Restarting Zoloft for the 3rd time

[Nefelie]

Hello. So I suffer from panic attacks, anxiety and OCD. I have been on Zoloft two times before. The last time was 4 months ago. All my symptoms came back again so I decided to start again. Today is my second day on 50mg Zoloft and I don't have big side affects. Just a little dry mouth and stomach issues. The thing is I googled aboit restarting SSRIs and many people say that restarting is more difficult and that the brain can't tolerate the drug anymore. Now I'm scared because I also read all possible side effects and I'm scared I'll have the deadliest ones because my body won't react well. Does anyone have experience with reatarting? Did it go well for you?

[Paxiled]

It's true, for many people a drug doesn't work again after you stop taking it.  It's usually after you've been on a drug for a long time.  But for many other people, they do work again and again and again.  You've already done it twice and it worked twice, so for you so far you haven't had this problem.  And it doesn't mean you get more side effects, it means the drug doesn't work, which usually means fewer side effects.  I'd give it the time to get to a therapeutic dose and see what happens.  As to what else you've learned, antidepressants don't cure anxiety.  They only tamp down the symptoms.  If you want to cure it, therapy is where you want to go.  It might not work, but if it does and you figure this out, or find a way to talk yourself out of thinking anxious thoughts, you will have fixed the problem rather than just medicated it.  In the meantime, you've learned your problem is chronic and until you fix it you will probably need to stay on meds.  Peace.