Anyone on Sertraline?

[SippeeCup]

I started Sertraline 2 months ago, 50mg.

Everywhere I’ve read has said you’d feel crap for a few weeks until it kicks in then you feel great.
I’ve had the opposite where I felt immediately great after first taking it which then carried on till about a week ago and now my mood has dropped low again. It also stopped my binge eating but that’s now started up again.
Has anyone else had this reverse effect? I do have a diagnoses of bipolar but apparently that is in dispute but I haven’t heard anything about it in months. I’ve asked my gp if I can up my dose but she not calling until next week.

I’ve been on 50mg for 5 weeks this Friday, and the last week I’ve just felt so low, unmotivated and just really off. I think it’s such a rollercoaster for 8 weeks. How did you feel week 5/6 do you remember?

50mg is a starting dose, most people need more than this. It takes about 6 weeks for the dose to level out in your system. My GP told me to call back in 6-8 weeks if I felt I was spiralling again, as it probably meant I needed my dosage upping. They were right, I did feel the effects lessening after 6 weeks and symptoms returning, I called the GP and had my dosage upped to 100mg. This was a year ago and I’ve been fine since then.

Speak to your GP.

Been on Sertraline for about 10 weeks and am now slowly upping to 75mg. Same as you, worked really well to begin with and then started not being as effective so decided to up and see how it goes. I'm doing about 62mg at the moment and will go to 75mg at the weekend.
I was worried about side effects upping the dose but so far it all seems OK.

I've had this. I've got bipolar disorder. Every antidepressant does this to me. I feel AMAZING like I'm walking on air. Like the world is pink glitter. That's hypomania. Then my brain runs out of energy and I plummet with severe depression and agitation.
I'm not saying you've got it but be on the lookout for any signs of mood elevation or mixed mania (all the depression with the energy of elevation, or elevation with zero energy) and get to a doctor if that happens so you can get the right treatment.

Sorry, just re-read your OP and you say you've got a diagnosis of bipolar. Yeah mine was in dispute until September when they put me on citalopram and I went fully manic with psychosis.
Be really careful because unprotected antidepressants (without a mood stabiliser) can cause your mood cycles to get more severe and closer together. I'm now rapid cycling type II bipolar where before I took sertraline and citalopram, I was cyclothymia.
Can you get a referral to CMHT to get input from a psychiatrist?

You probably just need your dose upped, call tomorrow and ask for a call to discuss, don’t wait. It’s very normal but especially important to get it right.

I was on for about 10 months. Had to come off as I couldn't think straight. Would get in the car and not know how to drive. Not be able to find everyday words . Constant fog.

Havent replaced with anything , been 12 months and and strangely feel amazing . Like taking it for that time has permanently helped.
Well that's what I'm hoping

Been on it for years but it takes a while to settle in. I remember ups and downs for first 12weeks. The ups were mania (and marvelous) the downs were hard hard work and I did get diazepam from my GP to ride out the really bad times.

Now I'm about 4 years in and it works so well for me. I still feel things but it takes the edge off my PTSD and when I go down hill I have enough reserves to manage it.

Yea I went up to 100mg and that was amazing ..apart from brain fog
I'm thinking about stopping it to see if it helps

I’ve been on 50mg for about 3 months. My anxiety is better but depression is worse and it feels like my anxiety only seems better because I’m so depressed I don’t care about anything anymore. I need to go up to 100mg to see if it helps my depression but I’m scared of the side effects coming back. I can’t take any time off work and I couldn’t leave the house for a few days when I started them because of the side effects.

@FineBerol I was exactly the same for a while. Got in my car and forgot what side of the road to drive on 🤦‍♀️

Thanks all. I’m going to ask to go up to 100mg asap. I’ll take hypomania over suicidal any day!

I love sertraline! I was on 50mg; along with CBT it sorted my PND out. Weaned down to 25, now just on 12.

Maybe try a different drug? Are you getting therapy for the binge eating?

No. I was assessed but not heard anything since. Assuming it’s a mega long waiting list.