# I'm Taking Zoloft 100 mg and I Can't Concentrate for College Schoolwork



## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

Hi,

I've been taking Zoloft 100 mg for 2 weeks and 2 days for social anxiety. My prescriber put me on 100 mg right away (but put me on 50 mg for 1 week before going to 100 mg) because she felt I had severe anxiety and I had previously tried Zoloft at 25 mg and I didn't like it, so I went off it. I was hoping a higher dose would give me a better result. 
So I started college 1 week ago and I can't concentrate, read posts well, or do critical thinking on this dose. That's a problem, because my classes are all online and require me to do critical thinking. I also feel like a zombie. I feel like I can't use my brain hardly at all on this dose, like I'm in a fog.
Had anyone else experienced this on Zoloft 100 mg? Like they got a lot dumber on 100 mg? Since I'm in college this is a problem for me. 
I've only been on this dose for a little over 2 weeks and I wanted to give it more time to work, but I can't go through college classes with my brain dulled like this. I need to be able to critically think for my schoolwork, which I can't do on this dose. 
So, I'm going to go down to 50 mg.


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## Dylan2 (Jun 3, 2012)

I was on Zoloft 100 mg for a few months and although it seemed to help with my social anxiety disorder, I was often fatigued which made it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork. Going down to 50 mg makes sense. You could try 75 mg first.


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

You should wait it out as often its transient. Also adding mirtazapine or antipsychotics that block certain 5-ht receptors responsible for some side effects may help too. When I was on zoloft/mirtazapine combo it was great.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

Dylan2 said:


> I was on Zoloft 100 mg for a few months and although it seemed to help with my social anxiety disorder, I was often fatigued which made it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork. Going down to 50 mg makes sense. You could try 75 mg first.


I only have 100 mg tablets, so I can only cut them in half. Yeah, I also have a lot of fatigue and sleepiness all the time, and I can't think well. I guess I don't handle medicine well.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

kehcorpz said:


> You should wait it out as often its transient. Also adding mirtazapine or antipsychotics that block certain 5-ht receptors responsible for some side effects may help too. When I was on zoloft/mirtazapine combo it was great.


Well, I've been trying to wait it out because I've been told I have an anxiety problem , but I have schoolwork due that requires me to be able to critically think, and I can't afford to feel like I'm in a mental fog and feel like I can't critically think. 
If that's Remeron, than I can't take it; I can't take anything that will make me gain weight.


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## IndieVisible (Aug 28, 2013)

What do you expect? Zoloft is a zombie pill, also makes u sexually dysfunctional too lol. Stay away from all those SSRI's. Ask your doc if you can try Wellbutrin, I love it. It's actually a stimulant and improves concentration and increases energy. But it does nothing for anxiety. I take wellbutrin/xanax combo and works very well for me. Low dosage benzo's with Wellbutrin will NOT slow u down but will remove the rough edges on anxiety.

You will thank me later


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

IndieVisible said:


> What do you expect? Zoloft is a zombie pill, also makes u sexually dysfunctional too lol. Stay away from all those SSRI's. Ask your doc if you can try Wellbutrin, I love it. It's actually a stimulant and improves concentration and increases energy. But it does nothing for anxiety. I take wellbutrin/xanax combo and works very well for me. Low dosage benzo's with Wellbutrin will NOT slow u down but will remove the rough edges on anxiety.
> 
> You will thank me later


I was on another SSRI (Prozac 40 mg) and it didn't make me feel like a zombie. The only reason I stopped taking it was I was convinced Zoloft was better for Social Anxiety problems, so I asked my psych nurse to let me re-try Zoloft. 
I've been on Wellbutrin. It didn't have any physical side effects, but I think it contributed to me dropping out of college. I just didn't want to do anything that wasn't pleasurable while I was on it, and going to school definetly wasn't something I liked doing. It wasn't a good med for me and I don't think I want to try it again.


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## depressed77 (Dec 9, 2010)

shana said:


> I was on another SSRI (Prozac 40 mg) and it didn't make me feel like a zombie. The only reason I stopped taking it was I was convinced Zoloft was better for Social Anxiety problems, so I asked my psych nurse to let me re-try Zoloft.
> I've been on Wellbutrin. It didn't have any physical side effects, but I think it contributed to me dropping out of college. I just didn't want to do anything that wasn't pleasurable while I was on it, and going to school definetly wasn't something I liked doing. It wasn't a good med for me and I don't think I want to try it again.


If it turns out you need 100mg of Zoloft for your anxiety or you're still experiencing problems at 50mg, adding modafinil to it can work wonders for fatigue and concentration.

/depressed77


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

shana said:


> Well, I've been trying to wait it out because I've been told I have an anxiety problem , but I have schoolwork due that requires me to be able to critically think, and I can't afford to feel like I'm in a mental fog and feel like I can't critically think.
> If that's Remeron, than I can't take it; I can't take anything that will make me gain weight.


Ahh Remeron made you gain weight? I was on 200mg zoloft with 45mg Remeron and my weight never budged. In fact, I was in amazing shape cuz the combo got me exercising like crazy.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

kehcorpz said:


> Ahh Remeron made you gain weight? I was on 200mg zoloft with 45mg Remeron and my weight never budged. In fact, I was in amazing shape cuz the combo got me exercising like crazy.


No, I never tried Remeron/mirtzapine but I read online that it causes weight gain, increased appetite, and tiredness, all of which I don't need. I've never had a psychiatric drug prescriber suggest Remeron, or Provigil. The only drugs I've been suggested to try are SSRI's, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Buspar, benzodiazapines, atypical antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.


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## maetmpj (Aug 30, 2013)

Low dosage benzo's with Wellbutrin will NOT slow u down but will remove the rough edges on anxiety.


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

shana said:


> No, I never tried Remeron/mirtzapine but I read online that it causes weight gain, increased appetite, and tiredness, all of which I don't need. I've never had a psychiatric drug prescriber suggest Remeron, or Provigil. The only drugs I've been suggested to try are SSRI's, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Buspar, benzodiazapines, atypical antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.


Well, Remeron definitely makes you tired, but you take it at night. Some people get these night time cravings, but me it knocked me right out. I would take it 2 hours before bed. It did keep you tired in the mornings for about the first week but then you adjust to that. Most people do anyways. Olanzapine is great but you need to have your blood work done every few months just to make sure it's not messing with your blood sugar.


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## Focus123 (Aug 30, 2013)

shana said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've been taking Zoloft 100 mg for 2 weeks and 2 days for social anxiety. My prescriber put me on 100 mg right away (but put me on 50 mg for 1 week before going to 100 mg) because she felt I had severe anxiety and I had previously tried Zoloft at 25 mg and I didn't like it, so I went off it.


I think you're prescriber is pushing Zoloft too fast on you. My starting dose was at 12.5 then to 25mg, after about three days. I stayed at 25mg for a week, and then moved by 12.5 every increments, every week, until I hit 50mg.

Then I did the same process every week by gradually building up the dosage for 12.5 increments, from 62.5, 75, 82.5 and then 100mg.

Now I'm at 100mg; however unlike you, I moved to this dosage over two months, and you've moved to this dosage in two weeks.

The reason why you don't want to move to fast is due to side effects. And it doesn't seem your body is responding too well, if you feel like a zombie. You should feel better with each increase, with some possible anxiety, but not to the point of being worse.

On Zoloft, I don't feel like a Zoloft, I feel I have my obsessive thoughts under control, and I don't suffer from the uncontrollable symptoms of anxiety.



> I've only been on this dose for a little over 2 weeks and I wanted to give it more time to work, but I can't go through college classes with my brain dulled like this. I need to be able to critically think for my schoolwork, which I can't do on this dose.
> So, I'm going to go down to 50 mg.


Yes, I think that is a better alternative to go back to 50mg, rather than from 50mg to 100mg. Normally the standard dose for Zoloft is at 50mg for it have an effect - while starting out at 25mg the first two weeks - before you move up to 50. Your prescriber seems to have made you jump, asap, before gradually getting there.

I question your prescriber for starting you off at such a high dose of Zoloft (at 50mg then moving quickly to 100mg), without the implication that there will be side effects. Has your prescriber asked about how you are feeling, at 50mg, before they pushed you to 100mg?

I am not a doctor, but my recommendation would be to stay at 50mg for at least seven to ten days, and then begin to build up by 12.5mg.

However you have 100mg tablets, so you have to cut them, in order to get 50.

Maybe you can ask your prescriber about taking smaller dosages since you are still adjusting to the Zoloft, and have a prescription written for 25mg tablets instead, so you can half them and work at 12.5 increments gradually, every seven to ten days.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

Focus123 said:


> I think you're prescriber is pushing Zoloft too fast on you. My starting dose was at 12.5 then to 25mg, after about three days. I stayed at 25mg for a week, and then moved by 12.5 every increments, every week, until I hit 50mg.
> 
> Then I did the same process every week by gradually building up the dosage for 12.5 increments, from 62.5, 75, 82.5 and then 100mg.
> 
> ...


I went down to Zoloft 50 mg a few days ago b/c the side effects of 100 mg were too much for me. 
I was on Zoloft 25 mg for about 3 months over 1 year ago and in general I didn't like it- I was angry all the time on it, and my psych Nurse thought I was getting more paranoid on it and added an antipsychotic (Risperdal) to it. I stopped the Zoloft at 25 mg, then went on Prozac 40 mg because I didn't want to gain weight, and my prescriber told me all SSRI's work in the exact same way- by increasing the serotonin in the amygdala. She told me there's no difference between the SSRI's- they all work for anxiety. I was on Prozac 40 mg for a few months (I think) and I still had a lot of anxiety and I was afraid to go to places like the gym. I didn't think the Prozac 40 mg was helping that much with my Social anxiety problems, so I asked my prescriber if I could re-try Zoloft at a higher dose, because I had read that it was a good medication for social anxiety problems (which is what I struggle with the most-not depression.) Also, on our first appointment, she told me I had severe anxiety and she wanted to put me on a high dose of Zoloft right away, at least 100 mg. At the time that scared me, so I asked her to keep me on a low dose, which she did. Fast forward over 1 year later, after trying Prozac 40 mg, I went into her office and asked her if I could try the high dose of Zoloft that she originally wanted me to go on.

Maybe she is pushing it on me too fast. I think she's trying to torture me for being a bad patient lol.

No, my prescriber (who is a psychiatric Nurse Practitioner) didn't ask me how I'm feeling at 50 mg before putting me on 100 mg of Zoloft. She just told me to stop taking the Prozac and to take 50 mg of Zoloft for 1 week, then go to 100 mg Zoloft. But, I guess she's fed up with me, and is annoyed by me and how I don't tolerate psychiatric medication well. Keep in mind, I already took a low dose of Zoloft (25 mg) for a few months and stopped taking it due to the side effects, like anger, and my prescriber didn't think it was a good medicine for me. Actually, she didn't want me to go on Zoloft again after Prozac, she would have rather I tried Celexa, Effexor, or Lexapro, but I was convinced that Zoloft at a higher dose would be good for my anxiety because Zoloft is FDA approved for SAD, and so I guess she was angry at me when she prescribed me the Zoloft 100 mg. She was angry because I kept insisting to her on each of our appointments that Prozac wasn't helping my anxiety problems and that I should re-try Zoloft because it might help me with my anxiety. I got this idea because Zoloft is FDA approved for SAD (along with Paxil). I can't take Paxil b/c of the weight gain it causes. I actually printed out the prescribing information for both Prozac and Zoloft and showed it to my prescriber, showing her that Prozac wasn't FDA approved for social anxiety or generalized anxiety (which I have the worst), that Prozac was only FDA approved for depression, OCD, panic disorder, and binge eating disorder; whereas Zoloft was FDA-approved for SAD, GAD, panic, depression, and a lot of other mental disorders. She told me all SSRI's work the same way (by increasing serotonin in the amygdala) and the only thing it means when a drug is FDA approved for a condition is that the drug-makers spent billions of dollars more to get their drug FDA-approved for a certain illness. Basically, she was saying there's absolutely no difference between the SSRI's, that they all work well for anxiety, and that I shouldn't keep asking her if I can discontinue Prozac and go on Zoloft because I feel Prozac doesn't help my anxiety.

Basically, I guess I'm a difficult person to deal with, so I can't really blame my prescriber for being fed up with me.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

kehcorpz said:


> Olanzapine is great but you need to have your blood work done every few months just to make sure it's not messing with your blood sugar.


The psychiatrists and psych nurses I've seen for meds in the past have never before suggested I try Remeron.

Zyprexa works for social anxiety? It makes a person fat, right? Maybe that's why it raises blood sugar.

I've tried Risperdal, and I didn't think I needed it and it made me lethargic, so I stopped after 2 weeks. I only have anxiety problems, I'm not psychotic or bipolar. But it made me feel sick to my stomach and I could barely eat on it, which was surprising, because I thought it would make me eat like crazy like most psychiatric meds do.
I also tried Abilify as an add-on to Prozac, and I felt the happiest I've been in a long time on it, I felt like I was a pre-teen again, before all my mental/emotional problems started, and it was great for me, but I stopped it after a few weeks because of side effects. I had trouble moving my neck on it, like it would lock and it was uncomfortable and I felt like people stared at me more because of it. She added Cogentin for the EPS I got from Abilify (2 mg?) and I started to worry because it's for Parkinson's disease and I was shaking a lot on the Cogentin. lol After only 3 days, I stopped taking the Cogentin and the Abilify, because overall it had too many side effects, although Abilify was probably the best psychiatric medication I've ever taken. I felt happy and carefree and could talk to people without worrying what they were thinking about me.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

maetmpj said:


> Low dosage benzo's with Wellbutrin will NOT slow u down but will remove the rough edges on anxiety.


I think Wellbutrin contributed to me dropping out of college (it made me hate doing things I didn't like doing-like commuting to college, and really made me not care about anything, including college, which I cared a lot about before I took Wellbutrin.) So, I don't want to try Wellbutrin again. I can't afford to stop caring about college again and drop out again.


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## A Sense of Purpose (May 8, 2011)

IndieVisible said:


> What do you expect? Zoloft is a zombie pill, also makes u sexually dysfunctional too lol.
> You will thank me later


Not for me, it actually gave me motivation/sexual functioning and I take an antipsychotic too. its a great combo for me at least. Mirtazapine not so much. Too much weight gain


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## depressed77 (Dec 9, 2010)

shana said:


> I also tried Abilify as an add-on to Prozac, and I felt the happiest I've been in a long time on it, I felt like I was a pre-teen again, before all my mental/emotional problems started, and it was great for me, but I stopped it after a few weeks because of side effects. I had trouble moving my neck on it, like it would lock and it was uncomfortable and I felt like people stared at me more because of it. She added Cogentin for the EPS I got from Abilify (2 mg?) and I started to worry because it's for Parkinson's disease and I was shaking a lot on the Cogentin. lol After only 3 days, I stopped taking the Cogentin and the Abilify, because overall it had too many side effects, although Abilify was probably the best psychiatric medication I've ever taken. I felt happy and carefree and could talk to people without worrying what they were thinking about me.


That's a shame you didn't tolerate it. If Abilify worked for you, you may want to take a look at ziprasidone, it's weight neutral. It's an atypical antipsychotic which was anxiolytic for me already at a low dose.

/depressed77


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## riptide991 (Feb 1, 2012)

shana said:


> The psychiatrists and psych nurses I've seen for meds in the past have never before suggested I try Remeron.
> 
> Zyprexa works for social anxiety? It makes a person fat, right? Maybe that's why it raises blood sugar.
> 
> ...


Yah I've been on abilify, it worked a bit but not as well as Zyprexa. Yah abilify tends to be hard to handle for some especially with the internal restlessness it can cause.

As far as zyprexa goes, it has a low chance of EPS and other issues. It did make me gain a bit of weight due to the low blood sugar. When your blood sugar is low you crave sugar unfortunately. I know people on these forums that take it with no issues. You would never get a dose higher than 5mg anyways, and that is a great dose to be on. I prefer it to all other antipsychotics as its one of the few that has been proven to raise dopamine in areas like prefrontal cortex and such. And it doesn't block D2 receptors unless at really high doses while most antipsychotics will block them at very low doses.

Anyways, antipsychotics are good because something like an SSRI will raise serotonin, it doesn't care where. Not all serotonin receptors are good. Antipsychotics like zyprexa block a lot of the ones that may cause bad effects and let the serotonin work on the good receptors like 5-ht1a. Anyways, zyprexa blocks 5-ht6 strongly which helps concentration/cognition a lot.


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## shana (Mar 9, 2009)

depressed77 said:


> That's a shame you didn't tolerate it. If Abilify worked for you, you may want to take a look at ziprasidone, it's weight neutral. It's an atypical antipsychotic which was anxiolytic for me already at a low dose.
> 
> /depressed77


I briefly tried Geodon also, in the past. With anti-psychotics and mood stabilizers, I tend to go off them when I get side effects because I don't feel like I need them. I have severe anxiety and probably depression from my anxiety problems, but I'm not bipolar or psychotic or schizoaffective or anything like that. The only antipsychotic or mood stabilizer I remember helping me was Abilify.


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## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

shana said:


> I also tried Abilify as an add-on to Prozac, and I felt the happiest I've been in a long time on it, I felt like I was a pre-teen again, before all my mental/emotional problems started, and it was great for me, but I stopped it after a few weeks because of side effects. I had trouble moving my neck on it, like it would lock and it was uncomfortable and I felt like people stared at me more because of it. She added Cogentin for the EPS I got from Abilify (2 mg?) and I started to worry because it's for Parkinson's disease and I was shaking a lot on the Cogentin. lol After only 3 days, I stopped taking the Cogentin and the Abilify, because overall it had too many side effects, although Abilify was probably the best psychiatric medication I've ever taken. I felt happy and carefree and could talk to people without worrying what they were thinking about me.


Prozac decreases the clearance of Abilify so you end up getting a higher blood level of Abilify. Just a thought as to why the EPS was so pronounced, but then again Abilify can sometimes cause akathisia in it's own right even at low doses.


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