Can i Stop takin sertraline after 4 days? Cant handle side effects!

Posted , 7 users are following.

hi

can anyone please help? i struggle to stay asleep and wake about every 2-3 hours to go the loo and then struggle to go back to sleep. i recently attended a resilliance workshop which said how bad lack of sleep can be. This got me feeling more anxious. i went docs to explain and she put me on 50mg Sertraline. I have only been taking for 4 nights but have had no sleep whatsoever for the last 3. also lying awake with horrible thoughts, feeling panicky and agitated, had restless joints and feel just awful. in addition i have been having headaches and nausea. i looked up sertraline last night (4am) and seen many people stating they are still struggling with these side affects after 6-8 weeks or more. I personally know i will not be able to manage for that long. i would rather struggle on 5 hrs than none at and have to deal with these side effects. i have 2 kids and work 30hrs a week. I just want to stop and dont want to have to face my doctor. should I be ok just stopping with only taking 50mg for 4 days? I want to try natural supplements and better excercise etc. grateful for any advice xx thanks in advance xxx

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    hi i came of 50 mgs other day after being on it for 8weeks had enough of medication made me worse only on it for anxiety so a freind said to try magnesium and it has helped me

    • Posted

      thank you so much. i have ordered magnesium and vitamin d. Thanks for your post. Hope you havn't suffered with withdrawal xx

    • Posted

      haven't yet but might do this drug hasnt worked for me so I'm going to deal with my anxiety with magnesium as have worked for loads of people I have spoken to

  • Posted

    With sertraline it takes a while to get into your system, its like anything, best example i have is if you dont drink alcohol or smoke weed, you take the amount that other people are used to and you will always get side affects, most consumables have side affects, i would speak to your doctor about maybe trying 25MG for a month, if its still unbearable with side affects then ask to slowly dose yourself off them, if the side affects gets better then maybe retry going onto 50mg after a while, Dont abruptly stop any medication as it can have adverse side affects, often worse side affects. I started on 25, then 50 then 100 then 150 now back down to 100, but i feel like i want to get off them and maybe try something else and i have to go through 8 weeks of weening myself off them slowly.

  • Edited

    I had bad insomnia when I first started taking Sertraline but it has slowly improved.

    Zoplicone can help with sleep but it is addictive and you can become dependent. Useful for occasional use.If you are in the US you can get melatonin which is a synthetic version of the natural sleep hormone your body produces. It is not addictive. It is only available on prescription in the UK, and some GPs are reluctant to prescribe it, but you can order it online from the US. Some people find melatonin can affect depression.

    Cheers,

    Ed

    • Posted

      Annie, I agree with Josh. I know they say 50 mg of Sertraline is a starting dose, but it may be too strong. It was for me. My doctor started me on 25 mg, and I got used to it pretty quickly. It helped me with my anxiety quite a bit. After 4 weeks, the doctor upped my dose to 50 mg. It was too much for me. Bad headaches, very depressed, difficulty sleeping, loud ringing in my ears etc. So I went back down to the 25 mg. It took a day or so for me adjust to the lower dose, but then everything was better. I am still on the 25 mg and it seems to be a good does. I've read where other people even take half the 25 mg and do well. Everyone is different. But taking Sertraline for only 4 days, you shouldn't have much trouble - try cutting the 50 in half and take that for a few days and see if that helps... if it does, you can stay on the 25. If not, at least you are tapering down on the dose until you can stop altogether. Good luck.

    • Edited

      Mrs Susan, I've started the 25 mg Sertraline last November. After a month or so, I tried to up the dose to 50, but that seemed too much at the time. I am still on the 25 mg and it seems to work okay for me. I do have odd dreams, I don't know if I would call them bad dreams, but sometimes uncomfortable dreams. Not like nightmares, just odd. And I do wake up at night sweating. I am not hot, but just a little wet from sweating. I read that was one of the possible side effects. It doesn't happen all the time, but I do have the sweating - but don't feel hot. How long have you been on the 25 mg? I do remember that in the beginning of taking it, I had more side effects... sort of feeling antsy and nervous. But that feeling would pass after a couple of hours of taking it. Now I don't notice it any more. It has helped me since I have been on it. I may try to up the dose again, but not for a while.

    • Posted

      thanks ever so much Charles. This is really helpful advice. I wish she just started me on 25mg then I may never had had the bad experience. i could have put up with the headaches and upset tum, but not the total insomnia and feeling of panic that was gripping me at night. I didnt take a tab yesterday morning and was feeling ok through the day. Dont feel too bad this morn either so will see how goes. thanks again for your helpful advice x good luck xxx

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