# Zoloft and Sleepiness



## popcorn (Dec 18, 2005)

I was just wondering if anyone who is currently taking zoloft (or who has taken it in the past) experiences extreme fatigue while taking it. I have been on Zoloft for almost 6 weeks now, and I didn't notice sleepiness until the past week or so-but my dosage was raised to 100 mg 2 weeks ago. I am so overly tired lately. I can sleep all night (my normal 8-9 hours), but instead of waking up feeling refreshed like I usually would, I wake up extremely exhausted. I either have to literally drag myself out of bed or I just fall back asleep for another 3 or 4 hours. And even then I wake up extremely exhausted. I'm to the point where I'm sleeping more than I'm awake. And I know that excessive sleep can cause drowsiness, but I feel the exact same way even when I get a normal amount of sleep. I'm trying to figure out if this is caused by the Zoloft or by some other factor. I'm going back to my doctor a week from tomorrow, so I'm going to ask her about it too-but I was wondering if this is a side effect that others have experienced, and if so-does it go away?? Thanks so much!! opcorn


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## archaic (Jan 16, 2006)

I had the opposite problem on Zoloft. I could not fall asleep for the life of me! I'd be laying in bed for hours, COMPLETELY WIRED but knowing I had to get some sleep.

Anyway, good luck! I'm having that problem now with some other medications. :-/


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

If you read Zoloft's label you will find that in their clinical trials patients did report drowsiness as a side effect at about twice the rate of those on placebo. (Insomnia was also reported as a side effect by other Zoloft users, also at about twice the rate as those on placebo.)

I've tried Zoloft at up to 300 mg daily and it didn't sedate me. But everyone responds to drugs differently. Paxil didn't sedate me, but was so sedating that my brother had to stop using it, for example.


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## popcorn (Dec 18, 2005)

Yea, I know that everyone reacts differently to drugs, I was just wondering if anyone here had experienced the drowsiness.


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## mike Lamber (Dec 27, 2011)

*i have same sleepyness problem with ZOLOFT*

im a male 25 years old, I have been on zoloft for 6 weeks now and i have the same problem as you. i started on 25mg for a week, as soon as i went to 50 mg's i got EXTREMLY lazy all day i too would sleep 8-10 hours and still be exausted. i would force myself up for a few hours then i had to go back to sleepfor 3-4 hours. where i use to sleep for 6-1/2 to 8 hours and be fully rested i now can literally sleep from 10pm to 4pm 18 hours! which is crazy and after all the sleep im still tired...
im going to see the doc soon and hopefully fix this before i start school.


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

When I first started it I had insomnia. That lasted about 3 weeks or so. Now I just sleep like a "normal" person would---about 8 hours a night.

If it makes ya so sleepy try taking it an hour before bed from now on.


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## amm64 (Jul 1, 2015)

Zoloft makes me very drowsy all the time. I take 100mg. my first doctor told me to take it at night bc it makes you tired. I then saw another doctor who said it doesn't matter what time you take it, because Zoloft apparently messes with your sleep quality, which causes the excessive drowsiness. So that may answer why you're sleeping so much and still so tired. Even when you do sleep, with Zoloft, it is a lower quality sleep so you don't wake up feeling refreshed


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## SwtSurrender (Nov 24, 2014)

popcorn said:


> I was just wondering if anyone who is currently taking zoloft (or who has taken it in the past) experiences extreme fatigue while taking it. I have been on Zoloft for almost 6 weeks now, and I didn't notice sleepiness until the past week or so-but my dosage was raised to 100 mg 2 weeks ago. I am so overly tired lately. I can sleep all night (my normal 8-9 hours), but instead of waking up feeling refreshed like I usually would, I wake up extremely exhausted. I either have to literally drag myself out of bed or I just fall back asleep for another 3 or 4 hours. And even then I wake up extremely exhausted. I'm to the point where I'm sleeping more than I'm awake. And I know that excessive sleep can cause drowsiness, but I feel the exact same way even when I get a normal amount of sleep. I'm trying to figure out if this is caused by the Zoloft or by some other factor. I'm going back to my doctor a week from tomorrow, so I'm going to ask her about it too-but I was wondering if this is a side effect that others have experienced, and if so-does it go away?? Thanks so much!! opcorn


Ye, I was on zoloft only up to 50 mg and I felt so tired all the time and just like how you explained, "extremely exhausted" all day for me. I also got 10 lbs weight gain. Even taking zoloft at night didn't help at all with the fatigue. Not for me. But my masturbation urges came back to almost normal! Sad, I had to give it up for my prozac. Ha!


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