Sertraline - can I really be feeling better already?

[lowbatteries]

I’ve been prescribed one 50mg tablet of sertraline per day for my anxiety. I took the first tablet this morning and am sure I feel noticeably calmer already. My toddler had a very minor fall earlier and whilst normally my heart would be beating faster, I’d have adrenaline flowing round my body and would be in full on panic mode, stressing out and googling worst case scenarios, today I was able to stay calm and rational (he literally fell 20cm onto a soft mat, cried for a minute, was playing with his toys soon after and is obviously completely fine). Could that be the sertraline kicking in already? What does it feel like when it’s properly working? Surely it’s too soon to have an effect? I’d be interested to hear other people’s experiences.

Same here.
I felt better after a day or two after taking sertalime

When my son went on it the gp said it would take a week/2 weeks for it to start working and that some people got a placebo affect to start with.

It’s different for everyone I suspect. Took 10 days for me to start to feel better and I went through a week of total paranoia first

So 8 days of feeling worse, by day 10 I’d started to bounce back and a month later was in a positive space

I just started 50 mg sertraline and asked the doctor whether the immediate effect I felt was more likely placebo or real.

He said at 50mg you would likely start to feel the benefit soon but that it takes longer for the complete effect to be felt.

I felt like I was rushing for the first few days. Not altogether unpleasant but glad I’m not still feeling that way. But it improved my sleep ( I would wake and stay awake for hours - no I wake but can drop off again) and stopped my obsessive thoughts almost immediately.

I felt similar after just s few days on the same dose also for anxiety. I do think it was placebo effect for me.

Any benefit was soon outweighed by lucid nightmares, constant jaw clenching/pain and a complete inability to orgasm so I came off it after 6 months.

I hope it continues to work for you OP 💜 Anxiety is a fucker.

I have been on and off sertraline for a few years and the only thing I ever notice at the beginning is a sort of mildy spaced out/wired feeling and difficulty sleeping if I take my tablet in the evening. If anything, anxiety-wise I feel worse at first. But everyone is different.

I certainly didn’t feel any effect that quickly, the first week was pretty rough mentally. 2 weeks on and it’s a different matter - sleeping better, panic attacks stopped, generally happier, feels like a switch has been reset and I am myself again.

I've recently come off it and I can feel that stressful situations are a little harder to deal with (driving, huge scary roundabouts which I've always hated), but I think it's also given me a bit of "muscle memory" in a way to know that I don't always need to be in fight or flight.

I will say though that it could quite possibly ruin orgasms for you! Now that I'm off it I can come in about two minutes! 😂

I had the exact same experience. Almost instantaneously felt better. I made an identical post at the time!

I'm now 4 months in and still feel great. It's been a life changer for me.

It may have been the placebo effect but it doesn't feel like it. I don't know. I do feel fantastic though.

Had my first tablet yesterday, found it hard to sleep and feel so nauseous this morning like am going to vomit. Too scared to take second dose today but really the stories on here makes me hopeful.