Posted , 8 users are following.
hello! my gp switched me from citalopram to sertraline (20 mg of citalopram to 50 mg of sertraline) and my sleep has greatly been affected. waking up often, not getting solid rest. can anyone help me understand when this will subside and the meds kick in? it will be three weeks this friday since making the switch.
0 likes, 10 replies
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charlotte48255 Guest
Edited
I’ve done exactly the same as you, citalopram to sertraline! The first week was awfull! The second and third very slow improvement! I’m coming up to 4 weeks now and I can feel the side effects are slowly getting better, as for sleep it also gets better! I take sertraline at night but I know some people can’t take it at night as it effects ther sleep! it can take 6-8 weeks for sertarline to kick in!
Guest charlotte48255
Posted
hey charlotte....i took mine originally at night then i switched thinking it would help the insomnia. well, it hasnt. i am coming up on week three and hoping to see better signs of change coming soon. i know it can take weeks to adjust, so i am waiting patiently, but the lack of sleep is horrendous.
zen819 Guest
Edited
Hi Seth,
I would take sertraline first thing in the morning. I take mine around 6,30 with some food and water. Please make sure you drink lot of water after you take it and have food else it plays havoc on your digestive system
i have come through the other end of gerd , regurgitation heart burn etc etc
i am on 3 months of 50 mg and was sleeping great until a few weeks ago where sleep is still broken sometimes i am unable to sleep for 1-2 hours then i sleep. I believe it will pass as the brain is adjusting to the medication.
hope this helps
Guest zen819
Posted
thanks for the response! the last couple of night sleep has gotten much better so has my perspective towards it.
george25904 zen819
Posted
Hi Zen819, I've been reading your various posts because they seem to closely align with my experience currently. I started experiencing intense jerks during sleep onset. My doctor put me on eszopiclone (non-benzo) which helps with the jerks, but sometimes I suffer from anxiety which overpowers the eszopiclone and the jerks will return...sometimes with an adrenaline rush sensation. When I do sleep, I very frequently have disturbing dreams. I am not sure if I actually have something wrong with me and I'm experiencing this anxiety as a result, or if the anxiety is the root cause of everything. I see its been a long time since you've posted anything. Can you please give an update? If you've gotten better, can you share exactly what drug/methods worked for you? Thank you.
Samrock Guest
Edited
Hey Seth,
While I can't give you any indication of when it might subside, when I first started taking Sertraline, my sleep was all over the place. Waking up 2/3 hours earlier than before and then being wide awake and unable to get back to sleep. Taking an extra hour or two to just fall asleep. Waking up multiple times during the night. Night sweats, crazy, vivid dreams.
I'm saying this because you're not alone and this is one of the side effects you can get from Sertraline.
If you wake in the middle of the night, If you can get some Valerian root oil (decent quality) and add a few drops of it to a glass of water and drink it, it might get you back to sleep. I've heard a few people using it when having sleep troubles.
matt18802 Guest
Posted
hello i had trouble sleeping during the first few weeks. Its difficult to compare experiences though as citalopram is leaving your system so that will bring its own bag of effects. i think i started sleeping better around 5-6 weeks
Jsn0w Guest
Edited
I'm just passed my first week on Sertraline. Awful taste in my mouth, anyone else have this? One day it was so so bad, like a metallic taste. And I'm not sleeping that great on them. Looking forward to seeing what it's like in week 6.
Guest Jsn0w
Edited
yes sleep will be an issue for a couple of weeks. you have to accept it and relax as much as possible. deep breathing exercises will help ypu, greatly. let your body amd mind rest as much as possible because when you stress and worry you are just adding gas to a fire. your body knows what it needs so when its tired you will sleep. you just have to let it be for now.
Elemenohpee Guest
Posted
I have and am experiencing major impacts to my sleep. Takes hours to fall asleep then the sleep is poor quality and lasts all of three hours. Sleep was getting better after about month at 100mg, however, I recently upped my dose from 100-150mg and the insomnia has begun again which feels discouraging. I had some success with melatonin but now my doctor has prescribed sleeping aids for two weeks after a psych eval told him it increased risk of relapse not to be sleeping.
Also currently experiencing night sweats, some strange dreams, minor headaches, and twitching/tremors.