Increasing Sertraline

About 2 and a half years ago, after taking 100 mg of Zoloft for 8 years I started having really bad panic and anxiety again. The doctor I was seeing at the time switched my medication rather than increase it which led to me trying 3 different medications before celexa worked for me. About 6 months ago, I had a miscarriage while taking the celexa and I wanted to get off the medication before trying to get pregnant again. However, I crashed after about 2 months off, and I crashed hard. I tried to go back on the celexa only it started making me super dizzy and out of it feeling, which it didn’t do before. So the new doctor said they thought I should try Zoloft again since it worked well for me before and I had room to move up on it, and that it was the antidepressant that was considered “safest” for pregnancy. I’m just hoping it can make me feel like myself again! I used to think I was pretty awesome and I really miss me. 

That same thing happened to me with celexa. It was working well. I just thought I didn’t need meds anymore. Boy was I wrong. But I couldn’t seem to get back on it and tried like 4 others before I finally got Sertraline. Now I feel so much better. 

Hope you feel better soon. 

Did it start giving you bad side effects you never had before too? It was weird I took 10mg for like a week and started feeling okay and then the dizzines just came out of nowhere and I spent the next 2 or 3 weeks feeling physically awful! I’m doing better today but I saw that it was exactly 3 years ago today I decided to start celexa after having so many different medication issues. I did Prozac 20mg which made me sick and gave me back to back panic attacks, Effexor which had the absolute worst withdrawals and never actually made me any better. Then celexa. Now back to Zoloft. I really hope the Zoloft works this round. 

I think I just feel sad that I’ve dealt with this so much in my adult life. I know so many people are having the same problems but I just want to be fixed, be better. I hate that once we repair one side of the broken pot, the other side springs a leak and we gotta address that. 

I’m on my 4th day of 100mg now. Other than shaking and a bit of anxiety I haven’t anything too bad. Insomnia is a big one. I took half of a klonopin to get some sleep. I actually got through some days without crying though. I’m trying my best to persevere to feel better. 

Thats good. Yeah im 2 weeks on the 100mg now, and kinda the same, bit sort of trembly at start of day and a bit zonked feeling fatigued, also i really don't want to go out, and i don't know why! there's no reason for me to feel that way! just want to stay home and ride this emotional storm, good thing about that tho is im saving money as im not out spending it, so its true every cloud has a silver lining, lol. im the same have some better days and some worse days, All in all tho im a lot  better emotionally than i was 3 weeks ago before i started taking sertaline. 

But my side effects are not to bad, until BANG! Last night the insomnia kicked in aaargh! funny tho haven't slept for 24 hours now, but i feel fine, lol wide awake.. Hoping this will pass, i was taking my sert in the mornings, so im going to change to taking it at night to see if that helps. What time of day do you take yours?

Do persevere, your not alone, im persevering too, and at least we all on this site are taking positive steps to get better, like everyone says here, the meds take time to work, and anxiety/depression are medical conditions that are a bit trickier to fix, not just like a broken leg or something, but even that takes time to heal, and the sertaline takes time to work, so we are all riding the storm. I have days just crying too, but i think to myself, well better out than in! and remind myself that its a good thing, and it will pass, and it is just part of the healing process. ( which actually doesn't make me feel any better at the time, lol) When did you start taking sertaline? im 3 weeks now, 1 at 50mg and 2 at 100mg.

Keep us updated. I hope your having a good day, be kind to yourself. (thats my plan lol)  All the best G

I’ve been taking it about a month now, maybe 5 weeks. The insomnia is really catching up to me! I’m taking it around 5pm but I think I need to start taking it earlier, I just keep hoping I will sleep through the side effects but instead I am barely sleeping! I’m up and down throughout the day but I also have a lot of life stress on top of it, such as what am I going to do with my life?!?! Haha but these forums are helping keep sane knowing I’m not the only one going through these issues. 

yup im with you on the insomnia! it started yesterday night, and its now 4 in the morning and im still up, yahoo! went to bed for an hour earlier, but nothing just cant sleep, but wreaked feeling. Think i need to speak with my doctor about something to get me to sleep if this is going to carry on. Im to tiered to do anything with my life at the moment lol. ha ha. Think i need to sleep on that one! ha ha. Im sure it will all be fine tho. I was taking mine at 7 in the morning but im still not sleeping, a week ago when i was taking my tablet 2 hours later i was just so sleepy, but this week wide awake i tried changing to taking at night hoping it would zonk me out like it did when i was taking it in the morning, but no. Its all changed, within a few days, like a zombie last week, and wide awake this week, lol. least the side effect keep changing, so i wont get bored with the same ones all the time, which is nice lol. How long have you had the insomnia?

alll the best to you and all us new little night owls. G

Hey! Wanted to join the insomnia discussion to shed some light. When I first started an ssri (citalopram) I was waking up every 45 minutes with horrible graphic thoughts. I would spend my days super drowsy looking forward to going home and getting sleep (WHAT SLEEP?!). It was driving me insane to the point I would come home from work and just break  down crying  because I knew I wouldn't sleep and my body was exhausted. I finally switched over to Zoloft (straight switch) and my sleep got a little better but still not great. I had enough so one night I just took some  Benadryl and I only woke up twice (I checked the interactions between Benadryl and my Zoloft and Buspar that I take making sure it was safe). The next night I didn't take any and I didn't sleep as well. Last night I didn't take any and only woke up 3 times. Hopefully I am able to sleep longer and it's getting better!

Thanks so much, i,ll try that until i can talk to my doctor, at the moment ive slept 3hrs in almost 3 days, yesterday morning i fell asleep at 8 in the morning till 11, it was awesome! lol. feeling ok tho. The first 2 weeks on sertaline all i did was sleep, and suddenly the total opposite  Very strange. Thanks tho. take care G

I took half of a .5 klonopin just to get me to sleep, then was so drowsy the rest of the day. Ugh. I really don’t like the way that stuff makes me feel! 

Dont think my doctor would give me klonopin, he have me diazipan 3 weeks ago to help with panic attacks and anxyety, also to help with getting started on sertaline, so dont think he would prescribe anymore meds from the benzodiazepine family. with is a pitty as the diazapan really helped me sleep. I know they can be addictive, but i have quite a high tolerance to these things. anyway he might be able to give me something else. we,ll see. All the best G

I haven’t taken any since then, I used to take them every day for a few years, never more than .75 mg in a day but enough to give me issues when I got off. I don’t want to go down that road again. I would be just as happy with a little cannabis but I’m on the job hunt so I can’t partake. I just wish there was some way to get the racing thoughts in my mind to settle down. 

I know the feeling.

So you’re two weeks on 100mg and you’re still having a lot of anxiety? 

Hi, Was on 50mg for 1 week and 100mg for 2 now, so 3 weeks total. No im actually feeling better than i was, dont really want to go out much, feel i just want to hide away for a while, but im a lot better than i was before i started the sertaline, anxiety has calmed down a lot, and im not feeling as depressed as i was, and panic attacks have almost gone, ( maybe cos im feeling kinda spaced out on the sertaline most of the time lol ) but im still kinda on edge, but feel like something is working, i just hope it keeps going that way,it seems to be kicking in quite quickly with me, but its early days and i feel i still got a good way to go. I still have bad days, but not as often, and find them easier to cope with. But better definitely. At the moment, touch wood.  

Cant sleep tho AAARGH!