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Sertraline is not a magic pill... Give it time!

Posted , 4 users are following.

cinzia86145
cinzia86145

I've noticed a lot of people on here asking about side effects of Setraline after only a week or two and wanted to post something as reassurance. I was very lucky and mine were prescribed by a psychiatrist who explained lots. I doubt GPs are as up on the nature of Sertraline and how to manage it.

have been taking it for five years now, usually 150 or 200mg and went through some months without. I have OCD, depression, anxiety and insomnia and these all cause IBS too... Not much fun!

to work up to 200mg took about six weeks, and I was advised it would take another six weeks to really start feeling to the full positive effects. I would, however, have side effects but not to worry about them - they are a drug to change your brain chemistry so bound to make you feel a bit funny. The brain zaps were the worst bit, but they go with time. If you're being given antidepressants you're ill, so that makes you feel odd anyway. Changing that will seem odd. 

After twelve weeks I saw the psych and was convinced I was completely cured! No problems at all, no anxiety, no bad thoughts, no depression. I was grinning and laughing. The psych looked sagely at me and said to come back in six weeks. When. I saw him again I was 'depressed' and convinced the tablets weren't working. He explained that I wasn't as depressed as I was before, but that I had experienced a 'Flight of health' and was now on the come down. The pills had started to kick in and with the relief at getting help  I got a bit overexcited. As I realised the world was still the same I went on a bit of a downer. He said to carry on taking them and it would even out, and it did. 

But I was told that it would take 6 - 12 weeks to totally settle and that they suggested a minimum of six months usage before changing dose. These are big time scales, but nothing compared to 30yrs of misery and it seemed to be the only way. 

While things were settling sleep was very important - a poor sleep cycle will make the night sweats, hot flushes and confusion far worse. So I was advised to practice mindfulness or yoga or meditation or sleep tracks - whichever worked for me - to keep my mind rested and relaxed. I employed all my CBT (the side effects are just side effects of something good. Like the needle on a vaccine hurts, or medicine tastes bad but will make you better).

The oddest side effect (it's happened twice when I started taking it and once after milk thistle blocked it) was being convinced I needed glasses! With OCD I was used to be hyper vigilant, so when I stopped taking in every detail and was just concentrating on what. I needed, it sort of felt like I couldn't see. It was a bit scary, but then I'd just started taking a strong mind altering drug!

So, as ironic as it sounds as it's a drug used to treat anxiety, do try and relax, however you do that. Remember it takes a while. Remember it is meant to change how you feel so that might feel strange. Remember stress and depression and anxiety effect your sleep and your gut and so getting rid of stress and depression will change how that stuff works for a bit. Remember the world is still there and some of it is stressful. But most importantly, remember you're taking it for a reason. It's not a magic pill that will cure everything in 24hrs, but it will get better.

Best of luck and keep on on there.

 

3 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • papote53
    papote53 cinzia86145

    Posted

    Hi,

    I took Sertraline for 2 weeks (low dose) and it appeared to be working but in the process it gave me pretty bad insomnia and headaches.  My Psychiatrist took me out ASAP.  You are saying he should have waited? I believe he took me out because I basically couldn't sleep (10 hours in 5 nights).

  • cinzia86145
    cinzia86145

    Posted

    Every case is different I suppose, and there are side effects and side effects. I used other means to deal with insomnia (when I first started I was very ill and was also given sleeping tablets). Many of the side effects that people have described on here are pretty mild, or they describe feeling anxious or 'weird' after only taking it for a few days. For me it was likened to the contraceptive pill - makes things weird, but you don't know if it is really going to work until at least three months. Sertraline is also used for both depression (low dose) and OCD (higher dose) so  I suppose it depends what you're taking it for. But if it is for anxiety it can only be a good thing if you can relax about how it makes you feel, at least until you can see your doctor. And if you understand why some of the 'side effects' become signs of change. I can't find words and stutter to start with, but this is just it starting to slow my brain down and it sorts itself out after a few weeks. Same with needing glasses and banging my elbows! Some psychiatrists swear by medication, others prefer talking therapies such as CBT. But I must say that taking it for two weeks and then stopping goes against all the advice I've been given by psychs, GPs and pharmacists (I have OCD so I checked repeatedly!) unless it was causing major physical side effects. I'm not a medical professional, so it may be that headaches and acute insomnia are a sign it's not for you or reacting badly. My post was more to reassure people who are concerned that they still feel anxious after a week. 
  • Tezes
    Tezes cinzia86145

    Posted

    Hi all

    re sertraline, we'll I've been taking 50 mg at night for about 16 mths now, I was very stressed and anxious for nearly two due to life changing events at home and at work. Over about 12 months I had developed a numb foot a tremor in hands arms and then legs balance probs and increased episodes of migraine. 

    Gp prescribed sertraline and referred me to neurology, after many months of brain scans nerve conduction tests etc I have been diagnosed with rare type of dystonia, dystonic tremor and myoclonus. I have now started on clonazepam which is slowly being increased.

    Now anxiety and depression are a symptoms of my condition and stress and anxiety make symptoms worse. So glad then that I have the sertraline to help manage all of this.

    As for side effects starting on sertraline, I felt nauseous in the mornings and sleepy but only lasted first 2-3 weeks, so worth sticking with. 

    I'm not saying sertraline stops me getting anxious and stressed but it does take the edge off, I have good days but still have days where I cry easily and feel like I just want to sit in a cafe all day on my own or stay in bed. I work F/T so have to get up !

    am in process of reducing my hours though as I tire so easily, anyway I say keep with the sertralin

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