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

[LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet]

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?!

I have just had my first tablet today 50mg, and I feel really out of body, dizzy and my anxiety has really ramped up. Is this normal? I’ve had debilitating health anxiety for months and finally took the plunge to take these tablets as they’ve been sat in my cupboard since august.

I need reassurance 😩 x

Completely normal. Hang in there it’s worth it

I felt like I had taken ecstasy (misspent youth) and had jaw spasms, wide eyes and felt jittery for the first week. I also had nausea and diarrhoea too. I feel they have worked so well for treating my anxiety and have been on them for a year now with good effect.

@LydiaBennetsUglyBonnet

I found it to be an absolute life-saver, it changed my life and I can't say enough good things about it. That said, medications will affect people differently. I tried citalopram once and felt like I was getting electrocuted, a hideous experience that left me feeling wired, weird and whacky.

Anti-depressants often give people a weird feeling when they first start them, it's very common. Though after one dose is certainly unusual and I wonder whether your anxiety is giving you false symptoms. You may be very sensitive to tablets.

You have to remember that these medications are essentially changing the way your brain uptakes chemicals. They mess with your brain chemistry so its hardly surprising people feel terrible.

Also evidence suggests they aren't much more effective than placebo.

Speak to your doctor. I've had bad reactions in the past when starting it. One doctor decided it wasn't safe for me to me on it. A few years later I tried again under a different doctors care and some diazepam to get me through the first week