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2 weeks on sertraline and side effects still bad

Posted , 5 users are following.

joe41529
joe41529

Hi everyone I've started on 25 mg sertraline for a week then up to 50 mg for now 2 weeks on 50. I've noticed a difference in my mood and general anxiety so for that I'm grateful but the side effects are still really bad, especially in the mornings, bad diarrhea, increased anxiety headaches nervousness and kind of a scared feeling which does get a little better as the day progresses. My question is are these normal for me in this amount of time and someone please tell me when I will start getting some relief from the side effects. Thanks for any input you can give me, first time user on this forum and first time user on ssris, by the way I'm prescribed these basically for anxiety disorder. 

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • allie15023
    allie15023 joe41529

    Posted

    Hey joe! I was prescribed an ssri for GAD and panic disorder. When I first started taking them, they increased my anxiety horribly bad. My doc had to switch the type of ssri I was on. I went from citalopram to Zoloft. I'm in early stages of Zoloft so I can't really speak from experience. But if it makes you feel better I have most of the same side effects. Zoloft gives me bathroom issues as well as makes me groggy dull feeling, but I'm sticking with it. I think your side effects sound normal, but always check with your doc. Maybe a different ssri?

    Sending support!!

    Allie

    • joe41529
      joe41529 allie15023

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply Allie, I'm sorry your experiencing the same side effects as well, saying they really suck is an understatement! I'm going to try and stick with it as well for a while longer and see if these side effects at least start improving. Best of luck to you! 

    • allie15023
      allie15023 joe41529

      Posted

      They might try to up your dose too. I think 25mg is good for me now, but I think he will up me to 50mg. Do you have any "good" times? Like I'm usually the "worst" in the morning but as the day goes on, it gets better. In the evening I'm usually okay

    • joe41529
      joe41529 allie15023

      Posted

      We are very similar in many ways in our recovery. Yes I do have some good days, I can tell the sertraline is helping my anxiety in many ways but I'm also having bad days as well, like you my mornings are usually horrible, in fact I've had a few nights where I wake up in the middle of the night in full blown panic attacks, they don't last long thank goodness but that's really scary for me, but yes like you my mornings are the worst and I slowly feel better by mid day or early afternoon. Usually if I can eat in the morning that also helps me feel better faster. I use to love sleeping at night but now I hate it because I don't know if I'll wake in the middle of the night with anxiety or have another bad morning. Oh well I guess this is the nature of the tablets working for us, I do hear a lot that it gets much worse before it gets much better. 

    • joe41529
      joe41529 allie15023

      Posted

      Hi Allie, thank you for asking, im actually having a very good day,  little to no side effects at all today and I actually slept through the night with no anxiety. I'm starting to have more better days than worse ones, now if I can just get my nights a little more like my days I may start feeling like I'm making progress, but I also know that I'm very early on as far as the sertraline goes, so I'm just going to take this one day at a time!! Anyhoooo how are you doing today?? 

  • brenda53218
    brenda53218 joe41529

    Posted

    Hi Joe, welcome to the forum. I am on zoloft also and my 18th week. I can tell you from experience that it can take up to 6 to 8 weeks for feeling like yourself again. Now some people takes less time and others longer. There will be days that you feel like your going backwards but dont fret its just part of this rollercoaster called zoloft. You will find the right dosage as time goes on. Im starting 75 next week, I've been putting it off because most people have side effects when you increase. I am so glad that my doctor put me on this med, my life have been so much better. If theres any concerns always notify your doctor. Hope this helps, if there is anything else i can help you with feel free to ask. 😎

    • joe41529
      joe41529 brenda53218

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your response Brenda, that makes me feel better knowing that it can take that much time to work properly. One question for you though, in your experience did the side effects last 6-8 weeks or do you mean that's when I'll notice the medicine working fully?  Again thank you very much for your insight and response! 

    • brenda53218
      brenda53218 joe41529

      Posted

      I started having better sleep within the third week, but my anxiety took up to 8 weeks. I still have days where anxiety shows its ugly head, but it seems to happen when I'm under alot of stress. That is why I'm increasing it to 75. Now i have read on this forum where anxiety pops up on people who are on higher doses. The time period for feeling better is really on the person, everyone is different. You might be one of the lucky ones where it will kick in sooner. But it seems like 6 to 8 weeks. One day you will wake up and say (wow) i feel like my old self. It has totally changed my life and am so thankful for this med. Good luck, there are better days ahead.😎

    • joe41529
      joe41529 brenda53218

      Posted

      Thank you Brenda, I'm definitely looking forward to that day that I feel like my old self again. I'm going to stick this out and see where it takes me!! 

  • Giggity
    Giggity joe41529

    Posted

    I didn't start getting better until 100mg. I just upped to 150mg on the weekend because 125mg wasn't cutting it anymore. Side effects lessen with each increase. Look at it this way...going from 25 to 50 is a 100% increase. From 50 to 75 is a 50% increase and so on. When I went from 50 to 75 I missed 3 days of work. When I went from 125 to 150 I missed nothing. It gets easier but it takes time and staying on a dose that is too low only makes it worse.

  • darla_22432
    darla_22432 joe41529

    Posted

    I’ve been increasing 25 mg basically every week. I’m on my 5th week now and am up to 100mg. I definitely still have diarrhea and insomnia. Sleep anxiety is bad too, I’m always afraid of something happening in my sleep and I also used to love sleeping! The depression is getting better, I’m feeling more and more moments of happiness and the anxiety is improving but I’m still getting fixated on thoughts I shouldn’t be, such as what happens when we die. Nobody knows this and I hate that I can’t get these fears out of my head! I hope within the next few weeks this medicine helps me get the terrible thoughts out of my head. 
    • joe41529
      joe41529 darla_22432

      Posted

      Hi Darla,  I'm going through the exact same thoughts and fears as well before bed. I've been dealing with two issues that I can tell you, and one is improving and one is not yet. The one that is improving for me is the fear I have of dying in my sleep or from these darn side effects while I sleep. So I think in time the sertraline will help you with that as well, the other issue I have at night that is not improving yet is the nighttime panic attacks where I wake up in the middle of the night heart racing dizzy hot flashes the whole nine yards! They don't last long if they do happen at all but scary never the less. And most mornings for me are the worst, it takes most of the afternoon before I start feeling better, but I'm sure that's because I've only been on my tablets for two weeks. Thanks for responding to my post and I hope you start feeling better. And if you ever need to chat I'll be around for sure!!

    • darla_22432
      darla_22432 joe41529

      Posted

      I’ve also been scared of the side effects even though I’ve taken this medication off and on for almost a decade. I went off for a few years because it stopped working as well (I was only taking 100 then, doctor should have raised me but switched my meds instead) and I was okay on celexa for about 2 years...I even weaned off of it thinking I would be okay off medicine that’s how good you was feeling. But then it came back and I tried to go back on celexa and it made me feel terrible. So I’m trying Zoloft again. I’m hoping it works the way it used to. Right now I’m just trying to combat the racing thoughts, get myself to relax and settle down. 
    • allie15023
      allie15023 darla_22432

      Posted

      Racing thoughts seem to be bothersome to me too right now. Thoughts seem to get stuck sad
    • darla_22432
      darla_22432 allie15023

      Posted

      That’s exactly it, thoughts get stuck in an endless loop. Right now I can’t stop thinking about what happens when we die! And I’m 32 so I know better than to focus on this stuff but I can’t get it off my mind. I wonder if the medicine is giving me these thoughts or if I’m just having an existential crisis. This particular fear is unusual for me. I’m trying to embrace spirituality as a means of calmness but it is hard for me as my partner isn’t spiritual and I have nobody to pray with me. 
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