Will sertraline work? When?!

[Pelvicpaininthebum]

I've been having anxiety attacks and panic attacks.

I started Sertraline 11 days ago at 25mg and then went up to 50mg 4 days ago.

I feel my anxiety is worse if anything. I've got constant low level anxiety and am so worn out from it. I'm waking early and feeling panicky.

Will the sertraline end up working? I feel so desperate for it to.

Sertraline is odd. It makes everything worse and then you just wake up one morning and everything feels manageable.

Interestingly it happened to me this Summer I was put back on sertraline and about two weeks later asked to track my blood pressure. The first night I was terrified and in full sertraline panic. My BP was 201/90 (I didn't realize this was an emergency BP!). The next morning the sertraline had kicked in and I just felt more positive, that everything was manageable. My BP was 140/75. Still high BP (and remained so until I started BP meds) but an interesting thing from a panic and anxiety viewpoint of seeing the physical impact on the body of stress.

I'm on 50mg and started at 25mg in February, it took a good 2 or 3 months to get into my system and for me to feel any better.

It took a couple of months to start to work for me in a very subtle way. My GP gave me valium alongside it for when I felt out of control which I no longer need, that was literally a lifesaver for me. Some great advice on here from others. It won't last, you will start to feel better just be kind to yourself, small steps, small wins. Don't push yourself to get stuff done if your exhausted. I struggled to concentrate so couldn't read or watch TV so found some simple word games on my phone helped to take my mind elsewhere even if only for a few minutes. Eventually my churning stomach reduced and I have started to sleep for around 3-4 hrs at a time. You are not alone, keep pushing through and you will get there.

You will cope, you'll.be fine. Nothing stays the same forever.

Thank you. My anxiety is definitely very physical. I never knew it could feel like this!

Is anyone around? I had terrible anxiety this morning. Even threw up. And now it's switched to feeling very depressed.

Struggling.

Oh bless you, how many days into the sertraline are you now?

Thanks for replying. It's my 14th day, 6th day on 50mg.

Absolutely 💯 this

Thanks! You felt worse before better?

Absolutely yes. It took at least a month tbh. The history was this.......I had been on Citalopram for years. I weaned myself off this as my life got easier (very long story....too long to share). Another reason for weaning off was because I wanted to try Amitriptylene for the pain from my spinal stenosis. This worked well for my pain and also enough of an anti anxiety in my dose to keep my mood stable. I then had a heart attack out of the blue and the first thing the cardiologist did was to take me off Amitryptaline. I survived for about a year then felt anxious etc again. So the GP put me on Sertraline, which took 5 to 6 weeks to kick in properly. It did feel worse before it got better. Good luck x

Thank you.

I'm sorry you went through all of that. Are you ok now?

I've been on Sertalene for two years now. I'm weaning down from 150mg but I'm really keen (so is my therapist) to keep at 50mg it 25mg. The anti anxiety effect is really helping me. I'm even nearly finished learning to drive in a city after years of being terrified! Try and stick with it a bit longer. Fingers crossed for you x

I am, thank you for asking x

Day 4 for me - feeling horrendous!

Yesterday I just felt so anxious & low.

Today I have no appetite, anxiety is through the roof, I just want to hide away.

I'm sorry you're not feeling better this morning, I hoped you were through the worst!

I'm sorry you're feeling so bad, but at the same time it's quite comforting knowing I'm not alone.

My anxiety was terrible all day on day 4 but calmed down a bit day 5, apart from it being very high first thing.

I have no appetite either, just trying to force down some crisps.

I have no motivation.

Are you working? I'm signed off and just can't envisage a time I'll be well enough to go back 😭

i was on sertraline for about 8 years, i remember it feeling a lot worse at first for maybe a month or two and after that a lot better! :)

Thank you!

I gave up after about five weeks. It was just making my sleep worse and worse, and that made everything else worse. Didn't have a sleep problem before taking it. Have to say, the few days after stopping taking it were fantastic. Best single step I've made so far, life was a lot easier and slept so much better!

That doesn't mean it's the wrong choice for you though. It helps many people, and it may help you. I'm proceeding by trying different options, and keeping the things that work. If something doesn't work for you then try something else. But give it long enough that you can really say it didn't work for you, don't give up early and leave yourself with doubts.

I was given sertraline for general anxiety about 10/15 years ago. The side effects took my anxiety from mild to extreme, and I suffered it for about 6 weeks before seeing a GP who knew me (the GP who'd prescribed them had advised me to taper off, even though I'd only been taking them 6 weeks) who told me to stop taking them immediately (she was horrified at the change in me).

The 'cure' for my anxiety was self help. I say 'cure' because there isn't a cure, it's about learning to manage it. Not easy to learn and practice the techniques, but I'm glad I persevered with the behavioural stuff - I very rarely notice any anxiety now.

I hope you find something that works, anxiety is awful, as are panic attacks.

If it's any consolation, you're all doing a lot better than me!

My GP prescribed me 50mg, and on the first day I took it, I ended up passing out in the bathroom a couple of hours later after suddenly feeling very dizzy and peculiar.

It's rather put me off trying it again, and I'm now hoping alternatives to medication like CBT work better for me!

I've been on and off SSRIs many times, including sertraline. I also take them for anxiety, and they always make me feel worse before I feel better. I would say I feel more anxious/unable to sleep well for about a month, and then usually notice improvements (as in feeling better than before I was taking them) within about 2 months. That first month or two can be really tough, especially with the worry that they won't work. Hang in there!

@boringdad & @PaisleyGilmourStreet sorry it didn't work for you. My anxiety was already quite extreme and I already wasn't sleeping.

@GoldfinchFeather sorry that happened to you, sounds awful!

Thank you so much, that's encouraging to hear.

I'm trying to hold on.

Hi all, I'm on Sertraline and it works, and it also makes me feel like me, and not a zombie, I think it's brilliant.

In the meantime have a look at the DARE app and book, there's a YouTube channel, and Claire Weekes is good too. It completely changed the way I thought about anxiety and panic and it's taken the panic attacks when they happen, down a notch. There's a Dare support group on Facebook and it just makes sense.

Good luck! I know how shit it feels but you can and very likely will feel better soon.