Setroline - any advice?

[EwwwwDavid]

I've struggled with my mental health for a very long time. Years in fact. I finally built up the courage to speak to my GP and I've been prescribed setroline.
Any advice regarding this? I'm so anxious about it but understand that I need the help so willing to take them.
My fears are:
Do you feel worse?
Are you on them forever?
Do you just somehow feel happy again?

I hate to be negative about it (although it's a given I suppose when you're depressed 😩).

For context I have experienced the worst bereavement you can imagine and although it was 14 years ago I still struggle. I wish I'd spoken to my GP years ago but I never had the strength.

Just to provide another viewpoint, I didn’t experience everything being “medium” at all, I experienced more joy in everyday things. I was worried about everything feeling numb but it wasn’t the case for me.

Thanks for the replies. It's good to hear other people's experiences as it's not really something that's east to talk about in real life.
I've started taking them and feel terrible 😞. Really bad nausea and terrible diarrhoea. Hoping it passes soon.

I could have written this one!

I also have/had really quite debilitating claustrophobia and would feel on the brink of a panic attack whenever I got the tube. This has more or less gone now, although it wasn’t why I started taking them.

good luck OP, my experiences of sertraline are really positive.

I'm on Sertraline 100mg and it works well but caused insomnia so now I also take Mirtazapine at night to counteract that.
I have been on anti-depressants all my adult life (from age 16 to now 68) and it's on my medical notes that I will always need to take them. I have therefore taken various types of anti-depressants over the years and find Sertraline effective. I will never be happy, but at least I'm not suicidal and can cope.

I took it for severe PND and it really helped. I was worried about it as I wanted Prozac which I'd used successfully and without problems in the past but couldn't take Prozac as I was BFing. The Sertraline initial side effects were worse than for Prozac - I felt very sick (I nearly threw up on my baby!), lost appetite, felt a bit dizzy. But I'd been feeling really awful anyway with depression.
The side effects gradually reduced over two weeks, after that it was fine. I found it helped to split the dose in two and take 12 hours apart rather than once a day - this really helped with the side effects. It definitely helped me cope - I didn't experience the 'medium' feeling someone describes above. I could feel happy etc whilst taking them.

I stayed on them a year, until my return to work from maternity leave which also made a huge difference having a break from my baby - we had no family support which is partly why things were so tough. No problems coming off them. I tapered the dose down over about a month (dropping half a tablet every other day initially, then every day, then half a tablet every other day etc).

I felt like I had the flu, was nauseous and kept clenching my jaw. This lasted 3-4 weeks but was worth it. Hang in there. Fingers crossed you'll be feeling better very soon.

I love sertraline 😁 when I started taking it I felt a quite a bit sicky, and had some weird dreams for a couple of weeks, and long term it does make me overheat and I've put on a little weight.
BUT, as soon as my body/brain got used to it I felt soo much better. I don't think my brain chemicals had ever worked properly before I started taking antidepressants. I'm just more myself, happier and more level. It also got rid of the majority of my pms symptoms (bonus!).
Hope it works for you x

Huh, I have also noticed I’ve been clenching my jaw more recently but hadn’t made the connection!

I take sertraline. Pre medication, I had the most crippling anxiety which could go from 0-100 very quickly. While it took a while to find the right dose for me, now I am on a dose that works, things are so much better. Although I can still get anxious, it's so much better than it was before and I am much more able to rationalise the anxiety. For the first time in a very long time, I feel at peace mentally.

Side effects for me in the beginning was diarrhoea, however this has disappeared now I have been taking them a while. My Gp did warn me about this and said that if it was problematic to get back in touch. The only long term side effect I have is that I get very, very hot and sweaty, especially at night (sorry for the TMI!). Cotton pyjamas and sleeping with just a sheet helps. It's going to be a cheap winter as the heating over 17 degrees is just unbearable, even if I am wearing just shorts and a t shirt.

Stick with it OP. It's been absolutely life changing for me and I wish I started taking them earlier.

I only had the jaw clenching as a side effect. I took it at night and it didn’t affect my sleep but I was only ever on the lowest dose. It worked within days for me, I just felt ‘normal’ again. Was on it a year and took myself off it very gradually over the course of two months and I’ve not needed it again.

My issues were linked to job and family and lockdown was a blessing - I was shielding and didn’t have to go to work. This gave me time to re-set and I’ve been fine ever since.

Same for me. I had only very mild nausea when i started them. They've been hugely helpful.

I’ve been taking it for about 6 weeks now, for the first few days I felt really terrible- dizziness, panic attacks etc I couldn’t drive or go anywhere so I started taking them at night thinking that if I was going to feel like that I would rather be in bed than juggling kids and work at the same time. I haven’t found they’ve affected my sleep, i fact I would say I’m sleeping better now the side effects have stopped.

i think my anxiety is a bit better now although not 💯. My mood is still really low though and I’m struggling to motivate myself to do anything. I think my dr will recommend putting the dose up this week but I’m kind of dreading the side effects coming back again. Maybe it’s not so bad when your increasing though?!

I have called in sick to work again today. I feel like I'm scared, but not of anything in particular? I suppose thats anxiety.
I told my boss I feel sick. Not sure if I have to tell her about the meds. I don't particularly want her to know I'm on them!

I’m very sorry for your bereavement, OP.

Well done for seeking help. I take Sertraline for my PND (50mg, now weaning down to 25mg before going on to 12mg). I’ve been on it for over a year. I find it excellent, and highly recommend it. The first two weeks can be a bit wobbly, but stick with it if things improve after that time.

Do also combine it with bereavement counselling or CBT, etc - the latter was a Godsend to me, in combination with the tablets.

I was poorly for the first few days. The first few weeks you won't feel better mentally. But after 6 weeks or so you'll realise they really do help. Good luck x

Hi OP, I haven't taken Sertraline but have taken different antidepressants in the past. I didn't need to take them forever but they really helped me. Even if you do need to take them long term, it doesn't matter if they help.

You mentioned that you tried counselling and it made you feel worse and I just wanted to say that isn't weird. It's just not the right thing for some situations. There are other therapy options.

I don't know if you can afford it but if you can it might be worth seeking a private psychotherapist who can assess you and recommend the type of therapy that will help you.

I hope the side effects settle soon and wish you well.