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?

Hello all

Posted a while back to say that I'd started and was joining in the conversations. For all sorts of - mostly foolish - reasons I stopped a couple of months ago. I have a prescription in my bag, though. I hoped that my situation (work is a hell hole) would improve but it hasn't and today was utterly foul.

GP I don't see anymore but I was referred to a counsellor and at my first appointment last week, mentioned that I'd stopped for now - she didn't bat an eyelid (actually she didn't respond to anything I said and, forgive, me, but I'm going to have to post separately about that and what to do about it).

Anyone with experience of dropping out of sertraline and then coming back? One course (about a month) didn't have an effect and I think that the GP was right when, way back, she said that it could take time to kick in.

I desperately need to feel more confident, more capable etc because the situation at work is insufferable. And of course I'm angry that work of all things has put me in the position of taking anti depressants. But now it's a question of coping and the GP was pretty sure that sertraline would help. Thanks!

Thanks chuffchuff and TheJourney. I will definitely persevere, I've got a week off coming up so at least if I feel crap I can feel crap at home! I'm not going to take my tablet today as I've got a night shift tonight and I'm so exhausted I need to sleep properly without feeling ill. Also, I've missed quite a bit of time off work recently and can't afford to take any more off. But once tonight is out of the way I'll be brave and give it a go again and see how I get on. I'm pleased to hear this means it may be good for me, hopefully it'll be worth it in the long run.

Hi,
Hope everyone is ok. Pandora what dose where you prescribed? If 50 mg I would definitely try half the dose for a week first, I did this and the side effects weren't too bad. It took a while for me to notice a difference, but I would recommend persevering if you can.

Eleanor I don't think a month is long enough to feel any different. It took me over three months and an increase in dose before I felt any different really. I would give it another go, stick with it and if it doesn't help at first, speak to your doctor about maybe increasing the dose.

I too have an awful situation at work at present, I work for a small company and both my colleagues are off at present, so I am doing the jobs of three people on my own, and one of the jobs I've never done before and know nothing about, so am having to read through the files to try and work out what to do! Extremely stressful - but the tablets are having an effect and I'm not as anxious or panicky as I was at first

Hi - been watching this thread with interest and think it is fantastic!!

I myself have suffered since the NY with severe anxiety and depression - finally started taking sertraline in mid April at 25mg and up to 50mg in mid May. So I'm now two months into my 50mg and have been doing great for the past 4 weeks - really feeling well but for the past 4 days have had some of my anx symptoms start to reappear and now feeling very worried...

Has anyone else experienced a wobble like this after a significant good period on the meds? I mentioned this to my GP but she doesnt seem concerned and has not suggested upping the dose or anything. Guess I just want reassurance that this may pass as I really was feeling great lately.

Hi Deelozza

Yes I have had 'wobbles' too. I also started taking Sertraline in April, 25mg for one week then 50mg from then on (for anxiety). For the first few weeks I was very up and down, ie a few good days, a few bad days, but this was still an improvement because before that most days were bad days... Then I had about three weeks of feeling great and thought 'wow - I'm sorted!. But then I had a few days of feeling 'off' again, which worried me, but it passed, and I was fine again.

But anyway, yes I find I still have ups and downs; it seems to be a pattern for me. But my 'ups' are now most days, and the 'downs' are a few days here and there; maybe just a few days a month at the most. I am feeling a bit anxious at the moment, butterflies in the tummy kind of stuff, but I'm pretty sure it's down to some other (external) issues I'm having at the moment. I've felt that way on and off since the weekend, but I'm pretty confident that if I try not to dwell on it too much and 'expect' it to pass, it will - because that's the way it seems to work with me.

I did mention this to my GP but he didn't seem too concerned and didn't want to up my dosage. He said as long as I feel better 'the majority of the time' (which I do) then the meds are working as they should - ie it's normal to have an 'off' day now and again.

Personally I really don't want to up my dose anyway - I do have a few side effects from them still and don't want those to increase.

Thanks Chuff, it's good to hear this is perhaps 'normal' - I think I was just so afraid that I was on a slippery slope as I really have been feeling great and it's been so exciting to feel like myself again. The fear that it won't last is there and that's perhaps fuelling the anxiety. Hoping this will pass and have taken a few days off work to see if this helps and if not i can always discuss with my GP an increase although like you I do not wish to increase - the only lingering side effect I seem to have is occasional midday tiredness which I have never suffered from before so I've been quite lucky the yucky SEs haven't stuck around!

Imliketotallyummm - thanks for these encouraging words. Found my old prescription and and am re-starting today. Got to give these a chance. Anything to help me cope with at work especially, to feel stronger in taking on or simply ignoring the bullies. Apart from looking for other work, which of course I am doing.

Sorry to hear about your work situation - I've experienced doing 2/3 people's jobs and it's very unpleasant. I hope your colleagues come back soon.

Hi. Can I join you please? What a lot of you there are, such a shame so many people need help like this. I'm a long-time poster, usually called TodaysAGoodDay by the way. Obvs not at the moment
I plucked up the courage to go to the GP today, finally, and she has put me on Sertraline. I took a dose this afternoon, and almost fell asleep at 6, I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm hoping this is normal, even though it's rather scary for the side effects to be showing so soon.
I've also self-referred to a CBT counsellor, but there is a 3 month waiting list. Again, I assume this is normal as I work for the NHS and am used to waiting lists.
I honestly thought this could never happen to me.

Hi Todays Welcome. I think the side effects can kick in fairly quickly. They should ease soon.

Eleanor, hope you are ok.

Doing ok here, although work has been very busy, but I have coped much better, not feeling as panicky and anxious.

Hi dee. Yes it is quite common to have a wobble or a blip I find that even at 150mg I have a few days every month where I have a wobble. And every month I panic and think I'm going back to how I was when things were really bad. But they pass.

What helps me is marking it on a calendar. I have a calendar just for this. And put a black for on the days I feel low it helps me to get it in perspective I can see that each month it happens but then it passes and I feel ok again.

Today, hello. Those side effects will pass it was the nausea that got to me in the early days. I also thought this would never happen to me

Hi everyone - welcome to the thread today

susie it's interesting to gear you have wobbles too - I might try your calendar thing; I do worry that I'm on a downer again when I feel like that so it would be good to look back and see it doesn't mean that.

kazza that's a really good sign that you're coping ok despite all the work stuff [ smile]

Oops sorry imlike

Oops again - 'gear' ???

Thank you
I'm so scared I don't want to leave the house, unless it's a 'round the block' sort of walk where I'm out of sight of it for less than 5 minutes. This has been building up for 5 or 6 years, and I always thought I controlled it well as I have a job, but yesterday for the first time ever I had to call in sick because I could barely breathe with fear. It's not every day either, so I'm going to try susie's calendar idea, see if that puts it more in perspective for me. Thank you again.

Hi Greener. I think we all had similar side effects when we started, but they do pass soon. The headache took quite a while to go for me, a few weeks, but it does go and things improve. I also had a very dry mouth and a bit of a sore throat and felt quite strange, sort of jerky and couldn't relax, for a few days. What dose are you on?

Hi Chuff how are you doing? One week to go on my own at work, then things return to normal! I really am surprised at how calm I feel and it's such a relief. Now I realise how on edge and anxious I was all the time. I still feel down a lot of the time, but that's because I just can't see an end to our financial problems right now due to dh being out of work. Also I've piled on half a stone to a stone in the last couple of months through comfort eating which is getting me down - my work clothes are all tight and it's so hot! But I can't face dieting or even eating healthily right now. I'm so hungry all the time!

Today, sorry you had to call in sick yesterday. I've had the odd day like that, I often felt work was the only thing that kept me going, but then it would suddenly feel like too much to talk to people and behave "normally". Keep taking the tablets as they say, hopefully at some point you'll start to feel better. It took me over three months and an increase in dose before I fully got there, but now I don't feel as panicky.

Unmumsnetty hugs to everyone

Hi everyone

Hi Imlike, sorry about name confusion . I'm feeling ok thanks. I've had a few days in a row of feeling a bit on edge, which has caught me out a bit and made me question how well this is all working

But the rational part of me knows I have yo look at the bigger picture & be positive - overall I know I am still a lot better than I was...

greener I had those side effects too - I had a horrible dry sore throat too; at the time I wondered if I had flu it was so bad! But honestly, it will start to subside soon . And today hope you're feeling a bit better today....

Imlike I'm on 50mg. I started taking it again on Wednesday and so far have had no more diarrhoea, hooray! Have had a bit of nausea but it's manageable. My appetite has suddenly come back so I've been taking it with meals and I've split it in half and taken it in two bits. Maybe I just had a bug and it was nothing to do with the sertraline but I think my body couldn't cope with it on an empty stomach as I'd eaten virtually nothing for a few days. I'm going to swallow it whole today and see what happens.

That's good news Pandora

If you start to struggle with side effects again I would seriously consider taking just half a tablet for a few days.

Thank you Imlike. I swallowed it whole yesterday and nothing happened, other than a bit of bad wind in the evening which may have been completely unrelated. Otherwise I was fine. I guess my body couldn't cope with it on an empty stomach.

Thanks susiedaisy it really helps to know that these wobbles don't necessarily mean I'm back on a downward spiral - have had some anx creeping back for the past week - I think if it continues I will speak to my GP but for the moment I am coping ok and its not too bad - I am managing to go about my day fairly comfortably but the churning stomach is hard to completely ignore - but I am grateful to have had the three week good run that I did as it was bliss to feel 'normal' and not to be thinking about how I am feeling etc all day long! This is such a strange condition! But I believe I will come through this and get back to being me again, I know this will happen

That's good news Pandora, glad you felt better taking the tablet on a full stomach. I have always done so too.

Deelozza hope things improve soon

I'm having the day from hell today, the phones haven't stopped ringing, all sorts of complicated issues to deal with. But my colleague has confirmed she will be back from sick leave on Monday, so things can only get better .... [sings]

Yesterday and today were so busy at work, I've been frantic and feel quite ill. I nipped out at lunchtime and bought a large bar of chocolate and stuffed myself. It didn't make me feel better really, just sick!

Three more days to go, not sure I can do it at this rate