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Original poster

Is sertraline worth the side effects?

105 replies

Cantpee · 21/02/2026 16:27

I’ve just started taking sertraline as I have developed bad PND and PTSD following an awful birth and associated health problems. I’ve been reluctant to take it because before this I have never suffered mental health issues.

I’ve had four tablets and experiencing dizziness, feeling dizzy, jaw/teeth clenching and ache, headaches, nausea and generally feeling strange. I’m still not sleeping. I’m really tempted to stop but another part of me thinks I should persevere. Does it get better? Is it worth it?

OP posts:
PinkJ · 21/02/2026 16:41

100000000%

Moen · 21/02/2026 16:42

They’re life changing tablets x

minimoo7 · 21/02/2026 16:43

I’ve been on a few SSRIs and I gave up with sertraline as the effects were not manageable for me. Everyone is different though, I ended up getting a different one.

Silverwombat · 21/02/2026 16:45

I would keep going with these for at least a couple of weeks if you can manage the side effects - it's tough because you get the side effects immediately but the benefits take a few weeks to kick in. But just keep plodding on and remember that's four days of side effects done and four days closer (hopefully!) to feeling better.

flowersandkittens · 21/02/2026 18:08

Try to power through for a couple of weeks, the side effects will die off and you’ll feel much better.

CoastalCalm · 21/02/2026 18:09

Try taking them at night before bed and then the side effects will be less during waking hours

RobinGoch · 21/02/2026 18:11

They transformed my daughters life…… though for the first couple of weeks she felt dreadful…..long term her quality of life has improved massively….

Soggydog · 21/02/2026 18:13

I dont know what dose you are on but if it is hard to cope with the side effects the gp could have started you on a lower dose and built it up. It might be worth doing half a tablet until Monday then phoning the gp about the side effects and discuss how and when to increase. As suggested above, taking it at night works well for reducing side effects.

borntooobesilly · 21/02/2026 18:16

Agree with poster saying to power through the first few weeks. My son has been taking Sertraline for a few years and it has been a game changer for him. 💐

ChopstickNovice · 21/02/2026 18:19

For me it's worth its weight in gold. I found the first 7 days the worst then I felt like myself again. I took it for PND and now continue taking it to deal with my father's on/off mental breakdowns.

Simonjt · 21/02/2026 18:22

Yes, I would genuinely be dead without them. I know everyones different, but by week nine I was completely side effect free.

ScarlettSarah · 21/02/2026 18:23

My ex had ongoing sexual issues from those - even after he stopped taking them. I won't touch them myself for that reason.

Sisandbro81 · 21/02/2026 18:25

What doses are you all on?

mindutopia · 21/02/2026 18:26

I never had those side effects. Only side effect I had was extreme drowsiness for the first few days and then weird brain zaps/leg twitches at night in bed.

I did find it absolutely was worth it for the time when I needed it. I took it for about 18 months, then started to forget to take them and just weaned myself off. It helped me get out of the ditch I found myself in due to some trauma. When I had worked through that and was feeling better, I was able to come off. Yes, it was worth it, but there are other options if this doesn’t seem to be working for you.

VivienneDelacroix · 21/02/2026 18:27

I'm alive. Definitely worth it.

sugarandcyanide · 21/02/2026 18:30

Stick with it! I felt absolutely awful at the beginning, I had every side effect going. I had nausea, terrible upset stomach and jaw pain from teeth clenching to the point that it was difficult to eat. I was shivery with chills and the anxiety got worse for the first couple of weeks. I was horribly snappy with everyone, had episodes of blurred vision and just generally felt really unwell.

I think the first 10 days were the worst, I thought I couldn't carry on with it multiple times a day. Now I don't even know I'm taking it, the side effects disappeared completely after 2 weeks.

It's really helped me. My panic attacks have stopped and although I still get anxious it doesn't take over me like it did before. I'm having therapy and feel like I can focus on it better now, although if I'm honest the sertraline has helped more than the therapy.

Tcateh · 21/02/2026 18:35

I found them good at keeping me calm/unfazed, but I started on 50mg then went to 75mg after 4 weeks

Then began 4 weeks of constant diarrhoea, which is a known side effect for some people.
Having been on Prozac for years I was shocked that another SSRI could do that.

I really was on the loo umpteen times a day. After 2 of those weeks I went back to 50mg. My gut never really returned to normal.

I was so pissed off because mentally they worked well.
Guess I'm saying be aware of the shits.

I'm trialing Prozac again but 2 weeks in it's been tough. tears, overthinking etc

I didn't have any other side effects going onto sertraline op.

redboxerclub · 21/02/2026 18:38

I didn’t get side effects worse than my symptoms so for me it was 100% worth it and I feel like everyday is a good day now. I was a broken person before.

it can cause insomnia so I take it in the morning but I still never sleep well at all and it’s the only thing that I need to fix, but at the moment am managing it.

CustardySergeant · 21/02/2026 18:43

Well, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Sertraline. I'm on 100mg a day and also take Mirtazapine at night for the insomnia that the Sertraline causes. I'm just so glad that it exists.

pointythings · 21/02/2026 18:46

My DD is on Sertraline and it's helped her so much. Side effects have been quite intense but we're out the other side now and she is coping with life so much better now.

CostOfLoving · 21/02/2026 18:54

Moen · 21/02/2026 16:42

They’re life changing tablets x

It depends on the person, surely?
You can't speak for everyone.

For me they did nothing - in fact no SSRIs helped at all, just had a variety of side effects, some actually made things worse as I was in a dazed, blunted emotional state rather than having any motivation to improve things.

OP - it's too early to tell if they will help you yet, I'm afraid. You'll get responses across the spectrum here! Taking at night to reduce daytime side effects for now is a good call.

I admit I'm a bit sceptical that you've been given medication for a psychological problem, following actual events. Not random brain chemistry going awry. Have you any chance of any kind of therapy?

Campbellcarrotsoup · 21/02/2026 19:03

I had two weeks of weirdness going on them and two weeks of weirdness coming off the. Very helpful for me. They muted my emotions by about 25% which took me out of panic model and stopped a lot of the physical symptoms of my anxiety which were pretty unplesent. This enabled me to sort my life out and build up some resilience for the year I was on them

Campbellcarrotsoup · 21/02/2026 19:04

I had two weeks of weirdness going on them and two weeks of weirdness coming off the. Very helpful for me. They muted my emotions by about 25% which took me out of panic model and stopped a lot of the physical symptoms of my anxiety which were pretty unplesent. This enabled me to sort my life out and build up some resilience for the year I was on them

CunningLinguist2 · 21/02/2026 19:04

It gets better!!!

Newyearawaits · 21/02/2026 19:05

Hi OP, I am sorry that you are experiencing such horrible side effects. Please bear with them.
I have had an extremely distressing, ongoing situation in my life that has caused me to be severely depressed.
I resisted taking antidepressants for years as my view was that they wouldn't take the situation away.
I was in such a distressed state and severely depressed that I started taking 50mg daily nearly 2 years ago.
After a few weeks, I felt so much better and able to function again.
I experienced gastric problems, constipation and dizziness which subsided after about 6 weeks.
Take care OP