sertraline, how long before it works?

Sorry to hear your story, we all suffer at some point in life with depression/anxiety/stress and people cope in many different ways, but remember you are in no way weak, actually you are the opposite!!

In my own experience it took about 3-4 weeks to really feel any difference, but in the meantime, try and supplement the tablets with getting fresh air, sunlight, speak with friends/family so they appreciate what you are going through AND make sure you get the same brand of tablet each time as getting different ones could make you worse. If you can, request a brand called LUSTRAL, it may not work the same for everyone, but from advice I was given by colleagues in the NHS, this would be the "gold standard" brand.

Try and remain as positive as possible and focus on the positives in your life and they will overtake the negatives.

God bless

Paul

The initial 'stronger' side effects for me lasted first couple of weeks.

It took 8 weeks until I felt completely 'normsl' again - but weeks 3-8 were no where near as bad as the first 2 weeks, and it wasn't every day. I'd have a few really good days and then a couple of down days.

It def got less and less over the 8 weeks.

From week 3 I could easily go about my normal day again.

Keep going and good luck xx

I have experienced the same as you re school runs and I know the feeling in the morning when you are trying to get out the door with the kids, I did not look for help for while, I should have in hindsight but we do not like to admit we can not cope especially to partners ect.. You seem to understand when and why your anxiety began all them years ago after loosing your dad, have you ever had counselling to explore this. ?

I have been taking sertraline for 8 weeks now and at the start I felt sick, headaches ect but persevere because they do slowly stop. Give this med a good go , five weeks ago I could hardly function and now im enjoying life and a managed to write an assignment for uni and enjoy it. I would say the tablets do work perhaps not with everyone but you can get through the first unpleasant stage just focus on what the outcome could be for you.

You still a young woman with so much in front of you to live for, tell yourself you will defeat this anxiety and you will lead a happy normal life !!

I wish you the best of luck

x.

Thats good to hear Paul as 'LUSTRAL' is the one I was prescribed

I've also been referred for counselling so I have to book in for my session this week, something I should of thought about doing many years ago!

So I should feel them starting to work in 2-3 weeks, thats good, looking forward to nice days out in the summer with the kiddies and not feeling anxious every time I leave the house!

When do you make a decision about whether you need a higher dose?

Xx

Sorry to hear all of this. I feel like we live teh same life. I have always had anxiety never treated. Have a 5 and 3 year old and aftter they were born had sever postpartum anxiety. I was put on Zoloft with my first and weaned off and went on it after my second. Stayed on it and lost my dad suddenly in december. I had sever panic attacks after that and had to go back to life, the kids a stressful job ect. I was on a low dose of Zoloft but with my doc have gone up to 150mg. When you increase you have some of the increase side effects but i am going on a little over 3 months and i feel better. . I still have bad days but not like it was a few weeks ago. For the bad times i tried to do whatever with the kids, exercise, take baths. It is hard when you are anxious and i have felt down but have pushed myself as well as going out with friends. I also talk to someone about my anxiety which i have for a long time and she is great and a big help. Anxiety is awful. I feel out of control and "not normal" at times. Try to talk to someone if you can, i know it isn't that easy with 2 little kids but try to make the time for yourself it will help a great deal. HOpe this helps