Posted by LyndaK on April 27, 2004, at 1:32:01
In reply to Re: ssri's effect on cognitive functioning???, posted by Kelle on April 26, 2004, at 18:55:22
I haven't read all the posts before yours, but I just had to respond to yours. I took Zoloft off and on for 5 or 6 years and the cognitive side-effects were what finally made me decide that I could not stay with it. Since I went off and on (having my babies) I knew for CERTAIN that the Zoloft was causing these effects. It was much like what you describe only with time and increased dose it contintued to get worse and worse. Eventually it impaired my long-term memory as well -- couldn't remember the alarm code to my house; couldn't remember phone numbers that had been in my head 10 or more years. I felt like a stroke patient. The bad news is, if you're having these symptoms, they WON'T get better. The good news is, all of my memory came back to normal once the Zoloft was completely out of my system. Make sure you work with your doctor to taper off the Zoloft. Not only does it feel awful if you go cold-turkey, it can also throw you into a re-bound depression that's more severe (one time I went cold-turkey and became suicidal). Just my experience, but I wouldn't want you to risk experiencing the same. Do a nice SLOW taper off and you'll be fine.
Good luck.
Lynda
> I've been on Zoloft for almost 3 months now. I am experiencing what I think is pretty troubling cognitive impairment. I have a high-stress job at a PR agency and find myself unable to concentrate. My short-term memory is completely shot, I will get up to do something and completely forget what it was a second later. Or, I'll start to say something and then...pooof...it's just gone! I don't seem to be able to put together complex thoughts...or I start to but can't finish any idea to the end. My thoughts are scattered. And, sometimes thoughts just pop into my head for no apparent reason. I'll have a completely random memory just "pop in" - it's really bizarre and kind of scary. It's also embarassing - I have been talking to colleagues and clients and all of a sudden don't know what I was going to say next. I almost feel retarded sometimes. What's so bizarre is that I have always been the complete opposite - I generally have a memory like a "steel trap" and everyone I know has told me that I should have been a lawyer (not necessarily a good thing ;> ) because of my reasoning, analytical, argument skills. BUT this is all gone now!! I feel like a complete idiot. Also, early this morning, I woke up after having really bizarre nightmares and dreams and it seemed I was having some type of lingering hallucination. When I opened my eyes, I saw an image of small balls spinning. I kept blinking my eyes and after a few minutes, it did pass. But, that totally freaked me out. Something like that has NEVER EVER happened to me. I'm relating it to the Zoloft and I think I'll be calling my dr. to start getting off of this stuff.
poster:LyndaK
thread:331128
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040423/msgs/340464.html