Increased Zoloft from 50 mg to 100mg

justbreathe2 · October 26

Thinking of increasing my DH Zoloft to 100. At times I see more anxiety in him. I am a little hesitant bc I don’t want to overdo the medication.
Can anyone tell me if they see improvement after increased, or side effects?

henrietta · October 26

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/71021/increased-zoloft-from-50-mg-to-100mg

I did not see much of a change in my DH.

clarinetist · October 26

A few weeks ago, I upped my Zoloft from 50 mg to 75 mg. Haven’t seen any effect either way.

M1 · October 26

Definitely worth a try. 100 mg is still a middling dose, the daily maximum is usually 200 mg. Limiting side effects are diarrhea and night sweats.

Carl46 · October 26

I took 200 mg for 20+ years, until it quit working and my PCP changed to another med. Zoloft is nothing to be afraid of.

Jgirl57 · October 26

for my husband, yes the increase to 100 was helpful. We did 50, then 75 for a few months and then 100.

ImMaggieMae · October 26

As long as his doctor approves, why not give it a try? You could always go back to the original dosage or try something else.

fesk · October 26

Agree to check with the doctor. Also, it may take 4-6 weeks for the medicine to reach full effect. It's difficult to wait, but try to give the medicine enough time to get to the effective level before changing the dose. I'd also recommend small increases.

justbreathe2 · October 28

Thank you all for your comments. I am going to wait awhile. His anxieties have calmed down for now.

jfkoc · October 28

Did the Dr approve?

Dio · October 28

Each case is so different. In my experience, it wasn't so much as the dosage but the correct drug that made the difference. He was on quetiapine at the onset but it wasn't working any more. So he got back on Ativan, where results were spotty cuz Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde started to show up. When DH's psychiatrist first surmised that it might be Lewy Body, he prescribed rivastigmine and it worked like a charm that night. DH slept through the night and in the morning was no longer suspicious (just fill in the blank) of me. Then rivastigmine was switched to donepezil, and I didn't notice any difference. He was on Ativan for almost a year where it worked initially but aggression and agitation kept going up. Neurologist weaned him off and switched him back to quetiapine which he's currently on. Last month the dosage got reduced by half and no noticeable differences. The only difference was the addition of depakote (sprinkles) that made all the difference. It took 2 months to work and continues to work its magic. DH seems like a normal person to anyone who meets him now. It's such a conundrum that makes me wonder if all that horror prior to depakote was just a bad nightmare.

justbreathe2 · October 29

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/226818#Comment_226818

YES

harshedbuzz · October 29

@justbreathe2

50mg is a "starting dose. I would try 100mg and see if there's an improvement at the end a couple weeks.

If there isn't, I would ask about adding a low dose antipsychotic along with.

HB

fesk · October 29

If this dose is effective in controlling the behaviors for your husband, leave it be if the doctor allows. Track the behaviors, side effects, etc. and work with the doctor for any increases. Everyone is different and has different tolerances, this may be all he needs. It may also turn out he does need an increase. If he does, work with the doctor to do so and I recommend giving each increase ample time to work. There may also be other medications that can be explored than antipsychotics. It's difficult to tell as we don't have all the details, so that's why it's important to closely monitor, track symptoms and work closely with the doctor.

justbreathe2 · November 1

Thanks for all your helpful comments. Of course, I would never change anything without asking his doctor. My DH doctor did approve his medication, but suggested starting 75 mg if needed then continue with 100 mg. I do keep a journal of everything including medication, etc. It is helpful if I need to refer back to it.

fesk · November 1

Please keep us posted.

justbreathe2 · November 9

Today was a stressful day for me. My DH Zoloft was increased over a week ago.

Today our lawn mowing service was here to clear leaves, cut grass and fertilize like we have done in past. There are 3 of them and we have used them for about 5 years. We have been very happy with the service and the owner we like and trust. Very nice person. Several of neighbors use him too.

As soon as the noise started with the mowing, blowers my DH got very upset. We both had decided to have him do the work today. He accused them of taking advantage of us, doing unnecessary work, etc. Doesn’t want him to come back. This is the first time this happened. We also use him for snow removal. My DH will now want to do it himself.

Just venting tonight. I am exhausted from trying to calm him from not saying anything to the guys. Makes me wonder if the Zoloft will calm him through these times later on. I have noticed in the last year that noise in a restaurant will bother him. But today was a nightmare. He is having more trusting issues with others.

Jgirl57 · November 10

The increased Zoloft should help , but noise is something that can be hard for PWD to filter .Would it be possible for you two to go for a drive when it’s time for lawn care? We live in an apartment and the landscape guys come every week the same time . I have discovered that my HWD/Alz does better if there is no competing noise like the TV . I turn the TV off and he tolerates the lawn work noise much easier . We no longer go into crowded or loud places. Glad you vented.

justbreathe2 · November 10

Thank you Jgirl57. Not sure if I can work it out with our landscape guy because he has a large customer base. A good idea though and will see next year. We do have snow removal and that will be a problem. My DH wants to do it himself. I worry about him falling. I am hoping the Zoloft will help.

My DH only watches news and a few game shows, so we have tv off most of the time.

If we go out to eat, very rarely, it has to be early. Although last time we went there was a party of 4 tables that had the same idea. He was very upset. So I will have to plan better.

Do you mind if I ask what stage is your DH?

Jgirl57 · November 10

just breathe 2, I believe my hubby is in the early phase of stage 6.

justbreathe2 · November 11

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/228028#Comment_228028

Thank you. My DH was diagnosed with MCI. I feel he is in early stage and more decline from a year ago. Neurologist scheduled us in February.

Increased Zoloft from 50 mg to 100mg

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