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Mental health

please tell me your experience of Sertraline.

16 replies

ThatVikRinA22 · 04/05/2012 18:09

i have only just started taking this but its made me feel quite sick. The gp did warn that it may do, and said it should wear off in a few days. i have until Tuesday off work but could really do not to be feeling sick when i go back.

i would like to know of others experience on this med please.

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Pagwatch · 04/05/2012 18:15

My experience is second hand but from very close sources. The sickness varies in severity but istemporary. In each case it lasted about a week, diminishing gradually over that time.

After the sickness stopped they improved gradually (over about three weeks) and are very happy with it.

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bakingaddict · 04/05/2012 18:21

Hi I was on this for pre-natal depression, for the first three or so days you will feel quite jittery, pyschiatrist explained to me this is because it's getting into your system. Felt wonderful and normal again once i'd gotten over this but then about a month later got terrible diarrheoa. It is a known side effect of sertraline but pysc was suprised as I was on a low dose.

I had to stop taking them but my DD was already a month old by then and the depression and anxiety that plagued me for the final 3 months of my pregnancy had naturally subsided. Do take them as they really helped me to get back on a even keel

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ThatVikRinA22 · 04/05/2012 18:25

god im not sure i can cope with the sickness if it lasts a week, ive got another driving course, im not sure i can concentrate while feeling like i need to stick my head out of the window...

not sure what to do. may i should wait to start them until i have a bit more time off?
ive been told once i start them not to just suddenly stop taking them.

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Pagwatch · 04/05/2012 18:33

Vicar, it lasted a week but with diminishing symptoms.
So they didn't feel shit for a week and then wake up on day 8 feeling chipper - by day 7 the had felt progressively better until they had no symptoms at all by then

Can you not phone your GP? I wouldn't recommend stopping.

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ThatVikRinA22 · 04/05/2012 18:37

oh ok, maybe i will try to stick with it. just feeling particularly pukey right now....

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Emandlu · 04/05/2012 18:41

I had 2 weeks of feeling nauseus and dizzy when I started on Sertraline a couple of months ago. One morning I woke up and didn't feel ill, up till then I'd been no better from day to day.
When I got my tablets from a different pharmacy I ended up with heartburn for about 9 days when I started on the new ones too.

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MorrisZapp · 04/05/2012 18:51

I didn't feel sick on sertraline. My anxiety worsened for a week or so, but then it was a steady path up to recovery.

Push through if you can bear it. The benefits take a while to kick in, but when they do it is soooo worth it. Good luck x

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Pagwatch · 04/05/2012 18:51

I'm sorry, I think I sounded a bit dismissive.
I just think the meds were so helpful that they said the nausea was minor compared to the benefit. But of course, if your nausea is worse than theirs was you may feel differently.
Forgive me for sounding pushy.

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ThatVikRinA22 · 04/05/2012 20:19

dont worry pag, you didnt sound pushy at all.

i have just had hours of feeling very very green so i think, given that this was
a) my first tablet and
b) i need to be on my game for the next 2 weeks

i might just phone gp and tell her im going to start them when i have some time of at the beginning of june. its not that far away, and she said it wouldnt make me feel better straight away anyway, i cant really afford to feel worse while ive got a driving course - they are a bit full on.

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 04/05/2012 20:43

Vicar - I felt rough for a couple of days and then I felt much, much better.

After 10 days I was less anxious and felt able to cope with things much better.

I sing the praises of Sertraline from the rooftops, because it completely transformed my life. I really, really hope you get the same benefit from it :)

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ThatVikRinA22 · 04/05/2012 21:55

i wish she had given me it last week. i feel like its a risk now - if i start it and it makes me worse i might flunk my driving and im already anxious about that.

on the other hand if it works and the sickness wears off it might make me more able to cope with the demands of the driving course.

im in a bit of a quandry.

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belindarose · 04/05/2012 22:05

Can you ring the GP and ask for an antiemetic to help with the nausea?

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ThatVikRinA22 · 05/05/2012 23:37

not sure, but i felt totally and utterly terrible, i took the tablet at about 4pm, spent the entire evening feeling incredibly sick and whoozy and slightly drunk - light headed - felt very tired, went to bed and then couldnt sleep, and woke up really early too. i got about 4 hours sleep, which is no good to me!

woke up feeling sick. spent the whole day feeling queasy on and off until about tea time tonight.

i cannot possibly take these until i have some time off work. there is no way i could function while the side effects wear off.
on balance, i think i felt worse with the side effects than with the depression and at £7.50 a pop per prescription i can afford to play about with meds until i find the right one.

i might try them again when im off next month, but to be honest they made me feel so ill im a bit scared to try again.

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CoffeeAhorlicksAnonymous · 05/05/2012 23:55

Hi Vicar, you sound like I was when I first started except I had diahorea(sp?). I felt awful for about 5 days then started picking up but it took about 2 weeks for the diahorea to calm down properly. I had to spend about 2 weeks in bed I felt so bad but they are brilliant and have really helped.

I'd suggest waiting until you had the time to be 'ill' if you need. Do try to stick with them though and I also took beta blockers for the extra anxiety for the first few days.

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Alibabaandthe40nappies · 06/05/2012 00:12

Vicar your side effects do sound a lot worse than mine. I used to take my tablet right before bed though, because it made me feel zonked out.

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ThatVikRinA22 · 06/05/2012 00:16

actually i forgot to mention the upset tummy/bloating/wind, but i did get it, but the sickness and whoozy feeling were worse- and the insomnia.

and i ended up coming downstairs about 4 times last night to check and double check the doors were locked....im not normally that bad!

on balance, i think i will ride out my feelings of shiteness....DH says i am up and down and have been much better this week than last. I think my feelings of depression are a reaction to what is going on in my life right now, and it will pass.

in any case i cannot take these until june, when i have about 10 days off. i will see how i am feeling then.

i thought they would help me, i felt quite desperate for something to lift my mood and quell my anxiety but i cant stand the wierdness that comes with trying these ADs....