Sertraline journey
Posted , 9 users are following.
hi guys, i have never posted anything before but i keep searching these forums and they do seem to help for people going through the szme thing. i have had a very bad bout of depression and extreme anxiety over past month or so. also intrusive thoughts caused by OCD apparently. I was reluctant to go back on anti depressants as i came off them completely 8 months ago but i was so bad i had to. im day 20 of 50mg of sertraline and still very anxious, especially mornings and then before bed. Has anybody else started on them and how are you doing?
0 likes, 43 replies
c53732 Nervous12
Edited
I'm on day 25 of sertraline. Did first two weeks on 25 mg and then increased to 50 mg. Not really feeling any better yet, did have 1 good day. Mornings are the worst. This forum does help, people say to keep going because it"s a good drug, just takes time to work.
Nervous12 c53732
Posted
thanks for replying. I think the fact you have had a good day and recognise that is a really good sign. Certainly does seem to take time but keeping faith in the tablets and trying to keep positive. Have a phone appointment with doctor this week. hoping i start to feel a bit better as weeks go on. Hope you do too
c53732 Nervous12
Posted
Good to be in touch. l have a phone appointment with the doctor tomorrow. Keep in touch. Let me know what your doctor says.
BulldozerMcr Nervous12
Posted
Yes let us know what your doctor says please.
Nervous12 c53732
Posted
how did your appointment go? i had a bad day today but tomorrow is a new day
Nervous12 BulldozerMcr
Posted
hi, i will indeed. not a good day today but have to accept im going to have bad days and eventually the good will outweigh the bad.
have you experience with sertraline?
BulldozerMcr Nervous12
Posted
No, I havent. Ive started to take it last november first, 1 week 25mg, 12 weeks 50mg, 2 weeks 75mg, and 5weeks 100mg and I still feel awful. Not sure if this med is good for me at all, but doctors say I need to keep taking it at least a few more weeks. Doubt is killing me
c53732 Nervous12
Posted
Doctor was good. She thought that the odd day of improvement was encouraging but she did explain that it can time quite a time to work. Having said that, today has been awful, have felt quite unwell and very tired. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Hope you have a better day tomorrow as well.
chantelle88647 c53732
Edited
hi im also on day 25 on 50mg. hate the morning anxiety also getting headaches and dizziness but was on Mirtazapine before and had the sane symptoms for six weeks then they went away. its so up and down i thought by one month my anxiety would be much better but from what i have read it takes a ling time to work?
Nervous12 chantelle88647
Posted
hi, yea i so think it takes a long time but i just keep thinking, everytime i take the tablet, im a day closer to feeling better. thats what i tell myself anyway. i had a much better day today even though i woke up with anxiety again. phone appointment with doctor tomorrow. its a tough journey and a lonely one but i suppose thats why these foeums are good, people going through the same thing.
sandi77808 Nervous12
Edited
Hi all...I am here because I was the caregiver for my 25-year-old daughter who went through a very scary and crippling depression in the fall of 2018 and was on this medication (brand name zoloft in the States). What kept me going and gave me help the whole time she was with us (she came home to stay with us for 2 months while she grappled with this) were the success stories . There was a post from someone named Kate who posted "My 13-week success story" and it gave me tremendous hope - and, my daughter actually mirrored her story. This drug really does take a long time to work and unfortunately (maybe because she was only 25 and you probably know about the black box warning for younger people) it plunged her into the scary depths before pulling her up. But pull her up it did, eventually. Around the 6-week mark she began to have some good days. Still a roller coaster with bad days too, but gradually she got better and better until she was back to her old self by around the 12-13 week mark. I called it a miracle based on what she came from. She started on 25 mg for a week, up to 50, then to 100 and finally 150 at the end (there were 2-3 weeks between these increases). She has been thriving for over a year, and has been off the meds for a year. Please try not to lose hope and hang in there, as hard as that is. You are not alone. And you will recover. xo
Nervous12
Edited
hi guys, how is everybody doing?
i had a phone appointment with my GP last week and she has increased my dose to 100mg of sertraline. i am on day 6 today and finding it pretty difficult. anxiety has increased again (was sort of expecting this), sleep is disturbed, mood low, bit numb etc. im trying my best to push through and keep telling myself that everyday i take the tablet, im a step closer to getting better. i think the fact we are even taking the medication and have spoken to our doctors shows we are already on the road to recovery even if it certainly doesnt feel like it. Dont be afraid to speak to the doctor, thats what they are there for. This is a very stressful time globally too. im in northern Ireland and we are under lockdown because of coronavirus.
c53732 Nervous12
Edited
l can identify with how you feel. l keep telling myself that every day is a day nearer to being better. Day 20 on 50 mg.
Had 2 good days , Mon. Tues followed by a day I couldn't get out of bed. Mornings always the worst part of the day.
l know it takes time, we must pull together and persevere.
chantelle88647 Nervous12
Edited
hi im now into week five and feeling the best i have in a long time. Weeks three and four were terrible especially the morning anxiety. But it is subsiding now. i also think with corona i havnt spoken to people who dont have anxiety and they have no history of mental illness. its is a very trying time for everyone and im glad im on something that seems to be levelling me out otherwise i would be in a constant state of panic. see how you go the next few weeks hopefully they fully kick in but i wanted to give up a few weeks ago but it is really true what they say about this drug it takes a long time to work and im looking forward to seeing even more improvements!
c53732 chantelle88647
Posted
So good to read this. l am persevering but it is hard and there are times when it is difficult to keep taking the tablet. Reading your experience is so helpful. Can l ask what dose you are on?
chantelle88647 c53732
Posted
hi im also on the 50mg. i had my third baby in sept last year ans was put on Mirtazapine as i developed Post natal depression and insomnia after a very traumatic birth. i still take 7.5mg of the mirtazapine before bed as its more sedating at a lower dose. not sleeping has been my main issue. Yes keep going even last week i had dizziness and headaches all day and was thinking this is not worth it. But something happened smack bang on the four week mark and i feel much better. May i ask why you were put on Sertraline?
c53732 chantelle88647
Posted
hi. Thanks for replying. l have suffered with anxiety for 15 years. l had a couple of spells on fluoxetine, which worked. Came off it 3 years ago and was ok for a while but then anxiety came back and couldn't get back on fluoxetine. Also tried mirtazapine,citalopram and clomipramine. All upset me. Recently doctor and pharmacist suggested trying sertraline, am hopeful this is working but know it takes time.
BulldozerMcr c53732
Posted
I am similar to you. cant find a medication which helps. When you say all upset you how do you mean? How bad was it could you function? Just because I cant 😦
c53732 BulldozerMcr
Edited
They made me feel so ill all of the time and functioning was difficult.With the sertraline l seem to be getting some better days, having said that l feel awful this morning but it is only 3 weeks on 50mg. People say to keep going as this medication does take time.
BulldozerMcr c53732
Posted
Sertraline makes me feel ill. It might be not the right med for me, this is the second one, its so hard to find a good one, losing hope 😦
sandi77808 c53732
Posted
It does take time, try to hang in if you can and you will see results.
c53732 sandi77808
Posted
Thanks sandi. Your comments certainly help. Do you think that the fact l am having some better days is a good sign.
Today not good but your reply has helped.
c53732 BulldozerMcr
Posted
Has your doctor offered any advice on trying a different medication?
BulldozerMcr c53732
Posted
she wants me put on Cymbalta. I dont like the idea
c53732 BulldozerMcr
Posted
lt's not one l know anything about. Perhaps you can ask on the forum if anyone has experience of it.
BulldozerMcr c53732
Posted
How are you? Have you had some more better days?
c53732 BulldozerMcr
Edited
It has been a mixed week, at times l felt l was improving and then yesterday was awful.
BulldozerMcr c53732
Posted
What week are you on please?
c53732 BulldozerMcr
Posted
Did 2 weeks on 25 and just done 3 weeks on 50.
BulldozerMcr c53732
Posted
5 weeks now for you? It should improve soon!
c53732 BulldozerMcr
Posted
Had a really good day on Weds, felt quite different and back to normal, didn't last and spent yesterday in bed. Some improvement today but feeling really tired. How are you?