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When does sertraline actually kick in?

Posted , 55 users are following.

zoe111
zoe111

Hi to you all,

I've had panic disorder with agoraphobia for over 20 years. I was on the highest dose of Duloxetine for approximately 10 years, but recently my GP took me off this, as I was beginning to have many episodes of panic attacks.

I started taking 25mg of sertraline 18 days ago. Since then the GP has raised the dose to 50 mg and then on day 14 of taking sertraline she raised it again to 75mg. I wondered if anybody knows how long it takes to get in to the system. I currently feel more anxious and highly agitated. I'm finding it hard to leave the house. Any advise would be welcome, as would any information on this medication. I need to start feeling better soon, as I am self employed and need to earn some money. This is also adding to my anxiety!

Thanks!

7 likes, 106 replies

106 Replies

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  • b1001
    b1001

    Posted

    I started Sertraline 50mg a week ago and it started working after 5 days, I feel 80% of my normal self again and I'm getting back into my usual routine already. I did experience an increase in anxiety at first but by day 5 it was gone, now on day 7 and feeling great - no side effects either! CBT starts Thursday. Stick with it for a month and if it isn't working ask to try a different SSRI.
    • dl283278
      dl283278 b1001

      Posted

      I know this is an old post but I've been through hell with meds I'm now on setraline a week and feel just as bad. I know not all generics are the same since you had such a good experience I was hoping you could look at your bottle and tell me the manufacturer name?
  • zoe111
    zoe111

    Posted

    Hi

    Thanks so much for the replies!

    I've been on sertraline now for about 6 weeks and it's been really tough!

    Have just gone up to 100 a day (since 3 days ago) and I think I'm starting to improve.

    Dr says its coz I was on the highest dose of duloxetine and having to start on a small dose (25, then 50, then 75 and now 100) of the sertraline is why it's taking so long. Have to say I've never felt so ill, but am having some glimmers of hope now!

    Been thankful that people around me care and that places like this are so helpful!

    Thanks x

  • lydia27
    lydia27

    Posted

    Hi Zoe, I really am happy the Sertraline is kicking in, your life will change trust me, I had been trying several meds and was not getting better, I thought it was me It was my fault I was this way, and was not, I had Serotonine Deficiency, and could not cope, the worse you feel the less your body produces, a circle that gets worse. You will start enjoying life, it was like waking up of a nightmare I did not know normal people feel this way, I thought the way I felt was normal and was my fault I could not be like others, I just could not feel relaxed. And nobody knows what is like to be ill. I even had to hide it from eveybody and was more dificult everyday, and I ended up taking anything to have some peace... I hope you are going out now and are enjoying work and life, THERE IS ANOTHER LIFE FOR YOU wink and it is about to start idea
    • amy42610
      amy42610 lydia27

      Posted

      Hi Lydia,

      I just start Sertraline last week. And still feel anxiety and not good sleep at night. I like your attitude and hope that I can get the same results as yours. You really encourage me.

    • roger04038
      roger04038 amy42610

      Posted

      Hang with it a while. 25mg of Sertraline worked for me after a couple/few weeks of being on it. However, after 2 months I realized 25mg was not enough. Going to 50mg was much easier after being on 25mg for that long. I've been at 50mg for 3 months now and I feel much much better. My "thermometer" is my wife and kids. I "check in" with them every so often to see how I'm doing...lol. They notice changes in me much quicker than I do. So far I feel like Sertraline has made a huge difference for me. Now of course there are many SSRIs out there...the reason is, not any one SSRI will help everyone. It's worth a shot. If it doesn't work for you after a couple months go back to your Doctor and tell him/her that you would like to try a different one. Just don't give up.....you will find something that works best for YOU. Let me know in a few weeks if Sertraline worked or not. Would like to hear about it. This forum has been very helpful to me and hope that I can give something back, drawing from my limited experience with Sertraline. Good luck Amy!
    • lynda70899
      lynda70899 lydia27

      Posted

      Lydia

      did you start on a low dose and gradually went up to 100mg.  When and how long did it take to level out?

      thks

      Lynda

    • dl283278
      dl283278 roger04038

      Posted

      I know this is an old post but I've been through hell with meds I'm now on setraline a week and feel just as bad. I know not all generics are the same since you had such a good experience I was hoping you could look at your bottle and tell me the manufacturer name?
  • zoe111
    zoe111

    Posted

    Hi.

    GP increased the dose to 100, but I'm not doing so well. Been on it for over 2 weeks. But I'm now feeling really depressed. Just don't think carrying on with the sertraline is for me. It's changing me as a person. I'm so low and I don't normally suffer from depression. I'm also very sensitive and agitated.

    Is it time to try a different drug!?? Just need to feel better. Last week I had 3 good days.....

  • lydia27
    lydia27

    Posted

    Zoe

    I hope you are better,

    You have to visit your doctor asap.

    and tell him how you feel.

    I wrote it down to the spyquiatris, as when I got there I was quiet.

    and he read it.

    I had to go on several medications until they found the right one.

    do not lose faith you will improve, I did and was really bad...

    I quitted alcohol too, as was making it worse.

    I do not know look into your habits what you can improve.

    And get hobbies.

    I join painting classes, gym, I run in the seafront...

    Anything that fills in your life lol

    Hope you get better soon,

    seriously I thought I was never going to come out of the nigthmare and I did.

    Just keep up and you will be back on truck,

    and you will be so happy of being alive.

    IT DOES GET BETTER

    cheesygrin

  • jesus49378
    jesus49378 zoe111

    Posted

    I've started taking  25mg Zoloft two weeks ago and haven't really felt much better .I still feel depressed can't leave my room,not much appetite,hard to sleep at night cause I sleep little on and off in daytime.Im glad though for all the good ppl and advice that really helps and give hope to be patient.thanks to all and if any advice please continue because it really does help.
    • roger04038
      roger04038 jesus49378

      Posted

      I've been on Sertraline for 5 months now. I started at 25mg, which I seemed to tolerate ok. It made me feel "weird" for a couple weeks, but was ok. Was a bit nauseous, bit realized (for me) that taking it with food helped. Doctor told me after 2 weeks to increase to 50mg. That's when I had a much harder time with the effects. Called the Doctor's office and they said to go back to 25mg for now. I stayed on 25mg for about 2 months....then realized that it was not enough. I "checked in" with my wife on this and she suggested that I call the Doctor and see if they'll let me try 50mg again. Supposedly 50mg is the minimum "therapeutic level" for Sertraline. So I tried it again and having been on 25mg for 2 months, my second try at 50mg was not half as bad....actually it didn't bother me at all, but I did see a VAST improvement in my anxiety and frustration/anger. I have been on 50mg for 3 months now and feel like my old self again. Not that Sertraline is for everyone, hence the reason there are so many SSRIS on the market these days, but for me it is working well. Basically I feel like it has helped me to save my marriage and the relationships I have with my kids. I was getting annoyed and frustrated to such a degree that going a whole day without feeling that way never happened. I love myself and my family too much.....I feel much better. Now that doesn't mean a still don't get annoyed or frustrated...but I have been able to handle it much better. It's how I was reacting to something or someone that made me feel that way. Now I am much better able to redirect myself or keep myself from "blowing up". I feel like I can discipline my kids properly and not fly off the handle doing it. I can have a conversation with my wife about something that is bothering her or myself and not immediately go on the defensive. For me anyway, it has helped a great deal. I've been much better able to realize that there are many different and better ways to react when I get upset. I hope that either Sertraline does the same for you or that you find another SSRI that will. Unfortunately it does take a while to notice a difference. Take the 25mg for a while.....even maybe a couple of months like me. If you find it works for you after a few more weeks, stay on it. Once/ if you start to feel better, stay on the 25mg until you feel like maybe 25mg isn't enough....maybe it will be for you. But if it isn't, see if your Doctor will increase you to 50mg. One step at a time. if you're on 25mg for a while, the jump to 50mg is not so bad. I wish you good luck. Let me know how you're doing after a couple/few more weeks!
    • jesus49378
      jesus49378 roger04038

      Posted

      Thanks again for your experience and advice because these forums are what have been giving me faith.I feel helpless sometimes because I started the 25mg two weeks ago and don't see much change.I haven't been able to leave my house for about that time and don't see my Dr. For a couple weeks,but with other experiances I feel hope.
  • liz1234
    liz1234 zoe111

    Posted

    Hi zoe

    It takes about 6-8 weeks they say. I was on 50mg for 4wks but still felt very anxious and depressed, my doctor raised it to 100mg last wks and my anxiety has almost gone but I still feel low mood. Stick with it they say.

    I hope you feel better soon, life can be hard eh x

    • julie12843
      julie12843 liz1234

      Posted

      Hi I know this is quite an old post but I started on sertraline 50mg for three weeks and been on 100mg for one week but I'm still not feeling good. Went to doc last week when he upped the dose but how much longer have I got to wait , any ideas?
    • deborah12336
      deborah12336 julie12843

      Posted

      I've been on 100 for three weeks but no improvement yet. Hoping something happens soon.
    • lynda70899
      lynda70899 deborah12336

      Posted

      Hi Deborah

      i am in the same boat.  Been on 100 for two and half weeks.  Doesn't seem to be working.  Not sure if I should wait it out for a few weeks or up.

      did you have any side effects when you increased?

      lynda

    • deborah12336
      deborah12336 lynda70899

      Posted

      Hi Lynda, not I haven't had any side effects that I've noticed, no change whatsoever. Wish it would help my panic attacks soon, having a rough time.
    • joanie33125
      joanie33125 deborah12336

      Posted

      Hi Iv been dealing with panic attacks for about a month now. Just went to my Dr yesturday & she put me on Sertraline 25mg bedtime for 2 weeks then up it to 50mg there after at bedtime. I am really having a hard time dealing with this. My mind just has an bad feeling most of the time.( impending doom like feeling) a couple weeks ago I had the derealization for 9 days. These are the most scariest things Iv ever encountered. I feel I'm losing my mind. It so very scary. I hope I see an improvement soon. Don't know how much more I can take or how much more my poor family can take not having me interacting with them like I use too. Reading most of these have given me hope. Hopefully one day soon we can all have positive stories to tell.
    • Gnancy575
      Gnancy575 joanie33125

      Posted

      Poor yoy I know how you feel I've been suffering with panic attacks/anxiety for about 2 years now. I had to quit my job and stay home with my daughter and trying every natural remedie I can think of I tried all the natural stuff and didn't get no where with it. I recently started working but only lasted about 4 months cause my anxiety was to hard to control I recently said to myself I'm done I'm tired of living this way I don't go to the stores the movies nothing cause being around people makes me anxious so I had gone to my doctor she prescribed celexa and I took it nope wasn't for me felt awful so I started generic for zoloft I started taking it a week ago the first week took 12.5mg and yesterday I started the full 25mg it's been okay but during this time of being on my medication I've had to take my lorazepam for anxiety I'm just hoping to feel normal again it's really hard to live with panic attacks.
    • Gnancy575
      Gnancy575

      Posted

      Hi Joanie everything you have been going through I have been too I also started with anxiety and panic attacks about 2 years ago tried everything natural out there I could think of and for some reason nothing helped I also tried working lasted about 4 months and had to quit cause my anxiety was bad. I don't go to the stores or the movies or the mall I'm always home and when I do go out I take a lorazepam 1mg cause the 0.5 ain't cutting it no more for my panic attacks but I've been on sertraline I started 2 weeks ago and started one week with 12.5mg and now the second week I've been on 25mg I just pray this works cause I still have my days of depression where I just cry but my councler tells me you have depression because you feel trapped with your anxiety and I tell her that's exactly why I'm depressed I feel like this isn't a life to live being anxious all the time but I'm hanging in there my girls and my husband keep me positive and so do my friends they encourage me to keep pushing so I pray and hope for everyone out there who suffers with this horrible issue that one day we will be ourselves again and enjoy life again. God willing 😊
    • Riab
      Riab Gnancy575

      Posted

      Hi I know this post is a couple years old, but how are you doing now. Can you please let me know? I’d love to hear from you.

      Thanks

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