Sertraline buddies - support for anybody taking Sertraline

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I eventually went to docs yesterday, been really suffering with depression. Is it possible the medication can result in side effects straight away? I'm feeling sick and no appetite today, however feeling better, clearer... I'm on 50 mg the lowest dose.. Anyone else share their experience please?

Any reason why you don't want the coil kazza?

I have PMDD and also had to be on the mini pill then finally let them put the coil in. Painful heavy periods stopped within six months and found the procedure to put it in completely painless.

I had the Mirena coil before, it was extremely painful to insert and if it doesn't solve the problem I'd be stuck with it.

Hello - can I jump in please. I've read most of the thread. I've been on an old fashioned tryclic AD for 5 years (have intermittent depression and anxiety - mostly depression) and also take Mirtazapine which I don't think does any good.

When I saw the psychiatrist at the end of March I'd had 3 awful months and he suggested I swap to Sertraline but then I was ok in April and May has been crap, so am now swapping. My CPN is overseeing this.
Last week I reduced imipramine from 200mgs to 150mgs for a week, then for next 2 weeks I reduce the imipramine to 100mg and add Sertraline 50mgs (took first Sertraline this morning) not a very good day but nothing out of the ordinary - but felt really tired all day. I have been told to take the Sertraline in the morning but notice a lot of you seem to take them at night. MY CPN said they could disturb sleep so best to take them in the morning.

Then after 2 weeks I have to reduce imipramine to 50mgs and take 100mgs of Sertraline and then a review. My CPN says it could take 6/8 weeks before I know whether Sertraline is beneficial.

Just wondered if anyone had any thoughts, advice.

Thanks very much.

Hi nananina, I also felt very tired when I first started taking it so switched from morning to night. I did get disturbed sleep and was regularly waking up at 2am unable to get back to sleep so now I take it at around 6pm which seems to work well for me.
Might just be a case of playing around with running to find out what works for you.

Hope the transition goes smoothly for you

Hi nana

I don't know anything about the other meds you mention, but re time of day to take sertraline - I take mine in the morning after breakfast. They do make me feel a bit dozy but for me that's a good thing as I'm taking them for anxiety -and they really help take the edge off things (have been on them 9 weeks now). For the first few days my sleep pattern went a bit up the shoot but that soon settled down.

Also just wanted to say I agree re sticking with it for at least 6-8 weeks to give them a chance. I was very up and down for the first few weeks, sometimes feeling worse than before I started taking them. But after about three or four weeks the good days started outnumbering the bad, and from then on it's just been helping me more and more .

Hi nana and everyone else

I take mine just before bed at the moment and they don't seem to affect my sleep. Totally the reverse last night. I upped my does to 50mg from 25mg last night and I felt terrible this morning. I had to take the day of work. I felt really sick and a bad headache. I slept in and felt better for it. Did anyone else found the symptoms were worse when they upped the dose. Also wondering about amount of mg's everyone else is on?

Hi Twiglet

I felt pretty rough when I started (initially on 25mg), had about every symptom going - extreme tiredness, nauseous, headachey and a really dry mouth to the point of getting a sore throat - almost like I had flu! I found the first couple of weeks pretty horrible, tbh - I also kept feeling panicky, more than I had done before I started taking them. I upped to 50mg after a week but don't think I felt any worse - although I felt rotten already so maybe just didn't notice! But after the first two weeks the symptoms died down really quickly - by week three I was feeling pretty normal symptom-wise - so you're nearly there

I'd been feeling so crappy for months before taking them that I was determined to stick with it, and I'm glad I did now. I am still on 50mg and don't really want to increase from that unless I really have to - at the moment I feel ok on this dose.

I started on 50mg, so I haven't had to up the dose, and I started feeling better in a couple of week. Well, to be honest I felt better in the first few days because I was so stoned . But now I am definitely more normal feeling.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I had to force myself to "wake up" this morning - well after 10.00 and could just have slept on.....fortunately I'm retired so don't have to get up for work. Good to hear that this drug has worked well for so many of you......I'm going to ask my CPN about taking them at night.
spottydolpin - when you take yours at 6 pm are you not tired all evening. I felt much less tired in the evening last night. Libido is not a problem for me - I am 70 and DP and me have had separate bedrooms for years!!!

Hello

Good to see more people have joined us.

I had one tablet left today, all appointments at surgery gone, will try tomorrow morning. So 50 mg instead of 100 mg. Hope i'll be ok.

Sole if you ring the surgery and explain they should be able to schedule a telephone call with your gp so she can issue a prescription you can collect the same day. Tell them it's very important- it is!

Thanks kazza I explained to the receptionsist and she said i could see the duty Dr, I really loathe that Dr, I'll sit in the surgery at 8.30 am tomorrow morning, ready to pounce when the appointments are released at 8.45 am for you .

Ah, I see. I hope you get seen tomorrow.

Feeling very fed up with myself today. It's my day off, but I went back to bed after dd left for school and slept til 11. Don't feel like I've accomplished much, just hoovered, walked the dog and made soup. My diet has gone downhill Need to get a grip and lose some weight.

I've just tidied dds room- very satisfying as it was extremely untidy! Feel a bit better now. I know she should do it herself, but hopefully my parents are bringing over a bed for her on Thursday- my mum has ordered a new bed for delivery today and her old one is a 4 ft small double. Dds bed is her cabin bed she got when she was 5, so a bigger bed would be great They're not sure if they can fit it in the car so I haven't told her yet.

Hi everyone. May I ask is anyone taking this whole pregnant? I have been prescribed 50mg, I am weaning off Prozac and start setraline tomorrow.

I feel guilty taking them when pregnant, but I haven't been on ads long and it is my understaning you need to be on them 6 months or so to properly treat the anxiety/ depression?

yes, i started back on it this time when I was about 4 months pregnant. currently breastfeeding my 5 week old!
my understanding is that it's the preferred choice for pregnancy/breastfeeding :)

Thanks spotty. I wish to bf too, glad this is safest option. How did you find being on it in pregnancy?

Hullo everyone - just to let you know we've changed the thread title at the request of a couple of people on the thread, hope that's ok.

Hi all,haven't read full thread (although I will) but just wanted to say I am loving sertraline! Feel okay for first time ever I'm years. Didn't get many side effects, or if I did they were the same as the side effects of depression/anxiety so didn't notice. I take mine last thing at night and while I get occasional sleep disturbance it is no worse than what I experiencing before.

Hope it continues as is. I am also seeking help through counselling as don't want to be on them forever.

How was everybody's day? kazza progress report on car please and how you are

Managed to see GP, she seems pleased with my progress. She prescribed me 100 mg tabs of Setraline. I am now to take them at night again. No sleep for me again last night. GP gave me sleeping tablets not to be used more than twice per week, Zolpidem.

I need to get back into a routine. :(

My house is a fucking SHIT TIP

keepon it was absolutely fine during pregnancy! aside from the few side effects I had (nausea, tiredness) but that didn't last too long :)

i forgot to take my tablet last night, so i took it first thing this morning instead as i'd been thinking about swapping to morning to see if it reduced the sex-related side effects!

anyway, I've been in a right fug all day. fuzzy head, just not "with it"
don't know if it's because of the sertraline or whether i'm just having one of those days :-/

Hello you lovely people, can I join in?

I have been on Sertraline for 13 months now, up to 150mg. Started at 100mg this time.. I feel ok, take it at night. The main thing for me too is tiredness, I actually go to bed at about 8:30 most nights

Sounds like your adjusting well, Nana, give it time, it's worth a try.Much love to you

I had an assessment for cbt the other day, I want to give this a try, as my thinking is pretty crap sometimes

Hope everyone has a good evening

Hello everyone

Great thread title

I'm having a good day today. My boss called me into a meeting to tell me he's really happy with my work. I mentioned the stress I'm under when my colleague is off and he's suggested another period of shadowing her. Obviously I don't have time for this. He suggested she do my job to allow me to have time to practise hers, but she laughed in his face when he suggested it Ah well I'll muddle through.

No news re the car yet.

Welcome to newbies

And just when the day was going well. .. our mortgage lender called to ask about how we plan to pay off our arrears from whilst dh was out of work. He's only been working for 3 weeks, we don't even know how much we'll have each month!