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My Sertraline Story!!

Posted , 182 users are following.

dani32
dani32

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

461 Replies

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  • melissa66574
    melissa66574 dani32

    Posted

    Hi Dani,

    I know this post is from a long time ago but was wondering at what point you started to feel better? You mentioned going downhill during weeks 3,4,5 but when did you feel a change? In a few days, I'll be at the 6 week mark and during week 5 I started feeling a big improvement but then this weekend I went to visit my mom (she lives just two hours away) and I had a hard time sleeping and felt strange again. It could be because I was out of my comfort zone but I was really starting to feel better so thought I could be away from my apartment and husband for a weekend but i was wrong and now I'm worried that I won't get better and maybe the improvement I felt before wasn't real. sad 

    I'm on 200mg of sertraline and there's no room to increase and I reallllly don't want to have to resort to changing meds bc I was on 200 for ten years and was doing great until I started tapering down to 50. 

    • charley46288
      charley46288 melissa66574

      Posted

      Hi.

      So were you on 200mgs of Sertraline before as well? Then you started to decrease?

      Or were you on a different medication?

      How are you doing now?

      I know I had my ups and downs for a while...I would be great then have a down day and stress all over again that I would never get better and that meds would never work for me.

      I have been on this med (100mgs) for just over a year now and a few week back had a massive panic attack for the first time since I started this medication. Was horrible.

    • Stacey29819
      Stacey29819 charley46288

      Posted

      Hi Charley,

      I feel same way as you said, wake up gloomy with anxiety.  I stress also that I will never get better.  Hoping it will get better.

    • kieron27576
      kieron27576 charley46288

      Posted

      hi how are you doing now.im wxsct same i have one good day followed by one awful day

  • jodie59168
    jodie59168 dani32

    Posted

    Hi dani how u feeling now? I'm currently suffering  with severe aniexty it's bloody horrible I've tried few tabs none seem to have worked on me goma ring my doctor tomara to c if he can Put me

    On the tabs sertraline! R u feeling a lot better now 

  • daniellelx2010x
    daniellelx2010x dani32

    Posted

    Hi sounding like similar story been on them quite a while now off n on as not feeling like working doctor said go back 6 to 8 weeks if not work change the. To diffrent ones agian . Just want to be back my normal self and do normal day to day things as not been the same most days hate going out . Like shopping ect so hard especially 3 kids but just want to be a normal mum for them n get back to my happy self .
    • riko65845
      riko65845 daniellelx2010x

      Posted

      How are you doing?, I feel bad for you, cause you have kids, I had anxiety and depression when I was 11 years old I didn't know what I had or how to explained it to the doctor, I just knew I felt fear and nervous, so i was never treated, I beat it naturally but it lasted for years , maybe 3 or 4, and now it came back at my 26 years of age, so now I know what it is cause my sister is going through the same but hers is panick attacks, she's on sertraline too, she is feeling a lot better, but I just stay at home for now waiting to feel better cause I need to go back to work, but i am lucky my parents are supportive.

  • julieriley
    julieriley dani32

    Posted

    I this is my 7th day on 50mg I feel panicky all the time I didn't no weather to carry on with this drug the side effects are not great

  • paul40355
    paul40355 dani32

    Posted

    Hi Fellow anxiety/depression sufferers, 

    I have always suffered with mild anxiety issues, and in times when there’s emotionally problems whether social or personal partner it seems to get really bad, often leading to depression. 

    Now I’m not one for AD pills, but I have had depression episodes before but this time it was really had. I was getting bad palpitations, waking up shaking badly at night and insomnia, with crying alone not understanding what was happening. The lack of sleep seemed to make things so so much worse. Also, lost all interest in eating with weight loss.

    I finally went the doctor, and they gave me beta blockers(which I could take up to 3 times a day, as long as my bp didn’t go too low) plus 50mg Sertraline. After about a week, I stopped taking the beta blockers, and relied on the AD. 

    But after 2 weeks my anxiety levels were really bad, and also the insomnia, often only sleeping for 3hrs a night, and this continued up the 4th week. Slowly I noticed small changes in my mood, and better sleep by about 50% of the week. 

    I’m just on week 5 now, and the side affects are, sweating in bed lots, some sleepless nights still, pains in the head, digestive issues, lack of concentration, some anxiety episodes(not as many as when I first took the AD) Some weight gain. 

    I will be going back to the Gp in 2 weeks to give them update on my progress. Also I’m waiting for councilling with CBT most likely in 2 months depending on the NHS here in the uk. 

    I think it’s important to stick with the meds, because it does take time for them to really kick in,  and most of the side affects do  subside. Obviously, if you get some really  severe reactions, see you gp immediately for help and advice. 

    Will update after the 8 week mark to see what my progress is like. 

    What a great post btw! Nice to know I’m not alone with this horrible illness and the treatments. 

  • paul95679
    paul95679 dani32

    Posted

    Hi all I'm new to this drug I've just finished 4 weeks and things have gotten a little better. However....the last few days have been terrible..also....What is the success rate of sertraline? X

    • Riab
      Riab paul95679

      Posted

      Its hard to tell because with each person it works differently. I was on it for a few years then my doctor changed it. Found out I had bipolar 2 and placed me on a mood stabilizer and wellbutrin.
  • paul95679
    paul95679 dani32

    Posted

    I had one bad episode 2 nights ago and I'm finally starting to feel normal!!! I was going to up the dose but didn't x

  • kevin65919
    kevin65919 dani32

    Posted

    Hi

    I've been on this d

    • kevin65919
      kevin65919

      Posted

      Hi I've been on this drug for a week now and so far I've suffered no side affects apart from night sweats.

      I'm begging to genuinely smile for the first time in years but only late in the day.

      I've been on 50mg and I due to double that to 100mg in two days time I hope it's not too much

    • davinia79
      davinia79 kevin65919

      Posted

      Hi there kevin ive been on setraline for a year 100mg and for me i can say it really does work im taking it for depression and anxiety and it has helped me alot along the way unfortunetly it does have the affects of excessive sweating during the night at one point i thought i was going through the menopause early at the age of 39 lol. But yes it has its downfalls but it also makes a dramatic change in your moods hope this helps!!
    • Riab
      Riab kevin65919

      Posted

      Hi Kevin,

      Sertraline worked for me, however I found out I had bipolar 2 and had to be placed on a mood stabilizer and a different antidepressant. Hope this helps. Hang in there. It does work.

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