Suicidal Thoughts/Paranoia Zoloft 11/10/1993 U.S.A. Woman Who Was Not Depressed Has Suicidal Thoughts & Paranoia on Med Summary:

Frist three paragraphs read:  "Q: When I went in for my annual checkup, my doctor said I was probably entering menopause and gave me an antidepressant called Zoloft. I told him I didn't need an antidepressant because I didn't feel depressed. I wasn't down, unhappy or weepy. In fact I am a happy person. He said a person doesn't have to feel down to have clinical depression and the drug would make me feel better."

"Soon after I started Zoloft I became afraid and paranoid. I had a pounding pressure in my head and couldn't sleep. This was strange because normally I am a good sleeper. Later on I had feelings of being worthless and did nothing but sit and cry. My eyes burned, my head hurt and I was thinking of suicide."
 
"When I stopped the pills I got back to my own cheerful self. Why did this antidepressant depress me so badly?"
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DRUG TRIGGERS SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
October 11, 1993
Author: By Joe Graedon and Dr. Teresa Graedon
Estimated printed pages: 2
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Q: When I went in for my annual checkup, my doctor said I was probably entering menopause and gave me an antidepressant called Zoloft. I told him I didn't need an antidepressant because I didn't feel depressed. I wasn't down, unhappy or weepy. In fact I am a happy person. He said a person doesn't have to feel down to have clinical depression and the drug would make me feel better.

Soon after I started Zoloft I became afraid and paranoid. I had a pounding pressure in my head and couldn't sleep. This was strange because normally I am a good sleeper. Later on I had feelings of being worthless and did nothing but sit and cry. My eyes burned, my head hurt and I was thinking of suicide.
When I stopped the pills I got back to my own cheerful self. Why did this antidepressant depress me so badly?

A: Far be it from us to second-guess your physician, but it sure sounds as if the cure was worse than the disease. Just because a woman is going through menopause doesn't necessarily mean she is going to be depressed.

Zoloft (sertraline) is a new antidepressant, similar to the popular drug Prozac (fluoxetine). While many do well on such drugs, reports have surfaced that a few people taking Zoloft may experience aggravated depression, a paranoid reaction or suicidal thoughts. Such side effects are considered infrequent, affecting fewer than one person in 100, but it sounds like you might be that one.

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Q: I have had migraine headaches since I was a teen-ager, but they have become more frequent as I've aged. I am so pleased with this wonderful new drug Imitrex, which clears the entire headache out in 20 minutes or less. I do find the injections painful, but that's not nearly as bad as a migraine. My question: How many injections are considered safe in a month? My family doctor told me not to use more than two a month, but my pharmacist said he hasn't heard of a limit.

I average at least two migraines a week. Would it be safe for me to leave a minimum of 48 hours between injections?

A: The manufacturer recommends not more than two injections in a single day, separated by at least one hour. There is no restriction on the number of days in a month one may safely use this medication, although the price of around $70 for two doses may discourage frequent use.

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Q: My doctor says I've got to get my cholesterol down, but I don't know what more I can do. I don't eat butter or eggs and I rarely have red meat. But my total cholesterol is 238 and my good HDL cholesterol is too low.

My doctor has me on Dyazide and Tenormin for blood pressure, and now he wants to put me on Pravachol for the cholesterol. I hate taking so many pills. If I lost my spare tire do you think I could get my blood pressure and cholesterol under control?

A: Losing weight might well lower your blood pressure. Ten pounds can make a big difference.

This might also benefit your cholesterol level. The blood pressure medications you take might be contributing to your cholesterol problem. If you no longer need drugs for hypertension, your cholesterol levels might normalize.

We are sending you our brochure that lists drugs that can raise cholesterol levels and some alternatives that do not. Anyone who would like our Guide to Controlling Cholesterol should send $2 with a long (No. 10) stamped, self-addressed envelope: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. C-101, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717.
Edition:  FIVE STAR
Section:  EVERYDAY MAGAZINE
Page:  4D
Column:  PEOPLE'S PHARMACY COLUMN
Record Number:  9310090069

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DRUG TRIGGERS SUICIDAL THOUGHTS