Advice on Zoloft
 

I have an appt with the psych doc next week. I don't feel like Zoloft is right for me. I have been on 50mg for about 3 weeks and went down to 25mg last week due to the jittery and nervous feeling that wouldn't stop.

Today was day three trying to do without my nighttime med, Remeron (Mirtazapine) which was a huge mistake. My anxiety was through the roof all day because I haven't been sleeping the past few nights.

I'm getting back on the Remeron tonight because I'm obviously still dealing with sleep issues, but today just made it very clear that the Zoloft isn't doing its job.

I didn't know if anyone had a bad go round with Zoloft then transitioned to something that worked better. I know everyone is different, I just need some help with what to ask this MD for to replace it. He's going to be clueless I'm sure.

And one more thing, does anyone know how I can find out if there is a local psychologist or psychiatrist that specializes in brain injury patients? I'm not getting any luck with google and I know some of you on here are very knowledgeable about where to go for info. I live across the bay from Mobile, AL.

Thanks again for any and all advice. Hearing from you guys helps so much.

Have you looked for a neuro-psychiatrist ?

A psychologist is not going to be able to help you with meds.

Mark's right. I have seen psychiatrists and psychologists who listed brain injury as one of their specialties. They lied. Finding a neuro-psychiatrist is not that hard in NY though.

I haven't Mark. I will begin searching. I know that a psychologist can't help with meds, I'm grasping at straws trying to think of anyone I could talk to. At least my hope is that if I found a psychologist to talk with (many on here have said it helps) they could make a suggestion to a psychiatrist for meds.

This is also coming from someone who has no idea what she is talking about too ;)
I really do appreciate the help.

that's funny cause my neuro-psych put me on Zoloft recently citing a clinical study with brain injury victims but everybody reacts differently

I"m gonna pretend you're name is Ray Allen, back when you were kicking butt for the Celtics.

Ray, wow, I'm a big fan. Magic 3-pointer man. Kinda betrayed, but also bummed to see you in this condition. I tried zoloft for two days (was cold turkeying off amatryptaline and going thru a breakup) and those three things lead to my first and only (so far, so help me god) panic attack.

Doc took me off zoloft. my therapist (not a prescriber) really wanted me to see a psychiatrist though i was terrified of meds after that experience. He started me very, very slowly on lexapro which is good for both depression and anxiety, and is less stimulating than zoloft, so he said. I'd try to see a psychiatrist. Even if they tell you all your symptoms are due to anxiety not a head injury, they may be better/more careful with the meds than a GP. that's been my experience anyway.

I think the lexapro has helped a bit so far--i'm on a very small dose, 5mg, and in week 3 of that dose, week 5 total. Depression and anxiety were great for the last week until my massage therapist pressed to hard on my head and so i'm sorta freaked out and either experiencing or imagining worsening symptoms.

anyway, one other person on here, laupaula (or something) is taking lexapro and feels it's helped as well

good luck. and come back to Boston.

i will say first 3 weeks on lexapro sucked pretty bad. major fatigue, worse headaches, some nervousness, some weird tremors upon waking. but that's worn off. only side effect now is clenching my teeth at night which makes headaches/faceaches worse.

Underwater,
That's funny! Too bad I'm from Alabama! If it's not SEC football, I don't appreciate it ;)
And I appreciate you sharing your experiences. I was thinking Lexapro may be the way to go. And yes, the start up on these is hell, but no more hell than the anxiety that goes on and on and on and... well you get the point.

Here's to a good nights rest for all. Lord knows if I wake up again at 3am and can't go back to bed, I'm going to have a meltdown. I don't know how you can take Ambien at 3am! Aren't you a zombie the next day?!

when i did resort to ambien at 3 or even 5am, i only took like 1-3mgs. so yeah, i was a little groggy but not entirely high on it.

i'm realy loving the melatonin...i still wake up a lot, but i don't feel wide awake when i wake up at 3 or 5am, and have been able to get back to sleep pretty quickly. i take 3mgs before bed and another 3mgs the first time i wake up at 1 or 2.

good luck. if pcs weren't bad enough, lack of sleep can make you crazy, absolutely crazy.

Just want to add I was on Zoloft then went on to Wellbutrin which has been a miracle for me.

With Zoloft now I realize I was always in between depression and blah...

:)Welcome back, Sitke!! You have been missed! M-i-m

Many of us were very concerned Sitke....so relieved to see your name

Zoloft was a complete nightmare.

The 2st Neuro I had tried to prescribe me with an antidepressant for the severe and ongoing headache I had for months on end... when I protested he told me he didn't even have to tell me that the medication was an antidepressant and that I should take it. (I fired him...)

I promised my Dad that if we could find a Neuro who would actually listen to me then I would try an anti-depressant if they wanted me to.

The 2nd Neuro really listened to me and she wanted me to try Zoloft. I took it for less than 2 weeks, maybe even less than that. It made me worse and worse - she halved the dose and I experienced the most horrifying hallucinations that night! She took me completely off of them and I was fine. Later she ordered a spinal tap which took care of the headache. I believe that she needed that information in order to move onto the next treatment plan but I sincerely wish I didn't have to live through that - I was totally terrified.

Anyway, eventually I was referred to a Psychiatrist who told me he thought I would be fine and that he wouldn't prescribe me with any meds until I had neuropsychological testing completed. (The HMO denied every referral for me to get neuropsych testing.) He told me that tbi patients are VERY SENSITIVE to all medications and that it's really tricky prescribing them/us with anything - and he told me that my Neuro should have known that in a very critical tone after I told him about my experience with the Zoloft.

Luckily, I'm feeling oodles better now that I have the hormonal treatments.

But when I get especially tired, like I am this week, I am really difficult to be around. The HVAC where I work hasn't been working all year - and I've been complaining about it all year. And then suddenly I was doing REALLY WELL and then the HVAC took a dump and I worked in a 90 degree building with humidity and I've been suffering a gnarly setback since then. I've been VERY ANGRY because I've suspected that the HVAC where I work has been delaying my overall recovery and I've basically been told some pretty gnarly things by middle management about it (like I'd "better stop complaining or it will never get fixed" and that "no one follows OSHA regulations" and that one of the plans to rectify the situation was to move my office to another building and make me walk to the one I work in every day up a hill and questioning my credibility of whether the building was actually hot or not...and that upper management put me in that building/office on purpose knowing full well that the HVAC didn't work) so I've been especially bitter and unfun to be around... anywho, it turns out that upper management didn't even know about it and they are now fixing it. What a bunch of jerks I work with, right?

Sorry.... I guess I went off on a tangent.

Be careful with the Zoloft. ;)

I'm sorry EsthersDoll- don't know why I just saw your reply. I'm still on Zoloft and really dislike it. Or maybe it's the idea of being on meds I hate. Slowly coming to terms that this is my reality now.

Hope you are doing well.

meds
 

if you have a pcp your psychologist can recommend scripts to your pcp and they can call it in