Starting sertraline - increased rumination/anxiety

[StuckWithMeNow]

Please help!
Just started on 25mg sertraline due to obsessive rumination (about a past trauma). I was bad before - ruminating 5-6 hours a day - but since starting last week I've literally spent all day and all night ruminating, getting only about 2 hours sleep a night when I pass out from exhaustion.

Is this a normal side effect? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Will the rumination stop? It's completely unbearable and I have a tiny baby and two older children to care for.

Hi just saw no one had replied so sending a hug. I don't know about rumination but I do know anxiety and it's not easy. Also I think sometimes tablets can increase anxiety to start? How are you feeling today?

Thank you - slightly better today but still getting lots of intrusive thoughts, possibly slowing down a little

How are you feeling now stuck?

How are you feeling now stuck?

Sertraline is especially good for anxiety. It can get worse before it gets better - takes a couple of weeks to feel any effect and about 4 weeks to work properly.

Keep going for a while. It does help you step back and gain perspective

Hi love,

I’ve been in your shoes — I started Zoloft (sertraline) about 6 months ago for obsessive rumination after trauma, and the first couple of weeks were really tough. I also began on 25mg, and just like you, my anxiety and rumination actually got worse at first. I barely slept and felt like my mind wouldn’t stop. But this is, believe it or not, a common early side effect as your brain adjusts. It took about 2 weeks for the worst to settle, and by week 4, I finally started feeling calmer and more like myself again.

Now I take 50mg in the morning, and it’s been life-changing — the obsessive thoughts are way more manageable, and I can finally focus and enjoy my time with my kids. Early side effects for me were minor (some nausea and restlessness), but they faded. I always order from vitacourier.net/categories/Depression/Zoloft — super reliable and consistent. Hang in there — there really is light at the end of the tunnel. 💛