My Sertraline Story!!
Posted , 182 users are following.
Hi im a 32 year old female. Im married with 2 children. About 12 weeks ago I started to get awfulanxiety, I was stressing about the least little thing and turning small things into massive over the top things. I started doing breathing exercises and taking herbal remedies, reading books and going onto websites. Nothing seemed to work and about 6 weeks ago I couldn't take the way I felt anymore and felt like I wasn't coping with normal everyday situations like the school run and seeing my friends and even watching a film with my husband. I have never suffered with anything like this before and that in itself is very scary, I felt out of control with my thoughts, I wasn't sleeping or eating.
I went to see my GP who prescribed me 50mg of Sertraline, I was also given 10 days worth of diazepam (2mg). After a few days of deciding if I should take them I went for it, I had the most awful side affects, sickness, diarrhea, headaches, night sweats, shakes. I couldn't even get out of bed for a couple of days. I was having panic attacks and Insomnia.
After a week or so the side affects eased off and I was able to cope again although I was still left with the awful anxiety. After 2 weeks I started to feel 50% better and then into week 3,4,5 I seemed to go downhill with my anxiety again but I stuck with the Sertraline as the doc said it could take 6-8 weeks to see the benefit.
The last few days I've started to feel 90% my old self again. I think this drug seems to take a while to work but i'm glad I've stuck with it as I feel like i'm getting my old life back again. I really hope this is a helpful and positive story if you are just starting out on Sertraline, I know I have a long way to go but I feel with the help of this med I can get my life back on track.
Reading all the positive stories on this forum has helped me a great deal. Im also lucky to have great family and friends I can talk to.
52 likes, 461 replies
julio42427 dani32
Posted
Hi! Everyone I am here to seek advice I am currently taking Zoloft and I have been struggling lately. I started at 12.5 mg for one week and 2nd week at 25mg and now have been on 10 days at 50mg and I it has been hard. I have the insomnia, odd headaches/zaps, stomach issues , more anxiety and constant thinking and can't shut my brain off. I wanted to see if gets better and when ?
jennifer62995 julio42427
Posted
Julio it really takes awhile to get into your system and fully work. I started with 25 then 50 and then 75 and still it didnt help so I was upped to 100 mg and wow!!! what a HUGE difference in my moods. I actually contacted my doctor the end of last week and told her after being on it for 8+ month that my night sweats havent changed. (They are horrible!!! I wake up and I am soaked, plus it really messes with your short term memory loss, but I will sacrifice that) anyways I asked her If I could change my medication and she said to try cutting down to 50mg and lets see how that goes. Well at 50mg I don't really have night sweats and my memory seems better BUT my mood is horrible. I feel like I hate the world and feel like I am right back at pint one. Plus I have had a headache for 3 days now. So needless to say I just went back to 100mg and 1.My headache is gone and 2. I already feel a difference in my mood. I don't feel edgy nor do I feel like I hate the world. So you just have to be patient. If you dont feel much of a difference after a week then call your doctor and see If you need to up your mg.
julio42427 jennifer62995
Posted
I am still stuck at 25mg. And the insomia hasn't gone away . I really don't feel much of a difference . I don't this is the med for me . I might have to quit taking it . My anxiety attacks are stronger but I thinks possible due to not sleeping enough . Thank you for the reply it's nice to be able to message someone going thru the same thing as you .
lorraine82455 julio42427
Posted
lorraine82455 dani32
Posted
bobby_39551 dani32
Posted
Hi dani, this gives me some hope. I'm 28 days into sertaline 50mg then Upto 100mg last week.
I am suffering with stress at work that has brought on the worst anxiety ever.
I don't know which way to turn, when I'll be ready to go back to work, and I'm worried about everything. Every time I go to the doctor he tells me it will take more time...
Everyone around me is so supportive but I just cant explain how bad I feel at times. That my old life will never come back.
Are you back to yourself now?
Benjam1n dani32
Posted
Hi to all readers. I have been off Sertraline since November, so assume its out of my system. I was on SSRI's for many years, and my decision to stop was partly philosophical, partly physiological.
I'm not sure if "being my old self" is a measureable (or even a desireable) thing, but I am moving on with the post-sertraline "me" reasonably well. I have hope. I am different, after many years on and 6 months off - but I am trying to see this as an adventure. 'The Noonday Demon' (the title of an important book by Andrew Solomon) will not defeat me.
On or off SSRI's, may I caution all readers to not see the medication as a panacea (and not to see it as something too-readily abandoned either). I strongly believe we need several tools in our 'tool box', and Sertraline may be one of them. Psychological counselling, religious faith, philosophy, CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), breathing exercises, yoga, friendship, walking in the countryside or through the city, a meaningful hobby (beyond our work), gardening (even if its just a couple of pot plants (the Zen Buddhists understood the therapeutic nature of growing things even on a miniature scale); an animal companion, an act of kindness or unexpected charity - all of these (and you will have your own things for the list) will be a part of your healing or - if not healing - then coping mechanism. The search for meaning is a component (again - not everything! - in wrestling with depression. I'm working on some of these myself, failing often, but am seeing this as an integral part of who I am - the challenge itself. this is a part of my rediscovery of a 'self' I seem to have lost along the way. I may be new or different or find old familiar parts. I was trying to fix my broken bicycle with meds alone, not realizing that there were other tools in the toolbox - and several tools were required for the job. But however broken your bicycle, howver few your tools, your bicycle is precious. Heard of "kintsugi"? - The Japanese art of seeing beauty in broken things. There is hope and beauty in the process.
I wish you all well with this process (it is a process, not a pre-defined destination) and encourage you to explore additional (not necessarily alternative) therapies.
Benjam1n
Ranger507 Benjam1n
Posted
davinia79 dani32
Posted
hi sorry to drop into this conversation but I'm new to the anxiety sight as only recently for the first time in life at the age of 38 had a severe anxiety attack and temporarily put on diazapam then put on beta blockers 40mg 3x per day then sertraline 50mg until today now on sertraline 100mg but my concern is I'm flying to turkey in 8 weeks and been given 5mg of diazepam for the flight but for some reason they don't even affect me. any suggestions what to do as I'm afraid to freak out on flight as I'm taking my 8 year old daughter with me and want to be calm but be right for my girl any suggestions will be very helpful thanks
Katyf davinia79
Posted
Hi sorry to hear your having anxiety issues,it's awful isn't it you could ask to try lorazepam they are really good I've been on them a while and it's really helped with anxiety I was really bad and had to be hospitalised hope this helps xx
weenett davinia79
Posted
davinia79 Katyf
Posted
thankyou Katyf yes it really is awful it doesn't help when I'm dealing with a 14 year old daughter with mental health problems and getting no further with the help of camhs but thankyou I will make a note of what you have mentioned as I say I am new to all this and hate to ask docs for anything and look like a hypochondriac and an addict x
davinia79 weenett
Posted
thankyou I will certainly take notes I'm just so used to avoiding doctors and suffer before asking for help I feel so embarresed
weenett davinia79
Posted
Take nothing else from this remember this do not feel embarrassed i heard somewhere 1 in 4 patients in the waiting room r there because of anxiety stress depression mh issues so they have heard it all b4 dont b embarrassed they r there to provide a service a service which we pay for so its there job to help def not judge dont ever feel embarrassed
vanessa17008 dani32
Posted
Hi dani32! My name is Vanessa, I have been on Sertraline for about 5 weeks I'm still having anxiety and don't know what to do. I took it back in 2015 and stopped because I felt better but can't remember how long it took for anxiety to go away. But reading your post is giving me more faith. Should I stick with it? I just want to feel better thanks for listening
sarah66277 vanessa17008
Posted
Hi Vanessa
I hope you don't mind me joining in- I am in a similar position to you.
I'm on week 5 of 100 dose ( I was on 50 for two weeks before that). My anxiety has lessened for sure but I still have significant anxiety.
My understanding is and I am hoping that there may be some benefits of the medication yet to come. My niece who is a pharmacist tells me that as long as there is some improvement at 4 weeks, there may continue to be improvement up to 8 weeks.
Also reading all of the comments on here, it seems common for people to talk about feeling better at two months or so.
So I think we must have hope that things may well get better for us in the next couple of weeks.
If you haven't considered it already please think about CBT counselling. It's really helping me.
Take care of yourself. It will be interesting to see how we progress.
Best wishes Sarah
vanessa17008 sarah66277
Posted
Thank you Sarah! I'm trying but sometimes just get so frustrated!! Lol when I first started taking it I was a mess was working a third shift job couldn't sleep, eat, everything was a mess! I am better than I was weeks ago, but now I'm having diarrhea everyday! Sorry so graphic! I know depression and anxiety can causes these problems but then again I'm getting worried it is something else. I don't want to stop taking the Sertraline, but I told the doctor about it and he didn't pay any attention! What should I do? I just want the D to stop and be normal again! Thanks for listening!
sarah66277 vanessa17008
Posted
Hi Vanessa I'm sorry to hear about your let's call it stomach trouble! I sympathise with you. It is difficult to know what is side effect and what is the anxiety itself. Before starting the medication I felt sick every day from anxiety. The sertraline made me more nauseas. Thankfully it's worn off to a large degree but I still feel nauseas at least once a day. I discussed this with my counsellor yesterday. She asked me if I felt sick when I was relaxed or in 'my flow', maybe when I'm having a laugh with a friend or reading something interesting. I realised that I did not. Therefore I'm thinking that my nausea is now just my usual anxiety nausea and hopefully will decrease as I get more relaxed.
So maybe you should try and notice if your stomach only plays up during/after a high anxiety situation/ panic or if it's all the time. If the former then maybe as the Sertraline kicks in more so your stomach will settle. If the latter then it sounds like side effects and surely it should be better by now? I would go to my GP.
I hope that you have managed to do something soothing for yourself today. The weather is glorious here in the UK, for a change!
Look after yourself,
Sarah
vanessa17008 sarah66277
Posted
Hey, thanks for your kind words! I hope you have a wonderful day as well!! It is rainy her in MI where I'm at, the sunshine does help with my moods though. I'm going to try and hang in there as long as I can, I'm supposed to go back to the doctor in June. Maybe I'm just not giving it enough time, lol! Thanks again and hope to talk to you again soon!! God Bless You!
Vanessa
bobby_39551 vanessa17008
Posted
Trust me Vanessa I was in exactly the same position and thought it would never get better.
The tablets took 7-8 weeks to work for me, the gym was a massive help as well.
I'm not 100% yet, but I can now deal with any anxiety feelings. I have started CBT, going to the gym, and trying to lead a normal life. I am back to work soon, and hoping that I can work through this as well. And get my life back on track.