Upping sertraline from 50mg to 100mg

[Amberh1993]

Hi guys new to this, so basically 7 weeks ago I was diagnosed with pnd and anxiety disorder, I was put on sertraline 3 weeks ago on 50mg a few days in my anxiety and mood etc got a lot worse to the point I didn’t even want to get out of bed, 2 weeks in taking them that lifted slightly so then they upped the dose to 100mg and i’m 8 days in of that increase and feel terrible worsened anxiety low low mood I have got diazepam to help me through this but what I want to know is is there anyone else that has had a similar experience and the side effects went away? Thank you.

How are you feeling now amber h?? X

Hi Bonnie and bell :) i’m on day 10 of an increased dose to 150 from 125mg and once again heightened anxiety and intense panic all day long, im hoping that in time the anxiety will subside it’s just absolutely awful x

Hi @Amberh1993 I've been on sertraline for 3 years now for anxiety and low mood. It worked wonders. Tonight will be my 4th dose of 150mg from 100mg. I'm really hoping it kicks in soon, mornings are the worst for me. How are you doing?

Hi hun it’s now been 2 weeks since the increase anxiety is starting to subside slightly but I don’t feel like the medication in general is doing much to lift my mood and calm my anxiety, itl be 10 weeks in total that I’ve been on it, how long did it take for it to work for you when you first started it a few years ago? Thank you

Hi, thanks for the response. I had one week on 50mg, then it was upped to 100mg, 3 weeks later it was upped to 150mg and from that point it took about another 3 weeks to feel my normal self. The last 2 years I've just been on 100mg which has worked fine until my anxiety was triggered again. So now back to 150mg and seeing a therapist weekly to get some ways of dealing with it all aswell. I'm just finding it hard to except that I'm back to this place again. It really is the Pitts!

It might be that this is not the right medication for you, especially since it is still bad after 10 weeks.

I would try and get another Dr appointment.

I don't tolerate SSRIs, they trigger mania in me. There are plenty of alternative antidepressants, I currently take one of the older medicines which has worked well for me.

Hi thank you for your reply, I see my psychiatrist often and she said she wants me on 200mg for 6 weeks first before she wants to change if she wants to change i’m going to try an snri like venaflaxine see if that helps as fluoxetine and sertraline haven’t helped, I do have weekly therapy sessions too x

Hope things work for you soon and you are feeling better 🙂

How are you doing now on the increased dose? I just started 3 1/2 weeks ago. One week on 50mg then 2 1/2 on 100mg. My mood is very low at the moment

Has anyone been on 50mg Sertraline and increased to 100mg , if so can they tell me how long it took to start feeling any better. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety a couple of years ago but sometimes I feel it’s just not working anymore as I feel tearful and sad unless I’m with people , if I’m alone and know that I’m not seeing anyone that day I feel terrible . This all started when my daughter flew the nest , I miss her terribly , it was just her and me for years and I feel lost without her here with me . I’m ok when I’m at work as I have lovely workmates , I’ve never told them I’m depressed . I sometimes think am I just sad and has the doctor got it wrong but I’m increasing my tablet tonight as it’s just not working anymore and I feel very emotional . Can you let me know if you felt better on 100mg increasing from 50mg . Thank you

Hi @Alex2204
It sounds like you are lonely. I imagine it is a big transition when your child leaves home & it would take some getting used to. Particularly when it was just the two of you for so long. Medication can help to lift you out of a hole so that you can access the things that support positive mental health (like therapy, hobbies etc.). I think it’s important to do both meds & therapy to give yourself the best support. Also depending on your age & if you are female - depleting hormones can have a negative impact on our mental health and it’s possible HRT could be a positive add on too. I have gone from 50mg - 200mg of sertraline (tapering up over time) and it has helped. But I have OCD and I have also done a lot of therapy & really gotten to know myself and my triggers which helps too. The best of luck, and I really hope you feel better soon. Self Compassion is the greatest treatment of them all