Other than a brief bout with Lexapro in college, the first medication I took long-term was Zoloft. My OB-GYN prescribed it over the phone when I told him I couldn’t sleep and felt anxious all the time. I started immediately on a medium dose, and within a few days, I began to have pain in my jaw that led me to be unable to open my mouth all the way.
The situation that led to calling my OB-GYN had also caused insomnia, which led to me spending a night in the psych ward at the hospital. After that, I made an appointment with my PCP, who I hadn’t seen in years. With kindness and compassion, we talked through the previous month of my life and he gave me new prescriptions as well as clear guidance on how to slowly begin taking an antidepressant.
I was eventually taking 100 mg of Zoloft daily, as well as something to help me sleep as needed. I was able to stop taking the sleeping medication once the Zoloft began to kick in, thankfully without painful jaw symptoms.
I took Zoloft for almost a …
