Hello, looking for help and advice: I’m a 44 year old female, currently taking 50mg of sertraline. I’ve been on them for 6 weeks and 3 days (not that I’m counting lol ) I’m struggling to say the least, tossing and turning at night, sometimes sweating (I’m already on hrt and this wasn’t a prob before the sertraline) I have a woozy head most of the time, and feel a bit disconnected with reality, almost a bit dream like, which seems to trigger more anxiety, and in turn this gets me down. The last week has got quite bad, I’ve had ups and downs throughout the past 6 weeks, but this last week has been hell, just can’t wait to go to bed at night just to try and switch off. When I first started the sertraline my suicidal thoughts were terrible, then they wore off a bit, but feel like now I’m back to the start, suicidal thoughts have returned and it’s just bloody awful. I am happily married, 2 great kids, just always had trouble with A & D. I suppose I’m looking for reassurance that all this is normal, and to keep going to see if this does eventually help. Really in a pickle and feel like I’m just wishing the days away, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks ☺️ Hope no one fell asleep reading this, because it felt like a gigantic moan !
6 weeks on sertraline 50mg 💊 - Anxiety and Depre...
6 weeks on sertraline 50mg 💊
Hi. I'm on sertraline for at least 3 years and now i don't any influence on me nor bad nor good. Well probably some good. But it's normal in the begging to feel worse. I was just talking to my psychiatrist who wants to replace it because we don't see any influence but i've been on it for do long i can't imagine what it would be like without it and i'm scared of starting a new antidepressant because at the begging there are the side effects you listed. For sertraline i know the min dose is 50mg and max 200mg. It's hard starting a new med and i hope you feel better soon. If something bothers you talk to your psychiatrist
I was on sertraline for 10 years and thought I would be on it for life. I was clinically depressed, and I also suffered from panic attacks, which were very unpleasant. A new doctor suggested I try going without sertraline for a while, and it worked for the most part. My problem was not being able to sleep at night and a dry mouth, which doesn’t sound like much of a side effect, but it wasn’t good.
It sounds to me like sertraline is not good for you either, so you may decide to try another medication. I was told that it takes a few weeks to adjust, but I felt some difference and improvement right away, apart from the side effects. I hope you can figure out what’s best for you.
Thanks for sharing. My doctor is considering changing it too but i'm afraid and i'm not stable right now.
I am having the same symptoms of being lightheaded almost all the time and feeling as if I'm in a dream. Also can't sleep without taking something and even then it's not good sleep. Been on sertraline for about 16 months. It all started in January. So far doctors haven't found why. I'm starting to wonder with your post if it is the sertraline. Curious to see what others say.
Ahh really? You’ve done well being in it so long and manage with those symptoms. I find the disconnected feeing quite scary, do you ? But then it’s a viscous circle of being afraid of the symptom and then it creates even more anxiety. Have you been back to your doctor and told themHow your feeling ?
The dreamy feeling is scary. I pinch myself to make sure I'm awake. See my doctor in a few days but I think they are sending me to a neurologist which will be awhile to get in. Good luck to you! Hopefully these 'side effects' if that's what they are, subside for both of us
Yeah it is every scary, and then being afraid of the feeling makes our anxiety symptoms worse and the viscous circle goes on! It’s never ending, but one day we will be better. Really hope your wait to see the neurologist isn’t too long, and good luck to you too !
Hi there! I have been on sertraline for 3 years. About 4 weeks ago I went into a depressive and anxiety episode that got really bad. I’ve been on 50 mg and moved up to 75mg 5 weeks ago. I am just starting to notice somewhat of a difference but am considering going to 100. Honestly it really differs for everyone. After 2-3 months if things do not get better I would definitely think it may be safe to try a different medication or whatever your doctor suggests. The way I think of it is it may get worse but finding what works for you and your body is so worth it at the end of the day. The unknown is triggering but I am confident you will push through this!❤️
Hello, thanks so much for your reply. Can I ask, how long was it before your sertraline started to work? I know it’s been 3 years since but roughly how long in weeks was it ? I think you’ve done really well managing on the 50mg for so long, but I suppose eventually you have to increase it,things happen in life and we have to adjust. Was sertraline the first medicine that you tried or did you have to try a few before you found what worked for you ?
If I remember correctly it took about 6 weeks to notice any sort of difference or relief and by 3 months I was feeling pretty good. Sertraline was the first and only medicine I tried because I actually have 2 family members on it as well and it ended up working for me. And I agree 50mg was great for the time being I am giving it to the 3 month period again on 75mg and potentially going to 100mg if I don’t see the same kind of improvement I did before. I also enrolled in counseling which I think will be pretty effective. Hang in there you got this!
Hi Sweetie, I'm 62 and have had depression issues on and off for 30 plus years. I was on Venlefaxine for most of this time, but lately, 3 years ago, they stopped working and after trying 3 more antidepressants, settled on Sertraline. I'm on 100mg daily. The thing is, with Sertraline, it does increase your anxiety. I found I was waking early in a right state and had to use deep breathing exercises to get through it. Gradually, once I could tolerate 50mg. it was increased to 100mg this whole process has taken quite a while, but with Sertraline, every increase makes your symptoms regress for a while, until you have enough of the chemicals in you. I have found with Sertraline, that anything more than 100mg does nothing more but make my symptoms worse. I'm more emotional and unhelpful thoughts seem to increase not diminish. Also, I have this situation, where I seem to build up until I have a massive weeping session. I believe it's frustration, that nothing has worked to help me get back to the "me" I once knew. That's why this site is pure gold to me. You can vent here and not be judged. Take one day at a time, you will improve, baby steps. Sending hugs 🤗🤗🤗❤️
Thanks so much for your reply. How long did it take for you to feel ok after starting on the 50mg? When you said about making your anxiety worse, I presume you mean in the early stages of starting the medicine? How long did you try each of the different antidepressants for before you settled on the sertraline? Glad you found the one that seems to work for you ! ☺️ Lots of questions here for you to answer 😂
Hi Waffles!I tried Duloxitine - tried that for approx 3 months👎🏻
Vortioxitine the same 👎🏻
Trazodone made me numb👎🏻
Sertraline/Zoloft on 50mg for about 4 months, 75mg 6 weeks then 100mg ever since. I should say, everyone else noticed the improvement....except me! But very slowly I have become more human and I can function better.I'm also taking Pregabalin 300mg daily for anxiety. Recently, have been given Clanazepam also for anxiety. I am calmer and ok most of the time, but when I start ruminating, the thoughts do a great job of bringing me down, to the point where I will weep. Then, feeling a little better, I start over again. This is where I am at present, I'm hoping with time things will get better. I should say that on EACH INCREASE of Sertraline, the anxiety and depression worsened, for a period, until the chemical got into the system. Then things sort of evened out. I should also say, that my doc says I should stick with Sertraline, mainly because I have stg3 kidney disease and this drug is known not to damage the kidneys further. I would say that 3 months is more than enough time for most people to know whether it's working. Love and hugs🤗🤗❤️❤️
Hello Kam 👋🏻 Thanks very much for your reply. Sorry to hear about your kidney disease, that must be awful.
Did you notice any difference at all while you was on the 50mg or only when you upped to the 100mg? I think 3 months is ample time to see if it will work, completely agree with you.
Hi Lovely, I didn’t notice a huge difference between 50/100mg. I did try upping to 125mg for about 2 months and it made me weepy and anxious 40% of the time also health anxiety, which I still have occasionally. Love and Hugs 🤗🤗😘
Hi kam, so difficult knowing what to do for the best. It’s great we have these support networks to encourage us all though ☺️👌🏻
Might be a good idea to have a word with your doc, in case the HRT and Sertraline aren't agreeing together.
Didn’t even think about that combo, great idea. I will do 🙂
Hi Mindoro 👋🏻 yes I will do, I’m back at the docs next week for another review, j will definitely mention it
Hi. Yes, I would say it's normal. It's just your body getting use to the meds. Everybody reacts differently to the same medications and unfortunately, ssri's can take a long time. And reactions also depend on the combination of drugs you take. I tried the same drug more than once b/c it was a different cocktail I was on. Being on hrt could contribute too. I've tried 20 different meds and it's taken me a long time to learn I have to be patient to let them work.
Hi Josh 👋🏻 Thanks for your reply. How long would you give them before you decide to move to another type ?
Depends, 6 weeks is a good test. Could be maybe 50mg is not enough and you need to raise it. I was on trintellix at 10mg for a month and just raised it to 15. I have a history of not giving drugs a fair shot because I can be in such a black hole that I don't have the patience to wait. Or maybe you need a mood stabilizer. Drugs can react differently if combined with others. It also depends on how you tolerate side effects. I guess I'm trying to say that everybody reacts to meds differently. What does your gut tell you. Be upfront with your psychiatrist and see what they say.
Yeah i know what you mean by not giving them a fair try, I’ve done the same as youOn a few occasions. I suppose I need to try a higher dose after another week maybe, I have to try it seem as I’ve got this far, BUT My gut is telling me this isn’t the right drug for me. I am still going to hold out a little longer though to be absolutely sure 🤞🏻
If you are prone to anxiety it will definitely increase when trying or switching meds. Your anxious thinking blows things out of proportion and you are constantly hyper-focusing on yourself and your body sensations. It can typically take 3-6 weeks for meds to take effect and make a difference. One of the difficulties with meds is that we all react differently to them, I was on zoloft for some time and it didn't help me at all. I also tried a number of other meds without success. I wound up doing a psychopharmacological test that used my dna to determine which meds were best suited for me genetically. I live in the US and the one I used was from Genesight and it was paid for by my insurance. The test showed that zoloft and none of the other meds I had tried except for a benzo were right for me. I started on one it recommended (Pristiq) and it has worked well for me.
Been on a fair few ads. Sertraline didn't work for me. Now on citalopram and that does help. You have to find your poison 😏 please visit your GP tomorrow
Yeah I am going to go back at the end of next week for a review. I’ve tried citalporam in the past, I’m sure it made me feel really disconnected, a lot more than sertraline does. It’s like a lottery, just keep trying different ones I guess. Have you been on citalopram for a while ?
Yes over a year, terrible anxiety at first and with every dose increase. Tried to come off it earlier this year but just spiked anxiety again, I guess I'm stuck with it but it does help settle my moods predominantly. These non addictive drugs are a pain to get off!!! But if you need them then why fight. Good luck with your review
Pain to get on and a pain to get off, how annoying 🥴!! I suppose ileven if it’s helping a bit then it’s better than nothing. I wouldn’t care if I had to take them forever if I found one that worked for me.
Here here! Me too.❤️
Hi there! I’m on 75 MG and have been for over a year. It definitely got worse in the beginning, then it felt like it wasn’t doing anything, then my doctor upped my dosage to what it is now and I feel like it’s been fine. I can relate to the sweating and I’m 23 and have noticed it feels like I have tremendous hot flashes. Has the doctor given you an “as needed” medication to take that’s not everyday but something you can take when you feel symptoms coming on? I would maybe try a higher dosage and see if that helps. If not, maybe the doctor will be able to give something else that might work better for you. Wish you all the best & pray you feel better and those suicidal thoughts stay away 🤗🤗
Hi thanks for your reply. Yeah I’m going back to the docs end of next week, I’m hoping for a miracle between now and then. I will have got through my second box of sertraline by then! Isn’t it soul destroying when it’s not working 🥴I will discuss other options as you’ve mentioned too. Il keep at it for now 💊
I’ve been on Sertraline for years. I find it ‘ok’ but I’m scared to come off it....I still have not-so-good days but the worst side effect for me are the dreams at night. Very vivid dreams that can sometimes be quite disturbing. My GP did say this was a side effect. Maybe it’s just not the 1 for you? I’m sure there will be a more suitable alternative that’s just right for you. I do hope so......😘
I can relate to that, sometimes it’s better the devil you know. Dreams are definitely vivid for me also, sometimes I wake up and think it’s actually happened 😂I am going back for a review end of next week when my 2nd box of tabs runs out, hoping for a miracle between now and then !
Hello my friend! Our struggles are the same. It took a good 3 months for me on sertraline to actually start feeling good again. Hang in there because it does take time. Much love to you❤️
Hi Kristiie ☺️ Did you stay on a certain dosage for the 3 months ? I’m going to stick with this 50mg dose to see if it helps at all, do you think that’s wise ?
I do. It takes time to build up. I increased to 100....and stuck with that. I thought I would never feel better, but I rode it out and feel so much better now
I will try and stick with it a week or so longer, it’s just hard getting though this phase.I’m amazed I’ve got this far tbh!
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