To ask for your experiences (sertraline)

[Emmylou292]

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).

Being on sertraline has helped me immensely. I have been on it for years now. I can really tell if I stupidly miss a few days. --

The only side effect I've experienced is a decrease in libido, reduced further to a total loss because I'm breastfeeding, but to be honest, the benefits outweigh this. And I'm too knackered for all of that at the moment anyway haha.

As PPs have said, it may take a couple of weeks to kick in, but hopefully you'll see some improvement.

Good luck!

I spent just over a year on Sertraline, and it really did help me through a difficult time. I experienced nausea for the first 10 days or so, some dizziness when standing up abruptly, and some unpleasant dreams more frequently than usual, but for me the benefits far outweighed the side effects. I hope you feel better soon whatever you choose.

It changed my life.

For me the physical side effects lasted a few days. Really dizzy. Lightheaded. Diarrhoea. Completely spaced out. But after that, the cloud started to lift.
You won’t suddenly wake up one day and be like ‘wow I feel better’, you will just noticed that the horrible feelings just arnt there anymore in the way they were and you can cope with every day life in a normal manner.

Weaning off is hard though. I was a grump for weeks! (I weaned off to quick mind you. So I don’t recommend that). But then my brain must have settle down and I was fine.