Zoloft???

Hi Guys! My T has been pretty bearable lately-it's still there, but I am reacting to it less.... I have been taking .25mg of Xanax twice a day to combat anxiety symptoms (I have always had severe anxiety) but hate the sedated way this drug makes me feel. I am going to wean off of it (have been on it for a month) and my doctor has prescribed Zoloft, starting at a really low dose of 25 mg to up gradually to 50mg per day. There is so much conflicting information on this drug on this site-I do not want to make my T worse, just lessen the constant anxiety I feel. Anyone have any positive results to share? I filled the rx last night, but am afraid to take it. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

My experience with Zoloft:
- it didn't make my original t worse
- it caused me a new sound in my, what used to be, healthy ear
- my anxiety went through the roof

Not trying to scare you but just sharing how I reacted to Zoloft.

 

Hmm. My regular GP is out for a couple of days; I saw another one in the practice that told me it was an "annoyance". What a jerk. He told me it would help my anxiety, that I needed to calm down. UGH. One thing he did tell me that it was a really low dose, and if it did cause anything, once I stopped taking it any spike would go away. He also told me to take the Xanax still for anxiety until it had a chance to work.

Did your new tone go away?

 

Never!
BTW I was on a very low dose too!
Doctors know jack shit!

 

Ugh. I am very nervous to take it. Xanax seems to lessen the ringing, so I guess he thought the Zoloft would help.

 

SSRIs and benzos ultimately did not help my anxiety, but it no longer rules my life because of mediation and exercise.

 

The initial side effects of Xanax will go away.." sedation" However Xanax is actually not a great benzo to be on due to its short half life..Unless you get the Xanax ER.

In terms of SSRI's the jury is still out on how they work to combat anxiety and depression actually, maybe it's placebo. From everything I have observed they're useless long term...There are better ways to deal with severe anxiety but take more time..CBT, Mindfulness, Psychotherapy, Meditation, Exercise (which is the best) so you could try it..Zoloft " seems " to be one of the better ones for anxiety. .It really helped my cousin years ago who was quite severe...The initial increase of anxiety and other undesirable s/e are to be expected so don't drop the xanax yet, like your doc suggested.

Some say ssris helped them get their life back with t and some say it worsened their t..I know of one person where zoloft worsened their very quiet t but with discontinuation it went back to baseline.

Do you take magnesium supplements? If not, start. Glycinate is the best.

Good Luck..

 

A year ago now I started on Zoloft and immediately stopped. I took one pill, just one, and woke up the next day with my head feeling like it was in a fishbowl, balance issues, and feeling generally nauseous. I could not deal with the side effects. @_@

 

I took Zoloft when I was 21 once. Took it for just two days before I stopped taking it. It made me in such a deep sleep that I literally pissed my bed like a 5 year old. I hoped to not piss myself at least until my eighties again.

I took Paxil which worked better for me during the time. I am not sure if any SSRI made my tinnitus worse long term. I am a musician so that pretty much says it all. I am 33 now, and haven't taken any Depression drug since I was 23. One shitty side effect was weight gain with Paxil. I am naturally a skinny bastard and that drug made me gain 30 pounds. I lost it all the minute I stopped taking it.

I doubt a small dose of Zoloft is going to make the ringing worse, but I feel your anxiety. I won't even take excedrin for a migraine because I am nervous that it will cause the ringing to get worse. I stick with the Xanax, and slightly lower the dose if it makes you feel too much of a zombie. They need to come up with a cure or really awesome treatment already. It's almost 2016, come on scientists get on it!

 

When my T first started over two years ago, I too had severe anxiety and took Xanax to help weather the storm. I went on Celexa (citalopram) shortly thereafter, and it has been a lifesaver. I still have T but I have been able to lead a happy life. As with any SSRI, the first few weeks are pretty rough, but it is well worth it. I don't have any experience with Zoloft, but I have heard that Celexa is one of the more well-tolerated SSRIs, and so may be worth asking your doc about. Good luck!

 

If you want to haveT forever, yes take it.

 

I have been on it for a long time, it does not alter T for the worse, I was on it years before one sided T. It definately does help anxiety, but it makes it worse in the beginning and side effects may not be nice, but they do go along with anxiety.
I recently put mine up, due to T and H relapse caused by other medical errors. My anxiety calmed, T calmed too.

 

Has Zoloft helped anyone cope with tinnitus and hyperacussis? Has it been detrimental? What have been your experiences with it?

Thanks everyone.

 

I just came off Zoloft 50mg after taking it for 9 years. It might have helped my anxiety and depression a bit, but I would still get attacks in a stressful situation. I came off it completely after tapering 6 weeks ago. 2 weeks later I got an upper respiratory infection and T to go with it. I'm still unclear what caused my T, but I know it caused me to get very depressed and anxious because of the T and this other problem I've contracted, interstitial cystitis. I think what I'm trying to say is; once you start Zoloft, it's near impossible to stop without complications.

 

I'm on Paxil during the day; it didn't start working for 3-4 weeks though. It might have made me even a little more anxious until it started working. While I was waiting for the Paxil to work, I cut up Clonazepam into tiny pieces to take during the day, and half a 0.5mg tab to sleep at night. I still take the half-tab to sleep at night. I can feel a little extra anxioius at night, so it helps with that too. Paxil works great for me. It's effective and non-drowsy. I don't feel medicated, and it hasn't increased my T. I haven't experienced weight-gain or any negative side-effects. For the first time in my life I can sleep at night, get things done during the day, and don't feel like a cloud of doom is hanging over my head.

 

Hi. I know this is an older post but just wanted to chime in because I was wondering about Zoloft. I was hoping it would take away some of the anxiety that goes with T and I wished I had not. One pill caused a pretty gnarly spike that has been going on for almost a week now.

 

Well I can tell you about my experience: My T developed while I took Zoloft a few years ago, I don't think there's a connection though as it started quite a while after I took it. It took some time, but I got used to my T, a few months later I stopped taking the Zoloft.

Fast forward to this winter where another wave of depression-like symptoms hit me. And, lo and behold, my T started to get worse which drove me nuts bc I just didn't know why and it just wasn't fair, or so it seemed to me.
Well, a Tinnitus-clinic in my city checked for organic reasons - nothing. So i tried to concentrate on treating my depression - with the additional help of zoloft, but also through exercise and therapy. It took some time, and there are some bad days where it still bothers me, but I just don't hear my T anymore most of the time. It's still there, but my mind doesn't fixate on it.

What's really important though is the fact that it takes some time for zoloft to kick in - for all those saying that the first few days are worse or just really tough: That is absolutely normal. Just be patient and don't think of it as a cure for everything - it's no panacea after all, but it surely can help you to get better.

 

Not related to Zoloft, but I tried Benzos for a little while which gave me rebound anxiety and depression (I had neither when starting Benzos) and during my taper off and 1-2 weeks after finishing, my T was much higher and more noticeable. Best to be off them though.

 

Zoloft has been proven to lower or eliminate t in some people. I guess it's a gamble.

 

I have never tryed Zoloft, but Cipralex, took my tinnitus away and helped me live a normal Life.

 

are you still on celexa,,hows your tinnitus these days, what dosage did you start at?

 

I have been staring at the bottle of Zoloft for a month now and cant make the leap to take it. My T has been going on for 8 months now and came from a ear cleaning. The zoloft was prescribed to me from a T specialist at Mass Eye and Ear who is renowned. I am nervous about taking it because of the horror storries but also hate being on clonazapam .5mg at night to sleep which does not seem to do anything. Does anyone else have these inner conflicts about taking zoloft?

 

I take Zoloft. Had the same worries. Had side-effects which wore off after 2-3 weeks. No effect on T it seems. Zoloft has anti-OCD effects but I'm not aware of it having an effect on anxiety (it's an anti-D, which is a different condition). Ask your GP for anxiety specific medication (which doesn't have to be benzos; there are other, long-term options, but they take a while to get into your system). Kevin Hogan had great success with Zoloft along with other medication and meditation, but I'm not sure how long he took it. I'm thinking of coming off Zoloft simply because it doesn't seem to be having any effect on me and I'd like to try another form of anti-D. Zoloft seems to be the main go-to medication for GPs as it seems to have less side-effects than the older medication. Just remember; just because someone says 'my T started after I took X-drug' it does not mean that the drug caused it. It may have, but it's just as likely that the T was going to happen anyway and it's simply a coincidence. All reported 'side-effects', no matter how remote, will be put on medication leaflets. Your GP is more qualified than me or anyone else on here at the end of the day. Might also be beneficial seeing a psychiatrist as brain-related medication is their area of expertise. I find they are more knowledgable at times if you have questions.

 

Prior the T I was fine, live a normal life etc and then after the ear cleaning life kind of spiraled. Never had anxiety or OCD. I went to see a psychiatrist at one point and she wanted me on Welbutrin and when I explained my concerns about it with T she brushed me off almost lecturing me. So when I went to see the T specialist I explained to her about about the welbutrin and she solidified my reasoning as you should not give someone with T because of the pharmacological aspect of it and it could raise your T level. Anyways like I said I believe that the T has given me depression like it does alot of people and maybe that is why she is prescribing it. I also read a med journal where it can help...this is where I am and tomorrow I will probably still be at the same place

 

You likely will, but it's a long process, so keep that in mind. I try not to feel disheartened after meetings; I see them as one little step towards getting 'fixed'. Thankfully, I'm beginning to see one of the most respected tinnitus specialists in my country regularly.

 

Paul 10 my routine is as follows. I have illiminated most sugar and salt from my diet. Actually I havent noticed any difference in my T far as my diet goes otherwise. Tried every suppliment known to man with no appreciable difference. What helps most is going to the gym doing weight training and cardio 5 days a week, accupuncture ? try to always be in an non quiet invironment, try to stay busy and focused on other things than T, at night play nature sounds from utube with crickets, birds chirping, water running in a stream, etc. I do take .05 valium befor bed and sleep a solid 7 to 8 hours and wake up feeling great. When im busy my T backs off and dont even hear it. When I do hear it I dont let it bother me !!!!! I have friends that are battling cancer, and serious life threatening diseases so we are not going to let the hissing in my head get me down.....Best thing to get rid of stress is a good positive atitude and exercise. When you decrease your stress your T may slowly go away....If not over time the T will bother you less and less and I have pretty much returned to my old lifestyle and enjoying life....Oh I am not worried about being addicted to valium for my father took it for 30 years and had no problems and lived into his late 80s..

 

Paul,
how long have you been on zoloft? did you start because your T put you in a bad place? or is your T not loud and your taking it for something else

 

Scott,
Did you ever try the celexa a while back, thought you was prescribed that as well,,just wondering how that went, I will be trying some meds for my problem is bad too, and will report it,,,,,,hang in there

 

Hi,
I gave the Celexa a 4 day try but I also came off klonopin at the same time. So I was not int a good state. I have to give it another try but I dont want to be on any meds. I have tried everything but this T is severe. Like I said in my posts the zoloft was prescribed to me by a T specialist in Boston but I just cant get out of my own way to take it. Now lately it feels that the T is getting worse and bouncing around. I have not been on the forum for a while because there are so many opinions on here and which is to be expected. Sometimes you read some and you have hope and other times your feel like you are hopeless. But maybe someday I will work up the strenghth to take the Zoloft and I will be able to gain control of my life.

 

hang in there, I am in the same condition, mine is severe, and it has my nerves and mind in a bad place, I am trying to figure it all out too! it has been dominating my life for months, I can say most doctors dont know anything when it comes to severe Tinnitus and what it can do to someone, they know mild tinnitus which most have, so your doing the right thing researching and trying to make the wise choice, I tried nortripyline for 3 straight days but woke with louder ringing and stop, some say to continue and eventually it works, but at that point I could just stop and thats what I did and went back to researching, there is no real fix, we just have to find relief and so maybe habituation, I have been on benzo ativan to take the edge off,,,,weened off it for about 3 weeks, but have needed it more latley, Dr's are just trying to help my anxiety and depression which is understandable, as they know they cant cure Tinnitus, he prescribed prozac, but i did not take it, another dr recommended celexa, I can say a few things for sure that you need to do,
#1 Try and get sleep, you need good sleep to help you deal with getting better, I have used melatonin 1mg,,,a supplement called L theanine 100 mg,,,helps a little, I even take a muscle relaxer 2mg Tianadine for my neck problem sometimes helps me sleep,,,,try to relax,,I know its hard,,,I deal with it everyday. I am looking for other things that can knock me out so I can get my sleep, as this is the only time I dont here the noise.
#2 try to keep other stressful situations out of your life the best you can, I know thats hard too, but we gotta try, as it is part of trying to get better.
We have anxiety and depression working against us, and so thats why we are talking antidepressants, which I have fought to take for months. Hang in there!