not sure if to take sertraline PLEASE ADVISE!!

hi all, i have been really depressed for a long time now probably about 2 years and finally plucked up the courage to go to the docs 4 weeks ago, i have been again today and he has put me on 50mg sertraline. i seem to be reading nothing good about these tablets, that people want to commit suicide etc, i have not felt like that being depressed and hope to god i dont feellike it while on tablets. i start tomoro morning i would like some feed back about how everyone felt please? xx

Hi princess. i started this heading as i had read soooo many bad things about the affects of sertraline and ppl wanting to commit suicide. i really didnt know what to do. i have had some problems......mainly insomnia but other than having a few down days i have generally felt better. my advise to u would be to start ur meds and take each day as it comes.give it a couple of weeks and see how u feel if u dont like it u can go back to ur doc. try not to worry too much and know that ur not on ur own. take care and keep us updated xx

Hi there,

I have been fighting for many years to stay well clear of antidepressents as i didnt like the thought that i would be relying on a drug to make me feel ok but recently i got to the point that i knew i had to go to my doctor. I have a really hectic life, three children, i work nearly full time as well as taking on a bit of a project with the house we bought a couple of years ago, i sufferred badly with stress and anxiety and felt that i just couldnt cope any more. I started taking 50mg sertraline 2 weeks ago and it has already started to make me feel calmer and not so chewed up all the time, apart from a few very vivid night mares, i cant say that iv had any adverse side effects, trust me i hated the thought of taking these pills but if it helps me feel good again then its worth it. I hope this helps ease the dillema that i know you often go through when considering taking this measure. I also started cognative therapy a few weeks ago, this helps arm me with the tools to help get order in my life. good luck.

well im into my 3rd week now of my tablets, the 1st week i felt great second week was still ok but now i seem to be back to square one of being snappy and down in the dumps again, so i feel like i had 2 great weeks and now i seem to be going backwards again has anyone else had this? x

Hi all,

Like the subject I am new to Sertraline and have taken my 1st 50mg this evening (without looking it up but reading the leaflet). Like many others I have avoided to take meds for depression but for the sake of my family and myself I took the trip to my GP. After giving birth to my 2nd child 16 wks ago and I became extremely unhappy, very tearful and felt very alone (even with my husband round). Things are great with my children, in fact being with them are the only times I feel remotely happy, but sadly all the other times I feel awfully sad and alone to the point my husband and I hardly talk when we're on our own and I have no one else to turn to. Things have got so bad between us that I have decided to tackle this alone, But want to say a big thanks to all of you that post on here as its made my evening more bearable knowing I am not alone and more positive that I can get better. x

Hi mummyof2,

I had same problems as you, feeling alone, unhappy, tearful until started to get panik attacks. Went to my GP few times because I thought that I may have some phisical problems, after doing some test, there were nothing wrong with me and my GP said that I had axiety and stress, so she prescribed the Sertraline 50mg, I didn't really wanted to take them, I was very scared. GP said that they will help me. In the beginning was very hard, I had lots of side effects but after 2-3 weeks I started feeling the difference but very slowly, now I am on the week 9 and sometimes get headaches, pain in my neck and generally tired which makes me upset. I hope slowly the side effects will fade out.

Good luck

I've been on sertraline for the past 3 months or so, I suffer from stress, I don't even know whats causing it but my Doctor recognised my symptoms as classic stress, I'm on a low dose of 50mg and it seems to be fine, just takes the edge off, I do suffer from the sweats, dry mouth, slight nausia at times, tired a lot of the time, I can have 40 winks at lunch time no problem but toss and turn at night in bed and take ages to settle, restless legs too, the worst thing is the diorhea and a lot of wind, its rotten too, I'm sticking with it though hoping it will pass.

Hi John

It's great that you went to see your Dr, I suffered for a long time and I really found myself staying at home at lot more. Sertraline has been good for me. I started at 50 mg but I've gone up since through a loss of a family member.

Finding this forum has been really good for me and I feel ready to lower my dose but I don't plan on coming of it

Hi everybody,

This is the very first day of my taking Sertraline 50mg.......I have suffered for years with mood swings, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, some self- worth issues and poor body image probs and awful feelings of anger/aggression. I really did not want to take any drug and I also had some really nice moods with feelings of elation and inspiration.

Thought I probably had Bi-Polar Disorder, this was strange since I recognized the symptoms in a very good friend I had known for 10 years or so and it took me 10 years to figure that out. Yet I could not recognize my own symptoms?!

I have been on anti-depressants before for a very short time and just felt "numb" like others have said. I didn't feel anything at all which was even worse in a way.

So far I have had only very mild nausea and not being able to get to sleep. I have always slept really well and go off like a light so I find this to be an adverse side effect.

Also I have had no really depression for last 8 months or so but do still get bad irritability and anxiety. I get really stressed out at little things which is really draining and I then get really angry. I have also felt really tired some days. I tend to go to bed really late and feel wide awake then and this has always been my pattern. I get periiods of restlessness for an hour or so and then this goes. I also misplace things and forget things easily.

Doctor did not think I have Bi-Polar but an Anxiety Disorder. I had to fill in a short questionaire about how I was feeling. I now feel like everything has slowed down....bit weird. Also feel tired and bit lethargic. But no anxiety or anger/irritability. I want to continue at the Gym as I have just signed up tp a six week course to lose weight. I have no drowsiness but wonder if I'm o.k to drive? Doc did not say not to. My Drug Directory says to avoid alcohol with this drug which I would find extremely difficult as I enjoy the occasional pint?! Does anyone else know if it's O.K to drink occasionally? Doc did not say not to but I have to go back in 2 to3 weeks time to see how I'm getting on. My partner is on this too and he does drink beer and is fine.

My irritability/anxiety, panic attacks seem to have diminished considerably already which is a blessing so am going to perevere. But half of me still doesn''t really want to take it?! .

It's so encouraging to hear what others have to say here and to feel I'm not the only one going through this. Thank you. XXX

PS - Will post again soon and everyone here take care and be gentle with yourselves.

Blessings of Love and Light! (Shine Bright like a Diamond!)

PPS - Has anyone had any Cognitive Therapy as I am keen to try this rather than rely solely on drugs if poss?. Will ask my Doctor. (I had five sessions years ago with a lovely psychotherapist which I organized myself and it was hugely benefical but expensive) Also Group Therapy to share my feelings with others?

hi,I was just prescribed by my doctor a 25 mg of sertraline,but Im scare to take them,I had panic attacks,lot s of tension,very nervous,,and besides taking the pills,I dont know what to do,this is the first time in my life I would ever have to take a drug,,any ways,,I need some help and some advise,,thanks

Hiya im just wondering if anyone has had any problems not eating on 150 mg sertraline, as when im on

this medication i can not eat for days and im slim as it is thankyou.x.

jo76388

I would suggest you read the forum on coming off sertraline, I was put on them and so wish I hadn't as it made me worse there are lots of side effects, there is a NHS website which lists all the possible side effects. If I had known the effects before I took them I would never have done so.

please read all you can on Sertraline so you can make an informed decision on whether to take them or not. Some people claim they feel better for it. Others like me only feel worse for taking them. Unfortunatately once you start to take them it can take several weeks to slowly wean yourself off.

Hello, It seems to me that Sertraline affects people in different ways. I am on Sertraline at the moment. I started on 50mg later went onto 100mg and then 150mg. They made a great difference to me and I began feeling much better, my family were pleased to get me back. However after 7-8 months because I felt good I told the doctor I wanted to start coming off them so resentley i went down to 100mg ( in fact 10 days ago) and I am having a few dizzy spells and it's been sugested by family I may have started comeing off them to soon or to much at once. So I may phone the doctor and have a talk with her.

So they work for me but you do have to be careful on coming off them by the looks of it.

I started taking 50mg of sertraline a month ago. I might as well have just put toxic nuclear waste into my body, the side effects were absolutely horrific. The physical symptoms were pretty horrible, the raging insomnia, the dry mouth, the constant diarrhea.

But the psychological side effects were much worse. My mild anxiety bloomed into huge, raging anxiety attacks within a day of taking the first tablet. By Day 5 I was seriously considering walking under the nearest bus, just to make everything stop. The anxiety was overwhelming and totally crippling, and I genuinely thought I was losing my sanity.

In less than a week I went from being a confident, outgoing professional who nevertheless was suffering with some mild anxiety due to stress - to being a sobbing, despairing wreak who was suddenly irrationally afraid of the dark, and terrified to be left alone, and who couldn't even bring herself to smile at her own children.

Sertraline very nearly stole my sanity, in the space of just a few days. For me, sertraline is a vile, vile, filthy poison.