Psychotic Episode From Zoloft (Page 2)

Hi, was just wondering if anyone has ever had a psychotic episode from going off of zolfoft, I have and it was pure hell. My kids didn't think they would ever see me again. Please if anyone has had anything close to to this, please let me know of your experience Thanks

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Both, psychosis, mania and even bizarre/dangerous behavior can be caused by zoloft or any ssri drugs. The occurrence does not mean that you have a serious mental illness, it is zoloft induced and the treatment should be to discontinue and avoid other ssri's. If taken for a while and now unable to stop, you do not have a mental illness, it is the rebound or withdrawal from it that causes it. The taper down process can take months and sadly a lot of people can not completely stop it due to the symptoms (crying spells, suicidal, homicidal, dizziness, anxiety/panic episodes, anger, violence, impulsivity). The reason seems to be a dramatic shot down of serotonin receptors because these medications increase serotonin. The brain is overwhelmed by these medications and the risk of serotonin toxicity is high, so the brain receptors for serotonin are shot down to avoid toxicity. When these drugs are stopped or decreased too fast the lack of receptors cause suicidal/homicidal tendencies and tremendous distress but rarely psychosis. Now you are trapped and need to take them forever at the risk of becoming suicidal if not taken.

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Yes this is a very bad drug for lots of people. I have been called crazy for refusing take anything associated with ssri reuptake inhibitors. I know a young teen killed his grandparents while on this drug and his description of how he felt was the same I had experienced while only 3 days on Zoloft and he was made to keep taking it. My next door neighbor killed himself on it. I know of many more friends, coworkers that have taken it and were told to work through the side effects, their system will adjust. BS! Listen to your own mind and body. I take no medications until I research the drug to see if I, not my doctor determines the benefit. Doctors are pressured by the pharmacy reps to push these pills to make big bucks! Most doctors....not all, are only in it for their own $$$.

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Re: Lassie (# 20)

My son just had a psychotic episode today following 2 weeks on Zoloft for OCD-depression. I still had some ziprexa around from his initial hospitalization in April for psychosis following no sleep and studying for 3 days straight that I didn't know about. I stopped the zoloft cold turkey and hope he'll be ok. I gave him the Ziprexa and an Ativan and he calmed down and seems better. Still so worried. What is your son on now? My son has been trembling and even more anxious on the Zoloft than he'd been dealing with all of his intrusive thoughts that are truly destroying him. Thank-you

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I been on them for years and never had a problem thanks to the Lord. I heard other people experience side effects and other problems from minor to serious but not me.

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Re: Turtle watcher (# 23)

Sorry to hear this. I'm not sure of the meds my son is on now. He spent quite a bit of time in the hospital. He is doing really fantastic though. I would take son to ER if things don't improve. It can be very dangerous.

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I have been struggling with depression since I was young. I never gave the anti depression meds a chance till last year 2016. I just had my son and wanted to get better. After two weeks I felt like my mind was under locking. I was filling my note books with racing thoughts. I was opening my curtains up letting the sun in. Staying up all night cleaning. Everything I did was so enjoyable. It was like I was in another world. I loved sitting doing my makeup. I loved going outside sitting in the sun, everything felt so amazing. Little did I know I wasn't okay. I was going manic. I ended up leaving my husband, cheated on him for this really ugly marijuana smoker who lived with his mom. I then went to live with them. I then went completely insane. I started to think that they were poisoning me. I wasn't sleeping or eating. I thought I was a witch at one point. Then I thought the rapture was coming so I ran outside at 3am and took off my clothes awaiting God. Then I snapped back to normal for a second just to get dressed and felt very embarrassed. I then thought the house I was in was full of evil energy. I thought they were out to get me. They really were though, they ended up stealing all my stuff, but I won't get into that. I thought I was thinking such detailed thoughts that I can't even remember. I was watching YouTube videos thinking they were in hell calling me down with them.

I was taking signs from everything I've seen. Finally, the smoker's mom grabbed me by my arm cussing me out and put me in her van. Took me an hour away to a counselor and the counselor then took me next door. I was pink slipped. I was abandoned there. I started to scream. I was going nuts. They had security guards keeping me in the room. Then they had 4 big men hold me down as this lady kept sticking needles in my back. It wasn't working because they did it many times that night. The next day the cops came and took me two hours away to a mental hospital. They then put me on anti-psychotics which I wasn't really a schizophrenic. The lady who took me in never even told them I was on Zoloft. After twelve days they let me out right after they bumped my dosage. I'm glad my husband took me back because I had another psychosis. This time wasn't fun, it was morbid and terrifying. I one day after two weeks told Mike to stop giving me this s***. I've been fine ever since. I was told by a Dr it was the Zoloft that did this to me. It was because in bipolar and people who are bipolar can't take anti depression meds. They misdiagnosed me and put me on meds for schizophrenia which I wasn't. Those pills were turning me into one.

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Hi there my name is Shirley and my 22 year old daughter is taking Zolft 50mg. She has a bad habit of not taking her meds everyday and for the past month and a half I've noticed that she has been acting very strange. She is hearing voices, she thinks that everyone is talking about her and out to get her. I booked an appointment with our family doctor for tomorrow and I pray that she can fix this.
So just know that your not alone. Good luck.

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Re: Shirley (# 27)

Hi Shirley, I hope your daughter gets the help she needs. Does she take more than prescribed to make up for times she does not take it?

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Re: Turtle watcher (# 23)

He ended up in the hospital for 18 days, on an antipsychotic risperdol. Then they slowly added an SSRI leaving the antipsychotic in place. It has resolved the horrible intrusive thoughts and calmed his anxiety to about 20 percent of where it was. He seems a bit numb and dazed bit so much better rather than freaking out all day. I will just pray he can lower the dosages over time...2 mg risperdol and 75 mg Paxil. They say he needs the high dose Paxil for OCD intrusive thoughts. Hope this helps

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Re: Casey (# 19)

Casey my 10 year old son had a stroke in May 2017 and developed Psychosis after on Zoloft for 6 weeks of the lowest dose. Never had any psychosis prior to stroke. He and a left thalamic stroke . Can you please update me with your son.

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Re: Violet (# 9)

This JUST happened to me. I was hospitalized for 9 days in a horrific hospital situation that made everyone horribly worse. I remember almost everything. Totally clearly. It was the worst thing of my life. It’s been about two weeks and I am still having flashbacks. Everything you have described is exactly what happened to me, literally every detail and exactly how I described it to my friends and family. My fiancé said some more details that I don’t remember like holding my ears at the hospital and letting out primal screams. I remember everyone, to me were killer sick robots that were trying to nursery or rape me. I heard voices and was hallucinating like I was on mushrooms. Dark shadows creeping around corners. I didn’t sleep for two days. I couldn't stop pacing and sweating and writing cryptic messages all over paper in my apartment. I found slippers in the oven and I still have books from my bookshelf missing. It was literally the most horrific experience of my life, triumphs any previous trauma. Also, the “hospital” I was at never knew my medical history and kept drugging me and almost killed me. Kept trying to diagnose me from the single psychosis incident without knowing that it was a medicinally induced pyschosis. They held me against my will for 9 days, 6 more than they told my family or me. They (the doctor) never spoke to my family and when I was allowed to leave they tried to make me sign papers that said my rights were exercised and I was being admitted to outpatient for drug abuse which I’ve never had. I politely declined and asked if I could have my family there or legal assistance before I sign anything, and the doctor came out and told me I was having delusions again, they took my blood pressure it was through the roof, and sent me back illegally against my will even though I was functional and normal, and was already there for 6 days at that point. 3 more than what they initially say, had me on hold for 3 days and tried to keep me another 3-4 because the “weekends didn’t count” for a 72 hour hold.

Sorry to go off on this tangent, but the psychosis was the worse experience of my life and that place extended it to 9 more days essentially.. bringing back all the horrific scenes and treatment that the psychosis gave me but literally brought it into real life with mistreatment, total disregard for my life and honestly any other patient there.

I’m getting better, but I remember EVERYTHING. 99% of psychosis and 100% of my hospital stay. I wrote and recorded everything. I hope they are prepared for my legal suit.

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Re: Trish (# 11)

Hi Trish, I know your post is 2 years old but was wondering if you would give me an update on your daughter. I hope she is herself now. I’m going through something similarly with my son and you may be able to help.
Thanks
Jen

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Re: Leigh (# 3)

Did you stop taking Zoloft? Did you suffer any residual injury from the psychotic episode? Did you switch to a different anti-depressant?

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Re: Violet (# 9)

Did you stop taking Zoloft (slowly) or switch to something else? Did the delusional effects go away?

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Re: Babs (# 17)

Did you get better? What did you do to get better? Do you still take anti-depressants?

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I started taking 25mg of sertraline on 4/3, I started increasing my dose to 50mg on 4/17. After increasing to 50mg, I started to have extreme anxiety, racing thoughts and mild hallucinations. On 4/21 I was upset over something that happened, which wasn't an extremely big deal but I became suicidal. I was in a total zone, on a mission to commit suicide. I wanted to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. I left a note which was found not too long after I left on my mission. I got to the bridge, walked down the bridge, I was almost past the barrier but a police officer jumped in front of me and stopped me. He saved my life. When the note was found, they immediately called the Golden Gate Bridge. I was completely out of it. I was admitted to the hospital overnight and released the next day. I'm not going to take another pill. I've been having a mild headache but I feel somewhat better. Be careful taking these pills or just don't start them at all. I'm hoping not to have bad withdrawals. I'm guessing I shouldn't since it hasn't been that long since I started. I have anxiety and that's why I was prescribed sertraline. I normally consume cannabis for my anxiety but I wanted to quit, which is why I started the sertraline. I will stick to medical cannabis to relieve my anxiety.

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I took Zoloft for 2 months before i completely cut it off. I started my first month when i was 19 years old with 50mg of setraline a day for my anxiety disorder and depression and got bumped up to 150mg of setraline every day. For that period of time, i would always wake up vomiting, feeling weidly high all the time and constantly feeling like i was losing touch with reality. I would get delusional and often psychotic thoughts and an urge to hurt either myself or someone else. I would often hear voices or hallucinate making my anxiety and panic attacks much worst. I would sweat, shake and think it was the end of my life so id try to stay away from any type of blade i could hurt myself with if i could move at all. I still have panic attacks to this day but i rather avoid feeling the need for pills because of the damage theyve done.

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My doctor prescribed a small dose of Zoloft for anxiety. I took 1 pill at 5pm and seemed fine for the rest of evening, However, later that night after falling asleep, I was wakened by severe anxiety! Unbearable panic attacks and compulsive thoughts of suicide. I remember holding on to my bed because part of me wanted to run outside my apartment on to the HWY traffic. When I took a shower that day, the water felt like sharp pieces of glass falling on me. I became fearful of EVERYTHING. I remember, I could not have knives in the apartment for fear of killing myself. I became fearful of driving, I did not want to go anywhere. I became compulsive about my breathing, monitoring each breath, weird. I finally came out of it, after 2 long years. But even now, I am still not the same. It's like the medication changed me. I see a therapist now to help me manage my symptoms. I still think of suicide daily.

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