Advised to reduce dose/alternate days
Posted , 3 users are following.
I've been on the phone with the doctor today about the past 2 intense nights (jolted from deep sleep around 3am with electrical impulse feeling in brain, feeling like my brain was "shaking" from overstimulation, intense panic, nausea, tremors, agitation, diarrhea, sweating). It was the worst I felt yet after 6 days of 50mg. The Dr advised me to skip today's dose and try having it alternate days. I wondered if anyone else has this experience of taking it alternate days and how it panned out for them?
0 likes, 4 replies
karin88115 far1002
Posted
you are right in the horrible side effects stage. I had the brain zaps twice and in the middle of the night. So scary. But taking your dose every other day is not a good idea. My psychiatrist said it doesnt allow your brain to settle into a regular pattern. If you can stick it out just a while longer the side effects get less intense and the whole process gets so much easier. Are you on the facebook zoloft support page? It was a lifesaver for me.
far1002 karin88115
Posted
Hi Karin,
Thank you for replying. I feel in two minds now about skipping today's dose. The past 2 nights terrified me (including a trip to A&E) and I legit felt I was dying (a fear spurred by the panic disorder). I felt like if it was that severe I must be harming my brain taking it, again probably an irrational fear with the very real physical symptoms. I will have a look on the FB page, thank you for recommending.
alexandra57394 far1002
Posted
Hi again,
As far as I know it's not good to take Sertraline every other day - exactly as adviced before. I started with 25mg for 1 week, then increased to 50mg - side effects were really bad, I could not sleep at all. But to reduce these side effects I was also taking Xanax (advised by a psychiatrist) and it helped to some extent. It takes about 2 weeks for your organism to get used to Sertraline, hang in there. Then the increase to 75mg is less painful.
far1002 alexandra57394
Posted
Thank you, alex. I've decided to go down to 25mg daily to have a more stable dose for now as my nervous system was not ready to start at 50. Will see how it goes before working back up to 50. Never had prolonged nerve pain before taking this med.