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Please Help! Not sure if Sertraline is working for me

Posted , 6 users are following.

Christie.87
Christie.87

Hey guys new to this forum and fairly new to Sertraline so any of your experiences with the drug would be greatly appreciated! 

I have been on Sertraline for 3 weeks now, I was prescribed it for my anxiety. It got so bad I couldn't do anything but cry on the couch for a month. By the second week I was beginning to feel like myself again. My sleep is still not as good as before but I'm not as panicky about it. But I noticed by week 3 there is a significant dip in my mood, my looping thoughts are a constant and it's just making me feel like I'll never stop thinking like this and I'll never be better again. I decided to switch from taking it at night to morning yesterday still haven't really felt a difference I'm hoping it's just a sign that the medication is working. Has anyone else have this experience of feeling better then feeling down again? Please help!

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • debra34304
    debra34304 Christie.87

    Posted

    Hi Christie I was on sertraline for 9wks but didn’t really do anything for me. So my doctor put me back on my old 1s which are paroxatine. I’ve been back on them now for 6wks with little improvement.and still feeling awfull. I still have to take sleeping tablets every night aswell.what do you mean by ure thoughts? Are the dark 1s. Cus that’s how I feel. I feel as though I’m never going to get better. It’s so scary int it. Do u take anything else with the sertraline to help keep you calm throughout the day or night x
    • Christie.87
      Christie.87 debra34304

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply Debra! I'm not taking anything else, I've been put on 50mg for now I'm a bit hesitant to take anything for my sleep but it just takes me ages to fall asleep and I wake up so early. 

      For a few weeks now I've been having memories loop in my head, mainly things I've done that I'm not proud of. The harder I try to make them go away the more persistent they become. Just worried I'm never going to be normal again which is making me feel depressed! It's like a vicious cycle!

    • mrs_susan74280
      mrs_susan74280 Christie.87

      Posted

      HI I am on mitazapine but last night did not help sleep only has 4 hours , how long does it take for you to get to sleep, do you wake up in panic as I do then can't go back to sleep,

    • Christie.87
      Christie.87 mrs_susan74280

      Posted

      I would say it takes me around 2 + hours, and yes I do wake up in panic but it usually calms down when I get up and start the the day. I'm just so tired of this, I was perfectly fine 2 months ago, I had anxiety but it was never this bad and I could control it. Now I can't even relax in my own house!

  • Hoopz
    Hoopz Christie.87

    Posted

    Hi Christie

    You dont say how many mg you are on but I'm presuming 25mg or 50mg. You are likely to be up and down for quite a while before this med works. Increase if your doctor advises very gradually at 25mg each time. This may mean breaking a 50g tablet in half. Ask doctor for some pheneghan to help you sleep. It's an anti histamine and will not leave you drowsy the next day. Drink plenty of water and try to eat. Cut down on coffee especially at night. Side effects from this med can be fairly horrid but you will get there. Personally I don't think the time you take it matters so long as you try to take it at the same time.

    Try to keep busy ..if you can..watch comedy and take care.

    🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

    • Christie.87
      Christie.87 Hoopz

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply! I'm on 50mg. Trying to keep positive. I have pockets of mental clarity but then a sudden sinking feeling hits. It's just the constant mental fighting is wearing me down and I'm worried it's going to beat me. 

      I'm going to try and hang in there and continue with the Sertraline.

      Thank you again for your reply, reading positive stories and forums is the only thing that is keeping me sane at the moment 🙏🙏🙏

  • paula91469
    paula91469 Christie.87

    Posted

    Hi Christie,

    I have been on sertraline now for 13 weeks - ( 1 week at 25mg, 8 weeks at 50mg and 4 weeks at 75mg)

    The first 5 weeks for me were just awful with really heightened anxiety, low mood and racing thoughts. I also had really bad nausea and couldn't sleep so it can be really horrible to begin with but hang in there because things do get better!  I was really up and down during this time.

    After 5 weeks I started to see a massive improvement started getting my appetite back and sleeping much better. I increased to 75mg and I feel like that is a good dosage for me. 

    Look after yourself and stay strong xxx

    • Christie.87
      Christie.87 paula91469

      Posted

      Thanks so much for your words of encouragement Paula! So Glad to hear that your doing better, it gives me hope! ♥️
  • john20740
    john20740 Christie.87

    Posted

    Christie, stay strong things will get better.

    I'm 6 weeks on 50 mg and did not see a noticeable improvement until last week -- and even now its a little up and down. 

    Sertraline is very slow acting from what I've read and experienced. You'll notice small differences when you look back after the first 4-6 weeks. 

    Keep going.... its dark right now but it gets brighter.

    • Christie.87
      Christie.87 john20740

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply John, it's really helpful learning about the experiences people go through. It can sometimes feel like I'm the only person going through this. So Glad it's working for you! Going to keep trying!

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