May 24, 2008, 8:45 am

Thats how it worked for me...when I first started taking it I had ALL bad days.  After a couple of weeks I was having 1 good day, then 1 bad day, so on and so forth.  As I am on it longer, the periods of joy and happiness do get longer and the bad periods get shorter.  One thing to be mindful also, is your diet and activities.  If you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, that counter acts zoloft because it is a stimulant that stimulates the portion of your brain that obsesses.  Also, chocolate, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sugar filled foods do this too.  So while your doing well,  you may decided to crack open a pepsi and all of a sudden your obsessing, that could be why.  I didn't want to believe it had an impact on me either, but trust me, it does.   I tested the waters a few weeks ago when we went to a pizza place for lunch.  I ordered a pepsi and it came with free refills.  I drank at least 3 glasses and that night I had a really bad obsessive/depressive attack and cried my eyes out. 

Also, I have noticed working out on a regular basis makes you feel better.  I just try to go swimming to help take the edge off, and it works. 

Well, from a fellow sertraline dropper, there is my advice on how to work with the medication.  Trust me though, I have been on it since Feb 3, 2008 and it does get better.  Right now, I might have 1 really bad day in 2 weeks.

Curt

May 24, 2008, 7:32 am

I've had cycles where I feel good for a weeks, and then I have a few low days, where I feel sad, anxious, and depressed.  I think part of it is external, though.  Like when I'm feeling good I stay in my comfort zone, but then I'll feel really low because I haven't done anything to move myself forward. I take all my meds on schedule. I'm not sure if it's just the medication or a combination of things.