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How long for Sertraline to work?

Posted , 10 users are following.

david43118
david43118

I have switched from being on 40mg of cital. 3 weeks ago I switched to Sertraline and have not really noticed any improvement. Still depressed, no appetite, anxiety and panic attacks. Seems like the medication is not working. Also not sleeping great so started taking Trazodone on 3rd day at 150 mg. do not like the feeling. I am able to get some sleep but takes awhile to get to sleep. No motivation. Any feedback would be appreciated

1 like, 43 replies

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  • ellebi
    ellebi david43118

    Posted

    I'm 10 weeks on sertraline Monday and also my mood has improved, my anxiety and panic attacks are awful. I'm not taking a Xanax every day or more due to the severity of the anxiety.

    On 150mg now. I think if it hasn't worked at this stage. It's not going too sad

    Severe difficulty swallowing also

    • david43118
      david43118 ellebi

      Posted

      I am on 150mg too it's been 6 weeks since I changed from 40 mg of cit. I am not feeling good at all nausea depression. But maybe it's the CBT too? I am not sure if it is working?
    • Johoben
      Johoben ellebi

      Posted

      It took over 3 months before the full effects for me. Keep pushing. smile
  • molloy
    molloy david43118

    Posted

    I also switch from 40 mg cit to 100 mg sert, in 14 days.. mainly for anxiety.

    I am now 48 hours without cit and at 100 mg of sert and anxiety is through the roof. I seriously hope this will improve soon...

    On the other hand, I am much less sdated than on cit, and I am having OK moments from time to time.

    • david43118
      david43118 molloy

      Posted

      It's good to hear you have been feeling ok at times! It takes awhile to fully get the effects. I definitely had withdrawals from the Citaloprame. Do you have anything for anxiety? Just for the adjustment period of the meds. How is your appetite and sleeping?
  • ellebi
    ellebi david43118

    Posted

    I am taking XANAX also when needed and on 75mg Lyrica, Sleeping not great at the mo, eathing is normal
  • Johoben
    Johoben david43118

    Posted

    It took me about 3 to 4 months to feel the full effects. I had started at 50mgs and was at 100mgs by 2 months. The highest I ever went was 150 and that was after I tried to wean off and started having bad effects around 50mgs.
    • ellebi
      ellebi Johoben

      Posted

      Phychiatrist said today that they should take effect after two weeks, im nearly 12 weeks now and no effect. Anxiety and Panic worse than ever sad
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 ellebi

      Posted

      ellebi, weren't you withdrawing from Effexor around 5 months ago?  You are probably not repsonding to this drug because you are in protrated withdrawal from Effexor.  Taking another drug won't undo withdrawal from the first one.  Severe depression and anxiety are Effexor withdrawal effects and I know because I experienced it myself, several months out from quitting. Everyone thinks it is relapse, but wouldn't you say that it is the worst version of D&A that you have ever experienced?  How long were you off Effexor before starting cit?
    • ellebi
      ellebi betsy0603

      Posted

      Yeah really really struggling with Depression and Anxiety this year confused Took my last Effexor on the 6th July so yeah 5 months ago and started the Setraline end of September so took a 3 month break off Antidepressents altogether and things were still bad so Phychiatrist insisted I start on an Antide again but no luck on this one either so currently withdrawing from this one now too...
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 ellebi

      Posted

      I'm sorry it is such rough of a go for you, ellebi!  Withdrawal tricks us into thinking relapse and so on to the next med we go.  But that next med won't erase the WD you are still in.  Going on and off more meds will only mess your system up more.  

      Why did you come off the Effexor to begin with?  How long had you been on it? Your best bet may be to reinstate the smallest dose of Effexor, and then begin a very slow taper from there once you have stabilized, feel good again.  I created this post to help people with the process: 

      https://patient.info/forums/discuss/withdrawing-from-antidepressants-and-benzos-safely-485891?page=0#1809368

    • ellebi
      ellebi betsy0603

      Posted

      Came off it as it wasnt working, my anxiety and panic attacks and depression were as bad as they ever were and I was on a high dose. Also had horrid side effects on it.

      I think the 3 month gap between my last effexor and beginning sertraline was enough time tho

  • molloy
    molloy david43118

    Posted

    Here's my update: switch from cit 40 mg to sert 3 weeks ago, now on 100 mg sert for 7 days. I have fairly good moments and I've been well enough to start reading a novel and newspapers' articles in details. Something I haven't done in months. I still have very bad bouts of anxiety, but they're usually short.

    I somehow thinks med/therapy is starting to work, but not sure. Still feel very frail and can't tolerate the least stressful situation (like waiting in line). But overall, I'm better than a week ago.

    Hope you start to feel that too..

    • david43118
      david43118 molloy

      Posted

      Thank you for the update. I am glad to hear you can atleast get some reading in, it helps distract the mind. I am still having some difficulties. They added Mirtazapine 15 mg. yesterday a little better, today not so good. Was in a daze most of the day yesterday. This playing with medications is getting really tough. Trying to hang in there.
    • molloy
      molloy david43118

      Posted

      I've been on 15 mg of Mirtazapine for sleep since August. Works very well against insomnia. I also have mostly pleasant quite colorful dreams since then. That help me to cope as I consider dreams like a "barometer" of the mind, and the nastiness/unpleasantness of dreams pripr to my depression/anxiety is not there anymore. I see that as a sign of good things to come. (I was always dreaming there was no door lock to my house, and now I'm dreaming I'm in control of my house, if that makes sense!)
    • david43118
      david43118 molloy

      Posted

      That sounds reassuring, I had a good dream I don't know what it was about but I get like I overcame something and was smiling. First time in a long time. I don't usually remember my dreams. Only been 2 days. Did j tell you I also take 150mg of trazadone too.

      I do understand what you are saying

    • molloy
      molloy david43118

      Posted

      Trazadone didn't work well for me. although I switch directly from mirtazapine to trazodone for exactly one night (very bad reaction, very nightmarish/disturbing) and back to mirtazapine.

      I remember being caught in a nightmare where I could barely move and kept awaking many times only to find out I was still dreaming.

      Last night was much better: someone had moved all the furniture in my bedroom while I was away, but I came back and rearrange it much better than before. Woke up satisfied somehow.

    • david43118
      david43118 molloy

      Posted

      That's great to hear every little bit of feeling good is worth it! Hope things will keep going up positively for you.
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