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Zoloft addiction is a potential risk of taking this prescription medication. While Pfizer, the maker of this Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI), claims that Zoloft is non-habit forming, numerous patients have experienced Zoloft addiction problems. Zoloft is a medication that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat a number of emotional conditions. Zoloft is prescribed for obsessive compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and major depressive disorder.
Zoloft, and other drugs of its class, act specifically to affect the brain cells that process serotonin while leaving other neurotransmitter receptors alone. This helps to make serotonin more effective in the brain which can greatly relieve the negative symptoms which contribute to the aforementioned conditions. Zoloft and other SSRIs actually change the chemistry of the brain so that the brain begins to depend on the presence of this drug in order to function properly, hence the risk of Zoloft addiction.
People who take SSRIs commonly manifest some degree of physical dependency to these medications. Zoloft addiction (as well as addiction to all SSRIs) is predicated on the drug''s half life. A half life has to do with the amount of time it takes the chemical in question to break down in the body. The faster an SSRI medication breaks down in the body, the more addictive it may be. The half life for Zoloft is about one day, while the half life for Prozac is closer to six days, and the half life for Paxil is less than twenty four hours.
At the end of a “half life” period, the ill effects of Zoloft addiction may kick in. Zoloft addiction can cause patients to become dizzy, irritable, depressed, and anxious. Zoloft addiction may also produce flu-like symptoms in a patient. Zoloft addiction can also generate more extreme and detrimental withdrawal symptoms. Patients who suffer from Zoloft addiction may experience insomnia, nightmares or vivid dreams, the internal sensation of electric “zaps”, nausea, and akathisia.
Akathisia is the Zoloft addiction side effect whereby a patient suffers acute motor restlessness, extreme agitation and nearly unbearable anxiety. Patients who suffer from akathisia are unable to sit still and often times lose emotional self control. Akathisia is often thought to be a precursor to suicidal ideations and aggressive thoughts and behaviors that are manifested in patients with a Zoloft addiction. This extremely detrimental effect of Zoloft use has provoked multiple lawsuits against Pfizer for concealing or failing to warn the public about the serious side effects associated with Zoloft use.
When it is in the best interest of a patient to discontinue Zoloft treatment, doctors will often recommend that a patient slowly reduce the amount of Zoloft they take in order to avoid the potential side effects of Zoloft addiction and withdrawal. If you are taking Zoloft and wish to change or discontinue your treatment, it is vital to consult you doctor in order to devise a plan that best protects your health and well being.
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