So scared to start sertraline!

Meant to say I rang my doctor today explained my side effects she said it’s normal and to take half a pill. 

I found it was easier to take 25mg instead of the 50mg for a few days just to get use to it. Then started on the 50mg after 7 days, thought the side effects where not as bad.

Fluoxetine was hell on earth for three months, I was so scared of starting Sertraline but I have the say the side effects were not remotely the same as fluoxetine.

It's a massive trail and error with SSRI's sadly. Be strong

I think I’m gonna take half my pill so yeah 25mg, just so scared I didn’t like how I felt yesterday

I'm thinking about taking it tonight....I need to get better!

Yeah I’m thinking of taking half of one tonight so I sleep through the side effects

Yes that's why I'm taking it at night....I took these 12 years ago and woke up terrible! My pupils were like flying saucers! I think I'm going to take them about 8.30! Good luck with yours 😊

I'm just petrified I won't be in control of myself...I'm already suffering my panic all day long due to my other medication that has stopped working!

Yeah I’m gonna try at night, worth a try, and yeah it’s so embarrassing I feel like a druggy goodluck too!!

Yeah take at night so you sleep through the worst of side effects. It helps, but the first few days are tough. I barely slept, had huge pupils and a sensation like I had 12 coffee's in a row. Als had more panic attacks,, tremours, shakes and crying spells. It was grim but on day 5, half the symptoms eased dramatically. Just keep telling yourself it's the meds, not you.

Also should add I got zero mental side effects which is brilliant, just a new sense of calm. On fluoxetine I felt numb to everyone and anything and was completely a shell. It was not an experience I want to relive.

Okay I will do! Thankyou for sharing your story! Will the drug feeling go soon? I’ve got a driving lesson in a week don’t wanna do it if I feel like I’m on drugs

I'm just scared off having the biggest panic attack in the world! I'm already severely anxious and have been panicking for 2 months....I so want to feel better, all this panicking and anxiety is due to side effects of citalopram that has pooped out!

Hi rosebud just a quick question how are you feeling now & when you take the sertraline how long did you notice after taking it the weird sided effects?

Hello I’m fine now, but I think that’s because I took my last pill 24 hours ago now and I’m gonna take my 2nd one tonight rather than the morning, so I was at work when I took my first one and I didn’t feel the weird effects, I just got shakey hands and then about 3 hours later I started to feel weird like I was going to faint, but never did, and then I felt like I was on drugs and got sweats and more shakey, it lasted until this morning x

It's very difficult to go through, I do empathise a lot. I was a mess before starting Sertraline. Not going to lie, it did make my anxiety worse for a week or two (as in to levels I have never experience!) But it passed fast. Has the doctor given you anything to cope with the initial side effects? I took Propranolol to calm the anxiety and an occasional diazepam when I had insomnia from it.

The therapeutic dose kicks in at 5 weeks ish, it's just getting past the week mark which is the hardest. You'll start telling at that point if you can see any improvement or not. It is the little things that made a big difference for me.

I had awful mental side effects to flouxetine for first 2 weeks to a month, felt extremely scared and like I wasn't part of this world but it did pass, although on them everything's blocked out a bit to much it's like your in your own bubble.