# Zoloft & Klonopin? Does Zoloft Help you Focus/ be Motivated?



## SadRosesAreBeautiful (May 15, 2008)

I have never taken anxiety medication before (with the exception of xanax, which I have taken for the past few months only when needed), and my doctor prescribed me Klonopin (only 20 pills/1mg each total, no refills) and Zoloft (30 pills/month, 50 mg/each, for six months) today. I am wondering if anyone has taken these two together and how each has affected you? Does Zoloft really help for severe anxiety. She said that the Zoloft won't really 'kick in' for a few weeks, maybe 5 or more. 

Does the Zoloft really help you to focus on things? My grades have been falling because I have not been able to be motivated/focus due to extreme anxiety (GAD, and SAD). How does Zoloft work for you?


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## KILL__JOY (Jul 30, 2008)

everybody responds to meds differently. I cant say how it will affect you. Everyone on sas seems to swear by nardil and says that every other AD doesnt work so IDK.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

well zoloft helped my depression but not so much my sa and clonazepam helps my anxiety attacks


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

SadRosesAreBeautiful said:


> I am wondering if anyone has taken these two together and how each has affected you?


The typical yawning, bruxism, tremors, lethargy, and complete death to libido expected of SSRIs. Zoloft is especially efficient at killing a sex drive indefinitely. It also gave me brain shocks daily so I dropped it like a sack of flaming dog shlt.



SadRosesAreBeautiful said:


> Does Zoloft really help for severe anxiety.


No. SSRIs generally suck for SA. Some may get pissed and declare "they sork for some people" but thats usually a secondary effect as they can help with depression and racing thoughts among other crap that SSRIs actually do help with. The [email protected] ratio usually tips the scale and forces people to quit SSRIs even if they do help to some degree.



SadRosesAreBeautiful said:


> Does the Zoloft really help you to focus on things?


No but SSRIs are great for lethargy and complete apathy if the dose is high enough.



SadRosesAreBeautiful said:


> My grades have been falling because I have not been able to be motivated/focus due to extreme anxiety (GAD, and SAD).


It *may* help you in this situation but there are much better drugs than SSRIs for motivation. Wellbutrin would be a good start or provigil if you're rich. The best drug, as Noca would say, would be Adderall. ...of course dont expect to get this easily.

as for klonopin, its a wonderful drug. Its not magical by any means but many of us couldnt live without it. Sucks that you have to combine it with such a crappy drug as Zoloft.


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## SadRosesAreBeautiful (May 15, 2008)

Thanks guys for the feedback. I have decided after some research and hearing from what others have said about SSRIs/Zoloft for anxiety, that I will not be filling my Zoloft prescription afterall. I will however fill the Klonopin.

But I really want to try to get a doctor to prescribe me _adderall _for motivation and anxiety problems, not an antidepressant like Zoloft. I think that in my situation, antidepressants would be the dangerous route to take. I keep hearing such good things about adderall, but why do I keep hearing that doctors hesitate to prescribe it? I keep hearing that, including from my therapist. *If it really helps, why would a doctor be reluctant to prescribe adderall?* I have no addictive qualities, I just need something to help me become motivated/focus so I can bring my grades up.


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## KurtG85 (Sep 19, 2008)

Hopefully you are aware that you will be screwing yourself in the long run if you decide not to even give a med a chance in order to see if it helps based on others' ranting of their poor experience with it (thats not to say theres anything wrong with putting it back in line a few spots). For everyone of those people there are others with just as many positive things to say about the med whose experiences you just wont be exposed to (mainly because they are not motivated by an unpleasant experience to become a dedicated fear monger on forums against all or any one med). The fact is none of others' positive or negative experience matters anyway because your brain chemistry is as unique as your face and you will have just as unique a response to the med.

Lexapro helps tremendously with my depression and my general anxiety. 

Zoloft helps with my focus, and depression but tends to make me more moody/easily emotionally agitated. 

By the way, not one of the ssri's (I have taken all of them) kills my sexual ability and pleasure more than adderall and while it does help with my social anxiety, it makes me extremely jittery, emotionally dulled and increases my depression greatly as a result of the crash. 

I believe the reason doctors dont like prescribing it is because it really is a paradoxical drug when used for depression and anxiety. I say this from first hand experience of 8 years of use. Its amphetamine boost and confidence rush is positive however at the same time it does increase anxiety and agitation largely (I theorize) because of its massive adrenaline/dopamine rush. Then during the come down period (every 4-6 hours) it greatly increases depression which in turn makes you crave another pill to stop the depression. Then you take more to get rid of the major downer. Then you have an even bigger crash. Then you start becoming tolerant to the drug and need to take more to get the same effect. Everyone of course does not succumb to this spiraling effect, in fact I have never gone on more than 5mg every 5 hours (despite feeling these exact effects). However the paradoxical mood effects are in-escapable. The amphetamine confidence rush is so seductive that the patient often doesn't want to give it up (myself being just one example of those people) even if the agitation, anxiety, depression and over confidence is worsening their functioning levels. 

I believe there is a general, perhaps increasing, 'frowning upon' of adderall's use in the psychiatric community, especially when its not being used for adhd treatment. 

Don't believe the hype. Make your own decision on whether or not a med helps you the only way you can: by trying the med.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

SadRosesAreBeautiful said:


> I keep hearing such good things about adderall, but why do I keep hearing that doctors hesitate to prescribe it? I keep hearing that, including from my therapist. *If it really helps, why would a doctor be reluctant to prescribe adderall?* I have no addictive qualities, I just need something to help me become motivated/focus so I can bring my grades up.


because its schedule II along with drugs like opiates, cocaine, meth, and PCP


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## jakejohnson007 (Jul 27, 2006)

Read up on the side effects it can cause and if it does long-term damage to your body.

If you still want to take it, you'll have a better understanding of the risks involved and if you let your doctor know this he/she will hopefully be more likely to talk about perscribing it.


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## michaelyuan (Feb 11, 2004)

IT HELPS


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

It does help, when you can't focus because of depression/anxiety. It won't work for ADHD. Combining it with Bupropion could help you be more focused and motivated.


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## SadRosesAreBeautiful (May 15, 2008)

I am just concerned about any side effects, coming off the drug, etc. And my biggest concern is although I realize that just trying it would be the best thing, my doctor said Zoloft takes many weeks to kick in. I just don't have the time to wait for something to take that long to kick in. My grades are suffering now, and I can't wait five or six weeks to finally be able to focus. I know it would be wise to try it, but if it doesn't work, I won't know for a while, and I can't afford the costs of "trying out" different medications. I just can't do it. I can barely afford to put myself through college. And I can't withdraw for this semester, because first, I won't get my money back at this point, and next, anxiety disorder won't be considered a good reason for medical withdrawal. I just feel so stuck. 

I am thinking about getting a second opinion from another doctor and see what he/she says. I feel like my other doctor may have jumped the gun and prescribed me something without really evaluating me well. I told her that I am not suffering from depression, just lack of motivation/focus and have loads of anxiety. She said she prescribed me Zoloft for depression symptoms because she automatically assumed that I was depressed due to lack of motivation, although I told her that I'm not depressed. 

Perhaps I shouldn't completely eliminate Zoloft as an option just yet, but I would like to talk to a doctor who is willing to discuss alternatives.


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## crossfadex (May 17, 2008)

"jumped the gun" huh? thats pretty wicked you got a benzo from a first time visit! lol 
as for Zoloft, it may or may not work for. Theres a bigger chance that it won't work for you and you wasted all that time to try to get it to work. But you'll never know unless you try. All SSRIs are like that..its a guess and check type deal. I just wish I could get nardil already lol.


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## KurtG85 (Sep 19, 2008)

I believe there are some programs that can get you meds for extremely cheap if you fall within a certain (poor) income bracket. Sorry I can't point you more in the right direction but I have been told about these programs a few times in the past. 

I understand exactly what you mean about not wanting to try meds during school. There is a good chance that new meds you try will make school, motivation etc. more difficult for you for awhile at least. You may get lucky and find the right med soon which actually makes everything 'easier' for you but its a risk to be experimenting with meds during school, especially when you already have high anxiety to begin with. I postponed school a few years simply because I think my desire to live is more important than my education. Obviously its not that urgent with everyone but it was for me. 

Also, I think about 3 weeks is plenty of time to see if a med is going to work or not for you. Personally I can tell how a med is going to effect me within a day or so. I have been on many meds and I have felt no difference between a couple days in and 3 months in. This probably has to do with some uniquely messed up brain chemistry of mine.


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