prescribed it. I am going to see him to ask for Xanax tomorrow. But taking medication and drugs scare me. specially addictive drugs. I was just reading a lot of horror stories in http://www.dispace.com/message_boards/drugs/Zoloft/default.htm and they really scare me. It seems that almost everyone there has had a serious problem with Zoloft (weight gain, some side effects starting after 2 to 3 months, serious problems weanning off it). But I guess I need it to get rid of mt panic attacks. I guess it is one of those "damned if we do, damned if we don’t" things… I went years having the same feelings…stayed clear of the meds. Now I wish I had started meds much sooner, to have saved the years of feeling so darned helpless. Starting my first SSRI was very difficult, and the side effects were very unsettling, but now that it is all in the past, and I have been on meds for a few years or more, it is no big deal at all. Take care, Liz
Response:
That’s very reassuring (and encouraging) for those of us just starting out on meds. Thanks! Kristin
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I went years having the same feelings…stayed clear of the meds. Now I wish I had started meds much sooner, to have saved the years of feeling so darned helpless. Starting my first SSRI was very difficult, and the side effects were very unsettling, but now that it is all in the past, and I have been on meds for a few years or more, it is no big deal at all. Take care, Liz
Response:
My general physician prescribed it. I am going to see him to ask for Xanax tomorrow. But taking medication and drugs scare me. specially addictive drugs. I was just reading a lot of horror stories in http://www.dispace.com/message_boards/drugs/Zoloft/default.htm and they really scare me. It seems that almost everyone there has had a serious problem with Zoloft (weight gain, some side effects starting after 2 to 3 months, serious problems weanning off it). But I guess I need it to get rid of mt panic attacks. I guess it is one of those "damned if we do, damned if we don’t" things…
I went years having the same feelings…stayed clear of the meds. Now I wish I had started meds much sooner, to have saved the years of feeling so darned helpless. Starting my first SSRI was very difficult, and the side effects were very unsettling, but now that it is all in the past, and I have been on meds for a few years or more, it is no big deal at all. Take care, Liz
Response:
My general physician prescribed it. I am going to see him to ask for Xanax tomorrow. But taking medication and drugs scare me. specially addictive drugs. I was just reading a lot of horror stories in http://www.dispace.com/message_boards/drugs/Zoloft/default.htm and they really scare me. It seems that almost everyone there has had a serious problem with Zoloft (weight gain, some side effects starting after 2 to 3 months, serious problems weanning off it). But I guess I need it to get rid of mt panic attacks. I guess it is one of those "damned if we do, damned if we don’t" things… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi all, I started taking 25mg of zoloft on sunday and the first two days I was OK, although I didn’t sleep much. But last night and today (wednesday) I am much more anxious than even bofore, and I think my blood pressure has dropped somewhat. I also think had a mild panic attack which I haven’t had for months. Is this to be expected? Should I discontinue it or should I weather the storm. My blood pressure is usually low to begin with. I am scheduled to increase it to 50mg this coming sunday. Thanks, Rsina For people with anxiety, we tend to need to start on really low doses and work up slowly. Who gave you the script for this med? One of the side effects of starting on SSRI’s is more anxiety. Many of us have gone through this and also took a benzo to keep our anxiety beaten back while we are weaning onto the SSRI. What you are experiencing is very common, but if you have any fears about it, make sure you contact the doctor. Take care, Liz
Response:
Hi all, I started taking 25mg of zoloft on sunday and the first two days I was OK, although I didn’t sleep much. But last night and today (wednesday) I am much more anxious than even bofore, and I think my blood pressure has dropped somewhat. I also think had a mild panic attack which I haven’t had for months. Is this to be expected? Should I discontinue it or should I weather the storm. My blood pressure is usually low to begin with. I am scheduled to increase it to 50mg this coming sunday. Thanks, Rsina
Yes, common. I had the same reaction when I was started on 12.5mgs. You might want to start a bit lower, like 12.5 instead of 25. Others here seem to have done well that way, from what I can recall. Also, as suggested a benzo (xanax, klonopin, valium, etc.) can help you through the initial part. I’ve read posts of people here who had what you did and have had it pass – they’ll be better able to tell you how long it took. I personally didn’t have the help of a benzo at the time and gave up on Zoloft. That isn’t to frighten you – nothing dangerous was happening to me; I just want you to know what you feel isn’t uncommon. Can you call your doctor about starting on a lower dose or taking an anxiolytic temporarily while you wean on? Jen
Response:
Hi all, I started taking 25mg of zoloft on sunday and the first two days I was OK, although I didn’t sleep much. But last night and today (wednesday) I am much more anxious than even bofore, and I think my blood pressure has dropped somewhat. I also think had a mild panic attack which I haven’t had for months. Is this to be expected? Should I discontinue it or should I weather the storm. My blood pressure is usually low to begin with. I am scheduled to increase it to 50mg this coming sunday. Thanks, Rsina
You are weaning on too fast. You would do better when starting Zoloft at 12.5 mg, stay there for at least a week and then raise the dose in increments of 12.5 mg every week or at whatever pace feels comfortable. "Start low, go slow." It’s amazing that doctors still start their anxiety patients at doses that are generally too high and make for a bumpy ride. It would be best if you also had a benzo to take *as needed* on the side. In this way you will avoid or minimize most of these initial side effects (which should be temporary but why suffer more than is necessary?). Philip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –
Response:
Hi all, I started taking 25mg of zoloft on sunday and the first two days I was OK, although I didn’t sleep much. But last night and today (wednesday) I am much more anxious than even bofore, and I think my blood pressure has dropped somewhat. I also think had a mild panic attack which I haven’t had for months. Is this to be expected? Should I discontinue it or should I weather the storm. My blood pressure is usually low to begin with. I am scheduled to increase it to 50mg this coming sunday. Thanks, Rsina
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