Sertraline playing me up

[HazelnutMilk1]

Hi there I know there are lots of threads about side effects of ads but my question is different. I want to ask people who have got past the side effects of sertraline how it is for you.

1. is it consistent - could you rely on it? Sertraline seems to have very variable effects - some days I'm anxious, sometimes happy, sometimes sleepy, sometimes awake.
   
   
2. does it last? i titrated up very slowly and each time it gave me a lift which then disappeared and I had to take more.
   
   
3. is your head clear? I took fluoxetine before I was pregnant and that made my memory much better. Sertraline has made me really forgetful.
   
   
4. do you feel happy on it? I feel numb rather than happy, which has its pros. But on fluoxetine I felt actually happy.
   
   I know it's all deeply personal - no one size fits all AD. I really want sertraline to work for me cause I'm breast feeding, so any positive stories would be good.
   
   I'm on 50mg and have been titrating up to that for about 4 months, been on 50mg for about 10 days. It does seem better but today is a bit of a rubbish day for no reason - that never happened with fluoxetine, it made me really level.

[peachypips]

I couldn't tolerate citalopram either- I was bouncing of the walls and couldn't sit still!

[filee777]

Bloody awful stuff isn't it peachy

I took my sertraline about 5.5 hours ago and am just feeling a little bit yawny now which is perfect!

I have some Valium which I was going to use if I needed to sleep but I don't think I will need it tonight.

[Clarella]

thanks peachy!

hi file777 that's great

oh me too on that stuff - wired to the moon! I only lasted 3 days it was so awful.

well first day on sertraline actually ok. I was a mess in anticipation this morning. it made me a bit dozy in the morning but I suppose that could be chronic sleep deprivation

slightly numb tongue and tense tummy but that's all. really hoping it doesn't wire me all night like citilporam (sp?!) I think I remember that happening pretty instantly.

[Clarella]

sorry filee777!

[filee777]

Just call me fi

clara did you start today too? Cool we can conpare side effects :)

[Clarella]

yes that would be very handy how are you doing? How old is/are you lo/s?

I'm not wired yet which is good. I fact I feel very balanced but I've been up, down and in the middle like a yoyo for weeks so that means nothing. I'm wondering; do some people ever get no side effects? probably only see the ones who do here

[filee777]

I'm 29 with two DS's and one little girl who didn't make it skin side, I tried citalopram and had to stop it after 2 because of the simply dreadful side effects,
Last night I did feel a little different I suppose but nothing major and I did have a tiny bit of trouble sleeping so I ended up taking 2 Valium to help me drop off.

I'm going to start taking them slightly earlier I think, so 3pm for the one today and see how we get on. The side effects seem much easier to deal with to be honest so I'm not too concerned

[Clarella]

I'm sorry to hear about your lo fi

didn't sleep much - ds was as usual pretty much every 2 hours. I think I managed 3. felt cosy though just couldn't sleep!

[Clarella]

gah thyroid levels now too high, probably why I can't sleep!

[filee777]

Never had my thyroid checked, am going to research...

[Clarella]

it's a tricky one as anxiety and depression have similar symptoms to thyroid problems. the big symptom for me is I get constipated ! (sorry tmi)

actually the doc thinks it's ok though I think I'm on a tad too much which normally I'd like but it's not so easy to nod off after 2 hourly wakes!

thinking this stuff makes me sleepy in the day. does anyone know if it will change?

[filee777]

Well I'm at work now on my second sertraline and I feel okay. Which is such a bonus

[Clarella]

yeay!

[peachypips]

Have you thought about taking your Sertraline in the morning? It is very common to not sleep on it.

[Clarella]

I'm taking mine in the morning. managed to stay awake all day and feel nicely cosy now. interestingly I had a random an urge to watch the first IT Crowd - I've not been watching anything. just dwelling, thinking and panicking. and just now I had an urge to read some silly stuff on mn instead of searching posts on sertraline and baby sleep.

can it work this quickly??

[peachypips]

Who knows?! There is so much that they still don't know about how psychiatric drugs work. It could very well be helping a bit. I noticed a difference at two weeks then full capacity at 6.

[Clarella]

gah. son v unsettled in night and I couldn't sleep beyond 1. feel low n arguing with dh

[filee777]

Sorry you had a rough night :(

Do you have a DH who can take the pressure off today and let you have a sleep?

[Clarella]

thanks I perked up midday. think it's classic depressive/lack of sleep symptoms. no anxiety though or obsessive thoughts which is so lovely

when I'm down / anxious I get frustrated and angry with dh and then self destructive. he is trying his best bless him.I just keep thinking he's the enemy. (and get horribly angry) he's not always very responsive to lo when he's grizzly as lo is a surprisingly sunny baby so dh thinks grizzling is to be ignored whereas I know it's when something is wrong. so I feel very protective of lo and anti dh. but dh just hasn't a clue about babies so it's not his fault. one of 3 boys so not much sensitivity!

I'm hoping it's going to switch to perking me up more in the day and sleepy at night which doc reckoned it would do. must admit I'm coping with the sleepy feelings as usually if I'm tired I get very very stressed (years of struggling with thyroid stress) and that's when I implode or explode. but I'm just restful. plus my thoughts are calm.

hoping this drug keeps working.

[filee777]

I'm slowly moving the time I take it back to morning, I started in the late afternoon. I'll take tomorrows dose at 12 I feel a bit bergh today but and going to focus on getting to 12 days