Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Mental health

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have medical concerns, please seek medical attention.

Flip

Original poster

Sertraline side effects

8 replies

catclarks · 03/05/2018 18:55

Has anyone had any experience of increased suicide ideation with setraline, and if so can you please tell me how long it lasted? My 15 year old was put on it a couple of weeks ago with an initial dose of 25mg increasing to 50mg last week. We had a horrendous time last night. Spoke to CAMHS this morning who have encouraged her to continue in the hope that the suicidal thoughts subside over the next while. I know it can take up to 6 weeks to take effect, but she's been through this with fluoxetine and was eventually taken off it after 3 months as it didn't seem to be making any difference, and was potentially making things worse. I am very torn. On the one hand I desperately want it to work, but on the other I'm terrified of the consequences if the side effects don't subside soon.

OP posts:

myidentitymycrisis · 04/05/2018 00:40

Not suicidal thoughts but terrible crippling anxiety. I tried for 5 weeks in the end had to give up the side effects were unbearable. I had in the past had a lot of paranoid experiences while on Prozac so I think I am too sensitive to SSRI ‘s and won’t be taking them again.
Maybe your Dd is too. Sorry you are both having a hard time with this and I hope you get her medication sorted soon

Embracethechaos · 04/05/2018 07:48

I got such severe insomnia, with associated symptoms. Not suisideal but the first morning after starting it, only night I slept I felt incredibly guilty and tearful. I only lasted a few days, trialing it set me back. I didn't have the support of a mental health team at the time though. The thing that upset me the most is that it's prescribed to children... Not that 15 is a proper child, but when alcohol is not recommended for under 18s, the stronger drug of setraline just seemed wrong to me....

MrsPatmore · 05/05/2018 08:51

That seems a high dose to start with. The side effects can be harsh and can worsen anxiety considerably. Has she been given diazepam or something else short term to alleviate the side effects? It must be very worrying for you. Unfortunately it can take around 8 weeks plus for the benefits to become apparent. The 'no panic' forum has advice and other users experiences of Sertraline.

JamPasty · 05/05/2018 09:28

It is, sadly, a known side effect of this class of drugs in adolescents. I would talk with whoever prescribed the drug and see what they advise. She should not come off the medication before then, but I would seek an urgent appointment with whoever prescribed it very early next week (assuming you're in the UK where there's a bank holiday on Monday). It goes without saying you need to keep a close eye on her in the meantime, and if she gets any worse, you need to seek further medical advice immediately. Please reassure her that it's not that things (life etc) have got worse, it is purely a chemical reaction related to the drug that is making her feel this way.

Big big hugs to you both, and please tell her she won't always feel this way, and to hold on in there.

JamPasty · 05/05/2018 09:31

To add to that - I am NOT a doctor - I am someone taking sertraline myself who's read a bit about it.

By "She should not come off the medication before then" - I mean don't stop the drug without getting medical advice. If medical professionals say to stop, then of course stop.

Original poster

catclarks · 05/05/2018 12:12

Thanks everyone. It's not a decision that we came to lightly but life is so hard for her. She is very complex, and we have a very intense support package in place but things have deteriorated rapidly over the last couple of weeks and we are at desperation stage. To put it simply, we are fighting so hard to help prevent her taking her own life.

I spent yesterday at CAMHS speaking with the psychiatrist, and she has taken DD off sertraline and put her on metrazapine in the hope that will help her sleep. She is such a contradiction. If you saw her through the day you wouldn't think there was anything wrong, but by about 9pm it's as if she has fallen off a cliff edge and she is overwhelmed with suicidal thoughts and actions. I feel like we're playing the waiting game at the moment, and I think she will keep trying to harm herself until she succeeds. I hope to goodness that something changes soon as I can't bear the thought of what might happen.

OP posts:

JamPasty · 05/05/2018 18:38

So many big hugs for you both

Embracethechaos · 06/05/2018 06:15

I'm simular with the day night thing, except not suisidal, but not myself... at 26 I didn't take the decision for myself lightly. I was switched to quetiapine which has a sedative and really helps me. Its not not prescribed to under 18s though, due to increasing depression and studies show that can worsen depression in under 25s. It's very difficult trialing different drugs, problem is everyone is different and some things works for some people and not others. I'm not judging by the way at 15, is barely a child, it's a stressful age with exams and social issues (for me anyway). The depression I had caused by setraline was thinking about it being used prepuberty, specifically having vivid imagined images of my little brother. Same as jampasty, I am not a Doctor. So is a very emotional opinion I have.

Flip