sertraline,im scared to take it,im terrified of what will happen to my life if i dont.

[friggFRIGG]

hello,
ive finally been given the correct prescription.
had a terrible doctor who told me all sorts of crap,thanks to you guys i went back,to see a different doctor who was VERY lovely and helpful,she researched breastfeeding and anti depressants/anxiety med's,she called me the next day and said i (well you guys) were correct,sertraline was the way to go.

i went to pick up the prescription today and ive just sat down and read the 'instructions'.
i read the side effects,and i am panicking...
terrifying dreams,insomnia,restlessness, fatigue, dizziness, nausea...

is there anyone who hasn't had these side effects,or who can tell me they're not that bad,or that i'll feel much better so it's worth it?
is there a 'good' time to take them?(evening,morning?food?)

many thanks.

Thank to all who responded, I have not yet started as I'm trying to pick a less hectic week where I have to travel about as the doctor has prescribed a low dose diazepam to take with the sertraline for the first 3 days. It sounds like the nausea isn't too intense for most of u so that does put my mind at ease. They have prescribed 50mg. I had thought of halving the dose but wasn't sure if it would be very effective? The thing is this is really the only one they seem to prescribe for anxiety, or that's what I've been told as it's the best one. I don't suffer with depression. I have terrible heart palpitations and I'd just started to get them under control with propanalol but that has started to disturb my sleep terribly so now have to come off that slowly. Apparently sertraline helps with hearts palps, has anyone experienced that too??
It sounds very much like all experiences are different with a few similarities. Guess there is only one way for me to find out. Thinking of starting next week as work is more quiet. Oh the joys! 🙄

Also just add that I have had depression in the past but learned to cope now it is the anxiety I am battling! 7 years on something needs to change for sure!

Apparently it is great for helping with anxiety which is why my GP switched my meds.I'm glad to hear that you have got an easier week work wise coming up.Be gentle to yourself and try to keep things as simple as you possibly can next week.Keep on posting if you need the support.

Thank you I definitely will. This has helped so much as even though I have great friends and family I only know one person who is on sertraline. It's very overwhelming starting something like this and very easy to become consumed with the what ifs which is again part of the anxiety I hope to leave behind. Thank you again. Will come back and post the results and hopefully that will help others too!

So I have actually decided to half my dose to start off with! I've taken 25mg this morning with 2mg diazepam! I read that u can half the dose for the first week to build it up in ur system which I feel more comfortable with! Fingers crossed won't have any major side effects!

That's a positive start.

So just to check in and give an early review, I'm taking half the prescribed dose each day so that's 25mg. Today is day 3 and 2.5hours after taking the tablet I felt extreme nausea, dry hot throat and tingling up my neck and head! Around 3.5hours later the nausea stopped but I have felt unwell for the rest of the day with hot and cold sweats all day. I'm going to keep taking the half dose until this subsides and up the dose to the 50mg. Very hard day today just hoping the side effects don't last too long!

Did your GP tell you to take a half dose? You won't feel any benefits on 25mg.

srh82 this is exactly what happened with my. I am very very sensitive to meds. I took 25mg for over 2 weeks, the side effects got worse and worse. I couldn't eat/keep food down. I sweated all night long, had stomach cramps.
I found it unbearable and stopped. I don't want any med to make me feel that unwell.

Fallenempires, no my doctor didn't recommend the half dose I just read up about it first. A medical website advised to try half the dose for the first week and then up it! I just felt less anxious doing it this way as the whole thing was so daunting. I know 25mg isn't actually a dose that's given so I will def try the 50mg and hopefully the side effects won't be so intense as it's gradual.
Bigbuttons, I don't feel as bad today, I was waiting for the nausea but it never came so going to take each day as it comes! Hoping it will work out for me as it doesn't sound like u had the best of time at all. My friend is on 100mg and she is fine so I think I'm learning more and more that everyone's experience is so very individual!

srh82 I can understand that.I read through the leaflet in the sertraline packet and it sounds horrific,much more graphic than other AD literature that I've read.
Try if you can to push yourself to take the full dose as hard as it may seem,your GP wouldn't have prescribed this dosage if they didn't think that it would benefit you.

I do hope it works out for you op, glad you had a beer day today.

Beer day??? Better day!

Thanks much appreciated.
Ha ha maybe a beer day would have been even better

And sorry yes the leaflet is quite descriptive but I think best to just take each day, going to try upping the dose today as not feeling too bad!

Best of luck.