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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for your experiences (sertraline)

53 replies

Emmylou292 · 23/09/2020 09:50

My doctor has prescribed sertraline for my severe anxiety, panic attacks and feeling low in general.
I'm experiencing scary panic attacks most days and my worries are getting out of proportion.
The problem is I have read the list of possible side effects and scared myself silly.
The only person I have chatted to who has been on this had a negative experience (which is also making me afraid to take them).
It's really hard because each day is a living nightmare (depression/ panic attacks) and I just want to feel normal again.
I can't actually remember what it feels like not to have this big black cloud hanging over me.
Please can anyone tell me your experiences of sertraline - good or bad?
What was it like for you? Did you experience any of the side effects mentioned? (I'm most worried about the visual disturbances mentioned).

OP posts:

TheNewSchmoo · 23/09/2020 20:45

Mine have been a godsend. The only side effect I had was heartburn overnight for a few weeks, and yes that was quite severe, but I can function without crippling anxiety now

Theonewiththecandles · 23/09/2020 20:47

I'm a sleepy person anyway but it did make me sleep a lot, 8-10 hours at night and then 2-3 hour nap during the day.
It also gave me horrendous tummy trouble, they gave me some lanzoprazole for that and I was right as rain.
No other disturbances and by no means was it a miracle cure but it gave me the energy and desire I needed to get me out of a job situation that was making me worse. Now I'm in a new job I have come off them as the job isn't dragging me down I feel like I can manage any other remaining feelings without them but I wouldn't hesitate to go back on them - this was my fourth time.

ByGrabtharsHammerWhatASavings · 23/09/2020 20:51

My experience was excellent OP. I took them for around 6 moths after a very bleak period of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. I got a few minor symptoms in the beginning but they faded. I can't even remember exactly what they were now tbh but it was something I wasn't expecting. Teeth grinding? Jaw clenching? It was something like that, something oral. But my doctor said it was normal and would pass and it did. They took about 6 weeks to make a difference to my mood but they helped my anxiety much faster. I was amazed at how quickly my panic attacks slowed down. I was on 120mg I think. I would have probably taken them for longer but I fell pregnant and didn't feel comfortable carrying on with them. But they really changed things around for me. I'd had a fair bit of therapy by that point which really hadn't helped, and was at the point of giving up if I'm honest. I still suffer from anxiety sometimes and tend towards dark moods, I think that's just my personality sadly. But it's nothing like it used to be and I've not needed to take meds again. Definitely worth giving it a go.

commonsensemum · 23/09/2020 21:31

My DH took sertraline for a number of years and he regrets ever doing so. Although it helped with his coping of anxiety and stress (he didn’t have depression), I did notice a change in his temperament and he used to get bad headaches frequently. He tried very hard to come off it and successfully did so but it required pure willpower, mental and physical strength.

If you aren’t desperate, I would say ask your doctor for CBT sessions as they did help my DH and he says he wished the doctor would’ve sent him down that path first before writing him the prescription. A lot of doctors these days will try to help you with the easiest and most cost effective way first which is not always the the best one.

Also, have you given CBD oil a try?
Combination of CBT, CBD oil and reading a lot of self-help books to understand how your brain & emotions work really helped DH.

To wrap things up, I’m not saying sertraline is the devil, it certainly is a godsend to a lot of folks out there and I’m in no position to be judging those who rely on it but given how you sounded a bit unsure about it, I hope this input will help.

Luckingfovely · 23/09/2020 21:38

Agree with many here - first few weeks difficult, but then helped me enormously with severe anxiety. Have been on for nearly two years - and thinking about starting to wean off them, but it's a scary thought.

AmICrazyorWhat2 · 23/09/2020 21:39

Sertraline simply didn’t do much for me. I felt nauseous for the first week or so but that soon settled down. It didn’t seem to lessen my anxiety though so my doctor switched me to Escitalopram, which has worked much better for me on a low dose ( down to 10 mg and slowly coming off it now). I also had panic attacks and was diagnosed with GAD.
We’re all different so I’d suggest trying Sertraline for a while and see what happens. As PP’s have said, give it a few weeks and see how you feel. I do t regret trying it, it just wasn’t the best match for me.💐

Merryoldgoat · 23/09/2020 21:39

I’ve been on it about 18 months for PND - was due to taper off but Covid hit and Doctor advised me not to.

It was life changing. No negatives at all.

katmarie · 23/09/2020 22:02

I take it for PND, 100mg a day, it was 50mg, but early on in lockdown I bumped it up because I was still struggling a bit. The first two weeks I took it, I felt lke I was having a constant anxiety attack. I also had wierd dreams and spacey feeling. But after a couple of weeks that eased, and I feel much better now. My anxiety doesn't run away with me and my temper and emotions are much more even. I feel more like me now than i had for months.

Doubletrouble99 · 23/09/2020 22:35

My DS has been taking it for nearly two years and has been great for him. \he's now able to function normally now and his anxiety is very controllable now.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 23/09/2020 22:40

My psychiatrist stopped made me stop after 3 weeks of constant headaches and pins & needles in both hands/going up my arms. It had zero effect on my mental state and did nothing for my sleep. Within a few days of stopping, the headache and the pins & needles stopped.

That said 3 of my friends and my mum took it with zero side effects.

TwoBigNoisyBoys · 23/09/2020 22:42

I was on them for a year in 2015/2016. Initially 50mg, then increased to 100mg. The first few weeks were horrible, upset stomach and a kind of hangover feeling, but once they kicked in, they made me feel more human in that I didn’t feel as despairing as before, but they did give me a kind of mental ‘numbness’, which was actually what I needed at the time to get me through a rough patch. Unfortunately though, they completely destroyed my libido, and I never had an orgasm the whole time I was on them, and actually not for a very long time after coming off them. So the numbness wasn’t all good.

Trackandtrace · 23/09/2020 22:42

I find it amazing. Only just started last month but Within 2 weeks i felt calmer and better.

dizzyness · 23/09/2020 22:48

I was on this a few years ago.

Agree with everyone on here: the first two weeks are horrendous, made me feel 10000x worse.

After that - game changer I felt amazing

Experienced people - I've been off them a few years - if I restart will I have that same 2 weeks of worse before I get better? Or will my brain remember?

Thank you

TheJessicaClarke · 23/09/2020 22:51

Tired all the time

goose1964 · 23/09/2020 22:54

I have never had a problem with it. My son however just feels generally ill for the first couple of weeks. I don't take it for anxiety but for depression , it stops all those negative voices in my head.

67rings · 23/09/2020 23:07

I did not have a good experience. They made me suicidal and I ended up in hospital. This is not a common side effect though. I just had bad luck with it.

Sunshineboo · 23/09/2020 23:20

i have found it very beneficial. things i wish someone had told me;

it is important to take it everyday at same sort of time
it can make you sleepy so before bed is good
it has a short half life - so it gets to work quick, but it comes out your system quick if you miss a couple.

i had a bit of nausea for the first week and feeling a bit disjointed. glad i stuck with it

YonderTweek · 23/09/2020 23:21

My husband has been on a very low dose for about a year now and you can really see the difference. The first weeks/months were a bit shit as his anxiety got worse, but I think that's expected. He was also annoyed because his hair was falling out for a while (I didn't think it was noticeable at all but it bothered him), but it all settled after a few months and he's more stable and more up for doing stuff like going out for a walk, he gets excited about things now and likes to have a laugh, which is a definite improvement. I'm so pleased with how he's done on it and I think he's going to stick with it for now. I hope you get on with it ok OP. It may be hard at first but if you persevere it may well be worth it!

Washinglinewench29 · 23/09/2020 23:27

I remember it was like having morning sickness for a while again the first few weeks, dry eyes and mouth and sex drive disappeared. After a year and a half came off it for second pregnancy never had to go back on thankfully. The pros did outweigh the cons as couldn't continue the way things were. Hang on in there with it, won't always be long term.

Happyspud · 23/09/2020 23:34

I had a few side effects to begin with but they settled down and were nothing major. It's totally invisible to me now. And probably helped massively, I was very sick with anxiety. I'm back to my usual, chilled, content self 4 months later. I did make huge effort with CBT and doing as much as possible to get better no matter how hard and shitty it felt. But my Dr said he thinks I wouldn't have gotten to a place where I could work on the CBT and behaviours without the sertraline to balance me first.

Hangingover · 23/09/2020 23:37

It always fine while I was taking it. Even with a taper however coming off it was appalling. DF had a lot of aryhthmias on it

Micsam89 · 23/09/2020 23:43

@EL8888 how long since you stopped it? I tapered off mine, but still getting the dizziness and nausea a few weeks later. I was on it for about 4 years though

EL8888 · 23/09/2020 23:50

@Micsam89 lm now 10 days in. I’m just glad l don’t feel the way l did on Monday

Feelingconfused2020 · 24/09/2020 02:31

Whatever you do have it with loads of water. Ive spent all morning dying of heartburn because of taking it dry

I've had this three times now. It's horrible and lasts hours. Honestly OP drink it with a pint of water!

That said I've had possible lack of libido but no other side effects and it's made such a difference to how I feel. I think all anti depressants are gradual but after ten to 14 days I started to see a difference and after 2 months I would not have classified myself as depressed at all anymore.

Feelingconfused2020 · 24/09/2020 02:32

Ooh also it doesn't make me sleepy at all. It's interesting that it does for others, I take it in the morning and if I ever forget then by about lunchtime I know I've forgotten. As a po says it has a short half life so you would feel the benefit from taking it earlier but obviously if it makes you drowsy best avoid that.

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