Wow....thank you so much ladies!

Would it be better to be on the Zoloft fulltime instead of the Ativan? Is Ativan addictive? I don't know much about drugs...sorry.

Yes.....I have done the saliva test & seen the gyno & no one seems to know what to do with me. Nothing seems to be working for me.

I get so fed up at times & I feel like a hopeless case.

I think Ativan may have the potential for dependence/addiction depending on your dose. Antidepressants like Zoloft are not addicting, which is why lots of docs want to use them long term and use the tranquilizers like xanax and ativan more for short term use. But as you can see from the earlier posts in this thread, many women are on xanax and ativan for years at low doses without a problem.

You would take a Zoloft every day for months ( or years) rather than taking them as needed like you do ATtivan. And bear in mind Zoloft will take weeks to work--your mind and body have to get adjusted to them and it builds up in your system.


You should call your nurse or doctor and have them talk to you about these medicines if you have questions and have them explain their thinking about what medicine you would do better on. Its their job to help you understand this confusing stuff.

Please don't feel hopeless! I know lots of us felt frustrated and scared too when our peri symptoms didn't have a quick answer or clear explanation.

Thank you so much for your reply.

My doctor never explaines anything to me. If I want to know anything I have to ask her....even test results!

She does want me to try the Zoloft though. That's why I'm here.....trying to find out all that I can from the experts.
To me.....the experts are the ones who are going through it or have gone through it.

What about Effexor? I have heard that this is used as well for meno symtems. I'm NOT depressed.....not yet anyway...lol.

i dont understand why doctors say that AD's arent addictive when you have to wean yourself off of them very slowly just as you do the benzo's which they say ARE addicting. everyone i now who takes AD'S get very agitated and grumpy and irritable if they miss a day of taking their pill, just the same as if someone misses a day taking the benzo. of course im talking about those that take a benzo every day, like an AD.

Effexor is also an antidepressant, tho I think that one works on two kinds of neurotransmittors so can have different side effects.

I guess the bottom line is if anxiety has been a real problem for you then you may want to go ahead and try the Zoloft if that's what your doctor thinks might work for you. I found it helpful to start on just a quarter of a tablet a day for a few days to give my body time to adjust and to minimize the side effects. You can then go up gradually to your prescribed dose.

I tried one antidepressant (Paxil XR) that was terrible for me. I had to stop it and try Celexa that has worked well. Everybody's chemistry is different so that it is a bit of a trial and error. Some people don't find them helpful at all as you will read on these boards. The only thing you can do is give it a fair try. What works for one person might be terrible for you and vise-versa.

If you think Ativan was working well, then talk to your doctor. Do you really need to switch? You may at least want to keep using it until you get up to speed on your Zoloft. I did that with xanax.

My family doctor is very nice and I like him a ton but he didn't know too much about antidepressants. You may have to nag them to answer your questions or even think about seeing another doc if you don't feel yours is helpful.

Sudio--I agree with you--I think there is too much fear about benzos, a very helpful drug that most people use with great care and caution. I have never had a withdrawl problem from benzos or ADs and have used them both over the years. I guess with ADs, your body doesn't build up a tolerance so you don't need more and more, and because the effects are so delayed there is no risk of abuse.
Good luck!

Thank you so much again for your reply. You have been most helpful.

I can't take any less than the 25mg's of the Zoloft cause it's a gel cap....so I can't break it up.

I have never been sensitive to medication before.....so this is quite shocking to me.

I'm going to start the Zoloft today at 25mg's as that's the lowest I can go with these jel caps.

Have any of you heard about MenoSense? Does anyone know anything about this stuff? It's by Lorna Vanderhaeghe.

Thank you.

Patty

I'm surprised your Zoloft is a gel cap. Mine is 25 and it's just a tiny pill. I cut it in half and then into quarters when I want to go up. I pretty much look like a cocaine dealer when I'm "cutting", but going up 1/4 of a pill at a time for about a week seems to have worked. Ask your pharmacist about it. Maybe it's because mine are actually the generic Sertraline, and real Zoloft is actually gelcaps. Anyhow... worth asking about.

I've never taken xanax to understand what you mean by that....can you clarify please?

can you explain what you mean please?

I BEEN ON XANAX FOR TWENTY YEARS OFF AND ON AND NOW I BEEN TWO WEEKS WITHOUT. THANKS TO MY ZOLOFT. XANAX IS ALRIGHT TO TAKE BUT USE IT WISELY. HUGS TERRY

Dear 'lizardlover42000'
Agree with you completely
Xanax is fine but as you mentioned only use as needed and stick to smallest dose possible.
I have been on 20mgs Prozac for many years.It is very effective but have had the occasional need for a Xanax.
All the Best
Elizabeth