Hi all,

Well...Ive been on Zoloft for 2 weeks today!
The first week I was on 50mg then the second week on 100mg..but to be honest I havent seen many changes at all..positive or negative..it kinda just feels like im swallowing a mint or something..no effect.
The only positive thing that I have noticed is that I dont start crying out of nowhere which is a great thing as it is extremely embarresing at work and infront of other people ect..so thats a good thing it means its working in some way right?
I guess 2 weeks is not enough time to tell..but I was wondering if I should keep going?
Can anyone tell me what is more effective..is it better to take the whole 100mg in the morning, or take 50mg in the morning and the other 50mg at night? Ive been taking it in the morning and night and im starting to think it may be affecting my ability to fall asleep as easily as before..but maybe its just a placebo because ive heard heaps of people talk about this drug causing insomnia more than others.
Has anyone had or heard of success from this drug for Social Anxiety? Ive had it all my life and im hoping this drug will help me snap out of it and finally begin to have confiedence and able to introduce myself to others ect..
I also have a fear of crowds facing me..I feel like they are all judging and analysing me...I really hope I start to have a normal life for once..im 21 and I would like to start dating as ive never had the confidence..I would like to be able to make freinds and not be socially withdrawn and walking down the street feeling as if everyone is waiting for me to trip over and fall.. I really hope Zoloft will help me..ive seen it help a few freinds of mine with depression and anxiety so im hoping.
By the way im on Anafranil which is working wonderfully for OCD but it only helps with that..which is why im on Zoloft now too..
Any comments or thoughts ect..I would love to hear

Hihihi.
i heard zoloft can take even months in some peoples..but u should talk to your doctor.
when u say u are not crying u have to really listen to urself to see if its really the med or something else.
about social phobia i notice its really helping me as a secondary effect of my good mood: when u are depressed
u have really bad self estime, u dont wanna talk, constantly having bad feelings,etc.. all the sympthoms are
related to social matters in some way, so when u get better comes as a free package.

Good luck!

i forgot.
about taking the med on the morning or night..
i dont think it really affect the mood (anyway u should ask your doctor im not expert).
usually people change from morning to night (or reverse) only to dont experiment some
secondary effects, but if u arent having any of it maybe its not the problem.

Two weeks is not enuff time to feel the full benifits. I didn't "feel" anything for about 4. And the just one day at about 6 weeks, I noticed that I was feeling better. Give it some more time.

Thankyou so much for your responses...
I feel better now, I think I just needed that reasurrance that 2 weeks is still early and to give it more time..
I actually did start crying today on the way home from work..I just felt people were staring and waiting for me to fail..and constantly feeling like im not good enough and I get upset seeing other people around my age happy with freinds and partners ect and knowing that I can have all of it, its just I have zero confidence. It really makes me sad.
Anyway..ill give Zoloft a few more weeks and if its not doing anything ill speak to my doctor.
Thanks again :-)

How was your Zoloft prescribed? Usually "once a day" means you take the whole dose and not split it. Was it prescribed to take in the morning? If so, that is when it should be taken. It does cause insomnia for many when taken late in the day or at bedtime. It can take up to 8 weeks to receive full benefits. It's also not unusual to have ups and downs during start up with any AD. Discuss your concerns fully with your pdoc for advice.

You may want to add therapy to your medications. It can help rebuild your self-esteem via feedback and guidance. Therapy helps you obtain coping skills for stressful situations (social anxiety.)
Sheepwoman

Glad to hear that you feel a little better. I don't think anyone is looking for you to fail but I do know what it's like to feel like that.

Thanks..

I was actually prescribed the 50mg to take once a day in the morning, but after about a week I started taking another one before I go to bed too, so 100mg a day. I know this is considered self medicating, but I really feel like I know I need a higher dose..and I really have been very up and down the last week..like one day happy the next sad and anxious..
But its ok im going to my doctor in a few days so I will be dicussing with him what I have done. Im not going to judge this medication any further until 8 weeks has passed. I need to give it a good go.
Also Ive been doing some reading and I see Nardil and Paxil are also effective in Social Phobia. But Zoloft is actually the first line of treatment for it..so It gives me confidence that it has a high chance of success. I think only time can tell at the moment. After another 6 weeks if I dont feel any benefits, ill talk to my pdoc about trying another medication.
As for therapy..yes I understand it could be helpfull and I will be starting up with it soon but I just wanted to get a bit of a response from the medication first. Right now on Zoloft its a strange feeling, its like I dont know how I feel. Not happy or sad. Anyway Ive heard its usual to feel a bit worse and jumbled the first few weeks....
Only time will tell I guess.

Sometimes too much meds at the start makes the Se's worse. So just listen to your body

Chryz87,

I hope that the Zoloft begins to help you soon. I saw that you mentioned Nardil. Nardil is a MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor) and cannot be taken along with Zoloft (please talk to your doc about this, as I am just a poster, not a med professional) . When you talk to your doctor the next time, ask him / her about that med, as there is a long list of things that you must avoid while taking that med.

I hope that you can find a good combo of meds / therapy / support that can help you feel better. When I took Zoloft, it took me a good while to start feeling the effects (same with Prozac), but it sure did help. Let us know how you are doing. Take care!!!