Sertraline

[Constance88]

Hi everyone, here for some support and advice. My lovely dp went to the doc today for his longstanding anxiety and depression and was prescribed Sertraline (really very proud of him for getting help). The thing is, he took the first dose and is struggling already, he described it as feeling really spaced out and looked very poorly. He has now fallen asleep but just wondered whether this is normal?

Thanks in advance everyone

I was on it for a while a couple of years ago, and I felt really weird the first few days. I just felt like I was detached from everything, it was really alarming so I started taking it just before I went to sleep so I would sleep through the worst of it. After a week or so I started feeling the benefits, and the side effects were gone. It made me feel 'normal' again (if such a thing exists).

Asking for help is such a massive step and is so brave - it sounds like you're a wonderful, supportive partner too. Good luck to both of you xxx

Thanks Elle! I showed him your message and he feels more positive now. It's so hard seeing someone you love go through it, you just feel so helpless. If you've never gone through it, it is really hard to understand what they are going through but I am so proud of him getting help, he is a superstar to me!

Thank you for your supportive message  and hope you are doing well too 

It gets better. I hated it to start with, but now realise what a godsend it is. A GP would advise giving it a try for 2-3, and switching if there are still adverse effects at this time. Good luck.

2-3 weeks

I had health anxiety that then became GAD. My friend had been telling me for weeks to take it. Eventually I did, I had every side effect you could have, awful but was better than the anxiety. Hang in in there, first two weeks are tough, loads give up. It completely sorted me out. I was on it for 6 months, then tapered off for 2. Been off it for 2 months now and have been fine. I little stressed today as worried bout my son-that's in another thread! Just knowing there's back up when needed has made me feel better. If I can need an SSRI then anyone can, I thought I struved un stressful situations but not always! He's fine well seeking help, not easy to admit

Thanks for your support everyone! I think he's determined to see it through at the moment and is quite excited that he could quite soon feel better than he can remember since he was a young teenager (about 15 years ago).

I've told him that no matter what I'll support him all the way and how proud I am of him. I can't imagine how hard it is to suffer with GAD and have ultimate respect for anyone who has gone through it.

Keeping everything crossed that this helps him

Hello Constance and OH

Yes, it can make you feel yukky and a bit space cadet like, but I personally really couldn’t live with the alternative of being so low anymore.
I gritted my teeth, felt utterly crap for a week, and slowly, and very surely, things improved.
Most certainly, sertraline has helped me with day to day living, and good on your OH for having the guts to deal with his health. Depression and anxiety are not fun to have, nor to watch a loved one with. If your OH can stick with sertraline for a few weeks, i’m sure life can and will get a lot more positive for you both. Best wishes and good luck!

Hey! Well done to him for getting help, such a brave move. I was on setraline for a couple of years for PTSD. I'm not going to lie like the others have said the start is rough but it does get better. It took about 3 weeks of hell for me then it really helped. The first few weeks I felt foggy (If that makes sense ), really panicky and couldn't sleep then all of a sudden I just felt suddenly focused. That's probably the best way I could describe it, like before I was on it I was so anxious, having panic attacks and flash backs that I struggled to carry out simple daily tasks, I'm so so glad I stuck with it though because the sense of focus was amazing. Sounds daft but it was a kind of relief actually being able to focus on tasks, that in itself calmed me and made me happier. I really hope it works for him and honestly well done to him and you. You sound an amazing support.

It gets better. Tell him to take it with food and make a note of how long after taking it that the effects are at their worst. He can then adjust the time of day he takes it.

For me, it was sheer hell for 2 to 3 weeks, then it kicked in and was my little miracle drug.