Just started sertraline 50mg

Posted , 4 users are following.

I was on paroxetine for 5years due to anxiety and depression, it took me 6 months to come off them and all was well for a few months then started with really bad anxiety combined with OCD. After a couple of visits to doctor who suggested I went on something, I finally in floods of tests Monday said I need to try something as I have no quality of life. He suggested sertraline and cbt . He said I could go back on paroxetine but that he'd rather i didn't as they try not to prescribe this anymore as the withdrawals are so bad. I started monday, Tuesday night was horrendous, anxious , sweating , worrying. Wednesday night a little better but bad enough . I have no appetite which I think is due more to my anxiety than the sertraline. This morning woke up with dreadful anxiety again, not as bad as I write this... Advice please, do I persevere with the streamline for a while longer , or go back to paroxetine , which my doctor wanted to avoid.. With having OCD this time as well as anxiety think my doctor would like to give sertraline a go... When I started the paroxetine all them years ago I didn't have this much anxiety on my first week.. Any advice please i just want to feel like me again. Sick of worrying about everything, Thank you xx

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Julie. 

    Just want you to know you are not alone in the way you are feeling. I went on sertraline two months ago. It was a rough go with the anxiety and loss of appetite and really not able to function after starting it. I was already taking clonazepam low dose before starting it. Doctor increased the dose of clonazepam from .5 to 1 mg and lowered dose of sertraline from 50 to 25 mg. It helped but still was having a hard time adjusting. So he also prescribed trazodone. The trazodone finally started settling everything down almost immediately. Felt a little groggy at first. But played with trazodone dosage and grogginess settled down. This was a two month period. Going to be honest with you, it takes time and determination for sertraline to settle in your system. But when it does it is well worth it. So maybe talk to your doctor about clonazepam or trazodone to help til the sertraline kicks in. 

    Hang in there. Keep me posted if you’d like and if you need to talk let me know. 

    God bless. 

    KK

    • Posted

      Hi. Thank you so much for your advice, will definitely speak to my doctor, didn't realize it takes so long to kick in but will stick with it for now. How are you feeling in yourself now? I will keep you to that about talking as I feel so anxious at the minute, which is awful as you know xx

      God Bless

    • Posted

      Hi Julie I'm really anxious too at the moment with my head full of thoughts as usual....hopefully sertraline will calm us down soon x 😊

    • Posted

      Hang in there. It will get better. I started feeling a lot better about a week ago at the two month mark. But everyone is different. It may not take as long for you. ??🙏

    • Posted

      Hi Pamela, anxiety is so draining, the fear is indescribable, hope you feel a bit more yourself soon x yes agree Pamela hopefully it will calm us down x

      Keep in touch and let me know how you doing x

    • Posted

      Hi KK, I'm pleased you feeling a lot better, it's nice to know I'm not on my own x

  • Posted

    Hi Julie sertraline takes a while to work, I have heard loads of stories on here how good it is and to stick with it, I'm nearly 4 weeks in now and have seen slight improvement but people say it could take about 6-8 weeks. Luckily I didn't have any side effects.

    • Posted

      Hi Pamela

      Thank you for your advice, I didn't realise it took so long to work, but I will stick with it. I hope you feel more your old self again x

  • Posted

    I am on 150mg of sertraline and have been for a few days. Long story short I was on it 3 years ago. Started at 50mg and worked up to 150mg. After a year I went weaned down to 75mg. 

    Unfortunately couple of weeks ago the wheels fell off and I started having severe anxiety and panic attacks. Doctor increased my dose to 100mg. Still no improvement so a few days ago I went to 150mg. I am anxious with moments of panic but my intrusive thoughts and on edge is bearable. I can see a big improvement already. I’m eating and sleeping better. 

    Sertraline saved my life before. It will do it again. I am here to help if you have any questions. I pretty much have had every side affect and every thought you can think of. 

    Stick with it. It’s slow and scary but it works and you will recover. 5 days ago I thought I was ready for the loony bin. I have spent most this morning anxious and dizzy but I know it will settle, each day I say two positive things that’s gone well and focus on them.

    We can do this!!!!!!!

    • Posted

      Thanks kerry for that post it's given me hope. I started sertraline 4 weeks ago 50mg the 1st week then 100mg. I've seen some improvement so far but not a lot, I know people say this drug takes a while to work. I was having severe panic attacks and anxiety and I'm still stuck in my head with all these weird thoughts my anxiety is creating but I know one day I will get there! Xx

    • Posted

      Hi Kerry

      Like Pamela your post has given me hope, the no appetite is really worrying my family, but I just can't eat. The anxiety is dreadful as we all know also OCD is driving me crazy ... Thank you for your comment and yes your right we can do this !!!

      Take care x

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