Will My Panic Attacks Reduce If I Start Taking Zoloft And Drink Less Alcohol?
Monday, October 26th, 2009 at
6:16 am
I have bi-polar and am taking medication for it. But started having
panic attacks 3 years ago. I drink quite a large amount of alcohol
because to self medicate. I cant drive at the moment and cant even go for walk on my own. The only time I go out is with another
person. Does anyone know if zoloft is effective. Please help as I
want to be free and independant again.
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Tagged with: Alcohol • Attacks • Drink • Less • Panic • Reduce • Start • Taking • Zoloft
Filed under: panic attack
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I had severe panic attacks, and alcohol was one of the reasons. It depletes your energy, and hangovers leave you oversensitive to all stimuli.
STOP DRINKING IMMEDIATELY!!!
Antidepressants and alcohol do not mix. If you dont want to take my word for it, look it up on google.
And about Zoloft…. I have the same problems as you do.
1)Agarophobic- cant go outside
2)Panic Attacks.
3)Only difference is I dont drink. At all. (Well aside from gatherings and stuff)
When I took Zoloft, it “seemed” to have helped me for a year or two. I started going outside again… Also no panic attacks. Allthough I had episodes of strong anxiety even under Zoloft.
The reason why I put the word “seemed” in quotes is because I was doing other things back then to help myself. I was forcing myself outside little by little. I droped out of college, and basically just sat home all the time. Then I went outside and stood by my house for 20 min… Then I walked around my house. After that I walked a few blocks down the street… Eventually I tried going to a busy street… At 1st I had terrible PA’s and ran home to mommy… Then I tried again, and again, untill finally one day I just felt better…
I dont know if it was Zoloft or my “therapy” but something helped… I kept taking Zoloft for some time, but then I had to stop because:
1)It was killing my stomach.(constant severe diarrhea)
2)I couldnt imagine the life where I would have to take antidipressants untill the day I die.
So then I went back to college and got my Associate’s after 4 years of torture. (PA’s and headaches came back, so it was really hard)
Finally after I got my Associates I had to go to a 4 year college to get a BA, and tha’s when all hell broke loose. I was under a lot of stress, and I guess that triggered all my problems to resurface.
At this point I’m again sitting home, and I’m back in the “hole”.
I working on it though, and it seems I’m having some small progress. (no more pills for me though. I have taken enough of them to understand that they are only a temporary solution)
Anyway. After you read my story, make your conclusions.
Zoloft will never cure you. Neither will any antidepressant. Only YOU can cure yourself. However Zoloft “might” give you that necessary relief/temporary boost you need to start slowly going out again.
I suggest you try my “therapy” listed above, CBT, NLP, and natural supplements such as Omega-3, Vitamin B complex, and mabe Saint John’s Wart(be careful with this one and never take it with antidepressants, ask your doctor)
You are supposed to avoid alcohol when taking antidepressants. I do not take Zoloft, but I am currently on Lexapro. It reduced my anxiety and I feel a lot better. Talk to your doctor.
You need to stop drinking. Medication often is negatively affected by alcohol. Talk to your doctor or psychiatrist. There are a number of medicines which help with anxiety. Sometimes it takes a while to get the right combination of meds, be patient. But adding alcohol to the mix is really bad. It sounds like you want to get better. Be good to yourself – you deserve it.
Your panic attacks could simply be alcohol withdrawl.Some symptoms are impending doom,shakes,fear for no reason,that “I gotta get out of here”feeling.Dont get me wrong it could very well be anxiety.I did the same self medication thing with alcohol.My personal experience with Zoloft was it didnt work.All it did was upset my stomach.After I quit drinking (it took about a week) the panic attacks totally stopped.Please be careful if you decide to quit drinking.Get with your doctor and be honest with him/her.Alcohol withdrawls can be dangerous, even fatal if you dont have help to get through it.Tell your doctor everything,Thats the only way they can help you.Sincerely,Best of luck!!!
Truthfully, doctors rarely understand alcoholics or cig. smokers. They’re paid by govt. to prescribe lifetime medications which will eventually confuse you to the point of suicide.
First, go to A.A. You’re playing with your life, now.