Very tired on Sertraline

C, your message really stood out to me and I felt a need to reply. My husband, also 33 started taking sertraline approx 6 months ago starting with a 50mg and a month ago to 100mg plus the GP has now discussed upping it to 150mg which we are unsure about.

My husband suffers from anxiety and depression and is currently unable to work mainly due to the tiredness (he drives all day)which he is convinced that he is seriously ill with another disease to explain his tired state.

He wakes up early in the morning but feels sick a lot at this time, and by lunchtime he is shattered and struggling to keep his eyes open. After a few hours sleep, still has no energy and is ready to go back to bed from 7ish which he fights to stay awake. I am very worried about him and try to do as much as I can to save his energy.

Sometimes just walking around the house, he can sit/lie down in various places as he doesn't have any energy or his legs feel weak.

His mood has improved since on the medication however due to the sickness, this puts him off taking them. He is extremely agitated in the evening and needs a hobby to distract him, help with his aggitation however he doesn't have any movitation to do anything. He does has mood swings and is usually then so exhausted that he can't remember it.

I can't bear your comment about your driving and it doesn't matter if you are killed. It does!! I'm sure that you have many people around you who care about you! You are important. I do understand about how you feel about hurting others though :-)

My husband also sometimes misses a day or two of the tablets due to sickness and mainly due to the fact that he feels so bad on them. Have they made his life any better since taking them?! It's very very hard to tell when you feel so drained all of the time.

Please take care, everyday is different and mental health is more in the news now than ever. Life is much more stressful than it used to be!! And we put too much pressure on ourselves! My issue is that I don't know what to do to help him and there just doesn't seem to be the support out there (we are in the UK).

We will get through this and come out the other side!

Hello kirsty01930,

I am really sorry your husband is having issues with Sertraline. The high dosage of 150mg takes a huge toll on the body, I know, but at the same time the GP would have weighed its benefits against the possible side-effects. However, I am not convinced we need to be drugged so badly that our mind feels at ease. My wife has been such a huge support in this tough period that at least the effects of the medication doesn't get me so frustrated. Your husband is lucky to have a caring wife and I'm sure with time he will start to feel better. I feel that mental issues are sidelined with disdain and most people I have met are just in denial and "hope" that they will turn the corner by hook or crook. Trust me, it takes a lot of courage to accept we have mental issues and the fact that your husband is seeking professional help is making you complete half the journey to recovery already. What I feel important along with the medication is physical activity - stroll, running, jogging, etc. That will most certainly help bring down the stress levels. But please do not skip the medication. Initial phase is tough but it will get better and your husband will see the light at the end of the tunnel - of that I'm sure! Some people need days, some need weeks and some (like me) need months! Don't worry. It's just a phase. 

You will get through this! Stay strong!

I not say much chalchit ?? but I just want you to know that I DO UNDERSTAND for I have been on sertraline for over 4 years and every was fine at first then everything I have read here so far on these pages I have currently or had before like a ?? roller-coaster ride its annoying one day great next sht but same always so tired and I am too waking up in traffic ??

anooying side effect that one isn't it.  if i had to choose, i would certainly choose tiredness over depression/anxiety, but that so it's still annoying being tired a lot 

i think the problem for some (including me) is, if you have depression and taking ssri's, when you sleep at night you tend to spend more time in REM sleep instead of the deep restorative sleep.  you can tell when you wake after not having enough deep sleep and too much REM because u wake up tired, and stay tired!  and if you try to sleep more, it often wont help because you may just spend even more time in REM sleep..

i havn't found a solution to this issue and it's a pain looking around the internet for answers because it appears that nobody has one!

but still, i keep looking around for something which will give me more deep sleep and less REM.. hopefully one day i will find something!

Hi A new day ?

It is annoying but true to say, tiredness wins over Anxiety/Depression hands down. I suppose the side effects of sertraline differ to the amount of dosage given, I could be wrong, like today, I was yawning for England and my legs felt somewhat weakish. But that seems to eased a little now, but have a little forehead tension, I know antidepressants can lead you to have a dry mouth hence why I drink plenty of Water. But as you have given me food for thought and brought up a very good valid point, regarding REM. I would have never considered that, I have a Dr's appointment soon, and I'm in Two minds wether to reduce my dosage from 50mg to 25mg. Wether that would be good idea I don't honestly know, but thank you A new day. You have opened my eyes a little more to Sertraline, and if you should ever find the answer to a good nights sleep, I'd be very grateful if you would share. Again thank you my friend 😊🖒

Hi guys,

I'm on 50mg and also suffer with poor sleep, in fact some days I don't go with any.  I was prescribed with Zopiclone (3.75mg) just to help nudge my body towards sleeping, which has helped greatly and I can usually get a good 7+ hours sleep with it.  Though a word of caution, psychologically it's quite addictive, so it's likely that if your doctor prescribes you any it will be for two weeks supply at the most.  Try to use it it to give your internal clock a click rather than resolve the issue - as it won't, it'll just help.

I tend to take the Sertraline at 07:30am every morning as well, which seems to help me sleep at night.  If you get any hypnotic drugs to help with your sleep, treat them as an emergency supply rather than a go-to cure, as they have their own comedown effects which aren't pleasant, including, ironically, insomnia.

Hi Nementh ?

I also take my sertraline in the morning (05:30) before leaving for work, I find it more beneficial as my working day can get busy. I notice to the once at home and resting, my palpitations/skipped or premature beats make an entrance, though not for long. I know we who are anxious are more Aware if not, over aware of our bodys, and reading other people's posts is comforting in knowing you are not alone. And the support and advice, if not reassurance, is second to none in this forum. Thanks Nementh, for your kind advice 😊

Hi there- I think you might be on to something there.

Im on 50mg for 4 months now. Tried changing time I took it- same tiredness in the daytime.

I am also experiencing night sweats on a huge level- sleep with a towel. If I nap during day- same thing.

And my dreams are weird and I'm sure I'm having more/longer ones-----which fits the REM and deep sleep theory. I'll bet if I used one of the phone apps used to wake you at the top of your sleep cycle- you would notice something.

So delema: I'm no longer "on edge" and literally biting my nails vs tiredness and lack of motivation and night sweats.

Doc has suggested Beta Blockers instead.for.my anxiety - but the side effects can be nightmares.

Rock and hard place.

ps. I eat healthy and do a bit of exercise when I feel motivated (which seems less and less as.time goes on).

And no alcohol.

I have been on sertraline 50mg for 6 weeks.  I have been taking them at lunchtime also.  After the usual side effects of the first 3 weeks i felt better with hardly any anxiety, but from 5 weeks i started to feel  zombieish in the afternoon and drowsy at various times, so I thought i would change the time to with my evening meal about 6pm.  I have still been tired for the last week. I might see the pharmacist for advice this week, as I thought the tablets might give a boost, and motivate me, but they sem to have the opposite effect at the moment.  It is very annoying.  I just hope the tiredness will pass soon.

I have been on sertraline 50 mg and I was like a zombie. Could not stay awake, so my doctor lowered the dose to 25mg, but I'm still exhausted and sleepy. I think this type makes people so relaxed you are sleepy