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Sertraline and diarrhoea

Posted , 34 users are following.

grahame84
grahame84

Hi guys been on this sertraline for about 8/10 months have had good reaction head wise but have had the odd bit of diarrhoea for like one week out of a month but this last spell has lasted nearly 3 weeks should i be concerned I'm due to see the doc on 10th June do you think I should see him sooner thx

2 likes, 74 replies

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  • Joe_Slim
    Joe_Slim grahame84

    Posted

    Graham,

    Diarrhea sucks!  I feel your pain.  Sertraline gave me bad diarrhea at first, but no more.

    Three weeks is a very long stretch of time for diarrhea!  

    From my experience with docs and tummy problems, I don't think the doc is going to be much help with the diarrhea.  Your doc is going to suggest simple solutions, such as eat more yogurt, or take pepto-bismol.  Sigh.

    I say wait it out, but you might email or phone your doc (or the doc's assistant) and ask if you should come in for a visit.  

    Hang in there!

     

    • popeye70572
      popeye70572 Joe_Slim

      Posted

      Hi there, first time on this site, I have been taking Serdep for 3months, and then started having diarrhea very bad, I dont have medical aid so my Gp sent me to hosp for a Colonoscopy, and they presumably found a bug, put me on a drip and antibiotics, while I was there diarrhea was better, long story short I left the hosp after R30 000, but diarrhoea was still there, eventually we read leaflets of the meds, and suspected Serdep, after just 1 day diarrhea was gone, but the withdrawal is horrible, Now I am on Wellbutrin, will have to contact psychiatrist again. I am wondering how could they have found a bug? Thats weird, could the Serdep have caused it? Why did the doctor not suspect my meds, they were told from the start I was bipolar and what meds I take, its just money,money?
    • samuel61941
      samuel61941 Joe_Slim

      Posted

      Prune juice is amazing! really great for improving bowel movements.

  • tanya91091
    tanya91091 grahame84

    Posted

    Hi,

    I would contact your gp ASAP rather than put it off. I was given Sertraline approx 18 months ago and started getting loose (sometimes slimy bowel movements).

    At first the diarrhoea was only occasionally but it escalated slowly week by week until i visisted the gp ( i didnt link it to the medication at all).

    Anyway the bowels got worse, i got tested for all kinds of things, sent to consultants etc and was told over and over again that the tests showed nothing so it must be irratable bowel movement. After months off work (it got so bad it got to the stage it was happening in my pants on occasions).

    Anyway the long and short of it was that i had 'microscopic colitis' common in 60 - 80 year olds!!! (i was 36 at the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and it can only be diagnosed by biposies taken during an endoscope procedure.

    The result was the microscopic colitis was caused by the Sertraline and within two days of stopping this medication and taking steroids (for the inflammation caused to colon) i slowly recovered. The bowels are still occasionally funny and i put this down to all the hassle caused by this medication.

    A good medication for some but if its causing bowel issues then get it changed by your gp as soon as you can - dont suffer like i did (for a good while before diagnosis i was convinced i was dying of bowel cancer).

     

    • justine12414
      justine12414 tanya91091

      Posted

      Hi Tanya,really interested in your post. I have been on Sertraline for 5 weeks now,and for the last couple of weeks I have had horrendous watery diarrhoea. Spoke to my gp today and she said Sertraline can cause tempory colitis which horrified me. She wants me to stop the Sertraline immediately and go on to Escitalopram. Are you better now and do you think stopping the Sertraline will cure this? Kind regards
    • tanya91091
      tanya91091 justine12414

      Posted

      Hi Justine,

      Glad your gp has looked at steps to sort out your loose bowels quickly.

      When i stopped the Sertraline my bowels came under control quite qucikly (what i mean is i wasn't running to the toilet) but the bowel movements still continued to be loose and still was worrying so the consultant put me onto Budenfalk ( a brand name for a type of steroid but i forget the actual steroid name now). Anyway 3 months after the steroids im colitis clear and have been for a good while now. I have to say that within 3 days of starting the steroids my bowels returned to normal and my overall health got a heap better.

      Keep an eye on how you go as you may just need to let your guts calm down by themselves. Also gp's and consultants are really reluctant to give out steroids without a definite diagnossis which can only be done with bowel biopsies.

      Thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon.

      T x

    • justine12414
      justine12414 tanya91091

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply Tanya,and I'm so sorry you had such a rough ride with your bowels. I am pleased the course of steroids sorted the problem out,but sad that you had to go through all that to get the treatment you needed. I stopped Sertraline 13 days ago after 5 or 6 weeks of being on it,and am finally noticing an improvement in my bowels (only taking one Immodium in the morning too) Did you go on to try a different ssri? Kind regards,Justine
    • justine12414
      justine12414 tanya91091

      Posted

      Hi Tanya,I wondered if you mind me asking if you have tried another ssri after the dreaded Sertraline? I have started Escitalopram,9 days now and am starting to panic that this too may flare the diarrhoea again. With microscopic colitis are all ssris not advisable,or should snris or tricyclics be used? Thank you for any advice x
    • jen10397
      jen10397 tanya91091

      Posted

      Hi Tanya, hopefully u can offer some advice, my mum stared 50mg sertraline back in aug. Just lately she has told me she has been having a change in bowel habits, soft stools (not runny diarrhoea), and on 3 occasions in December she noticed a tiny amount of red blood on stool. Obv when she told me this I panicked, took her straight up to a and e, they done a rectal examination, chest and abdo xray all clear, also her bloods where normal and haemoglobin was 14.8 which is good. Dr has referred her for a colonoscopy on Thursday 29 Jan. It was just a few days after our visit to a and e when my mum and I started linking the symptoms with Sertraline, and looking back my mum said within days of starting it she had dirohrea and really ever since motions where soft. So once we realised this she stopped taking tablets, (2weeks now) But today she had soft motion, how long did your side effects last after stopping? Do U think this could be the cause of my mums symptoms? Dreading Thursday I'm so worried.
    • HoosierHunnie45
      HoosierHunnie45 tanya91091

      Posted

      I am so glad you posted this. I have been on sertraline for nearly 4 years now.. suddenly I have been having severe lower abdominal and back cramping, bloating and severe diarrhea. It happens now within 10 - 15 min of me taking the medication. I am going to call my Doctor. Thank you for the info!
    • Lea29
      Lea29 tanya91091

      Posted

      TANYA91091!!!! I really really hope you still check this thread!! I would very much like to speak to you as you may be able to put me out of the complete misery I am in where people are looking at me like I'm mad or making the whole thing up!! If you get this, could we please talk?!

      Thanks,

      Leanne

    • devin5117
      devin5117 Lea29

      Posted

      hello. i noticed that they never responded to you. I've been having so much sludge in me lately, it's terrible. it happens several times a day especially if I am not constantly eating. But this is not convenient at all for someone like me who's in college in LA, where time is crucial to my success and using the restroom every time I get the chance is very time consuming. I am not a chronic Zoloft user, I am barely reaching my 6 month mark. So possibly soon I will get off of it. Concerned about how I will feel after I'm weened off. Do u have any advice? Will impulses of mine return? Do you think my brain chemistry will no longer be the same? My psychiatrist has refused to let me discontinue my antidepressants due to suspected drug use. However, she has reminded me multiple times that she does not recommend mixing of drugs and my medications. Does not add up, sounds more to me like she's concerned about losing a patient too fast. But she was so quick to hang up for another patient, gotta say I do not like psychiatrists, they bug me and seem to show little empathy.

    • samuel61941
      samuel61941 tanya91091

      Posted

      wow, it's only my second day and i think this has put me off taking anymore. i already have bad diarrhea, and have had IBS for years anyway. Hopefully i can sort my mind out without medicine!

  • adam1972
    adam1972 grahame84

    Posted

    Hi,  I have been on sertraline for 6 weeks at 50 mg, prescribed for anxiety.  Over the last 3 days I have developed very loose liquid stools which has increased my anxiety.  I'm going to stop taking the drug as it wasn't easing my anxiety at all anyway.  What I'd like to know from anyone with experience of this is will the diarrhoea go away after stopping sertraline?  How long will it be - it's freaking me out!
    • justine12414
      justine12414 adam1972

      Posted

      Hi Adam,I stopped Sertraline 8 days ago after being on it for 5 weeks. I developed chronic watery diarrhoea at week 4,up to 7 times a day which sent my anxiety through the roof. However,for the past 2 days it has been slowly getting better. Have you tried Immodium? I have also been having Yakult daily and peppermint tea or capsules are meant to help. I advise you to see your gp,to talk about a change in medication and the diarrhoea. I am about to change to Escitalopram,as I used to be on Citalopram and never had diarrhoea on that. There is light at the end of the tunnel,please try and relax x
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