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.

Hi newcomers

Still putting off increasing my dose. Sometimes I feel it's not necessary and other times that I should just bleeding well get on with it. Got a crazy busy week which always makes me feel more out of control.

Will be interested to hear how your side effects go weenet.

Hope everyone is having as good a week as is possible and newcomers side effects are short lived. I definitely feel better having come out the other side.

sloe on my bad days I've got better at reminding and believing that thats just what it is. A bad day which will be followed by a better day (hopefully). Pleased to hear your work are supportive

When do you all take your sertraline?
I am on 200mg
I take my 2 tablets first thing in the morning.
Do you notice any difference if you take it at night?

So I've been on sertraline a week today. Horrible side effects have pretty much gone, am still feeling low in mood and I know it can take a few weeks to kick in until I start to feel normal, well normal for me anyway.

Had a therapy session today and found myself not really being able to open up and I can't cry, I usually cry at everything, I just feel a bit numb I guess? Is this normal? I find crying a good thing in therapy, but just found myself not being arsed with it today.

IM on 50mg and day two. I feel dreadful. Sick, shaking, dry mouth and headaches.
I’m seeing my psychologist today.
I need to know if this awful feeling goes and when

my husband is on a 150mg he started in December and has not had too many side effect. But the one thing that seem to be bothering him is the Dreams do they settle after a while.

Hey I'm just joining as I've been prescribed sertraline today for depression/anxiety. I'm to start off on 50mg for two weeks and then increase to 100mg. Absolutely shitting myself about the side effects as I'm already struggling with suicidal thoughts and know SSRIs can worsen those symptoms (I'm under 25).

Is the consensus to take them in the evening or morning? Not sure whether to take tonight or not.

I’ve been taking it for around 3 months now and it does work great after you’ve been taking it for a few weeks! The only downside is when you don’t take it for even one day you can definitely tell because you mentally and emotionally feel awful. So definitely remember to take it every day.

ladyirish - my dreams have gotten better, however I've not been on sertraline as long as your husband has.

whosahappyharry - I take mine in the morning - mentally I feel this prepares me for the day ahead?

I've been on sertraline now for must be 3 weeks, I'm still feeling very low and anxious. Still early days or do you think my GP will increase dose? I'm seeing him on Monday.

I've been on sertraline for 5 years now and it's been an absolute life saver for me. Side effects are dreadful to begin with but they do go. Nightmares, night sweats, aching-joints, weight gain, hair loss. I had it all but they do fade away. I wouldn't be with it now.

Good to hear positive stories. I'm just not feeling it at the moment. I need to give it time I guess.

Thanks Sloegin2

So I'm just through my second day now. I opted to take in the evening as I'm more likely to remember and thought I would sleep through the worst side effects. First night I was wired, wide awake from 3.30am. Last night not so bad, my sleep doesn't feel as refreshing or deep and I stirred quite easily but definitely manageable. Nausea terrible yesterday but not so bad today - however I've been very tired, didn't eat until 4pm and cracking jaw-clenching. I jaw clench when I'm stressed anyway but it's really quite irritating!

I'm on 200mg which I take in the morning.
I've been on this dosage for a while and it is definitely making me feel better.
However,the dry mouth has got worse lately as have the dreams when I sleep.Water doesn't seem to help with the dry mouth but diet fizzy drinks do.
I keep dreaming about my first love.We were together for 10 Years before I ended it as I wanted to travel and experience new things but he didn't.
The dreams about him are so clear that every time I wake up it takes a few seconds to realise it was just a dream.The dreams are upsetting me.
I know we can't help what we dream but i woke up this morning in tears.
Hoping this will pass eventually like the sickness and headaches did.

Hi everyone! Haven't posted on here for a good while. Apologies for the long post.
I started on 50mg at the end of October for PND. My husband was not supportive of me taking ADs but I couldn't see any other way.
I had bad side effects in the first few days, insomnia, increased anxiety, heart palpitations and lack of appetite. After a week I started to notice a difference, eventually with a better evening routine I started to sleep. After two weeks on Sertraline I felt like myself again.
By December I was almost giddy with happiness.
I thought about coming off the tablets but as I'd heard you need to take them for 6 months thought I'd best stay on them.
I've actually been on sert 5 years ago and stopped cold turkey after 5 months and had no withdrawals.
I made the decision last week to go see my doctor and start reducing my dose as I wanted to be off them before I go back to work in June.
Then Sunday my DD started this ear piercing scream when she's excited. It was cute at first but for some reason set off a panic in me and I felt the old familiar anxiety. I felt hot, my skin tingling, sick and heart racing. Then the crazy thoughts started again. What if she keeps screaming? What if she starts teething and waking up in the night? What if she grows up to be a complete bloody nightmare. I'm too much of a control freak!
Monday the anxiety was back with a little break in the early evening. Tuesday the same and today the same. I told my DH and parents and they've all been very supportive.
I'm currently staying at my parents house as our boiler has broken! It's been nice having my parents with me in the day helping. When my anxiety is bad I can't be on my own.

I just wondered if anyone else has noticed their sertraline wasn't as effective after 4 months?
Thank you xxxx

Hi everyone, these threads are really helpful, and I'd like to join you!
I'm on day 10 of 25mg. This is for a relapse of acute severe depression and anxiety about a month ago.
Yesterday I actually felt normal again, today not quite so much.
It's the second time I've taken sertraline, took 50mg from 2010-summer 2017, then tapered off slowly. With hindsight I should probably have stayed on them, or replaced with CBT or regular mindfulness meditation.
Things I am doing to help myself are doing Headspace daily and the exercises in the book Overcoming Depression by Dr Paul Gilbert. It's basically mindfulness based CBT, which is recommended by the NHS and clinically proven to work. This book is one of the NHS books on prescription and recommended by the Royal college of psychiatrists. It's really helping me.

Hi all. I started sertraline on Friday night - 50mg but was awake most of the night and felt awful all day Saturday. I didn't take any Saturday night but had half a tablet this morning. Feel ok but a bit weird
I've been wrangling with whether to get meds for ages and finally did. Feel very confused right now about whether I'm just making a big deal out of stuff but I know it's not normal to feel like your chest is crushing everyday.

WLmum you might find it better to take it in the morning if you're having trouble sleeping, according to the NHS website. I know what you mean about feeling weird!

Hi laydee I took a half dose yesterday morning and it's still stopping me from sleeping. I'm laying here feeling worse than ever. Worrying about work tomorrow - all the usual plus how will I cope with such poor sleep. Feel nauseous too. Don't know if I can bear this. Might have to stop taking them.

Oh no! Can you get a telephone consultation with your doc? I did and was recommended Phenergan to help with sleep, a sedating antihistamine you can buy over the counter. I wake early, but I was doing that anyway before I started on the sertraline.

Thanks laydee. I think the sertraline hurdle is just too high. I didn't sleep at all last night and haven't taken any today but still only managed a short nap. I can't work or parent like this. I will have to find another way. Thanks for your support though.

Lack of sleep is the absolute pits isn't it? A few people get on well with mirtazipine for sleep, there's quite a few threads on it.

Hi I'm new. I was looking to make a thread for parents on sertraline that are experiencing insomnia. Its like a double edge sword. I took 25mg for 2 months and I stopped a couple days ago but I feel miserable, tonight really reiterates why I need them, I don't get enough sleep with my son to begin with and I can't function or cope, its a vicious cycle. I really don't know what to do, I think if I go back on it I need a higher dose because I wasn't feeling too much better but it helped with the moods, you know. Anyone here know any sleep/relaxation techniques, or natural remedies for sleep? I'd really appreciate it.

Is there an alternative to Setraline if you suffer from emetophobia?

Hi, i'm after some advice and thoughts from people.

It's a bit of a long story but I will cut to the important bits. My teaching job is stressing me out and causing my depression, anxiety and feelings of failure. I returned to teaching after three years our to have my children, it is a one year contract and in February I found out they are not renewing my contract and I have decided not to look for another teaching job and leave the profession. I have been experiencing severe stomach pains in the last few weeks and after three trips to the doctors they have come to the conclusion that it is IBS caused by stress, anxiety and low mood. They have prescribed me codeine for the pain and setraline for the depression.

I am frightened of taking it, having read about the side effects and my fears of becoming reliant on it. I know my low mood is likely to improve in July once I finish this contract so should I just try and get on without taking the AD? I don't like not being in control and taking medication plus I sleep really well and really can't face sleepless nights especially as a teacher where I am with classes all day long and don't get a break. I don't feel like I am depressed enough (I know that sounds stupid). my GP didn't really go into the extent of my depression in much detail she was quick to just throw a prescription at me and to be honest I don't want to go back to her. I have short bursts of feeling depressed, the longest period being a day here and there where I feel like I can't pull myself out of the fog and end up in my bed crying. I wouldn't say I have suicidal thoughts, I just sometimes feel like I want to run away from my life.

Sorry for the long post, having read this back to myself, I think I definitely need to talk to someone professional but do I take the AD in the meantime? Can I solve this on my own?

CDS, you could try headspace for sleep meditation, or there are some guided sleep hypnotherapy sessions on you tube. I use Phenergan and headspace.

Smirking picnic basket, if I was in your condition, and my low mood was circumstantial and relatively mild, I wouldn't take AD's. Research shows ADs work best for moderate/severe depression. I would try mindfulness meditation and talking therapy, along with exercise first. This is in line with NHS recommendations also. The Headspace app is great!

smirking I don't have the answer for you but from my own experience sertraline hasn't effected my sleep badly. I do that myself by over thinking and staying up late. Since starting sertraline in Nov what I have realised is that I was blaming my permanent exhaustion and low mood on being a mum when really I was /am depressed and basically living a crap isolated life. I didn't take the prescription the first time it was offered, but went back for it a couple of months later. It has changed my life for the good. I'm waiting for talking therapy and have tried to find a private counsellor but struggled to find anyone I gel with. I wonder if CBT might help you? Does your local health services offer anything like that? Don't break yourself struggling until July if you can do something now to help you