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?

Hi all - how's everyone feeling today? All ok I hope

All good here, and am amazed to report I seem to have had another month with absolutely no PMT

Hello ChuffChuff, how are you?

Not feeling too bad. Mentioned my worries re. holiday cover to the manager last week and have sat Monday and today with my colleague, going through things with her, so hopefully I'll have more idea what I'm doing when she's off next week and the week after.

Glad you had no PMT again, hope it stays that way.

It's a week since I stopped taking the minipill, maybe I am feeling a bit better ... will see what later in the month brings!

Hi kazza

Yes am feeling fine ATM thanks - and I am so impressed that the sertraline seems to have totally zapped all of my hideous pmt symptoms (or pmdd as the GP called it) for two months in a row - the first month I thought it might just be a coincidence but not now . I know lots of people think it sounds like nothing, but for me it used to mean feeling absolutely shit for two weeks out of every month, even before I started having big problems with anxiety more generally.

Glad to hear your work problems are being sorted out, or at least sorted out a bit! And hopefully like you say, stopping the mini pill might help too.

Really quiet on here- where's everybody gone?

Haven't seen sole on here for a while either - hope she's doing ok.

Chuffchuff I understand totally, I am the same, 2 weeks out of every 4 I was so miserable/angry/irritated.It improved when I started taking a high dose of evening primrose oil. That cut it down to one week.

Yes I've heard about evening primrose oil too - though I wonder if it would have been strong enough for me as my symptoms were so severe - I would become a complete bitch to everybody around me

Do you think the sertraline has helped your pmt too?

Yes I had to take 1000mg every day and it took 3 months before I saw an effect.

I'm not sure if the sertraline is helping because the mini pill has been affecting me too. I'll see what I'm like now I've stopped taking the pill.

Ah that explains why it didn't work for me - I tried the evening primrose oil for about a month then gave up - I probably wasn't on anything like that dosage either.

Thank heavens I've found this thread, I've been taking sertraline for 6 weeks now, currently on a 150mg dose and, holy hell, two of the side effects still haven't subsided, nausea and tingly hands. Nausea often leads to vomiting, usually preceeeded by a hacking cough. Tingly hands I've been told is a coin toss between tension between my shoulders and a possible sertaline side effect. At my wits end with it all :-( the earlier weeks were a roller coaster ride of tremors/shakes, spaced out, utterly cream crackered all the time. Beginning to wonder if the cure is wors than the depression/anxiety attacks. someone please hold my hand and tell me it gets better.

Hi Musttryharder Sorry you're having terrible side effects. How long have you been on the 150mg dose?

Hi Musttryharder.

That sounds awful What dose did you start on? I'm only on 50mg, I did have nausea at first, but only for a couple of days.

Hi, how is everyone? Mitzi, did you get any advice from the doc on Tuesday?
I've started my 50mg today - will see how I get on with side effects / benefits.

Hi everyone - am all good thanks, went into town shopping on my own today, which is something that would normally stress me out, and was fine - a bit too fine actually as I spent way too much money on clothes I don't need

musttry hi . Sorry to hear you're still feeling rough after 6 weeks. I felt sick for a couple of weeks but not after that. But I'm only on 50mg so that probably makes a difference. Have you spoken to your GP about it?

3 weeks on 150mg it's quite grim, Gp assures me that it'll pass soon. I hope it does... Self medicating with cake is doing nothing for my roundness :(

Sorry to hear that musttry - would the GP let you go down to 100mg and see if that helps? I'm sure there will be other posters who have experience of larger doses.

CarrotsanApples, I've done exactly that tonight, sick and tired of feeling sick and tired!

Musttryharder I hope reducing the dose helps and the sickness wears off soon.

Hello everyone, hope you're all ok

I can't seem to sleep enough and also still get these amazingly vivid and weird dreams, I wake up not wanting to let them go, if you see what I mean. Never had dreams like them before and it's just about every night.

I have an appointment next week with my gp to discuss how I'm getting on. I think I'm going to ask to increase my dose, but very gradually. Fingers crossed I won't feel too ill.

Chuffchuff, glad you enjoyed shopping

I actually am fine shopping on my own (as long as I don't have to drive anywhere unfamiliar), it's situations where I'm mingling with other people that I stress about. And very full venues, like concerts. And situations that I can't plan for, like phone calls, unexpected knocks on the door.

I've just got Paul McKenna's book Freedom from Emotional Eating from the library and am looking forward to trying the cd and dvd, as supposedly they are like a session with him to deal with the things making you try overeat. I don't overeat as such, but I do definitely eat junk when I'm stressed, anxious, bored ... Worth a try, I reckon.

Hope I've found the right place.. Was looking for a MH/anti-depressants thread I could join. I've been on fluoxetine, citalopram, sert on and off for the last 7 years. Tonight I've got a Doctors appt to go BACK on to meds again after being off them for nearly a year! I'm really disappointed in myself as I really thought I was OK again but I can tell and recognise the feelings i'm having lately will escalate to more if I don't get back on them. Any words of advice or just a little cheering up?

Hi Amen

Hope your appointment goes ok - I remember feeling really pissed off with myself about feeling like I needs help and kept putting it off for months. But when I finally went to the gp I was so pleased with myself for taking that step, and, as everybody kept telling me, it was the first positive step towards getting better. If you had a recurring problem with your body you would get it treated, so why should your mind be any different?

And looking back now I really don't know why I struggled on alone for months. Because within a few weeks of starting the meds I was feeling so much better - and I'm sure you will too. Come back and tell us how it goes

Hi. Can I join thread please.
Been on sertraline for 19 months for Gad. started on 25 mg been on 150mg for about 8 months.

Thank you so much Chuff that was just the message I needed before I went. It went OK and my doctor is great, he was glad I recognised the signs and got myself back on before I turned worse. Received some pretty life-shaking news though last night and I'm just having to take things a step at a time. Luckily I'm at work so I have a distraction but i'm dreading going home tonight

Sorry to hear you've had bad news Amen . Keep posting if it helps . Has your GP prescribed something for you now then?

I'm at work too today - kind of .

Hi Susie welcome to the thread . I also have GAD - I've been taking sertraline since April (50mg) and I still have ups and downs, but am definitely much better than I was before . How are you finding them?

Hi chuff. I'm getting ok with sertraline it has helped an awful lot. I still have a couple a days a month when I wake up full of anxiety and have to really use all the CBT tools I learnt from the course.
But I think those days are linked in with my period as they turn up and then go again about four days later. I have the mirena coil in so I don't getting the bleeding but still seem to get all the other symptoms that go with having periods

I have been marking them on a calendar so I can track them. I also find it reassuring to be able to see on the calendar that these days do happen but then they do go again. But it's still shit when it happens

The main side effects I have with 150mg is joint pain feet knees and hands. Weight gain as I feel so bloody hungry. Night sweats. Loss of libido.

Hope everyone is ok today. Will check in later xx

I was given citalopram instead so I guess I don't fit in this thread anymore. I don't know whether to start a new topic, even if it's just so I can write down what's happening to me. Only relationship related, I'm safe and physically well.

The loss of libido really affects me too Susie, it can cause so much strain can't it?