Update
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi everyone,
I've been on sertraline now for 7 weeks and three days. The first few days was absolutely horrendous, I felt anxious from morning to night, sick, dizzy, I couldn't eat or sleep. I started on 50mg for the first three days, but the side effects were so unbearable (I was so close to giving up) that I decided to half the tablets to 25mg. I was on 25mg for a week and started to fell better and was able to sleep again, so I went back up to 50mg for 5 weeks. I must say after about 2 weeks on the 50mg I started to feel some improvements, I felt more calm, a lot less anxious, way more confident and my moods were much more lifted. I still had some bad days but I felt hope! After 5 weeks on 50mg I had a catch up over the phone with my doctor on tuesday and we decided to up it to 100mg as I still felt 50mg was quite low. I have now been on 100mg for 3 days, the first night taking 100mg I woke up with some anxious feelings and had quite an awful headache the whole of the first day. But today is my third day on 100mg and I can tell you I now have no side effects and I'm feeling pretty good so far and feeling after so long that I am finally getting back to myself!
To everyone who is close to giving up, please please please dont! you need to stick with it! it does get so much better I promise, it takes everyone a different amount of time to get used to them. I know that the side effects can be so traumatising, on my third day on this medication I wanted to go to a&e I felt that bad! But I am so glad now that I didnt give up and I know you will be to! p.s- I know this is such a difficult time right now for people with mental health problems so I hope everyone is staying safe and keeping calm!
Phoebe x
3 likes, 10 replies
kimberley69393 phoebe1234
Edited
Hi Phoebe1234
have to say reading ur post has made me alot calmer! im on week 4 well tonights dose will be week 4 but can i ask did u suffer with aches and pains rumbly tum and did u get chest tightness or pains as im still suffering from them im on 50mg of sertraline and they put me up to 100mg but if im being honest i have calmed down alot i take them for panic attacks depression anxiety and ocd but still also have bad days aswell as good.
thank u again for ur encouraging post!
phoebe1234 kimberley69393
Posted
Hi! yes! I had an awful rumbly stomach which would come on about 1-2 hours after taking the medication. and it was very uncomfortable! I wouldnt say I had chest pains but I had a rushy hot feeling that would come in my chest and make it feel really tight which was horrible and would give me a lot of anxiety. but I have heard of chest pains with taking this medication so I wouldnt worry! so glad you are carrying on! good luck with everything! xx
sophies77 phoebe1234
Edited
glad I read this! I'm due to start this - waiting on my doctors call to go through it all, and I'm so anxious and nervous because I know it takes time.. my biggest thing I hate is chest pains I get so im scared they will get worse but reading this is very reassuring that I'll be ok and will get through the initial stages! I'm due to start 50mg so may suggest starting on 25!
phoebe1234 sophies77
Edited
Hi Sophie! Maybe speak to your doctor about starting on 25mg, you can always up it when needed. Or you could do what I did and see how you go, and if needed go down to 25mg as that worked for me. I'm not going to lie, it was not an easy journey! I really struggled with side effects, there were many days where I couldnt even leave my bed, but they are completely normal! thats what you have to tell yourself! if you ever have a bad day with side effects, the main thing which helped me was having hot bubble baths to help relax me! so keep that in mind as that does help! Good luck! and if you do have days where you struggle just jump on here as the people on this website really helped me through! X
sophies77 phoebe1234
Edited
that's great thank you!! nice to speak to someone who's honest and doesn't sugar coat it either - my biggest fear is the bad days with side effects etc because I have a 10 week old and a 4 year old, however I do have my husband home at the moment to help and he is very supportive!
phoebe1234 sophies77
Edited
Thats really good! Its probably best to start them now as of the situation we are in as we have to stay home anyway! so if you are feeling rough your in the comfort of your own home. there are always some medications that can be prescribed to help stop the side effects, I never actually tried them! but I know others did and said they were quite helpful!
sophies77 phoebe1234
Posted
yes that's exactly what my doctor said, taking a good thing out of a bad situation in a way isn't it.. oh I didn't realise that! I do already have some gastro tablets prescribed for me which are for extreme belly aches and feeling sick so that may be one of them! but I wont take anything until I know how I am and seeing what doctor says 😃
GodsServant phoebe1234
Edited
I think I remember writing to you - soooo wonderfully good to hear this!
Take care and remember, it is still ultimately a pill and you need to try to be physically active, get enough rest, and maintain stress. We need lots of self-care to be like a person without anxiety, OCD, depression, but in a strange way, it makes us appreciate the simple moments of life even more. 😃
phoebe1234 GodsServant
Posted
Hi! yes I remember, I was really struggling! feeling much better now! thank you for all the advice and encouragement! 😃
sandi77808 phoebe1234
Posted
Thank you Phoebe, you are so correct, same thing happened with my daughter. It is very gradual, it took her about three months. Pretty soon the good days outweigh the bad days.