Day 12, 50mg sertraline...no improvement yet!

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi all!

Just wondering when you all started feeling improvement? My anxiety is still through the roof, appetite not great, tired and vision a tad blurry at times. I'm supposed to go from 50mg to 100mg after 14 days but am worried that side effects will get every worse. Am currently doing very little...going from bed, to kitchen to living room and back to bed. Just so overwhelmed. I take diazepam when I can't handle the anxiety any more. What do you all think?

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Gabrielle

    That is what it has been like for me too. Couldn’t get out of bed, just couldn’t and getting dressed- not a chance. The shaking was awful and I literally clung to people. Zero appetite too. I had started to withdraw from longterm 50mg and that made the tinnitus I suffer from horribly worse. GP said to increase dose to 100mg. I took ONE and that’s when all the symptoms you have became brutal. I live alone so my d-in-law took me to stay with them for a week. I WENT THERE IN MY NIGHTIE!!!!!!!

    Your symptoms will reduced but will probably take a while. I was depressed as well as anxious and had some very black thoughts. This seems to be a side effects of the tabs, that hasn’t completely gone away but I’m trying to fight it. Today I got dressed, went out in my car and had coffee out. Feels like a major achievement which is a bit ridiculous. If you need to ring your GP to discuss your symptoms? then do. I did that several times. Hugs Eve

    • Posted

      Hi eve I’ve been on 100mgs now for 6wks and still have bad days. Like 2day I feel really bad with anxiety, spaced out and feeling detached. Is this normal or should I be feeling better by now. I just want to feel like myself again 🌹

    • Posted

      Hi Debra

      I’m no expert on ADs. There is no magic wand and you might want to gauge how you feel now against why you started Sertraline initially. I think a lot of people on this site find that they have lost their NORMAL. I certainly have, I’m not the same person that I was at the beginning of December 2017. There’s also a sort of disbelief that this could be happening. My housework has gone to pot and all the things would normally do? well I can’t. I work from home and I certainly can’t do that at the moment which is scary. Try not to worry too much, it’s so easy to become completely focused on symptoms as I know. Eve

    • Posted

      Thank you so much Eve for taking the time to reply. I really hope you're back to feeling like yourself very soon. The plus side of being in my pjs all the time is that our laundry has drastically reduced lol so I'm jokingly taking that as a positive at the mo. I know a few people on sertraline and they all say it's amazing but does take time to work. So I'm persevering...taking each day as it comes and hopeful that I'll wake one day soon and feel better. Hugs, Gabrielle x

  • Posted

    Hi Gabrielle, I've found sertraline to be a slow acting drug and I had severe side effects for the first three weeks, both physical and emotional. I didn't see any emotional improvement until about 6 weeks, this on 50mg, at just over 7 weeks my doctor increased the dose to 75mg and I'm now beginning to feel better although still sleepy.

    My first scrip was for 50mg for one week, increasing to 100mg thereafter. I decided to stay on 50mg as the initial side effects were so bad. I'm glad I did. When I saw another doctor after the 7 week mark she said to increase gradually - that it's a slow acting drug and if you increase gently you lessen the risk of further side effects. Side effects when I increased were not bad.

    Good luck!

    Patience is needed at a time when you just want to feel better, not worse but keep the faith, ride through it - I felt like you during the first few weeks.

    • Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply Joss! I had a hunch that I should hold off on the increase until I felt more settled and your reply has reenforced that. I'll take it one day at a time and see how I feel before making any changes. Hugs, Gabrielle x

  • Posted

    I was like you are but started feeling better after about 3 weeks on 50mg. I actually went out and got petrol and ran in and paid ...admittedly when there was no queue...i spent about 3 days in bed stinking the week before..i couldn't even have a bath without ending up on the floor. I have increased now to 75mg and side effects are back. Sweating ..anxiety...mainly in the morning and general yuck

    I have a stinking cold as well so that's not helping. Doctor told me to increase to 100 mg but I've gone to 75 cos i was too scared. I'm feeling a bit better now although I have constant ringing in my ears .

    I will see what tomorrow

    I did sleep last night though without sleeping tab for 7 hours. Had no coffee after 4 and some chamomile tea. Loads of water..

    Keep on trucking

    🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

    • Posted

      Well done on your improvement🙂 you  sound as if you’be managed really well. Can I ask if you had tinnitus before sertraline or if the meds have caused it please? I have long standing T but it’s got worse since the sert dosages were changed. Eve🌸

    • Posted

      I think tinnitus is a fairly common side effect and hopefully the worsening of it for you will not last for long eve.

      I didn't have tinnitus before I started sertraline but during my  third week I had a weird form - music in my ears. It was intermittent and didn't last for long, gone now, fingers crossed!

    • Posted

      Thank you Joss, I’m glad yours has gone, one less symptom for you to cope with. That’s the most difficult thing for me to cope with now but I don’t hold out much hope. Thank you for your reply and I hope you feel massively better very soon. 🌸

    • Posted

      Thanks Eve, I hope it does improve for you and we both feel ourselves soon. x
    • Posted

      I have had tinnitus for as long as i can remember but its manageable. I dont notice it too much normally but i think sert magnifies your problems before easing them. Also when you are feeling totally garbage and you can't do anything except lie down in a zombie state you hear your tinitus more!

      Hope you are feeling

      🦄🦄🦄🦄

    • Posted

      Hi there

      Thank you for your reply. My T has been manageable for 20 years but is now off the scale. Depression/anxiety makes the whole package so challenging. Total garbage state pretty much sums it up😢. Actually no tears left. Keep going, it will get better 🌸

    • Posted

      Laughing and crying are supposed to help. I cant do either really. I realised that I really havnt laughed in ages. So i keep going up to my bedroom and watching stuff like the vicar of dibley because I find those series really funny. It helps ..its worth a try..

      Good luck

      🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

  • Posted

    I knw this is a few months old but I was wondering how yr doing on the meds Now? I just started almost 2 weeks ago and I feel better but not me. I just upped to 50mg and I haven't had many side effects, I'm so thankful for that as that was the reason I was so scared to take it. Hope yr all doing better!

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