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Original poster

Sertraline- how does it make you feel?

29 replies

Stressedgiraffe · 21/02/2024 19:18

I went to the doctors today for depression and being overwhelmed.
She prescribed me Sertraline 100mg.
I've never taken it before and it seems to have a long list of side effects.
If you take it, how does it make you feel?
Any side effects? How long to kick in?

OP posts:
incywincyspiders · 21/02/2024 19:29

I'm surprised they've gone straight in at 100mg! You usually start on 50mg...

That being said the first day I had on sertraline I was bouncing off the walls. But I was fine after a few months. The worst thing for me was when I came off - please when it comes to that time listen to the doctors when they say to taper down and don't be like me who tried 3 times to go cold turkey. It's horrible!!

WittyMotherhoodRelatedPun · 21/02/2024 19:32

Just to reassure you a bit - read the leaflet that comes with paracetamol or another medication you have at home or have been prescribed. The list of potential side effects will be as long as your arm.

Moier · 21/02/2024 19:32

I've been on loads of different antidepressants for years
. Sertroline is best I've tried.. usually takes on average 2 weeks to kick in..but mine was a couple of days because l moved from my last different antidepressant.
I think we are all different..our bodies have different chemicals..but l actually don't have any side effects.. only that l don't get excited about things l used to do as much.. . But other than that l didn't like not being on it at all.

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General health
Preseli · 21/02/2024 19:35

I started 50mg 5 days ago, took it at night and then couldn't sleep for the first couple of days (got about 3 hours instead of 8) so changed to having it in the morning. And then I've have been having chest pain for the past 3 days

  • so have been told to take a half dose for a week before going back to 50mg and to go back if the pain doesn't go away for extra tests.

So I'm also surprised they started you on 100mg xD im crossing fingers you do better on it than I am!

FiveFoxes · 21/02/2024 19:36

I was on it for a while. Side effects starting it and coming off it weren't very nice, but it was totally worth it for the benefits when I was taking it.

If / when I need it again, I won't hesitate.

Original poster
Stressedgiraffe · 21/02/2024 19:41

Thanks all. Good to hear some positive stories.
I didn't realise 100mg was a high dose.
Felt a bit embarrassed bursting into tears at the doctors.
She offered to sign me off work but I can't afford it and have too much to do.
I've taken one with no noticeable effects good or bad so I guess I'll need to wait and see.

OP posts:
Purplecatshopaholic · 21/02/2024 19:48

In a word, normal. I can function again as I did before. As I have said before on these threads, the first few weeks were rough for me with bad side effects. Once it bedded in, I’ve never looked back. Totally worth it.

RunAwayNow · 21/02/2024 19:48

Oh it's brilliant. I refused it for 2 years and I'm very annoyed with myself that I did. A bit bumpy for a couple of weeks while starting but it's been completely life changing.

ssd · 21/02/2024 19:52

I felt wonderful almost the next day but had to come off it as it started me bleeding and I'm in menopause.

Vettrianofan · 21/02/2024 19:56

Affected my sex life so had to come off it.

WelshSmog · 21/02/2024 20:02

I've been on it for the last 7 years (post natal) between 50mg and 150mg and the biggest side effect I noticed was feeling spaced out. I also tried going cold turkey about 3 times, but within a few months I was back on them

Lydia777 · 21/02/2024 20:05

It is great but do not start at 100mg - you feel worse before better and I think 100mg will make you feel horrible - I would half or even quarter the tablet for a week or two.

Also, you may suffer from insomnia until you get used to it.

But it is worth perservering.

BetsyBobbins · 21/02/2024 20:05

Vettrianofan · 21/02/2024 19:56

Affected my sex life so had to come off it.

It affects mine too but between that and have good mental health I know what I prefer.

Killerqueenie · 21/02/2024 20:05

I was on 50mg due to PND during lockdown with my first baby. For the first few weeks, I experienced what I can only describe as a "shaky jaw" ?? Like my jaw felt juddery and almost like my teeth were chattering. It subsided after a while though. It took a few weeks, but they really helped me function. I eventually weaned off them when I realised that I just felt completely numb without any emotion. Luckily the PND had gone by then and I returned to my normal self.

mindutopia · 21/02/2024 20:06

I think that's quite a high dose to start with. I think I was on 50mg, but even then I halved it for the first week or so, so only 25mg. And 50mg was plenty!

Initially, like the first 3 days, it made me feel very, very sleepy. Like literally unable to function or work sleepy. I think I had to take a couple days off work because I was so drowsy. But it immediately started to improve how I felt. I felt more upbeat, even in that first week. It was the little bit of help I needed to get back on my feet.

That said, especially if the reason you are feeling this way is because you are struggling with feeling overwhelmed, do not overlook how important it is to make lifestyle changes too. A pill isn't going to fix the parts of your life that you are overwhelmed by or unhappy with. In fact, I was amazed how little my GP actually asked me about my life. There were some huge red flags - like unprocessed trauma and grief, substance abuse, just generally not living my best life. And while I did feel a lot better on sertraline, and it got me back on my feet so that I could come off of it a little over a year later (stopping was no big deal), it didn't make the things that were actually problems just go away. I had to make those changes myself so I could be happy longterm (I did and I am in a much better place now, 3 years later, and not on any meds anymore).

Hebedacious · 21/02/2024 20:09

WittyMotherhoodRelatedPun · 21/02/2024 19:32

Just to reassure you a bit - read the leaflet that comes with paracetamol or another medication you have at home or have been prescribed. The list of potential side effects will be as long as your arm.

Don’t want to put off anyone taking ADs if they need them but I’m not sure that’s very reassuring as I heard some doctors saying the other day that paracetamol would be considered too dangerous to be prescribed now if it had just been discovered!

Original poster
Stressedgiraffe · 21/02/2024 20:12

God I already have insomnia so it can't really make it worse.
She listened to my problems and is going to try and sign post me to help. I go back for a review in 2 weeks.

OP posts:
stripes92 · 21/02/2024 20:13

It makes me feel normal. I wouldn't recommend starting at 100mg though! I did 8 weeks at 50mg and 8 weeks at 75mg before ending up on 100mg.

Superlambaanana · 21/02/2024 20:13

First, I'm sorry you are having a tough time OP.
Second, apologies in advance for a very long reply...

I'm glad to be able to post my experience here as it's anonymous. I took Sertraline for 12 months and came off it last year.

I know we should all be talking about our mental health but I am Gen X 🤷, and was in a terrible, toxic relationship which appeared great to everyone outside, so I just couldn't bring myself to tell anyone that I had got so low I was permanently on the verge of crying and was having suicidal thoughts. I knew my thoughts were skewed/ messed up, but in the moment I couldn't stop myself finding everything a drag, seeing the negative in everything and just struggling to think straight.

So I rang the GP, apologised profusely because Covid was still impacting the surgery and when she asked the question- 'are you freeing suicidal?' I answered honestly and broke down into uncontrollable tears. Which was something of a relief in itself as I had felt like crying for months but hadn't actually cried.

She recommended anti depressants and I asked a lot of questions about side effects, the possibly of becoming dependent on them/ addiction, the potential to put on weight, and the fact I'd seen lots of online debate suggesting antidepressants might not actually work.

She told me about randomised control trials and a lot of other technical jargon, but basically reassured me that they do work for the majority of people.

So I started taking 50mg of Sertraline and took it for a year before I tapered off and stopped. For the first few days I could barely stay awake. I had to sleep for a few hours during the day. Thankfully I wfh but it was still a bit debilitating. I didn't really notice when it started working- I just found myself feeling more normal. Not high or even super happy or able to breeze through anything in life, but less doom and gloom. Just more normal.

I was still in the toxic relationship which was getting worse. The pills helped me see that it wasn't me - it was the relationship and him that were the problem. And honestly, I thank the pills for giving me the clarity to see it wasn't me (he had done everything possible to make it seem like it was me).

I kept taking the pills for another few months after the relationship ended as I knew it would be a tough period of adjustment. Then I slowly and deliberately began tapering off so that by the 12 month mark I was off them. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms and I haven't had any relapse of depressive thinking or low mood since.

So I highly recommend Sertraline. I was very sceptical, worried I'd be on anti depressants for life, believed it was a cop out... but I was wrong. They work, they helped me immensely during a very tough time and Im thankful they allowed me to get through it and Im now getting on with living my life. I hope it will do the same for you OP.

stripes92 · 21/02/2024 20:14

To add to the above... I was told to take it in the evening if it made me sleepy or in the mornings if it didn't. I take it in the mornings.

lennylion · 21/02/2024 20:14

Swapped from citalopram here and graded up from 50mg, currently at 150 and will go up to 200. No side effects apart from a certain kind of emotional numbness, which my psychiatrist said he will keep an eye on, but that when you've been used to emotional pain and mood swings, "numbness" could just actually be stability.
Oh! One side effect in the early days, epic vivid colour and sound dreams. Psychedelic. I kind of miss them tbh Smile

BobBobBobbing · 21/02/2024 20:15

As someone said up thread- normal.

I went from completely unable to function to an actual human being. I had neurodiverse burnout and was working under massive amounts of stress. Sertraline meant I could cope. I was TERRIFIED of the side effects but once I got over the first couple of weeks it was fine. I even came off it easily, although I went back on it for another stressful work period because I knew it would help.

When you are in the depths of bad mental health you can get terrified by the side effects. But as someone else said, paracetamol has horrific looking side effects. And when your brain needs support to make the required chemicals we seem to think we should be able to cope. We'd not expect a diabetic to cope without insulin though. And remember, everyone's brain is different so if it doesn't work there are alternatives.

Thighdentitycrisis · 21/02/2024 20:21

I think Setraline is the new Prozac; seems to be effective for lots of people but can make a few very hyper.
I tried both with similar side effects - I was incredibly anxious for 7 - 8 weeks. When they wanted to prescribe Valium to counter the side effects I gave up
and went back to my previous AD’s

GettingStuffed · 21/02/2024 20:25

I'm on it because without it I get very negative thoughts,never quite got to the suicidal point but i did get to the stage that I wanted to get out of my life and just keep on walking. I now have silence unless I'm actually thinking about something

AuntLucy · 21/02/2024 20:27

I likewise was really really resistent to taking the first tablet. But four years down the line, I think they are super, and would tell anyone I loved to give them a chance, if the GP wanted to prescribe them. Side effects are nothing, compared to not being depressed any more.