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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Sertraline is horrific

125 replies

spacetime · 02/07/2020 11:41

I've been taking it for a few days now. I have a constant lump in my throat which is very uncomfortable. I feel totally wired. Anxiety is really high. A bit shakey in the mornings. Appetite has disappeared. I feel hungry but he idea of eating makes me feel nauseous. I usually love food. Head is spacey. I wake up super early in the morning, whether I take the tablet in the morning or at night.

Someone please reassure me that this will all wear off and I'll come out of this fog? I feel worse than before I started taking them...

OP posts:

anotherwinkywinkybumbum · 02/07/2020 11:44

Lump in the throat feeling is often heartburn so maybe take some antacids to help that. I found starting ADs was harsh on the digestive but once everything settles, life is so much better.

Good luck and well done for getting help.

Buzzmingo · 02/07/2020 11:50

Usually it will settle down within a few days / a week or so.

Your dose may be too high, are you due to review with your gp after 2 weeks?

The first time I took sertraline 50mg I felt like you say, absolutely wired, almost manic. Felt sick, upset stomach, and I was chewing my jaw like crazy. Settled within days and made a huge difference to my life.

I have recently restarted 50mg then increased to 100mg and the symptoms were there for sure but not as intense.

Try your best to stick it out for the first fortnight at least and be prepared to feel worse before you feel better, but when it works it is truly wonderful.

Good luck.

Waveysnail · 02/07/2020 11:51

Appetite suppression lasts for about two weeks. Give it a month then decide.

GreytExpectations · 02/07/2020 11:52

Sorry you are going through that. The advice for sertraline is that it often gets worse before it gets better. You won't feel the benefits of it initially as takes a couple weeks to settle into your system. If you really can't cope with the side effects than please discuss it with your doctor.

A lot of people have had their lives changed for the better because of sertraline so it's not the best idea to post a blanket "Sertraline is horrible" on a forum like this, instead talk to your doctor about the side effects and how long it takes to see the benefits. Not everyone will get on with every medication, you need to find what works for you. But it's not a horrible drug just because it may not work for you

millymae · 02/07/2020 11:52

Drugs affect people differently and you may just be one of the unlucky ones that this particular drug doesn't suit but I do think you need to give it some more time.
It can take up to 14 days for drugs such as sertraline to take effect. I certainly know more than one person for whom this particular drug has changed their life for the better and after an uncomfortable week or so at the beginning with a whole variety of issues they have had discernible side effects since.
My advice would be stick with it for a bit longer and if you feel no better make another appointment to see your GP who will be able to prescribe something different.

LuckyAmy1986 · 02/07/2020 11:53

I took it for about four years, I started at 50 and then went up and up to 150 in the end. It does take a while to make you feel better.

DigShin · 02/07/2020 11:55

I had pretty much the same symptoms you describe after taking only one tablet! It freaked me out. I couldn’t stop yawning, my eyes were so wide, I could t relax my face, I felt paranoid and nauseous! It was horrible.
I didn’t stick to those. I now take citalopram 20mg and never experienced anything near as bad as with sertraline

dontblameme · 02/07/2020 11:55

Yes I remember feeling nauseous for the first few days. Is it worth giving your GP a call to check about these other symptoms?

Feel better soon. Sertraline got me back to my old self

TulipsTwoLips · 02/07/2020 11:56

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I remember those exact feelings and wish I could show you how much better everything has become for me in the end. Stick with it if you possibly can.

Funnily enough I have been on it twice. The first time round I never got on with it and stopped. By the second time I had totally changed my diet, exercise and stress levels and it became the missing piece for me. I'm on a very low dose and think I will be for ever, but I truly feel well again.

Sending you my best wishes

Original poster

spacetime · 02/07/2020 11:58

Sorry, my title probably wasn't the best. Please understand that I'm really struggling with my mental health. GAD and OCD. Recovering from domestic abuse. I'm a mess. I don't always think straight and meant no offence.

OP posts:

TheGroak · 02/07/2020 12:00

Give it time. These are serious drugs and they do unfortunately come with side effects but for the majority of people the side effects settle down after a week and disappear after 2 weeks. The big mistake a lot of people make is to give up on them too early and never see any benefit from them.

Obviously, if you feel your MH is worse and you feel you might harm yourself, or you come out in a rash, or you are having trouble breathing, stop them immediately and call your GP.

NameChange84 · 02/07/2020 12:00

I was on Sertraline for 6 months stopping recently. Initially it may have saved my life but I agree it was a horrific drug for me and left me an absolute wreck with no quality of life. Only 3 weeks after coming off it I’m actually transformed. I had no idea it was the Sertraline making me so ill. I had a bleed on the brain after a brand change whilst on Sertraline.

FuckKnowsMate · 02/07/2020 12:00

OP I had the same effects when I first started taking Sertraline, I feel like a completely different person now. My advice would be to ride it out, as awful as that may seem now. Unless things get really really bad for you, then go back to GP and try something else.

Iwalkinmyclothing · 02/07/2020 12:00

It is the SSRI I found hardest to cope with in the early days, but also the SSRI most beneficial to me in terms of mood once I had got through that first couple of weeks. For me it was very much worth it. Symptoms I struggled with included nausea, staring/ blinking, acute anxiety, unpleasant physical tension, exhaustion, yawning and twitching. Not fun, but worth getting past.

It's OK to discuss with your GP whether there are alternatives. I could never get on with citalopram, they had no problems with me saying so.

Best of luck.

katmarie · 02/07/2020 12:00

OP, I'm on sertraline, and I had all of that when I started it. It took about 10 days for it to pass, and now I find it works well for me.

KingofDinobots · 02/07/2020 12:07

I’ve been on Sertraline for years now and love it. I do remember the first week or two being quite tough. Hopefully it improves soon.

namechange30000 · 02/07/2020 12:08

Take them at night so you sleep through the effects.

QuentinWinters · 02/07/2020 12:10

Yes I was the same and the GP said it's a sign it's working on your brain. He said to stick with it for 2 weeks which was right,it settled and it's been by far the best AD for me since then, and I've tried several

LadyMuck111 · 02/07/2020 12:11

I tried these a few years ago. I took one and after a few hours I felt awful. I felt like I was losing my mind, I couldn't think clearly and my anxiety went through the roof. I never took another one and even though now I feel like I would benefit from some meds for anxiety I'm too scared to try anything else.

MariposaPink · 02/07/2020 12:13

I've been taking them for just over a week now. This is my second time around.
The first time I took it for mild anxiety and didn't experience any of the symptoms I'm experiencing now.
This time around I started taking them after a huge anxiety episode and I too am still feeling a little wobbly. I feel wobbly on waking, I have to sit or lay down every so often, loss of appetite, I just feel "not myself." But I'm persevering because I've read reviews and people say it does get easier.
I take mine at 6pm and then I have a sleeping pill at 10pm to get me through the night. I struggle to fall asleep but once I'm off, I go through all the way until 7am.
Persevere if you can. Just know that you are not in the boat alone.

Cocobean30 · 02/07/2020 12:15

How much have they started you on? I was started on 50mg which was way too high for me and gave me worse anxiety. After three weeks it calmed down

Original poster

spacetime · 02/07/2020 12:21

They started me on 50

OP posts:

Cherryhill22 · 02/07/2020 12:30

I was on sertraline last year and it really helped me through a difficult period. The side effects can be horrid when you first take it but your body does eventually get used to the drug and things calm down. Good luck

Phrowzunn · 02/07/2020 12:33

Keep on going OP, I know it’s horrific that feeling of ‘this is so much worse, it was supposed to make me feel better!’ but give it a chance. A few weeks at least. The first few days were the worst for me then gradually settled THEN started to make me feel better. It’s not a magic switch, it does take a little bit of time. Head down and power through, be gentle with yourself, you can do this

user1471565182 · 02/07/2020 12:34

Honestly you'l probably feel so much better in a while. You couldnt take my sertraline out of my dead hands. Have a tablet (just half for a bit if its too trippy my dr said but check obviously) a bit before bed so you can sleep it off if you feel shite, and with lots of water for the stomach stuff- it can cause insane heartburn.

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