Sertraline buddies?

[OnlyGodKnowsWhy]

I started sertraline 2 days ago and I am having a horrible time 🙁 I was hoping there might be others out there starting up too that would like to chat and support each other. I'm a lone parent and only have my mum.

Hello to everyone who has started their meds recently. Things do settle, though feeling a bit yuck in a traffic jam this morning wasn't too great.

tallula I am sorry to hear what you went through, just from my experience I started to reduce the meds when I was feeling 'better' but wasn't actually where I should be, it was then probably the case that I came off too soon which is why I crashed. When I was on the mirtizapine I do remember the time I sat in McDonalds and said 'I feel happy' it was so long since I really had that it just struck me, it was fleeting but it was there. Hang in there.

I upped to 150mg last week, Thursday I think and I am hoping i will level off on these. Just wished I was sleeping a little better. Having very vivid dreams. I had one on Saturday night that left me convinced I had gone downstairs and turned the washing machine off as I had heard it finish the cycle (it is very noisy, this is a total possibility) I presumed I had set the delay wrong and was very confused when I went down for breakfast and it was mid cycle.

tallula do you still have the morning sickness feeling? I'm finding it really hard to get going in the morning and yesterday was challenging at times. Much more anxious and nauseous, so far today though I feel better than yesterday. Survived the school run which is a big win for me. The car accident must have been such a terrible experience. Hope you find a bit more energy soon. Fingers crossed the sertraline will help.

I keep finding myself clenching my jaw. I'm hoping the side effects ease soon, but also feel that they haven't been as bad as I imagined.

Wishing everyone a good day x

I upped to 100mg a little over a week ago. I felt better on 50mg, as in I didn't wish I was dead, but still pretty unmotivated. So far on 100mg I feel more or less the same. I've had a few weird dips in mood / flashes on anxiety but I assume that's just side effects from increasing. I think part of my problem is I don't know what normal is? How should I feel? How will I know if I need to go up to 150mg? I'm seeing the Dr at the beginning of December but so far she's basically just asked me what I want to do in terms of dose. I held off till I had had 7 or 8 weeks on 50mg to make sure it was fully in my system before I said I wanted to increase. I don't know what to do this time.

I'm on week 6 and feeling good despite a difficult week with both kids taking it in turns to be ill! Side effects pretty much gone and the good days are getting closer together. Had a few days where I have forgotten I'm ill. I keep a diary of positive things that happen in the day. Looking back from the beginning to now, it's amazing to see the changes on paper! Good luck to all the new starters!

Hi
I've been on sertraline 50 since mid July I started off with really bad side effects such as nausea and tiredness which eased off after 2 weeks and I started to feel alot better having more energy and more relax.. recently I've just had a set back as having money problems and feel like I'm going back over and my nausea and tiredness is back. Is this normal ?

Upped to 50mg now and feeling yuk again. Really hoping this helps me feel better although I'm not sure what better is anymore. Realising I'm carrying a lot more baggage than I ever acknowledge and have been unhappy for a very long time.

Don't have any advise on the dose gin but hopefully your doctor will be able to help. Could you see them earlier or speak to them on the phone for advice?

macca going to try the diary. Keep panicking what if I never feel better so maybe that will help.

kat could it be that you're body has got use to the dose and you need to increase? I've no idea. Maybe speak to your gp? Hope the money problems sort themselves out.

Mrsdiddly I really recommend it. It might feel a bit sad at first when there isn't much to write, but when you start filling up the pages it's a great boost! The first time I wrote "woke up without having a panic attack" was the turning point for me. Good luck with everything!

*Mrsdiddlydoo thanks for the support. This week has been hard as both kuds have been ill and ive had hardly any sleep. I managed to get to work ok as one child started to get better just before my work days but then the other went downhill last night and i dont work Fridays luckily. Lack of sleep, DH away for most of the week and some sireness from my new braces so not a great week. I actually began to feel slightly better a few days ago (day 6 of 50mg and day 16 overall). Last time I took sertralibe it took me 6 weeks to start to feel better and I had 11 off work in total. Staying at work has been possible due to a change in circumstances since the first episode and I think it's helped me get better quicker because I don't have the guilt and shame and worry of having time off. Just how I felt.
Tbh I would have had a meltdown this week if the seretrained hadn't started to kick in. Having a crap day with grumpy poorly kids off school but although I've lost my temper a couple of times I can actually manage.
Bit of a ramble but in summary, sertraline is beginning to work in week 3!

Maccapacca88 my turning point was similar- waking up and not getting the falling off a cliff feeling. I like your diary idea too.

Argh typos. I'm sleep deprived sorry!

sortingmyself I feel your pain with the poorly kids. Mine took it in turns having colds then d&v descended upon the house! Eek! Been a very tiring couple of weeks...but I feel ok and have coped really well Will have completed 6 weeks tomorrow.

Well done Maccapacca. Glad you are seeing a real difference 😊

I have just started taking sertraline today. First 25mg just now (although I've taken it with lorazepam so I don't suppose I will know if it has an impact as I know the lorazepam will do).

Pleased I found you all.

Hi Preparing, good luck to you and well done on getting started

Well done preparing. Hope you are feeling ok.

So 4th dose at 50mg tonight. I have had the most dreadful nausea today and my appetite has vanished. I put food on my plate and it's such a struggle to eat it. Hoping this passes soon.

Hello everyone! I have so much admiration for how brave each of you are. This is a hard journey. I have been on 75 mg for 18 days. I was on 50 for 4 weeks before that. I feel much better than when I started. I was at a point where I couldn't leave the house or drive and felt constant panic and anxiety. Now I am able to do most things and feel generally good. I do feel tired and lethargic during the day. I take my dose first thing in the am. I started taking it at night but had to switch because I couldn't sleep at first. Wondering if I should switch back now that the side effects are gone?? The last couple days I have felt a low level body anxiety. Wondering if I need to increase my dose again. How do you tell? How long do you wait? I feel that the doctors don't really have a definitive answer to that. For those of you wondering- each time I increased my dose I noticed side effects for about 8 days. But never as bad as the first initial two weeks of starting the medication.

I relate to what many of you said. What is normal? I don't even know what that feels like right now. Is it the wrong med? Wrong dose? Or just need more time and some days we aren't going to feel 100% and that is normal??

Thinking of you all and sending prayers of peace and happiness.

Day 1 50mg. Took it about 2 how urs age. Feel a bit headachey and my muscles feel... odd. Tense? Hate taking SSRIs I’m BF so that’s my main worry. Also not waking u when the baby cries but need some help.

No side effects so far for me (only taking 25mg, 3rd day). Sleeping better and anxiety is lower. May well be a placebo effect but any relief is welcomed.

Hi bathghter I BF my youngest and have found no problems at all in waking up in the night. Same dose as you.

Preparing I didn't get side effects until week 2, but I dived right in on 50mg. Maybe that's why. Hopefully you will continue to be lucky enough not to get any

I’m 4 months in now. No side effects. Best AD I’ve ever been on. Stick at it.

update at appx 14hrs in. i feel ok but I'm wide awake and have just had to go downstairs for x3 midnight weetabix. baby is sleeping well so far and I'm just sitting here merrily wide awake

tried to sleep earlier had a weird swimming sensation behind my eyes

Did you manage to get some sleep bathghter? Hope you feel ok this morning. Stick with it and take it easy today. I'm er... 11 days in, and upped my dose to 50mg 5 days ago and am starting to feel less anxious.

Shattered though. Seem to need a two hour nap everyday which isn't always easy to fit in! Have kept busy this weekend and I wouldn't say my appetite is back but I am managing to eat more.

Wishing everyone a good Monday x

I did thank you @mrsdiddlydoo i feel surprisingly fine this morning (took #2 at about 9am). the baby seems fine too which has been worrying me. he's 7mo now so I'm hoping whatever ends up in my milk doesn't affect him

so i've been hungry and @mrsdiddlydoo has lost her appetite. are there any longer term users who can comment on this, or any dreaded weight gain ?

Last time I was on sertraline I lost weight the first 8 weeks due to lack of appetite then most of it went back on as I was eating normally again.

Went back to GP today. 3 weeks in. She's increased me to 100mg which I'm pleased about. Feeling v low but mainly due to sleep deprivation - poorly kids all week and DH was away. I have 2 hours to myself today whilst youngest is at pre school- it's not a work day for me- so I'm watching daytime TV under a blanket with the cat on my lap. All weekend I was parenting grumpy kids on my own and feeling v irritable so I've earned it!