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Green_

Updated 10mo ago

Starting a New Medication: What to Expect

I spoke with my doctor recently about starting this medication. I’m a little nervous. I want a change in my mental health, but I’m not sure how long this medication will take to make a difference. My doctor told me as a trial run to take them for at least six months. What kinds of things should I expect in terms of side effects or otherwise? And what kinds of things can I do to help the medicine do it’s job?

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babycakes

2y

hi!! so i’ve been on zoloft for two-three months now. it worked for the first month— i felt the effects IMMEDIATELY. then, slowly, the medication stopped working. by the second month i was incredibly depressed again. to combat this, my dose was increased from 100mg to 150mg, which made me manic (im bipolar) for a week and now i’m heavily depressed again. the medication worked immediately for me, and i think it’s supposed to work within 6 weeks in general? im not sure why your doctor is saying 6 months.
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TPenn

2y

What do you have that is the reason for going on this medication? Because if you’re bipolar, you really shouldn’t be taking it (@babycakes) Six weeks is about how long a body usually takes to adjust to this medication. You can look up the side effects. I was fatigued, a bit nauseous, had some headaches. Weight gain is common (although I think I actually lost weight). Dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, loss of appetite (I had it for about a week), increased sweating, diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach, and sleeping trouble are all pretty common, too. Some people adjust better than others. The first time I went on Zoloft, I just had some headaches. The second time was much harder. But after about six weeks, as I said, things evened out and I’d adjusted. I don’t really know what you can do to “help” or do it’s job. It kinda just does it. It’d really help to know why you’re considering going on it. I’m on it for anxiety. So avoiding anxiety inducing situation until you’ve adjusted may help. I don’t know about Depression, panic attacks, PTSD or OCD, as those are a bit more severe and unpredictable and unavoidable than anxiety. You can stay on Zoloft for a good amount of time. I was on it two years the first time. Six weeks is the adjustment period. But to see if it’s really working well for you? Six months sounds good. But! If you ever feel like it’s having a bad impact of you and your body just does not like it, please talk to your doctor to see if you might want to switch meds (especially if you have an allergic reaction). 25 or 50 mg is usually a good starting dosage. You might start in 25 to help your body adjust and then move up to 50.
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Kaylashumack

2y

It should take a couple weeks to feel a bit of relief but a month for the medicine to fully kick in.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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