Sertraline -anxiety and depression

[Margaret1982uk]

I have been suffering from hideous anxiety and mild depression for the past 2 years and it's worsened since I had my beautiful baby 3 months ago- I have been prescribed sertraline but I am too petrified to take them as I have been over googling and have seen some horrid side effects. I know I need to start them and I want to because I just want my life back and to enjoy being a mum instead of living in a ball of anxiety and just "existing" instead of living. If anyone has any tips/success stories I would really really appreciate it x

[TrollTheRespawnJeremy]

People don't tend to post on the internet if things are going alright re: SSRI's...

Give it a go, Sertraline may or may not be good for you but you won't know until you try. If you really want to move on you have to do something.

[Soozikinzi]

My husband is fine on sertraline loads are on it x

[Enjoyingtheattention]

Saw your post and didn't want you left without a response. Firstly congratulations on your beautiful new baby! Well done you.
In terms of googling Sertraline, please step away from search engines as because you are thinking negatively, you will focus on the negatives rather than the positives. I am a mental Heath clinician and can confirm the positive effects of Sertraline...especially for depression coupled with anxiety. From a personal point of view, two very close family members have been prescribed it for similar symptoms and both had good results.
You should be prescribed an initial small dose (25 mg) which will be increased gradually...this minimises possible side effects and enables you to gradually find a therapeutic dose that works for you. You take it in the morning too. Neither of my loved ones had side effects with it.

You can also ask your GP to refer you for talking therapy...a combination of an anti-depressant like Sertraline and CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) has shown the best treatment outcomes for depression and anxiety.

I appreciate life is difficult with a new baby but if you can ensure you eat healthily - plenty of fresh foods, fruit, veg etc and some regular exercise - walking to the shops with the baby, also helps to keep your body and mind healthy.

The very best of luck.

[imcrackingup]

I'm on it and its working - depression is much better than it was.
I haven't got any side effects that I'm aware of (although I haven't had a period for a few months -which I thought was due to my age but have seen it can be a side effect...) and a wee bit of jaw clenching which is much better than at the start.
It takes a while to work - a few weeks at least -you aren't suddenly going to become a different person as soon as you take one. It isn't that kind of effect. There is no harm in trying it and if it doesn't work for you or you don't like it stopping taking it - just give it a month or so if you can to see some improvement.
In theory you shouldn't just stop taking it -you should get a GP to help you wean you off but I think that is more important the longer you have been on it and the larger the dose. (I was citalopram - similar drug - a few years ago - low dose for panic attacks and just stopped taking it after a few months - no problems)
And (in my case) I felt worse before I started to get better - or rather I think it was more as I started to get better I realised just how bad I felt before...and that was for depression rather than anxiety.
If you had a headache you would take a paracetamol -if these work it might transform your life - really worth trying. Also pop over to the mental health board -lots of people on there on sertraline.

[Upanddownroundandround]

I don't have a success story to tell you as I suffered the horrible side effects of terrible wind (like I've never experienced before), diarrhoea and nausea. However I think if I hadn't been working I would have coped with these through forward planning. The long term benefits would have outweighed the negatives. I understand the unpleasant symptoms usually stop after a fortnight. You could just have a quiet fortnight with few trips out until symptoms ease. My work doesn't have easy access to a toilet so it didn't work out for me.
Otherwise if you don't want to take it then go back to your GP and ask for different ones. I would try them first though. Good luck OP.

[Backt0Black]

DH having good results. I've noticed a real change for the good in his mood.

Please give them a go - you've been given them for a reason ... you doc feels the slight risk of any side effects outweighs your current symptoms.

..... would it help if I told you when I first started taking my heart meds one of the listed rate side effects was 'death'. I'm still kicking !!!

[FaithFromTheRealmsOfGlory]

I took setraline for a while. I only really had nausea (that settled with food, so unfortunate I gained weight). A while I had to stop it as it seems SSRIs give me nightmares but I don't think that's very common.

[HmmmHashtag]

Not all SSRI's will suit everyone. It's not a 'one size fits all'. You have to give them a real good go for at least a fortnight; then if no improvement or feeling worse, go back to your GP and try something else.
Many years ago I tried various antidepressants, had to chop and change until I ended up on Citalopram for 7 years... Eventually it stopped working so now I am on Sertraline.
Give it a go, and keep regular appointments with your GP until you feel settled.

[Trooperslane]

Get it into you, OP and it will help soon xxxx

[GloriousSlug]

Definitely give it a go op.

I spend weeks and weeks googling sertraline and found tonnes of horror stories, it took me a long time to start taking the tablets and I can honestly say it has not been that bad, no where near as bad as I'd expected!

Everyone reacts differently but it's certainly worth trying, what I did (and I'm not saying you should do the same but it's worth baring in mind) is built up slowly to the therapeutic dose (50mg for me). My gp was happy for me to do this, she reckoned I should do whatever worked but did warn me that the initial side effects would last longer. It worked for me, I was far too terrified to take a whole tablet in one go to start with!

I have been taking 50mg for the last three months and it truly has changed my life, I am not the zombie I expected to be... Instead the sertraline dulls the constant hum of anxiety and is enabling me to actually live my life instead of hiding away in fear of everything.

Good luck op.

[Bluestern]

I found the first few days difficult but have been taking 100mg for maybe 7 months and am like a different person. No anxiety whereas before I had got to the stage where I couldn't leave the house. I am now super calm about everything but not zombie-like, I have space in my head to think about things.

I did (and still do) have very vivid dreams but actually quite like them!

I have read that if you do have side effects at the start that is a sign they are going to work for you. No idea if this is true but I found it a helpful way of thinking about it.

[LifeBeginsNow]

I've been taking them for around 5 months (baby is 6 months old now) and have had a positive experience. I started on 50mg for around 4-6 weeks and then the doctor upped it to 100mg. I was still getting days of crying (pain related) so I upped it to 150mg and let the doctor know.

My anxiety has calmed significantly and I believe that's down to the pills and CBT. I'm not down much anymore and cry maybe once a week (when my pain is too much).

I guess the side effects on the pack list anything a person complains about during the trial but it doesn't mean you'll suffer. I didn't have anything except a shake in my one hand (could be caused by something else) and my husband found he went through a stage of weeing more. The benefits far outweigh the negatives and you'll find the doctor will want to keep a close eye on you to begin with.

Get enjoying that baby! This bad patch will be a distant memory soon if you get the help you need.

[LifeBeginsNow]

Bluestern I get vivid dreams too! They are fun and in so much detail.

[BillyDaveysDaughter]

I'm on ADs long term for phobic anxiety, and they switched me into sertraline for a while when a bereavement caused me to struggle a bit more than normal.

I took them for 4 months - no nausea or diarrhoea, but I did suffer terrible night sweats and extreme loss of libido!

I know it's scary but you have to get some into you to know for sure. Unfortunately only you can do it! Gather up all your courage and your desire to feel better, and go start. Most side effects are mild and temporary.

[lauryloo]

Congratulations on your new baby

I'm on 100mg of sertraline. They make me feel ill for a few days initially but they do work in keeping my anxiety and depression at bay

Good luck xx

[IAmAPaleontologist]

Congratulations on your baby.

I on sertraline. 150mg.

I won't lie, the side effects were not great at first but they DID settle after a couple of months. They resurfaced with every dosage increase but settled more quickly each time. I still have a couple of side effect niggles but I'm vastly better on it than not on it.

It may be the drug for you, it might not be, you often have to try a few antidepressants out before you find one that works for you but your mental health is important, please do give them a go, do everything you can to get yourself well so you can enjoy your baby.

Has your gp suggested any talking therapies or mindfulness or anything other than the drugs? Mindfulness is great and it will only take you 10 mins a day so worth a try. The headspace app is good, it is free to download and to do the introductory sessions that guide you through what mindfulness is and helps you to learn the techniques.

[Loopsdefruits]

Congratulations on the baby :D I am here to reiterate previous posts, I have been on sertraline (along with most of the other SSRIs and some SNRIs) it didn't work for me, but it wasn't horrendous either. I have dealt with bad side-effects, sometimes with very little 'effects' sometimes with very good effects, but the side effects were so horrendous I couldn't have kept it up long term. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications are definitely not 'easy' it often takes time, patience and a lot of trial and error. I am finally on good meds for me that have almost no side-effects (they make me super drowsy, but I take them at night and sleep much better now so yay) it took me a lot of attempts to get here, my friend got prescribed citalopram and is doing really well on that, so sometimes it is first time lucky.

What I will say, is you have to try and see how things go, they make work wonderfully, and if not, you have one less medication to try :) Also ditto pp about a talking therapy, this can be hugely beneficial. Also some 'mum support' for you and LO :)

[Margaret1982uk]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to me- it shows there are so many kind people out there :) Am going to start off taking 12.5mg (a quarter of a pill) for a week and then push on to half (25mg) for another week and then off I go with the full tablet! Here's hoping and praying they will work. I love life and I am determined to live it to the fullest with a bit of help with the tablets and mindfulness and healthy eating and exercise x

[Aquamarine70]

I take Sertraline & it's been tge best one for me eith the least side effects. I have slways been told by my psychiatrist to start with 1/2 the rise of any new tablets for 2 weeks then increase to the whole tablet sfter 2 weeks. This lessens the side effects.

[Aquamarine70]

Sorry fir typos, *take 1/2 the dose

[sallyhartley]

I have been on 50mg sertraline for 7 months now. They saved my life. I was having severe panic attacks anxiety and hyperventilating for days on end. After about 6 / 7 weeks I felt almost normal again. The only thing that is maybe a side effect at the moment is excessive yawning and tiredness.

[Rodders92]

They have been very effective for me , but did increase the anxiety initially, if you are starting off very gradually this should minimise the side effects

[LizEdin]

I've just been put on Sertraline and am on day two. Feel a bit worse with lots of odd thoughts and worries. Have had depression and social anxiety for years on and off and am hoping this one will do the trick. Doctors usually know their stuff and prescribe for a reason. Am also doing an online CBT course which my GP has prescribed.