200mg of Sertraline - Not working

[Jooshfutterman]

Sorry, posting for traffic, not an AIBU so feel free to scroll on by

I’ve being on the above dose for over 6 months now and I doesn’t seem to be helping.
I’m so tired all of the time, have no energy, everything is a chore, even brushing my teeth.
I have kids so I’m doing the bare minimum.
I’ve had a marriage breakdown which hasn’t helped the situation, neither has lockdown and working from home. I’m seeing a therapist weekly and I do the odd mindfulness meditation too.
I just can’t seem to get out of the funk. Doesn’t matter how much sleep I get I feel physically and mentally exhausted every single day. Friends suggest I exercise but I don’t have the energy to brush my teeth never mind do some exercise.
I’m meant to be working right now but cannot concentrate at all. I just want to lay down and go to sleep.

I’m at a loss of what to do really.

Have you spoken to your GP? Not all medications suit all people so it might just be a matter of a change of AD.

Have you had blood levels checked? B12 deficiency can cause all this

It might not be the one for you, best to speak to your GP about the effects and see if you can discuss changing doses or even type of medication.

Speak to GP, there are other medications you can try.

I’m going to give them a ring as it can’t be normal to feel like this all the time

You might need a blood test, check your vitamin levels, thyroid and for diabetes.

The blood tests are a good idea but also try taking the meds just before bed - I find them much more effective that way and I’m more with it during the day

Definitely blood tests - I went to GP a few years ago because I thought I was depressed (I had been a few years previous to that). Couldn't focus on anything, no energy, didn't want to do anything...
Blood test revealed that I was so anaemic the GP said she was surprised I was still standing and able to walk.
If it's not that, discuss an alternative A-D with your GP.
And don't just stop taking them - you have to taper off gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms, from memory.

Hi joosh I found your thread :)

I hope you can speak to someone about the sertraline. A lot of people find it makes them flat and unmotivated, so might be worth trying something else like citalopram. But as every said, don’t just stop them, withdrawal can be rough!

Blood tests are a very good idea too.

If you can manage to get out for a walk daily - especially in the morning as apparently it’s better for sleep cycles - it might help overall, but zero judgment from me, I know how hard that can be. TBH often I wouldn’t bother at all if it weren’t for Pokémon Go 😳

Definitely discuss with your prescriber- have they not been monitoring the effects on you over the past 6 months?

Different medications suit different people. Sertraline has really worked for me before (after the initial unpleasantness) but Citalopram wasn't any good. It's normal to need to try a few anti depressants.

I found sertraline helped however it’s not for everyone. Agree with others to try another medication - fluoxetine or citalopram are other options.
Ignore your friends - depression isn’t something that you can just shake yourself out of.

Absolutely talk to your GP about changing your medication. I'm coming off sertraline in case it's what is causing my exhaustion, and I'm on a much smaller dose than you.

It is a tough one, tiredness can be a symptom of depression but also a side effect of the treatment.

And YY to looking for other causes too.

I was a total zombie when I took it in the mornings.

I take it at nighttime now and it is better, although I never have much energy anyway.

I had terrible side effects and had to take my medication at night, which seemed to do the trick.
However eventually I did change medication. I would recommend writing all your symptoms down and discussing it with your hp. They may need to change the medication, the time you take it and do other tests. Don't give up, it takes time to get everything right - fingers crossed for you.

As others have suggested, blood tests are probably a good start. I’ve been on a few meds over the years and I’d say that if bloods are ok then discuss switching the medication. It’s not working for you by the sounds of it and there are so many other ones you can try so don’t suffer in silence - it can take a bit of trial and error and sometimes you get a paradoxical effect where the meds actually make you feel worse and not better. Good luck 😀👍