Zoloft Paranoia Information

About Zoloft Paranoia

About Zoloft Paranoia in Answers

can zoloft cause paranoia? i started taking zoloft 8 days ago and i have started feeling paranoid during night. i use a night light now but i didn't need to before and i get scared when i hear noises. right now for some reason i am afraid that maybe a person will come and knock on my . i don't know why. but i feel slightly insane and i'm thinking it's because of the zoloft but who knows. i'm taking it for depressive disorder. it's my first medecine. i'm thinking there is also a possibility it comes from my depression but i didn't notice it until recently

lksproodle51 replied: "Call your DR. and tell him this is a side effect and you should be trying a different medication.What is the point of causing more problems."

I'M CHILLY replied: "Side effect of Zoloft.You need to look it up.Testing is showing some weird things happening to people..."

paranoia and zoloft? i'm a very paranoid person and just yesterday i was prescribed zoloft. slight increase of heartbeat makes me get so scared! do i have anything to worry about??? because i heard zoloft is an "upper" n all.. also, will anything bad happen if i smoke weed and take zoloft... or drink alcohol and zoloft?

mamabear replied: "Don't drink alcohol with Zoloft--or any psych med. Weed may or may not hurt--but alcohol is sure to--besides, alcohol is a depressant... I don't understand why you didn't tell your prescriber that you were worried about taking Zoloft--and ask about whether it is an upper-type med. Also, if your heartbeat has risen, you should really call a doctor--or at least a pharmacist (who are very knowledgeable in medications and their reactions). Be better. :)"

JO replied: "Wow, sounds like a lot of depressants. Cool it. If you drink alcohol and take drugs, you could die, so please don't. Don't be paranoid because no one is after you, only God is after you to bless you. I used to be kinda paranoid until I realized that basically no one cares what I'm doing, thinking, going, wanting,needing and so on."

I have two questions: How long until Zoloft starts to work, and how can I deal with sexual side effects? Hi. I have been taking Prozac, and it is really helping with my OCD thinking (causing relationship problems, and paranoia about my boyfriend being a commitment phobe--he thinks that I am crazy for diagnosing him with that), but I HATE the sexual side effects. So I heard that you can take a drug holiday on Zoloft, as it has a short half-life. I quit taking Prozac, and two weeks later, the symptoms have returned. My Dr. changed me to Zoloft, and I started taking it today. 1. How long til Zoloft begins to work (not full effect, just onset of action)? 2. How do you deal with sexual side effects (I also take Wellbutrin, but that doesn't help with the sex problem.)? 3. Has anyone stopped taking Zoloft for the weekend, and been able to orgasm? 4. Would you rather have your disorder and be able to have successful sex, or forfeit the ability to climax in order to not have the psychological symptoms that the drug takes away?

jaden replied: "no"

ninetynine4one replied: "Go to They will answer all these questions and more. Good luck sweetie!"

carl replied: "I don't know. but you need help girl,"

snowy replied: "I have a friend who was on Zoloft - She took it while she was pregnant and the baby had "floppy baby syndrome" for the first few weeks - he's okay now. She became addicted to it and had really bad withdrawal symptoms - so bad she could't be alone with her kids. It took about 6 months for the symptoms to go away. BE CAREFUL!"

ineedahotti replied: "Tough question- It takes 4-6 weeks to really have an effect, although the sexual side effects show up much sooner. Most all of the SSRI type meds that you mentioned have the same side effects.Whether the side effects are worth the positive effects is a call you have to make . My wife has been on ssri meds for 5 years and has tried many different ones , but it seems that prozac(the original) is still the most effective overall, and has the least side effects. I have heard that SSRI is an acronym for Shitty Sex Really Ironic Good luck."

Mephistopheles replied: "Stopping Zoloft without Medical supervision is very, very risky. Please don't do it. It has been known for people to commit suicide when stopping this drug abruptly. At best it will bring back your sympthoms with renewed intensity and put your recovery back. Zololf will take a few weeks to work but it takes a few months to come off depending on your dosage."

Thin Kaboudit replied: "Zoloft is, I believe, an SSRI-type drug, so you can't "turn it on and off" like a light switch. Any side-effects you might get as a result of using it will not appear "overnight" and neither will they disappear if you miss your dose for a couple of days! You may be able to take a "drug holiday" as you call it for a week or so every once in a while, but I think you probably need to discuss this whole course of treatment with your doctor some more. A drug you are reluctant to take might do you more harm than good!"

bkythatsme replied: "Zoloft will have a full effect within 2-4 weeks. Since sexual side effects are common with Zoloft, you may want to discuss alternatives with your psychiatrist. I do not recommend stopping your meds for the weekend without discussing it with your psychiatrist first."

MRose replied: "ive been on zoloft for over a year now, 150mg. i was on several different things before it, and its been the best for me. but its different for every person. it only takes about 2 weeks for you to start feeling it.mine didnt even seem to take that long, honestly. but it could be different if youre going off of prozac and straight to zoloft, i dont know. i dont really feel any sexual side effects. here in the past 2 months, ive been less interested in it, but i dont have a boyfriend, and im on other medications as well, so i cant blame it on the zoloft. but i never felt like i had a problem with it when i was having sex i stopped taking all my meds for about 3 days, and went through terrible withdrawl. like i said, itmight not be just the zoloft, but i wouldnt recommend stopping them cold turkey, even for a few days. i've never noticed an effect on my orgasm. none of the meds im on seems to have changed it. my climax is fine, but if i had to give it up to be happy and healthy, i probably would. orgasams only last a few seconds, and you cant live your life from orgasm to orgasm (even though it would be great if you could...) you have to be able to function in between them as for stopping medication for good sex, i dont think thats an option for me. some people deal with depression worse then others. i'm miserable without medication, and i was very promiscous and didnt give a damn about myself. i'd rather be healthy and happy on medication then to worry about successful sex. but my depression could have a different intensity then yours. if you think that you can do ok without the meds, and you feel like your sex life is more important and would benefit from not being on any medication, then go for it. (but talk to your doctor first, like i said, stopping cold turkey is NOT a good idea)"

Dean C replied: "I am not a Doc or anyone who gives ACTUAL medical advice, but here are my comments: Talk to you doctor aout these things, there IS a solution out there for you. I do NOT think that Zoloft (or any of its related meds) are off and on medicines. Talk to your doc about viagra-either for you or your partner. Being alive, able to heal, and enjoy all of life later beats going off meds and being miserable now."

I'm on Zyprexa and Zoloft and gained about 15-20 pounds. I stopped taking them because I feel fat and ugly and now my hormones are raging out of control. I know that Zoloft suppresses physical appetite. Please recommend some medications for paranoia (Zyprexa) and depression (Zoloft) that don't cause weight gain.

Im ok now replied: "I don't know about causing weight gain (mine is always up and down anyway) , but I take Lexapro and Wellbeutrin.... But do not stop taking them, I did and it was a huge mistake. Now back on them and realize I have to keep taking them. You cannot just stop taking meds for depression, you will just back slide. You may need to exercise more and eat better/healthier to balance out any weight side effects."

gaz replied: "you cant just stop taking meds, speak to your doctor. Some meds do make you put weight on, but if they keep you under control, you need them. You feel fat & ugly because you suffer depression, I assume, or bi-polar. Speak with your doc, they may be able to change meds, seroquel is an alternative, but dont know how it will work with you."

spacedmanspif replied: "I suffered from the very same thing. I was taking Zoloft for a while but did not like how it made me feel. My doctor perscribed Prozac been taking it for a little over a year and I feel great. As for finding it just talk to your doctor, if you dont have a doctor call your local Health dept. and they should be able to steer you i the right direction. Good Luck and never give up."

jennifer replied: "You should talk to your pharmacist.Both these meds have increase appetite as a side effect.But you should also out weigh the pros and cons of the meds. Are they working?Can you slip in a little more activity? And so on .But dont just stop taking the meds talk with a professional there are many medications out there that may be better for you ."

cynthia replied: "you should see ur doc and try other meds. Tegretol is a good mood stabilizer and no weight gain. But anyway even if meds cause weight gain, this can be resolved w/out quitting them. Just see a dietitian and try to exercise. Being fit and in shape can help improve mental pbs. wish u all the best."

meli312 replied: "It is more than likely the Zyprexa doing it. I gained weight on Zyprexa also. These side affects will usually go away if you will continue with the medication. Like the previous poster mentioned you should not stop taking these medicines cold turkey. If you want to stop them you need a dr's help to taper you off them. You could suffer many bad side effects from going off them cold turkey such as having a seizure. I take Celexa and have not noticed any weight gain with it. I also take Abilify (anti-psychotic) and have not gained weight on it. Good Luck!"

Marguerite replied: "I've got alternatives for you. First of all, Zyprexa is the fat causing culprit. You just look at the pill container, and you gain 20 lbs! A very good replacement for Zyprexa is Geodon, and also Abilify. There are other antipsychotics, but they're weight gainers. Geodon and Abilify will not put weight on you. Discuss this with your doctor. Call the doc now, it's best not to stop medication abruptly without the doc's okay. And why suffer? You can feel well again with no paranoia."

Art Van De Lay replied: "This might help with a little information on Zoloft. "

taking zoloft and concerta? My doctor prescribed both...zoloft for paranoia and phobia and concerta for A.D.D. and on top of that he prescribed (I dont remember the name of it but I know it's like Valum) to help me sleep at night. Is this normal?? My real question is, I've been of Zoloft 5 days now, first i had some off side affects but now they have mostly gone away but I kinda feel like i have a little bit of a buzz..is that norma?? Is that what it's suppose to do?? And the Concerta...because I dont have ADHD it actually wakes me up and give me energy...how am I gonna feel after the Concerta goes into affect. I just took both. The doctor told me to take both in the morning. I know i should've asked my Doctor all this but since I've never had any issues with other drugs I didnt really ask. I mean I asked if being on both would be ok but I didnt think to ask how it would feel to be on both at the same time. Oh and I havent taked concerta since I started zoloft...i've had to miss work because of the zoloft side affects and I only take concerta when I'm working. please excuse my spelling. 25 minutes after taking both. i dont know if this is what i should be feeling but i'm actually calm AND i'm focused. But should the buzzy feeling should still be there?? not dizzy or anything but just a little buzz.

lady_bella replied: "Zoloft Side Effects: Nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, loss of appetite, increased sweating, drowsiness, diarrhea, upset stomach, or trouble sleeping may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. Concerta Side Effects: Headache, stomach pain, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, irritability, nervousness, blurred vision, dry mouth, constipation or (rarely) drowsiness may occur. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. And you're probably taking AMBIEN for sleep: Ambien side effects: Dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, upset stomach, diarrhea, and dry mouth may occur. To minimize the risk of falls, remember to get up slowly when rising from a seated or lying position. If any of these effects persist or worsen, notify your doctor or pharmacist promptly. All your meds have similar side effects. The positive outcome of these meds probably outweigh the negative results in the side effects and that's why the doctor went ahead and prescribed them to you. But, if you are feeling way to uncomfortable, then I would ask your doctor if there was anything else that you can take that didn't have so many of these side effects. I got my info on the side effects from WebMD. I usually look up my medications too. I have a book called Natural Cures by Kevin Trudeau. In it has a natural remedy that you can try for the ADD. This is what is says to do: Candida Cleanse, Liver/Gallbladder Cleanse, Omega3s suppliments, NO dairy, NO nitrates, NO artificial sweeteners, NO fast foods, alphabiotics, cranial sacral therapy, Dr. Cadwell's Stress Reducing CDs. It's stating that the cause of ADD/ADHD is: Candida, fructose corn syrup, food additives, allergies, heavy metal toxicity, electromagnetic chaos, essential fatty acid deficiency, sensitivity to the chemicals in dairy and meat, nitrates, artificial sweeteners, monosodium glutamate, aspartame, and blocked calcium absorption. Knowing this may help you to help yourself while on these medications. This way your body can heal itself and not have to depend on medication to stabalize it long term. Hope this helps. Take care. YES you will feel buzzed. :-)"

Can you get high off of Zoloft? I just got a bigger dose of Zoloft, and I have been hallucinating. Also, I have never been high (smoked once), but sometimes I feel really silly, other times I can't even talk. I also sometimes experience crazy paranoia. Can this happen? Should I lessen my dose, even though I am very depressed, or should I wait and build up my tolerance. Keep in mind, I'm a full time student. I'm not trying to get high.

Stranger replied: "These side effects usually resolve when your body adjusts to the increase in dosage. In my experience with SSRIs I have myself hallucinated (when combined with other psychotropic drugs) and sometimes have felt like I was talking, but I wasn't really saying anything, if that makes sense. Like that's something I can relate to, it's like I'd have to ask myself, "What the fck did I just say?"."

Andre M replied: "You should consult with a doctor."

Miles replied: "shit u feel great but horrible at the same time u get cold even when its hot as fuck outside it was 105 or 110 and i had a sweat shirt on and was shivering with it zipped up and hood up and everyone else was in shorts and t shirts and shit.... irecomind getting weed or alcohol if u wanna b sedated or altered anti depressants arnt the best for geting high from"

risperdal and zoloft now I'm paranoid ? i was taking risperdal and everything was fine until i started taking zoloft for social anxiety 4 days ago. 2 days ago at night when trying to sleep I started having these thoughts that I can't sleep , omg I can't sleep!!! OMG OMG. I panicked , my heart was running fast , I was cold etc. Now I'm paranoid that it might come back, I'm worried too much , and I keep thinking that.Today I'm feeling much better , but I wanted to know is this paranoia caused by zoloft? because the zoloft side effects didn't say anything about paranoia or is it a reaction? i stopped taking zoloft and I'm feeling much better

Fire Fighter replied: "I don't think that what you are describing is "paranoia." This sounds more like anxiety attacks. You could try asking your doctor for some Xanax to take at night to relax you and help you sleep."

X Y replied: "if you repent your sins and confess Jesus as your Savior He will be with you...you will be healed i talk about salvation , not about religion , churches etc"

obey replied: "Yea it takes some time until ur brain gets used with it,just chill it's normal thing.I had horror movie feelings with zoloft so np ;p"

Will Lexapro cause weight gain if Zoloft didn't? I've been prescribed Zoloft (100mg) & while mentally it worked well, physically I couldn't handle it (too tired). I liked that it made me stop eating emotionally. Mainly, I stopped taking it because I could not focus on grad. school work & didn't care about my classes. I got switched to Wellbutrin SR (150x2/day) and physically worked out (a little crack-headed though) but mentally I became moody & unstable. Again, I liked that it reduced my appetite. Now, I've been switched Lexapro (10) but I'm worried about the weight gain & I'm almost ready to just stop trying to find something that will reduce my anxiety. Given my past experiences, should I worry about taking Lexapro (weight gain, motivation/focus) or try to tell my dr. to just give me something for my paranoia & mini anxiety attacks? I am so new to all of this & confused.

DJ's mom replied: "I am on Lexapro (10) and haven't gained any weight. I have however stopped having my panic attacks and have been able to focus more on my work. I also have more determination in the morning to get up out of bed and work out even if it is just for 15 minutes a day. It took me about 2 weeks to get totally used to the drug, but now I feel great and have lost 17 pounds. Good luck!"

aa889d replied: "The short answer is: MAYBE ? Just because you did or did NOT get weight gain with a previous depression med does not predict what side effects (if any) you will likely have with a different med. Each of those meds you talk about are a different chemical structure - thus it will effect you a little differently with each one. The only way to know - try it and find out. If it works for you- don't monkey w/ it. If not - discuss w/ your doc and try something else. That's the only way to use the psych meds - only YOU really know if they are working. So the doc has to treat the symptoms as you tell them while trying to minimize / eliminate any unwanted side effects."

me n' mona replied: "Although I've never taken Lexapro, my mother has. She did have slight weight gain, but the main reason she stopped taking the drug was that it kept her awake. She was to take it in the morning but that didn't help that much."

Poetgirl76 replied: "In my personal experience, I'd say no. I've been on something like 19 different psych meds over the years (including Lexapro and Zoloft) and am lucky in the aspect that weight gain has not been a side effect for me...as it is for so many people."

Pico replied: "All I can tell you is what works/didn't work for me. I had been on 200mg of Zoloft without weight gain/loss or any side effects (other than some slight sexual ones). It actually did nothing positive for me and I was still very depressed with terrible anxiety. I'm now on 30mg of Lexapro for the depression (works great, no weight gain), 1.5mg of Klonopin for panic attacks and anxiety (works great, no addiction) and 10mg of Abilify (a "weight neutral" antipsychotic) for mood swings. Abilify seems to be working so far but it makes me very tired so I take it at night. If anything, I lost weight. I started these meds about 7 or 8 months ago and I've lost about 15 lbs. Not sure why but I assume it's mostly because I'm more active in the long run. I may have a slight loss of appetite but I'm not sure which medication is causing that. I almost think it may be the Klonopin. I do feel a bit tired sometimes for no reason but I still leave the house everyday unlike before."

banche replied: "I was on Lexapro 10mg for almost 3 yr. I had to be switched off cause it made me lose my sex drive and I gained 45 lbs in 1 year. (which is a side effect.) I got switched to Wellbutrin. Even though the side effects from Lexapro are gone I think Lexapro worked better on my depression than Wellbutrin. I hear a lot of people gain weight on Lexapro. I was one of them. But there are those few that don't. You'll just have to try it out for a month or two and see if it works for you. Every person reacts different to different meds."

wiccanangel1973 replied: "every medication is different for everyone some gain weight on some people others weight stays same and othersa lose weight just like medications work for some people and not for others.everybodies metabolism is different and body chemistry is different."

blazergirlblazergirl replied: "Every person and every medication is different. The only medication for depression that I know of that wont cause weight gain is Cymbalta. The sad thing about anti deprssants is the weight gain and unless you are a tooth pick thats enough to depress you even more. I tried Zoloft and felt like I was going to bite someones head of after 3 days then lexapro didn't seem to work either. My best advise is to read the info. or ask your doctor that knows you best."

Just started taking Zoloft... absolutely exhausted!? Im taking it for my anxiety, OCD, and paranoia. Ive only been taking it for 3 days and i know it takes 2-4 weeks to kick in, but i have been sooo exhausted. I take it at night before bed, and I sleep like a rock (which is good cause i normally toss and turn). But once the alarm goes off, I cant move. I will get up on my day off, eat some breakfast, take a shower, and im so exhausted ill take a nap.. and it turns into me sleeping for 4+ hours! Is this normal? DO you think its the Zoloft or just coincidence? Any advice is great.. oh and i have another doctor appt in 2 weeks. Thanks!

Oh yeah replied: "Its the Zoloft for sure. Your body probably needs to get use to the drug. One thing that can help is to drink more water than you usually drink and eating some bananas for energy."

Cat S replied: "Its normal, especially when your brain and body are adapting to a new drug that is essentially altering your biochemistry. Just try to manage what time you are alert and comfortable are effectively and don't kick yourself for needing to rest, right now your body is the best guide to telling you when its had enough. Eating well and light exercise will help alleviate some of the symptoms but as I said, try not to exhaust yourself too much."

~just me~ replied: "It will get better. I had that same problem a month ago when I started on this drug. Give it more time. In the meantime, drink plenty of water, and eat healthy energy foods. Good luck! Great job for seeking help with your problem, it takes alot of effect to "come out". Best wishes!"

fred_rogers replied: "From what I remember it took me a few weeks to get over that effect when I started it. Never figured out why it does that, but I remember it wasn't an issue after a while."

Zoloft + street drugs? My sister takes Zoloft and seroquel and she has taken street drugs like Ecstasy and coke before, I was wondering what would happen if she were to mix these drugs with her meds. She takes her meds because she has severe anger management problems, and she has paranoia, nightmares, feelings that people will kill her, mood swings, excitability, sleeping problems, panic attacks, thoughts of hurting others, that's all I can think of right now. So if someone can answer my question that would be awsome. Thx

Ta-Zu replied: "I don't know what would happen. But she can probably kill herself alone on those 2 drugs."

Ginger replied: "You need to tell your parents. It will be for her own good. You'd feel horrible if something happened to her."

NAME replied: "Your sis sounds like she mite be skitsofrenic or somthing like that which is somthing you should go to the doctor about.. Especialy those thoughts of people trying to kill her!"

MadeULook replied: "It's hard to say, everyone is different, but since those are mood medications and she's taking recreational drugs, that's always gonna lead to a bad mix, if not mentally then physically. Keep an eye on her!"

Pick A Winner replied: "X and coke are definitely going to exacerbate her emotional symptoms and paranoia, but particularly using x and zoloft is dangerous because of the potential for developing a condition known as serotonin syndrome or serotonin storm. What happens is there becomes an abundance of serotonin in the brain and this can actually kill her. Cocaine by itself can cause major paranoia and if she has mental problems it will just make it worse. My counselor told me that 80% of drug abusers are using to self medicate some type of mental illness and I am schizo and I do drugs and alcohol too, so I am not judging, but from my standpoint I have nothing to loose and even the threat of death will not stop me from altering my reality, because my reality is a nightmare that I can't deal with and don't want to deal with. Just some stuff for you to think about. People say that killing your self overtly or with drug abuse is selfish to your family because they have to deal with you dying, but that is nonsense. If you knew what I have to live with as a schizo with untreatable severe depression and you sit there with a straight face and tell me I have to suffer so you don't have to that is the most selfish act of all."

jackie replied: "Tell your parents IMMEDIATELY. Do not hesitate."