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re side effects of sertraline tablets

Posted , 5 users are following.

karen261
karen261

Hi ive been on these tablets off and on for about a year. my side effects on th,em are numbness in my  head, and a feeling of swaying in my head, and my heatbeat is beating fast, but ive had my blood pressure checked and it was fine. I also have ringing in my ears. I could sleep for 10 hours a night or day and wake up with the same symptoms. ive also been on estalipram and citalopram with the same side effects, my doctors arent much use, the doctor i want to see is never there.. does any one else get the same side effects as me.

1 like, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • longtalljules
    longtalljules karen261

    Posted

    Hi Karen

    Usually side effects go away after a certain amount of time if you take them consistently and at he same time each day.  If I miss a dose or now that I am coming off the tablets I get similar side effects. Do you take the same dose consistently? 

    LTJ

    • karen261
      karen261 longtalljules

      Posted

      hi sometimes i forget to take a tablet for a couple of days but still have the same side effects
    • longtalljules
      longtalljules karen261

      Posted

      I would ensure you are taking the tablets every single day and at the same time. Even missing one day a fortnight cam mess things up!
  • Guest
    Guest karen261

    Posted

    Hi Karen,

    Yes, I have had very similar side effects to those you mention. The numbness also sometimes feels a bit like when the novacaine (from dental work) wears off and you are a bit "disconnected" from your skin.. numb, cold, tingly. The swaying sometimes get stronger into dizzyness, and ringing in ears gets quite loud and annoying. I don't know if it helps to know I've had same side effects? These actually became most prounounced when I tried to taper off the sertraline; that is when they got the strongest. I've been tapering for a couple of months, and have been completely off the past week, and still have the dizziness, but the other symptioms have finally subsided.

    • karen261
      karen261 Guest

      Posted

      Hi Warren

      thanks for replying yes it does help to know that im not alone with these side effects. how did you wean off and what doesage was you on. has your swaying sensations gone?

       

    • Guest
      Guest karen261

      Posted

      I started 2 yrs ago at 50mg along with clonazepam. Stopped clonazepam after a month, and all was ok for about 9 months then went up to 100mg sertraline due to increasing depression - but at the 100mg is where the sertraline side effects really came on strong with inability to sleep, restless legs at night, the etc. so that is what really encouraged me to try to get off sertraline. I went from 100 to 50 mg and this was not too bad for a couple weeks but I should have waited a couple months before going further. I tried to go to 25mg and had severe withdrawal with anxiety, irritability & anger, sleep problems, numbness, severe brain zaps almost like tiny fast seizures. So in the end I went back to 50mg for a month and then alternated 50/25 for 4 weeks, then stayed on 25 for 3 weeks, and then alternated 25mg every 2 nd day for 2 weeks and just last week have completely gone off. Still have dizziness but it is manageable and other symptoms are better. It will be interesting to see if original depression comes back, but now I know what to look for, and therapy and exercises have helped. Take care. 
    • longtalljules
      longtalljules Guest

      Posted

      Hi Warren,

      Good to read a success story of coming off...I am currently in the process of reducing...

      LTJ

    • Guest
      Guest longtalljules

      Posted

      Best of luck with tapering off. If I can offer an observation from my own experience, going slower is better. The problem is going too fast and then having symptions and having to add back and all this takes quite some time for the body to adjust to... I ended up cycling up and down and in hindsight would have been better for me to put a 6 month taper plan in place and stick to it, even if it "seemed" like it was going ok.

      Regardless, helping with a good diet and some exercise and meditation or something else you enjoy is a help too.. even if just to take your mind off any withdrawl symptoms. Take care,

  • haz2476
    haz2476 karen261

    Posted

    Hi Karen,

    I can't say I've had numbness, per se. I have however felt dizzy, lightheaded but with a feeling of heaviness at the same time. Difficult to explain!

    Regarding the heart rate, I'd recommend you go back to the doctor and discuss the possibility of an ECG and beta blocker medication to tide it over. It could be that the SSRI family of anti-depressants are not for you. However, that remains to be decided by a healthcare professional.

    Hope you're well,

    H.

  • marie31094
    marie31094 karen261

    Posted

    Hi Karen,

    I started taking Sertraline again a month ago after being off them for 6 months due to seratonine syndrome...I had to stop them 'cold turkey' in July and I thought I  was dying. I was taking 150mg but I tried 50mg about a month ago and I ended up with the same thing again. The sweating, the shaking and the heartbeating was terrible, so you are not alone. I just wish that the docs would listen when patients tell them what is happening...its not fair to give you the meds and then shout 'Next'! when you walk out of the door leaving you to cope with the fallout. 

    Take care. Marie

     

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