# Is Zoloft 50 mg Making Me Feel Depressed, Sad, and Guilty?



## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

I've been on Zoloft 50 mg for about 2 months for anxiety. Since going on it, I've felt sad, depressed, and very guilty. Normally, I'm very anxious, but never depressed, and I've never felt guilty before over anything- never in my life have I felt guilty. Now, I apologize to my family for just existing. I feel guilty over everything. I read excessive guilt is a symptom of depression. 

Has anyone felt more depressed, sad, and guilty from being on Zoloft 50 mg?


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## VERBW (Jul 23, 2013)

This is a potential side effect of antidepressants. For me, it was always dose related: lower doses caused depression. 

You can try raising the dose. If you're feeling suicidal, it might be best not to.


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## Focus123 (Aug 30, 2013)

shana said:


> Has anyone felt more depressed, sad, and guilty from being on Zoloft 50 mg?


50 mg is the starting dose on Zoloft. For anxiety disorders, users normally get results after moving up (in gradual incremental doses) within the range of 100 to 150mg.

Contact your doctor, and ask if you can raise your dosage level.

The increase can decrease your depressive symptoms, likewise it should reduce your anxiety symptoms, especially the ones that revolve around panic.


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## gilmourr (Nov 17, 2011)

More Zoloft past 100 mg made me feel incrementally more depressed.

100 works well though. 

Anything can really happen. You know when you're feeling super depressed though. If it lasts for more than a week or 2 I'd change doses or meds.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

VERBW said:


> This is a potential side effect of antidepressants. For me, it was always dose related: lower doses caused depression.
> 
> You can try raising the dose. If you're feeling suicidal, it might be best not to.


When I'm not on antidepressants or any psych meds, I just have bad anxiety, but I never experience depression, and I've never, ever experienced so much guilt over my life's situation and friendlessness.

On Prozac 40 mg- I don't remember feeling depressed (only at times I felt like crying when I got overwhelmed). I went off it because I didn't think it helped my SA symptoms.

I'm not suicidal on the ZOloft 50 mg, but I feel pretty bad mentally. This could also be because of my life situation- I haven't had friends in many years, and maybe I'm realizing how sad, unhealthy, and horrible my life is without any friends my age. I also don't get along or talk with my sister, who I live with, because of my lack of friends.

Now that my anxiety is lowered on ZOloft 50 mg, maybe I'm realizing that I really am very depressed, because of my lack of friends for so long.

I never felt guilt before, and now I apologize to my parents for having to be around me, and I feel bad for them- that they have to live with me.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

Focus123 said:


> 50 mg is the starting dose on Zoloft. For anxiety disorders, users normally get results after moving up (in gradual incremental doses) within the range of 100 to 150mg.
> 
> Contact your doctor, and ask if you can raise your dosage level.
> 
> The increase can decrease your depressive symptoms, likewise it should reduce your anxiety symptoms, especially the ones that revolve around panic.


Yes, it is helping with Social anxiety problems (not a lot, but a little bit). Like, I talk to people (for a little bit) at the gym I go to. This is why I put up with the side effects- fatigue, no energy, weight gain around stomach, feeling depressed and very guilty over my life's situation and being a loser in life.

I'm seeing my Nurse Practitioner ( she prescribes my meds) in about 2 weeks. 
She wanted me on 100 mg, but I felt it was too much (I was only put on 50 mg for 1 week, than I was instructed to go 100 mg- I think I went on 100 mg too quickly. )


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## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

If it's making you worse after having been on it for 2 months, you should quit taking it. Raising the dosage is only going to make you worsen even more.

You only raise the dosage when it either does nothing whatsoever (neither positive nor negative) or when it's doing something positive but not enough.

Not to offend anyone, but if something taken for SA creates a new and much bigger issue such as depression, it really is a no-brainer on what to do. SA is a futility compared to full blown depression.


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## swim (Apr 4, 2011)

I was on zoloft 200mg for a short period, my anxiety worsened so I stopped it, probably I should have given it some more time to take effect.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

Inshallah said:


> If it's making you worse after having been on it for 2 months, you should quit taking it. Raising the dosage is only going to make you worsen even more.
> 
> You only raise the dosage when it either does nothing whatsoever (neither positive nor negative) or when it's doing something positive but not enough.
> 
> Not to offend anyone, but if something taken for SA creates a new and much bigger issue such as depression, it really is a no-brainer on what to do. SA is a futility compared to full blown depression.


Great post!
It's helping my social anxiety a little bit, but I've been feeling very guilty and depressed since being on it.

I was on 25 mg Zoloft about 9 months ago, a low dose, and I experienced unwanted side effects on that dose also: slight paranoia (my nurse gave me Risperdal to take with it because of the paranoia), crying in class, and overall it wasn't a good drug for me.

Afterwards I tried Prozac 40 mg, and it didn't have any side effects, but it didn't help my social anxiety, so I asked my nurse if I could go off it and re-try the Zoloft at a higher dose, because I was convinced that Zoloft was a good drug for Social anxiety. She told me she would rather me try another SSRI- Celexa or Lexapro, or Effexor, but I insisted on re-trying the Zoloft at a higher dose than 25 mg.

I really annoyed and frustrated her, because she put me on 100 mg Zoloft right away after that appointment. I couldn't tolerate the 100 mg, so I went down to 50 mg, where I've been for about 2 months.


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