Zoloft numbs the shit out of me

[Alfed]

Hi,

I have been diagnosed with Depression and SAD. I've been on Zoloft (75mg) for 3 months now. It's okay for SAD, but it is very "numbing": I've never felt so amotivated, apathetic and indifferent. Zoloft also exacerbates my agitation.

Is this normal? Will it become better?

Thanks and greetings,
Alfed

[jt07]

Hello, Alfed, and welcome to CB! Glad you are here.

Yes, it is normal for SSRIs, of which Zoloft is one, to numb some people. I take Celexa (citalopram), and it really causes a lot of apathy and some numbing in me. But I take it because it is the best thing I have found that works for my anxiety. Unfortunately, I have not found this side effect to go away, and I've been on Celexa for more than 10 years.

You could try changing the SSRI because maybe Zoloft just hits you too hard with this side effect. But like I said, in my experience, they ALL do it to some degree. You could also try a different class of antidepressant such as the SNRIs (Effexor and Cymbalta) or a med like Remeron which is highly sedating but doesn't numb at all.

Good luck and welcome again!

[BrianOCD]

They all do that, at first anyways.

I find the longer you're on it though, the more your feelings begin to gradually return....maybe not to 100% but mostly they come back.

Edited March 9, 2018 by BrianOCD

[Iceberg]

SAD meaning seasonal affective or social anxiety ? 

[HisHarleQuinn]

even when I was taking my zoloft like I should, I didn't have this problem. [I say did because now I'm bad about remembering to take it...oops?] But. all medication effects everyone differently. My mom took Latuda and ended up in the psych. hospital for...reasons. I took it and didn't get as bad as she did. 

[Juniper29]

I know it's common but I don't have this experience with SSRIs. Or maybe my feelings are so intense that a little numbing is a relief.

[browri]

Of all the SSRIs, Zoloft made me feel the most robotic. Like I was sometimes experiencing a life around me that I wasn't actually living or that I was just going through the motions and not actually controlling my body. Not in a psychotic way, just a profound internal sense of monotony. Celexa and Lexapro both were very demotivating and made me feel apathetic, but they didn't make me feel "robotic" the way that Zoloft did. Additionally, Zoloft did actually make me agitated at 75mg and kind of cold and stern. This never really got better for me.

I don't really feel that way though on Trintellix, which is the AD that I'm taking now. Works really well for me. What it does for anxiety though is pretty hit or miss, and you just have to try it to find out.

Based on my own experience though, the robotic feeling with Zoloft never really went away. You just stopped noticing it after a while or you got used to it to the point of not really caring. Prozac also did this a little bit but not to the same extent as Zoloft. I did not feel as robotic on Effexor, Pristiq, Viibryd, Cymbalta.