Still struggling

Hi. I started on 25 mg for 2 weeks and felt pretty good. I had been suffering from GAD - General Anxiety Disorder for a long time. It was causing heart palpitations very frequently. Test showed there was no problem with my heart - but it added to my anxiety and depression. My GP prescribed the Sertraline at 25 mg to see how it did. After 2 weeks I felt much better and the palpitations stopped. I had a follow up with him at 6 weeks. He told me the regular adult dose was 50 mg, so he upped me to that. I started having trouble sleeping, felt very antsy and anxious. I just felt strange and not pleasant. I went back to the 25 mg and felt much better. During this time of the coronavirus, my anxiety has returned, so I do want to try to get to the 50 mg. So for the last week I have cut one of the 25 mg in half. I take one 25, and half another one. So far this has been okay. I figure I will do this for a couple of weeks and then try to increase to the 50 mg. Maybe that would work for you. It's worth a try.

Honestly we all want to feel better so badly, and we hear from people that it usually takes 4 to 6 weeks, but the truth is it usually takes longer. Not to give bad news, and yes everyone is different. I was the same as you...started on 25 for 2 weeks, then went to 50. After the 4 week mark on 50, I was like ok?? I'm ready to feel better now!!! And I did feel a little better, there was definitely a few promising days here and there. But after 3 months of being on 50 I realized I still wasnt well. So now I'm on 100. I've been on 100 for 10 months. And it wasnt until I was on 100 for about 3 months that I woke up one morning, and I was like hey, I've been feeling good. I'm good 90% of the time. I still get the occasional trigger/panic, we're still human after all. All I'm saying is hang in there. It takes at least a few months of being on the right dose. My advise is to stick it out on 50 for 1 more month. And if you still dont feel good, then go up to 100. Good luck. You can do this.

It is true what everyone says, my daughter went through this - she started feeling better by about the 6th week but it was very sporadic and up and down like a roller coaster! By 12-13 weeks she was pretty much feeling back to her old self.

When I was caring for my daughter (she was 25 then, just turned 27) THIS post from this forum REALLY helped me, I hope it helps you too, it's from someone named Kate: She says:

Hi everyone,

For those of you who haven't followed my posts this has been my second time on sertraline and I can finally 13 weeks later say it has worked again 😃

Check out my first success story post for more detailed information:

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/13-weeks-on-sertraline-my-success-story--540558

Both times I have been on this medication it has taken 12-13 weeks to feel better. I was off work for 3 months and have now gone back and have been fine.

Doctors will say 6-8 weeks but with my experiences I still felt awful then. Please try and stick with it and perservere it is so worth it.