Posted , 42 users are following.
Just wanted to hear people's journeys, advice etc of taking sertraline. I myself have been on 50mg for 5 weeks and 1 day. My side effects lasted for 7-10 days and included loss of appetite, heightened anxiety, tense jaw, fatigue. I'm still not feeling where I want to be but much better than I was. How long did it take other people to feel like the old them??
6 likes, 136 replies
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ger00232 vikki2303
Posted
Hi vikki
I stumbled across this forum and your original post. I have suffered for years and been on different medication. I have been so low and so anxious since November that I ended up in hospital. I told them I wanted my ad changed but the wouldn't and kept trying to get me to get through this the old fashion way......it didn't work and they have wasted so much of my time that I f they had have just changed my med I could be doing alot better.
Anyway the finally listened to me and I'm on day seven of sent and I have increased anxiety (I don't leave my room) and I feel disconnected. I'm praying that this med works and that I get better soon as I feel I'm doomed forever. And I will be one of those people that nothing works. Meds have been the only thing that has worked for me so please goof I respond to sertraline.
No appetite
No libido
Head pressure
Tired all the time
Overly anxious
Very low mood
Don't leave my room.
Any reassurance would be great. I live in Ireland.
Ranger507 vikki2303
Posted
Started on 50mg 3 weeks felt good for first few days now feeling very very anxious constantly but I'm hoping this goes away, I have to go back in a week to speak to the doctor but this post has given me a little hope lol hope everyone is doing ok
michelle15660 vikki2303
Posted
I wanna say to all the people writing horror stories here please think about what you are doing. Ive just started Sertraline & am desperate for some reassurance...please just dont say the bad days please give a full picture.
I was totally freaking out then I decided to start sertraline & thought everything is gonna be ok. Then I came here...please stick with it a while & if it doesnt improve THEN tell us.
I know its hard when your frightened but please try if you can & big hugs. Please dont frighten me more thankyou with love from Michelle
Wewillgetbetter michelle15660
Posted
Hi Michelle,
I see it's been 6 months since you post this. I wanted to tell you a little of my experience. I'm a 45 year old lady. I had been under stress for about 2 years and just dealt with it. My weight went up 7-9 kgs in the last year so I guess that explains how I coped. lol unfortunately I then added stress to my life trying to cope with a horrid work bully, worries etc..instead of removing it, I tried to prove to myself I was invincible. I eventually stopped sleeping well (Netflix...assisted), and started trying to medicate myself with big nights out (being social) on in the weekends and ignoring my feelings. All in all I depleted any reserve I had to centre myself and recover. And on 5/3/17, I did the usual Sunday routine, the laundry, the shopping, got my outfit ready for Monday work and then in a daze and unaware walked into my bedroom and tried to hang myself from my door with my bedsheet. It was unplanned and totally out of the blue. My older children heard the noise and got me, I then tried to bash my head on the ground repeatedly. I did not intend any of this. Fast forward. It is about 12 weeks later, I am now on 100mg of Zoloft, and take most nights 25-50mg of Quetiapine to sleep.(I was told this help activate the Zoloft) and I've lost 8kg, my thinking has returned to normal. I see a light at the end of this tunnel, and it's good. I go to therapy was everyday for the first 3 weeks (where I fought the idea of the meds at first ironically) - then once a week now every 2 weeks. What a very smart female doctor told me
I now don't care if it's correct as it help me get better and seem logical enough for me in my sickness to accept)
1) I had chemically fallen so low I needed meds to help build me back up chemically
2) if I didn't do a major treatment now the next time this happened to me it would be worse and take longer to recover from
3) if I had lasted that long suffering I had what it took to get through the side effects of the meds and come out the outside with the benefits.
This helped me hold on. I still feel sick in the stomach, I'm tired towards the early evenings but was told only take Zoloft in the mornings and I'm glad I do.
I have lost my filter a bit and can speak a little more of my mind now and do it in good humour so it seems to be ok. But I'm a bit on the Aut Spectrum so it could be this? But!... I don't sit and listen to crap for ages with people like I used to, I don't feel I have to prove I can handle someone horrible I just walk away and I don't think in those tight little anxiety circles before clearing them out of my mind anymore. It has taken 12 weeks not all bad not all good but consistent improvement over my previous condition. If I have to feel nausea for 6 more months to get this done so be it. I hope you find the people and the strength to do this for yourself. Stay connected and never feel any shame, it is a waste, and you're not ?? 😁 Keep asking for help.
andrew11299 vikki2303
Posted
I worked up from 12.5mg to 37.5mg currently. Have been on it for 10 weeks. I've lost 10 lbs since I started taking it (for anxiety/panic attacks) and I can't say that my level of anxiety or panic has lessened. I do however have trouble falling asleep at night and when I do get to sleep I can sleep for 10-12 hours. I dont' know whether to request an increase or change medication. The only thing that helps somewhat is .25mg to .50mg of Klonopin but I don't want to be on that forever because of dependency and tolerance problems. I had a bad experience with Paxil and Wellbutrin but the nasty side effects from Zoloft went away fairly quick.
AdamE andrew11299
Posted
Hard to say. Everyone is different but 50mg is where you want to try to get to since that's the lowest dose to where it should start doing its job.
kerry56645 vikki2303
Posted
Hi Bikki I'm there now 6 months in and just upped to 125 and I feel so relaxed and happy. I've had all the side affects you mention above main ones for me have been clenching jaw which seems to have disappeared. My biggest one at the moment is itchy hands and feet ! Xxx this drug had changed my life I didn't realise how bad I was xx
rae69398 vikki2303
Posted
Hello I'm on day 8 of sertraline 50mg / I've had anxiety on and off for 20 years and always refused to take medication - but I bit the bullet and knew I had to do something / I'm feeling more anxious than usual and I'm sleeping well but sometimes dark dreams - I've read other people's stories and apparently it can get worse before it gets better 😐
samantha42795 vikki2303
Posted