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Sertraline - My 4week Update

Posted , 10 users are following.

UK-Rose
UK-Rose

Hello All... This is just a quick update into my journey so far and my 1st month on sertraline... Its not the best yet, but Im still hanging in there and hoping im gradually getting passed the worst... (fingers crossed)

I was initially prescribed this med for anxiety  

So Im 4weeks in... (Day28)

my dosage has been as follows 

1st week - 25mg 

2nd week - 37.5mg

3rd week+ - 50mg

My side effects at various points have been... Dull headaches, hot flushes, sweating, hands shaking, jittery feeling, irritated, annoyed, low depressive moods, emotional & upset, withdrawn, quiet & Isolated, lack of motivation & interest

tierd, lack of energy as well as my usual normal range of anxiety symptoms on top  

Positives have been brief moments of feeling... relaxed, calmer, less negative, more interactive, sociable, present, less anxious, more rational thinking... 

Since I started this medication I have been logging my daily dosages & experiences and Ive just reviewed back and worked out overall how my 1st month has panned out in total... 

23 Days - Feeling either Negative, Depressive, Low, Irritated, Sad, unmotivated etc 

5 Days - Feeling either more hopeful, calmer, relaxed, social, focused, present and getting that glimmer of hope the med seems to be starting to work. 

Im currently in another “depressive” stage at the moment and looking back at those results, Ive found it quite disheartening to say the least... I do however want to try and stick it out... but those odds have made me think... is this actually working?? Or should I look into other options?? (Review next week)

Curious to know if any others are experiencing WAY more negative days in comparison to there positive?? 

And if it seems like I should continue with this med at my next review?? Am I passed the worst?? Or would  I be jumping ship too early if I stopped/ changed??

All responses greatly appreciated 🌹

4 likes, 67 replies

67 Replies

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  • sarah40069
    sarah40069 UK-Rose

    Posted

    Thank you so much for this. I think I’m at stage 3 as I started to feel better but this week has been super difficult again. I’ve been up to 150mg for around 5 or 6 weeks so I was expecting to feel better by now. Do you think there’s still time for me to get better? Every time I have a bad few days I feel like it’s never going to end! I’ve been on this medication since September, slowly working my way up. I’ve had some better days and some really bad days, but I’m so ready to feel better. I’m definitely going to do a post like yours if I finally get some relief. It’s so encouraging for those of us still in the pit. 
    • UK-Rose
      UK-Rose sarah40069

      Posted

      Hello Sarah, 

      I absolutely hated that moment, where you feel good one minute, think your turning the corner... then bam “bad days” again 👎🏼  

      Its like Sertraline is actually teasing you! lol,

      but ride it out, it does tend to go abit back and forth before the good days finally out weigh the bad.

      Just keep reminding yourself... that the fact that you’ve  started to have good days and previous side effects have passed... that something is starting to work and now your in the process of levelling out that serotonin. 

      I would say with how long you’ve been taking your current dosage and the progress you’ve described it does sound like Step 3.

      I personally would stick at this dose, at least till the end of next week to see if this dip passes, if it doesn’t by then... then I would probably consider a slight increase. But give it till the end of next week, see how you get on and reassess your options then 👍🏼

      Keep me posted with how your doing, you’ll get there 🌹

    • abby56321
      abby56321 UK-Rose

      Posted

      Hi Rose. Your posts have brought me so much hope. I’m 28 years old and suffering with debilitating anxiety. I was on Sertraline before and it worked great at 75mg! So my doc put me on it again! Of course I keep convincing myself that it won’t work this time! But I was on 75mg for 4 weeks and 5 days when I felt my anxiety coming back so my doctor said to go up to 100mg the next day.  Ohhhhhh myyyyyy gosh!!! Horrific anxiety the first two days! Worst panic attack of my life. That was this past Friday. We are not on Monday so I’m 5 days in on 100mg and 5 weeks and 2 days in on Sertraline altogether. My morning anxiety has come back with a vengeance since upping my dose as well! It’s soooooo frustrating trying to hang on! I’m really hoping to see some relief in the next couple weeks! Thank you for your posts! I can’t wait to be where you’re at!
    • UK-Rose
      UK-Rose abby56321

      Posted

      Hello Abby,

      Thanks for your post, sorry to hear your having a tough time of it at the moment, but well done you for hanging in there 💕

      Sometimes with these meds it can be quite common to  experience a small “dip” now and again, basically experiencing a few rough days/ week were you might feel abit off or like your old issues are trying to get the better of you again, (I sometimes experience this when its coming up to my time of the month, but it generally passes after a few days or at most before the weeks out) I think you’re doctor may have been a little hasty to increase you so quickly, instead of waiting a few days to see if it passed by itself?

      But then again, on the plus point of the increase, Ive generally read that the majority of people who take these meds for a second time round generally do end up needing slightly more on there dosage than previous times, so chances are it will all work out for the best anyway 👍🏼

      If the morning anxiety is really starting to get you down, you can always ask the doctor to prescribe some diazepam, just to help you threw?

      I took them sporadically when I was starting out and they really did help to take the edge of those tough spots, and keep me going... at least till everything settled and levelled out. 

      Really hope you start to see a turn around soon, and if I can help with anything don’t hesitate to ask... you’ll get there abby 🌹

    • abby56321
      abby56321 UK-Rose

      Posted

      I just love your positivity! It means so much! Unfortunately, I think my Dr put me back at square one (it feels) with the increase. BUT...... at least I’m days into the increase now. I wish I would have stuck to my guns and just continued on the 75mg. I feel like I was much better last week at this time than I am right now. But I just have to keep reminding myself that’s due to the increase and eventually I’ll get there. It’s so hard when you can talk yourself into everything horrible! I constantly have that “I’m never going to get better” fear! 

      Thank you so much for replying! It truly does help to know you’re not alone and that people do come out on the other side of this awful illness!

  • armelle88733
    armelle88733 UK-Rose

    Posted

    Hello again rose. So I had laparoscopy last Monday. All well then developed a suspected UTI and put on antibiotics. They didn’t work and made me feel awful. Gp rang today to say no infection. I have UC and I believe it is all connected. Anyway, gp said to increase sertraline 50mg to 100mg. I had terrible side effects when I started this drug last October so I suggested going up to 75mg to which she agreed. Fingers crossed I don’t have the same side effects.
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