Can you have temporary setbacks with Sertraline?

Hi. First off well done for being there for your daughter, please do not take this the wrong way, but is it you looking for answers or your daughter? The reason I ask is, I had so many people giving me advice, looking for answers for me & I just let them at it. Truth be told until I started to get help by myself & for myself I was getting nowhere. I went to GP & told him where I was at & his reply "sure what have you got to be anxious or depressed about" I was so mad with him I went to another Dr., who was so lovely, started me on same meds as your daughter, it took a good 10 weeks to get level with a number of set backs along the way. I then got CBT the best thing I ever did, so maybe you might ask your daughter would she do this.

I am also thinking maybe it was too soon for her to go do a new job, new people etc., this may have thrown her off track. I was off work for 3 months & well settled before going back.

I really hope your daughter gets sorted, Im sure she will, but again she needs to help herself & with your backing & guidance she has a good team around her already.

J.

Hi Sandi,

I saw your response on my old post from two years ago where i discussed my success with sertraline.

I have been on sertraline twice now and both times it has taken 12-13 weeks to feel better. I was off work for 3 months but went back a couple of days ago and have been fine.

Having a good week early on and then going back down is very common. The fact that she had a good week is a great sign that she will get better and the medication is working.

Weeks 7-10 I still felt awful, hopeless, constant crying spells and a lack of motivation but they have all since dissapeared. This was after having a week around the 4-6 week mark where I felt almost 100% back to normal. She will get there it just takes time.

Best wishes x

I'm very sorry to hear about your daughter. i myself was on here 2 years ago trying to find help. it takes time, she will definitely have setbacks. we all have to remember that this medication is changing our brain chemistry so we need to be patient. for me it wasn’t until I got up to my therapeutic dose of 150 mg that I’ve really started feeling better. check to see if any other family members have also been on sertraline my cousin and I both fit well on sertraline which is why I went in it in the first place because we share blood. both of our therapeutic doses R150 since we have similar blood types. if sertraline does not work to save you time doctors now have the system where you can swab your cheeks saliva and find the best antidepressant that will work with your genetics. stay strong and keep pope amazing job for being there for your daughter just always remember to be patient and there will be setbacks along the journey

In my experience its perfectly normal I'm afraid. I don't know why it happens but you get over the initial period start feeling better than bang, straight back down again for a short while. I found though as time goes on it happens less and less. If your daughter goes back to the Doctor they will probably raise the dosage, you then get all the side effects from the dose change. Others get disheartened and change meds and have to start from scratch. Its a real difficult one, personally i would persevere on the same dose, it can take quite a while but the decision has to be your daughters. My view is for some A/D's are the miracle cure, they take them and never look back, for others they spend years looking for a type that will work to no avail and then there is everything in between. There is no doubt i am much better than i was prior to the meds but i dont think they will be everything i hoped for. For me they will probably have to work in conjunction with other changes, those being CBT therapy (which i recommend), exercise, a change in work life balance, a better diet, far less alcohol and even more exercise. I compare it to a physical ailment, some can be fixed by a one off operation or treatment, others need permanent changes. Good luck, its great your daughter has so much support, I've no doubt she will be in a far better place soon, i wish you all well.

Just a couple more points. The CBT has made a difference for myself but there was no way i could have engaged or participated with at first, the medication helped to put me in a place where i could gain benefit from the therapy, i was simply too poorly prior to the medication.

Sleep is a big problem or should i say lack of it, sleep deprivation is used as a torture technique, lack of sleep alone can cause anxiety and depression. Everyone has gone a night without sleep but night in night out with little or no sleep is horrendous, it would break anyone. I live in the UK and was prescribed a short supply (2 weeks) of zopiclone 7.5mg (UK name), it would put an elephant to sleep imo, the only trouble is it is very addictive and loses is effectiveness after a while and the reason GP's will only prescribe for a short spell. Its not a solution but certainly a help. A few weeks of sleep can work wonders and is a few more weeks for the sertraline to take effect. Another option which most UK doctors wont entertain as they don't have the knowledge is quetiapine (seroquel in the US), a psychiatrist prescribed a small daily dose to me a few years back for insomnia, it is an anti-psychotic but is used off label for sleep and works wonders, it was almost like a sedative on myself and this can be used long term and in conjunction with A/D's. I was taking it at 1930 at the very latest as i had to be up by 0630 and i still struggled to function until late morning, it worked wonders for sleep though, weight gain can be a problem if you are not careful. Some take 100mg's of it for their conditions, 25mg or even cutting it in half sometimes and i was out like a baby. Finally, interacting and keeping herself occupied is important, anything will do, wash the car, cut the grass make dinner, walk the dog etc just not been sat around especially on your own ruminating, you over think when you are depressed and make it worse and if she can get a good hour of cardio exercise even better. I hope some of that may have been of use. All the best.

Your daughter is so lucky to have you. I don't really have anything to say that hasn't been said but you're doing great! As a mom, you just want to take the pain away, whether it be physical or mental. Just keep loving her and reassuring her. ❤❤❤