Can Zoloft worsen OCD/anxiety symptoms (29 years old - 3 years on Zoloft)?
Posted on Sep 13, 2008 under anxiety symptoms |I am on Zoloft for anxiety disorder. The side effect was at first a decrease in OCD symptoms and depression for two and a half years. When I went from 50mg to 100mg due to depression, the OCD symptoms seem to increase.
After a recent twenty day stay in the hospital due to pneumonia complications, I have returned home and back to my normal schedule. For almost two weeks I was without Zoloft. Though I was sedated for a bit of that time, I was OCD free for about two-three weeks of awake time. I felt free of OCD finally for the first time in twenty years. After a couple weeks of taking the medication again, my mood seems slightly down and my OCD seems to be back again.
My symptoms aren't life altering, but they are annoying. I understand that after suffering a traumatic experience heightened OCD is normal, but could Zoloft be irritating my condition?
Does anyone know of similar experiences?
Thank you in advance :).
I'm also on Zoloft for anxiety disorder, and have been for 3.5 years now. After a couple of weeks, I noticed a complete change — no more anxiety, but also no more OCD…until something REALLY starts to bother me.
I think OCD is an overactive mind trying NOT to focus on the things that are bothering a person. Under normal circumstances, on Zoloft, my little OCD rituals disappeared, but under major stress they return in small ways. I take it as a good sign..that I'm still human and still able to feel. 
Maybe you need to have your dosage increased…but you really need to give it that six weeks to build up in your system again.
Also, my brother had the same issues as I did, but without the OCD, and he built a tolerance to Zoloft to the point where 200 mg wasn't helping him anymore! They switched him over to Cymbalta, which is an SSRI and also works on the nervous system on another level, and he says it is working much better and that the improvement was almost immediate!
Good luck to you!
April 11th, 2007 at 12:53 am
It could be that zoloft isn't working for you anymore after almost 3 years. That can happen with any anti-depressant & you might have to change to another. It is called "tolerance withdrawal" when your system becomes tolerant of the medicine, it's like you are immune to the effects of it after time.
References :
April 11th, 2007 at 2:12 am
Hello-
Taking most prescription drugs for 3 years will build a tolerance as the previous poster said. Trying a different medicine or even an alternative depression medicine could make a difference.
I've read good things about MindSoothe. It's supposed to help treat OCD and anxiety.
-Adam
References :
http://www.mindsoothereview.com
April 13th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
I'm also on Zoloft for anxiety disorder, and have been for 3.5 years now. After a couple of weeks, I noticed a complete change — no more anxiety, but also no more OCD…until something REALLY starts to bother me.
I think OCD is an overactive mind trying NOT to focus on the things that are bothering a person. Under normal circumstances, on Zoloft, my little OCD rituals disappeared, but under major stress they return in small ways. I take it as a good sign..that I'm still human and still able to feel.
Maybe you need to have your dosage increased…but you really need to give it that six weeks to build up in your system again.
Also, my brother had the same issues as I did, but without the OCD, and he built a tolerance to Zoloft to the point where 200 mg wasn't helping him anymore! They switched him over to Cymbalta, which is an SSRI and also works on the nervous system on another level, and he says it is working much better and that the improvement was almost immediate!
Good luck to you!
References :
April 14th, 2007 at 11:44 am
zoloft made me worse after 1 year, wound up in hospital, now on welbutrinxl and zoloft but its things in life that make u feel the way u do, i have learned that much.
References :