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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask if I’ve had a bad reaction to sertraline or is this normal?

55 replies

LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 10/12/2022 17:20

Had a horrendous year and my mood is at an all time low. CBT hasn’t worked so the GP prescribed me Sertraline. Had my first table about 2.30pm. Have never had anti depressants before. Am I supposed to feel awful - I feel REALLY anxious and panicky and like I’m having an out of body experience. Everything is a bit cloudy but I’m aware enough that I can type messages etc (but wouldn’t chance driving). I feel like I’m having heart palpitations but I’m not. My eyes feel wide. It’s like I’ve had a bad drug! Is this normal after 1 tablet?!

OP posts:
WGACA · 10/12/2022 17:23

I had wide eyes at first, nausea and an upset stomach. It passed quickly though. I took them in the evening and slept/rested as much as I could.

pompomdaisy · 10/12/2022 17:28

The first couple of weeks are hard going then it settles

ShinyMe · 10/12/2022 17:28

Logically OP, you know that one tablet can not have had this effect on you in such a short time. It takes 1-2 weeks for the tablets to start having an effect, so this is part of what's happening in your head. Take some deep breaths, get yourself some clarity if you can.

JorisBonson · 10/12/2022 17:31

Yeah I felt like that. It was akin to being on MDMA sometimes. It does pass tho!

Minfilia · 10/12/2022 17:32

It’s usual to feel worse before you feel better.

I take a different SSRI and my side effects settled after around three weeks, but by day 10 I don’t think I’ve ever felt worse! I had severe anxiety, nausea and palpitations.

Four months in now and I feel entirely normal again.

oprahfan · 10/12/2022 17:34

You can feel out of sorts with sertraline, for a few days, 2 weeks max, but it really does make a difference. You may have eyes trying to widen or trying to stifle a lot of yawning.
i suggest you take things moment by moment, it does take a little while to work;
For me personally, it makes a big difference to my quality of life. I can function pretty well as a human being. Without it……very poor at regulating emotions, tearful, etc.
Please give it time.

user1047583 · 10/12/2022 17:38

This is exactly how I felt after my first!
I've never taken illegal drugs but my friend (who has) said it was similar to the feeling of 'coming up' on E.
I literally went straight to bed.
The next couple weeks we're a total whirlwind of symptoms but starting feeling mentally much better within a couple of days. Please ignore people who say you can't feel the effects that quickly. Yes for some people they're in unaffected (some takes weeks but some never feel anything) but plenty of people have your same experience and it makes sense as you have just ingested a drug! It's not wild to imagine you will feel something. For me it was a great drug that worked amazingly, so this could actually be a great sign! See how you go 

Noleafclover1 · 10/12/2022 17:47

SSRI drugs like sertraline can cause paradoxical anxiety in some people (myself included!). It is truly horrible. If you can ride it out and get to the other side the anti-depressant effect should kick in and you'll probably feel a lot better.

Alternatively if it's horrendous have a chat with your GP about starting at the very lowest dose and gradually increasing slowly - this worked really well for me last time.

Hope you're ok OP Flowers

UmbilicusProfundus · 10/12/2022 17:50

I think you are wrong @ShinyMe . The beneficial effects may take a week or 2 to kick in, but you can get side effects straight away.

mintbiscuit · 10/12/2022 17:59

Take before you go to sleep. Common feeling on days 1-3 then will settle. Don’t lose sight of how much better you will feel eventually

Wronglane · 10/12/2022 18:04

@ShinyMe completely wrong. I felt awful about 1hr after first tablet. It passes fairly quickly - I actually got some diazepam this time as I’ve had it before and know the score. Hang in there

MinistryOfTragic · 10/12/2022 18:04

I shook for two days when I started them, but I felt so much better after a couple of weeks. It was four weeks before I was experiencing the true benefits. Push through OP, you'll feel the benefits soon. xx

1234IDeclareAPeanutWar · 10/12/2022 18:06

My GP prescribed Valium to see me through the first few days.

I actually didn't need it as it felt like I was on MDMA which was a nice change from the gut wrenching grief I was experiencing at the time.

Blocked · 10/12/2022 18:11

I took them at bedtime the first few weeks to help with this.

Makinglists · 10/12/2022 18:12

I couldn't sleep and felt really spaced out. I probably shouldn't have driven but had to take DS2 to hospital appt - I remember waiting at a green light. The really weird feeling went after 3 to 4 days - started to feel a bit better after a few weeks.

hopeishere · 10/12/2022 18:17

I took it for about three days lost a stack of weight, felt 100000 times worse and was itchy all over. I stopped on the advice of the GP. I actually think she disagreed with the opinion of the GP who had put me on it if the first place.

Nomchan · 10/12/2022 18:18

Normal.

I felt very spaced out, I had jaw tremors and my anxiety rocketed. Palpitations too. It all settled. The first week was ROUGH though.

WhaleInAManger · 10/12/2022 18:20

My father had this when he started on them. He was anxious and sick for about three weeks, right from the very first tablet. BUT then it stopped and the effect on his mental health has been amazing since then.

Sertraline has basically brought his old/true self back, minus all the anxiety. It's been amazing to see.

hourbyhour101 · 10/12/2022 18:22

1234IDeclareAPeanutWar · 10/12/2022 18:06

My GP prescribed Valium to see me through the first few days.

I actually didn't need it as it felt like I was on MDMA which was a nice change from the gut wrenching grief I was experiencing at the time.

For who ever you were grieving at the time. I'm so very sorry 💐

I know that feeling well and had similar experience too when I was put on a sertaline . Weird for a negative experience for the most, being a pleasant change from that feeling.

Thelnebriati · 10/12/2022 18:22

Its normal for me. The side effects are so bad I'm usually hospitalised for several weeks while I stat a new med, so they can give me lorazepam and diazepam at the same time.

Dorsetdingle77 · 10/12/2022 18:29

I felt terrible on them, my pupils were fully dilated, I only managed 3 days. GP switched me to escitaloprám and I didn't have any side effects.

Marilla1966 · 10/12/2022 18:31

I vomited non stop for 7 days but kept with it despite feeling so awful. It passed and has really helped with my anxiety x

Rosecoffeecup · 10/12/2022 18:35

I had terrible nausea and was very very anxious for the first week or so, then I was fine

Original poster
LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet · 10/12/2022 18:35

Thanks all! That’s such a relief. I hope it’s worth it as I’d rather be feeling low than anxious. I’ve vomited as well and have awful nausea. It’s scared me a little!

OP posts:
JanesSadLittleLife · 10/12/2022 18:40

All I had were mad night sweats and total loss of libido until I stopped taking them! I take lofepramine - really ancient and rarely prescribed these days, but it works for my phobic anxiety. Mostly.