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Sertraline - 2 weeks, feel really strange, low and up and down moods. UGH

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catherine1992
catherine1992

Hi, 

I am a 23 year old female and I suffer from bad anxiety and panic and on and off depression. I am currently taking 50mg Sertraline which my GP prescribed for me. I have been on it for just under 2 weeks...the first few days were awful, I was so tired and had awful headaches. However, the third and fourth day I picked up and began to feel quite good. (I read though that the tablet couldn't possibly work that quickly though so it may have been a placebo effect) Anyway... I was previously on prozac before this for 3 weeks and it made me feel so awful I came off it. I haven't been feeling quite as bad on sertraline, most of the side effects have been physical (dizzyness, extreme fatigue, blurry sight and headache) but just in the last few days I feel my anxiety has gotten worse and I have been getting palipatations. I also have these awful up and down moods, one minute I feel so low and depressed, next minute I just feel numb and then I feel really anxious and like I just can't cope. It's so horrible. I am basically writing this as i'd like to hear other peoples experiences and stories about being on this medication and to let me know if they felt the same way I do now, after 2 weeks. Does it really get any better? Maybe I'm not being patient enough.

Thanks in advance

Catherine 

0 likes, 24 replies

24 Replies

  • don45258
    don45258 catherine1992

    Posted

    Hi

    You need to give the med more time to work from what I've read on this forum it can take between 4 and. 8 week to kick in everyone's diffrent I know it's hard but try you best to stick with it hopefully thing sould level out soon the ups and down are normal at the start they sould get better over time if u need anymore advice don't hesitate to message me x

    • catherine1992
      catherine1992 don45258

      Posted

      Hi Don45258,

      Thanks for your reply. I know, my doctor said it can take upto 4 weeks...but since then i have read on these forums that for some people it takes upto 8 weeks. I am going to try and stick with it as its nowhere near as bad as the side effects I got from taking Prozac. X

  • tracey11164
    tracey11164 catherine1992

    Posted

    Hi hun I've been on sertraline increase from 100 to 150mgs for 16 days now still feel anxious and can't sleep or eat very well and feel very tearful just want to feel better fed up now
    • catherine1992
      catherine1992 tracey11164

      Posted

      Hi Tracey,

      Thankyou for your reply. Omg i know its horrible. It really does make you feel fed up. I'm just clinging on to the fact that the doctor said it can take upto 4 weeks to properly kick in and work. Its just such a hellish process having to go through all the side effects when you don't even know if its gonna work for you. I really hope you start to feel better soon!! X

    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 catherine1992

      Posted

      Hi Catherine it is horrible I go to bed every night thinking will wake up better in morning but dosnt happen just want it to hurry up and work do u still have anxiety as well x
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 catherine1992

      Posted

      Hi hun how u doing today I've just gone done the food shop got bk now got high anxiety and I'm indoors drives me mad x
    • catherine1992
      catherine1992 tracey11164

      Posted

      Hi Tracey, oh i know i'm just the same... every day i think 'will tomorrow be the day i begin to feel better.' And yeah i do, Friday just gone was really bad with the anxiety, felt like i was going crazy in my head and i had the worst headache. I keep getting tempted to just stop taking it because the side effects are so bad but i'm trying to stick with it in the hope it begins to help me. However, yesterday and today hasn't been quite so bad...i have taken 25mg so half of what i was prescribed to see if that lessens the side effects. Maybe thats helped. Well at least you went to the shops.. in the past week ive felt quite low and didnt even feel like going out. The anxiety is just awful though, i dont know what to do with myself when its really bad. Xx
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 catherine1992

      Posted

      Hi Catherine I'm on day 18 of increase from 100 to 150 just wish the anxiety would go away yesterday wasn't to bad today just don't know what to do with myself can't sit still but don't want to do anything can't eat xx
    • don45258
      don45258 tracey11164

      Posted

      Hi

      I've just upped to 100 2 days ago wake in a morning down and feel a bit off my head did you get this at the start and does it go ?

      Thanks

    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 don45258

      Posted

      I'm on 150 I wake in the morning with anxiety in my chest and tummy and a foggy head day 18 now of increase still don't feel me yet
  • tracey11164
    tracey11164 catherine1992

    Posted

    Hi hun how u feeling now I'm not having a good day today just can't switch off do u find u can't relax even at home x
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 don45258

      Posted

      Don't know really just keep thinking why do I feel anxious and will it ever go away so I can feel me again what do u think
    • don45258
      don45258 tracey11164

      Posted

      I think will I ever get better and about going to work with this anxitey and are these tablets going to work what gets me is I've tried lots of meds I've had cbt counciling Hypnotherpy I've been exsersising and still not better
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 don45258

      Posted

      Same here when I had a nervous breakdown a long time ago tried everything but sertraline worked for me bk then did take abt 4 mths to work though I know I don't want to go to work tomorrow
    • don45258
      don45258 tracey11164

      Posted

      I don't want to go but force myself I would feel worse sat at home doing nothing have u tried cbt ?
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 don45258

      Posted

      Years ago I did but this time Rd not my fault I'm having this set bk docs gave me wrong tablets now sent my head all over the place
    • don45258
      don45258 tracey11164

      Posted

      Wrong tablets how did they do that ? What tablets did they give u ?
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 don45258

      Posted

      He's been my doc for over 24 yrs and was suppose to give me my sertraline but gave me hormone replacement tablets that u would give a woman that's had an hysterectomy I didn't check cause have taken sertraline for so many yrs and cause I'm not even going through the change let alone a hysterectomy sent my hormones haywire so sent me into panic attacks
    • don45258
      don45258 tracey11164

      Posted

      That's bad you sould sue him for what he's put you trough how long ago was that ?
    • tracey11164
      tracey11164 don45258

      Posted

      I started taking them they end of June and started feeling strange after a couple days but was so busy at work its was 21 days I took them for so now there coming out my system and flipping sertraline going in arrrr my head like a ping pong ball
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