Headache with pounding (Day #8 of Zoloft)

[NCLakeGuy]

Today is day 8 and I went up from 25mg's to 37.5mg's this morning.  All in all, I'm thinking I am doing better, but I get this ocassional slight headache with pounding, it's like my heartbeat is pounding in my head.  Is this normal?  Am I just adjusting to the Zoloft?  If so, will it pass?

Thank you,
Brian Mc

[Catesykes]

I started the same medication 6 days ago. I was on 50mg but felt worse- also had pounding headache so have been dropped to 25mg. I'm even sensitive to caffeine so really don't know why I was started on higher dose. Feeling lots better now though. Ask your doctor about the headache side effect but I have certainly had it.

[NCLakeGuy]

Thank you Cat!!!  It may be the caffeine, I ate a slice of cake this afternoon at a work thing and the headache came on right after that.

[mollyfin]

I'm going back on zoloft after trying a bunch of different medications that either didn't work or had horrible side effects, and I'm having a lot of headaches too.  I can't remember if I got them the first time I went on zoloft, but I'm quite a bit older now so maybe I just can't accommodate new medications like I used to.  It's a pretty common medication side effect and tends to go away after a few weeks.   

[NCLakeGuy]

Thank you Molly.....what have you been taking for the headaches??  Anything working?

[mollyfin]

Motrin.  Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.

[livelaughlove]

that's normal, my hunch is that it's the zoloft, and it will stop with time. You will probably get many weird reactions during the initial start up period and they will stop soon, then you will feel back to normal, trust me. For me, the initial start up with zoloft was bad for 2 weeks, extreme nausea, no appetite, diarrhea, headache, increased anxiety, joint pains, and even jaw pain that made me feel like my ear drum would burst, but my ear drum was fine. I think it was because i was grinding my teeth while sleeping. By week 3 the nausea was gone, just some stomach upset, but i did feel better. Some insomnia (waking up too early). It was pretty much living hell in the beginning. By week 4 I felt good but still had some anxiety, especially in the morning, where every morning I would wake up feeling anxious with a fast heart rate (but of not concern, only like 120 bpm and that is fine). For me, it really did take the full 8 weeks to feel totally fine. I would still get some anxiety, for no reason, so about 16 days ago i titrated up to 75 mg and feel all better now. I didn't get any weird problems titrating up to 75 mg, which i was concerned would happen. I think it increases your anxiety in the beginning so you are more aware of things you don't normally pay attention to, like heartbeat and breathing and aches and pains, stuff like that. I guess while your brain is adjusting you have all this epinephrine or adrenaline pumped up or something, like the fight or flight response, making you more aware of these things going on in your body. So you will level out soon, it just takes time, and hang in there!!!

[NCLakeGuy]

Thank you LLL!!!  I really appreciate your response, it gives me hope and encouragement to hang in there!!! 

[NCLakeGuy]

Another quick question.....when you up from 25mg's to 50mg's, is it better to take all 50 in the AM or split the pill and take 25mg in the morning and 25mg's at night?  I want to do what's best and also make sure my sleep gets back to normal soon.

[livelaughlove]

well each person is different. For me, I just upped it in one dose and took it at 5 about an hour before i eat dinner. When i took it in the morning it made me sleepy throughout the day. So i take it at 5. At first, i started taking it at night before i went to bed, but i would wake up too jittery about 8 hours after taking it, i don't know if that was just part of the initial start-up process though. I guess it just all depends upon what works for you. For me, it seems to work best taking it halfway through the day at 5, though.