1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Sertraline

Is it all worth it? - Sertraline

Posted , 7 users are following.

lisa0203
lisa0203

I have just started taking Sertraline 50mg for depression I only took one yesterday and already feel the effects it is currently 1.04am and I am wide awake. Normally I am a heavy sleeper. I suppose I have read so many negative stories about this medication that I was wondering if there is any positive stories from people on Sertraline?

Thanks for reading

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Joe_Slim
    Joe_Slim lisa0203

    Posted

    Lisa,

    I've been on Sertraline for about a month, and am starting to feel positive effects.  

    I believe Sertraline is one of those drugs that has different properties depending on how miuch you take.  I started out at 50mg, and my doc told me to take it right before bed, because the low dosage would make me sleepy.  Then he bumped me up to 100mg, and told me to take it first thing in the morning, becuase the higher dosage would perk me up.

    But it sounds like you are having the perking effect at 50mg.  You should ask your doc if it's okay to take in the morning, as it seems to be disrupting your sleep, which is never good!

    Best!

  • ian_66
    ian_66 lisa0203

    Posted

    Hi Lisa,

    I started taking sertraline a few months ago for social anxiety. Like you i started off on 50mg/day - this kept me wide awake at night too. It was really awful. So what I did was split the tablet in two so that instead I was taking 25 mg/day. I took this half tablet first thing every morning. Hey presto I could get to sleep at night again. After a week or two on this lower dose I went back up to the 50mg/day dose, again taking this first thing in the morning. As I had hoped my body had acclimatised to the sertraline and I now found that I could sleep much better on the higher dose. I spoke to my psychiatrist and she agreed with me that the "minimum" 50mg dose was probably too high for me and that taking the 25mg dose for a while gave my mind/body a chance to adjust to the drug. Since then I haven't looked back. Sertraline has helped me immensely. I am now on 100 mg/day and am able to do the things I used to do before my depression and social anxiety began.

    I should say that I initiated this without the permission of my psychiatrist, although when I told her about it at my next appointment with her she was fully supportive. However if you are unsure of my low-dose strategy speak to your doctor first.

    I'm sure things will work out for you eventually, from my experience it just requires a little time - Good Luck Lisa!!

     

  • wendy21442
    wendy21442 lisa0203

    Posted

    Hi Lisa, I've been on 50mg Sertraline for just over a month, I take mine mid morning. The first two weeks were really up and down, terrible sleeping problems, hot sweats and feeling sick, but I now feel good, I haven't felt this good for a long time, and I'm sleeping better too. Stick with it, it's worth it. Hope you feel better soon.
  • upthehill
    upthehill lisa0203

    Posted

    Hi. I have been on sertraline, 50mg twice a day, for about 3 years and if you change the time you take your tablet, say with you evening meal, things will soon settle down.

    Hope this helps.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.