Bad first night on sertraline

Posted , 2 users are following.

Hi everyone, my doctor put me on sertraline yesterday but i've never taken anti depressants before and he put me on 100mg daily.

I took it at lunch time and for a few hours i felt a bit queasy but that changed at about 2am because i couldnt sleep, sweating more than usual, shaking, headaches, jaw was hurting, dry mouth, stomach pains and my skin felt like it was on fire. Is this normal for a first timer?

If the side effects are going to be this bad, how long will it go on for?

I was put on sertraline for depression because over the last 7 or 8 months i haven't been out of the house much and i was destroying my relationship with my fiancee and kids, i got paranoid about my fiancee cheating on me even though i knew deep down she would never do that, i was in a bad mood most days, i didnt even want to be around my friends and last week i tried to overdose on diazepam.

My fiancee decided we should seperate for a few days but the day before i was due to go back she told me it would be best if i moved out for a couple of months until i get my head sorted, i cant stand not being with her and the kids but then again i dont want to put them through my mood swings and everything.

Wayne

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    Dont worry wayne these are normal side effects. They will settle down but could take a few days. I remember my first night on Sertraline. I was only on 50 mg but I was disturbed all night with feeling sick jaw clenching a feeling of some thing on my face I could remove because nothing was on my face in the first place. My insides every so offen felt like they were on fire,and I has a terrible headache. I notice after four days the side effects started to settle down a bit , and over time dissapeared all together. I have been on Sertraline for 9 months now and glad I gave things time to settle down.I had dreadfull anxiety and depression ,but feel like a different person now. Give things a little bit of time to settle down but If you don't feel this is the medication for you go back and see you g.p. Good Luck hope things improve for you soon. Lucky.
  • Posted

    Thanks for the reply and the reassurances Lucky, i think i'll give it a month or two to see how it affects me but i think the side effects are this bad because i think i have the flu, not sure if its flu, side effects or both lol.

    I guess it's worth it in the long run.

    Wayne

  • Posted

    Lastnight wasn't too bad, just stomach cramps, throwin up and couldnt sleep but i think my body is adjusting nicely to sertraline.

    Just a quick question, I've been put on 100mg daily but i've been taking 100mg at noon so what would happen if i took half in the morning then the other half at night?

    Would this mess it up or would this actually be better for me?

    I'm weary about messing with my meds because i need to get the depression out of the way so i can get back with my family and get on with my life.

    Wayne

    P.S. Whats with the \"sexual dysfunction\"? i can get an erection but no ejaculation, this cant be something to do with the depression because i was ejaculating just fine before i started taking sertraline.

    Don't get me wrong, im not complaining, i wish i had found sertraline before because this is the only side effect im glad im having :lol:

  • Posted

    Hi Wayne glad to hear you had a better night. I have always taken my medication first thing in the morning. As to taking half a tablet twice a day you would have to ring the surgery and have a quick word with your g.p. like you I don't like to mess around with this sort of medication. My g.p. okayed it for me to take half a tablet a day untill things settled down a bit then the full dose but please dont take my word for this ,ask you g.p. you are on a much higher dose than me.

    On the question of sexual dyfunction there are a lot of men on this web site you may be able to relate to, and read there comments on this subject.

    Best wishes Lucky.

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