Hi I’m just wondering if anyone has taken 50mg of sertraline and how long it took for them to work ?

[JamieC12]

I’ve taken for 15 days now and around 7 days in I was feeling the effects of them. No panic attacks at all for like 3 days. But now I’ve gone back to feeling worse again. I’m just wondering has anyone had this experience as worried they won’t work. Thank you.

[purplevscoteen]

Yes I have been taking it for 8 months now. 50mg is technically below therapeutic dose but you have to start with a low dose like that to deter side effects. I am currently on 150mg but my doctor had me going up in 25mg increments at a time so I wouldn't have any side effects. I find that for my anxiety and panic attacks it has been a great tool as it contributed to me no longer suffering from either. However I did also use other helpers to supplement the medicine mainly peppermint essential oil, meditation, and changing my diet for a healthier one. If you have depression as well though the medication can be not enough. Although I am less suicidal I still get down quite easily.

[purplevscoteen]

O yeah and my doctor said it can take up to a year of taking this medication in order for it's effects to really be good enough to the point where you will be asymptomatic.

[Hidden]

Allow five weeks for the drug to settle be patient it will possibly take longer than this to feel positive benefits

BOB

[On_The_Mend]

Hi JamieC12 - I’ve been taking 50mg Sertraline for 3 months now following an anxiety crisis at work, followed by a month of sick leave and a depression/anxiety diagnosis by my GP. I was constantly anxious about everything and felt that there was nothing to look forward to in life - just a thankless grind. It took around 5 to 6 weeks for the Sertraline to really start to stabilise my feelings - before then, I was “up-and-down” as you say, with a lot of insomnia (quite “trippy/buzzy” insomnia, if that makes sense?). I can honestly say that I’m now feeling the benefits of Sertraline from a few angles - my work anxiety is back down to “normal” levels (I worry an “appropriate” amount about things that would previously make me nauseous/frightened), I am more agreeable to be around (according to family) and I have realised I was quite socially anxious too (I now look forward to social events rather than find them a chore). I have a close friend who has been taking Sertraline for nearly a year - I only found this out when I told him of my diagnosis - and his experience was that it took him over 6 months to feel the full benefits of constantly stable mood.

My opinion - I’m no medic however - is that SSRIs do take quite some time to take effect and it can vary person to person, but my experience has been really quite profound. I feel like “myself” again and have positive thoughts about the future. I still have bad days when thoughts of failure/hopelessness still pervade, but they’re rare. I will say that I do drink alcohol and have found that I become intoxicated a lot more easily on Sertraline, but that might be just me. I’m having a conversation with myself/family about stopping drinking alcohol too, but that’s a different story.

All the best from a middle-aged man in the UK - hope it works for you.

[JamieC12]

Thanks for taking your time out of your day to send me that.

Really appreciate it.

Thank you.