Sertraline don't be scared it works with the right dosage.

Hi Katie if you see my profile picture that was me before and after treatment.

How much sertraline are you taking at the moment?

I'm hoping it's just because it's only my 4th day taking them and that I'll be better soon. I'm on 50mg at the moment x

Katie what I've done was 2wks at 50mg then went up to 75mg for 3days and then up to 100mg again for 4wks at 100mg and went up to 150mg.the quick u find ur dosage the better you will get. Stay strong xxx

Hi,

i know this is an old post but it’s the most positive I’ve found, I’ve been on sertraline for 6 weeks and feel worse than ever. I’m on 100mg and thought I’d be seeing some improvement by now. Putting medication up to 150mg tonight. How do you know when they’re definitely working? 

Hi Angela, sorry you are feeling so bad. This illness is really tough to go through.  You will need to be patient with this medication and work very closely with your medical practitioner. I felt similar to you when I was on 100mg back in Dec 2017... it was awful (absolutely awful) but I started getting some relief at 150mg although 200mg was even better. I am still not fully healed after 4 weeks on 200mg (even after taking sertraline for almost 5 months in total) so my doctor is going to try an SNRI instead of sertraline (which is an SSRI) as there may be another neurotransmitter apart from serotonin affecting me. But I’m considerably better. I’m at a party right now, dancing and enjoying myself although I know I’m not 100% but I’ve come a long way and can function. It WILL happen for you too. You just need to ride everyday out. You will get there in no time. Sending you peace!! 

Just to add, you will definitely know when they start working. Life will feel a bit lighter. Your concentration, energy or sleep might improve. It really depends on your symptoms- it will address ur symptoms. I personally found I was able to leave the house with my child alone without having a full blown panic attack then I was able to cook then I had periods where I felt back to normal - no anxiety or depression and viewing the world similar to before. Hang in there. This episode will be behind you soon. I know every day feels like hell but you will definitely get well again. It’s just an illness you need to ride out 

HI Victoria how long did it take for ure tablets to kick in properly? To get where you are now x

I’ve been on sertraline for about 20 weeks now. Like I said earlier, I am not 100% yet. I still have one depression symptom that won’t budge - thoughts of death. I am not suicidal just scared of dying which came from nowhere. Anyway it’s a classic depression symptom but it sometimes gives me a bit of anxiety as the thoughts are reasonably frequent although not as much as before. So my psychiatrist asked me to taper off sertraline and start another class of antidepressants. Hopefully this will address the leftover depression symptom. My point is YOU WILL get better.... it just might take time. It also might not. No one can tell you for a fact when things will improve (not even your doctor) as you also need to find the right antidepressant for your illness and also the right dosage. I used to be so frustrated when seeing people say it took 6-8 weeks for their depression to go, at the 8 week mark I was still very very depressed and anxious. I think I was on 100mg sertraline then which was not the dose for me at all. I needed higher. It probably took 12 weeks to relax a bit - By 12 weeks I was on 150mg and then things got slightly better from there. Hope this helps. It’s an awful illness but Hang in there! You will improve! 

I couldnt tolerate sertraline, what have you been fiven to change 

Hi

I noticed people have been responsive on this post. I had been on Fluxotine for a year, however they started to wear off so 4weeks ago the doc put me on Setraline. Wow from day 1 I felt completely different, my wife noticed, which is a big sign for me. I stayed calm in all situations, didn't get stressed out with kids, became more productive at work amd more energetic. This lasted two weeks, however on the Friday I drank some lager and the next day felt depressed, low and stressed. So I thought it was the alcohol affecting the tablets, so decided not to have anymore lager. Unfortunately I have now had two weeks back to the stressed out, agitated me! Could this have been the alcoholic beverages on just one day?! Why did the work for two weeks!? I am on 50mg, I will return to the doctor to see if they need upping. I have noticed no one else has experienced my situation with positive two weeks, then two weeks being agitated and stressed ??

Venlafaxine. It’s an SNRI 

Hi Victoria is venlafaxine a good snri x

I haven’t started using it yet so I can’t give a personal opinion. Still weaning off sertraline. My psychiatrist seems to think it is and other comments I have seen on it suggest it has been good for some people where SSRI’s have failed / or only worked partially (as in my case). 

Hi Luke

I do not drink so I don’t have any personal experience with alcohol and sertraline however I would have thought that the negative effects of the alcohol would have worn out by now. Sounds to me like 50mg might not be sufficient for your depressive symptoms and you might need a higher dose. This is obviously something you need to discuss with your psychiatrist. My understanding is that 100-150mg is usually where people should find relief if the medication is going to work for them. If it doesn’t at this point, then it’s probably time to try another medication. Sertraline helped me a bit, it brought me out of the deep depths of hopelessness but all my symptoms did not fully go into remission and I would say I am still moderately depressed and mildly anxious. Both of these were severe before (I was almost psychotic). Bear in mind I have been taking sertraline for 5 months now so that’s been quite some time. I am now switching to Venlafaxine after going to 200mg sertraline and still not fully healed. I wish you all the best in your recovery. Just remember to be patient to see results and you definitely WILL get there 

I started on setraline 50mg 3 years ago. Always the same dose. I couldn't imagine my life without it. I have no psychotic thoughts, panic attacks are gone, anxiety gone. I don't feel depressed. I also suffer from pmdd( premenstrual dysphoric disorder) which I feel the physical symptoms but not mental. It took me a couple weeks to feel good. I remember being in a fog, dizzy, a bit nauseated, but in 3 weeks the benefits kicked in. I did feel a sense of peace as soon as I started. Kinda a like my brain taking a break from all the negative thoughts. That I felt right away, which kept me going to really give it a try. I thought I was having a heart attack , went to the ER and they diagnosed me with anxiety/depression panic attack. Hope this helps you all. Having these diagnosis can really disrupt a person's life. It's not our fault. Just like any other diagnosis. I feel for you all

That’s interesting to hear Luke - what did your doctor say about this? Interested to hear what the cause was and how did he rectify it?

You mentioned you felt a sense of peace as soon as you started.... Did you have the feeling of heart attack afterwards?

I know this is old, but aside from the drinking I had the same experience as you. I was on 50mg felt great, thought I was better then everything came back full force. Yesterday my doctor upped my dose to 100mg and today I feel like a new person. I came across this post while trying to google if its possible for me to feel better this fast. Everyone says its not. But I feel better! I would definitely suggest an increase in your dose, if you havent already.