Sertraline 14 days positive stories please

Thanks for the reply.
Don't fancy feeling really sick.

I took the odd Settlers or Rennies or whatever they were. Just OTC stuff, nothing prescribed. Gastro issues can be common with new meds but will generally settle in a few weeks.

Did anyone take anti sickness

Ah the other thing I didn't like is that it gave me brain fog and I really needed my brain to work!!

I took it for about 6 months only, having tried Fluoxetine which made me rather manic, which I didn't like, it was as if I was someone else, and I really wanted to feel like myself just not so sad and unmotivated.

Also started Sertraline at 25mg and gradually increased to 100. Got better practically from day 1 (I don't think it's the placebo effect, perhaps I had some Fluoxetine still in the system by the time I started the Sertraline). I stopped because I felt I was enough out of the hole then and that I could work out the issues non medically (did therapy, exercise, etc). I was told not to stop cold turkey (you have to be weaned, phased out at the same rate you get phased in) but sadly I didn't listen. I just didn't want to be on it anymore. I think as a consequence, I engaged into something others might call stalking behaviours (not that I realised it at the time!) whilst I was trying to work out what to do with my life post medication, but this was relatively short lived and without any real consequences (other than having had a harsh talking to, of which I am still very ashamed of even though it happened many years ago.)

Happy ending I guess. Only regrets: not starting it sooner, and not weaning slowly.

They work really quickly for most people but could take up to 2 weeks to get best effects.

If it's not working at all for you after 2 weeks it's worth going back to GP as it may not be depression - could be a more complex disorder with emotional disregulation (EUPD/BPD/c-PTSD) etc which doesn't respond to medication. A lot of people with those diagnoses get put on ever increased doses of medication with unpleasant side effects rather than getting the correct support.

I did - horrendous- GP said this can happen

I started straight on 50 and started to feel better after a few days/a week. Had extreme postnatal depression/anxiety that made me feel like I was being burned alive. Within a couple weeks I was back to normal

I haven't been told about the link to dementia @Bilbo63 but good to know and will talk to my GP about this.

I felt much worse before I felt better and now have been on 50mg for five years. My GP has now said that I need to be weaned off in a years time (medication is helping me through menopause) because studies show long term use is linked to dementia- anyone else been told this?

I started to feel I'd turned a corner after about 4 to 5 weeks and my dose was increased. I'm now on 150mg but it was my Quetiapine that really changed my life too @FishyMcFishyfingersFace
I hope you feel okay on the increase @Francis24 have you anything you love doing that would take the focus off the medication and is it working or not? I found music when I was walking lifted my mood as well xxx

Also - I've always take mine in the morning and not felt any side effects from that.

I have taken 50mg for around 4 years and it's changed my life - I had crushing anxiety and mood swings and it's so much easier to cope now. I started on 25mg and then upped to 50mg but I'm afraid I can't remember when the dose was changed. It took 6-7 weeks to feel a real change and I did feel very low during those weeks. However, it is so worth sticking it out. Good luck x

Wait for the exhaustion to pass, maybe 2-3 weeks from experience, and then if you're still feeling tired during the day then switch the time you take it. I started with mine in the morning but switched to bedtime.

Issues with sleep is typically only temporary, it might get worse for a bit as that's a phase of recovery. In a phase of anxiety/depression your body expends tremendous amounts of energy in dealing with that, then when you start to come out of that your body catches up with itself so you might find you soon hit a patch of complete exhaustion.

25mg isn't actually considered a therapeutic dose, ie it's too low to usual do anything. It's just a "weaning on" dose to deal with any side effects gradually and check you cope ok with it. 50mg would be the standard minimum so you'll soon start to see improvements. I'd say another 10 days hopefully for noticeable tangible results. Hang in there, it'll get better.

At very most you might get a bit of gastro issues like heart burn or indigestion, vivid dreams and small sleep issues, but these will pass.

@Moomoo75 i take mine around the kids dinner time (so 6ish) and find im less tired in the day. I took it at night at first so I'd sleep through the side effects but the Dr said to take it in the morning going forward. I was feeling more tired than usual after lunch (and would sometimes nap) but that is much less now I'm taking it late afternoon.

@Devonmaid1844 I am forgetful but always have been dippy so it's hard to tell. Also, peri and menopause definitely muddy the waters as forgetfulness is a very common symptom.

I’m on 50mg and definitely remember starting to feel better after 3/4 weeks. I tried going up to 100mg but lost the ability to orgasm (libido was not affected!) almost overnight which I couldn’t tolerate, so went back down to 50mg which seems to be the sweet spot for me.

For all the people who have been taking it for years can I ask are you very forgetful on it? I've been put on sertraline for other hormonal issues but I've found I've become extremely forgetful on it and I'm now about 2 months in. So all of the other side effects have subsided but this seems to be sticking around