Three weeks on sertraline, is this normal

[Holdingonforlife]

Hi
Wonder if anyone can offer some reassurance. Now been taking sertraline 50mg for three weeks. Since taking it my anxiety has increased - it's a horrible constantly on-edge feeling, makes it hard to think about anything else. Finding myself very irritable and everything goes through me. It gets a little less by evening.
It has improved a little over the three weeks, but still there. Still quite depressed also.

Guess I just need some reassurance.

Someone tell me it's all going to be ok

I wish my side effects were temporary. 8 weeks in on escitalopram (Lexapro) and still got them and not sleeping.

@Holdingonforlife I'm taking Quetiapine. I'm using it to treat severe bouts of depression and anxiety. It's also a sedative so i take it all at night and then I pass out instantly. If I don't sleep, it triggers depression so it's great all round. I have had psychosis in the past but for some reason they didn't give me this to treat that weirdly. It's taken a very long time to get Quetiapine. Even when I was under section I wasn't given it and I don't understand why. I honestly couldn't be without it. But even if I miss a day, my mood becomes unstable instantly. It seems to be a very short term tablet that you must take at exactly the same time every day.

Over the years I've tried Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Venlaflaxine, Aripiprazole, Zopiclone, Lorazepam, and Diazepam at all different combinations.

However, it is dependant on the person. Everyone is different.

@Limensoda
Have you made a recent dose increase? I'm guessing that might be why the side effects are still occurring; I've heard this from others

@kamikazeee
I'm glad you've found something that works for you, it's a shame you had to fight for it though. Makes me wonder how much of that it down to cost, maybe.

@Holdingonforlife I think it might be an element as to what you're under. If it's just via a GP then it's not something they are able to prescribe, it has to be through a psychiatrist. Might also be because the withdrawal process for Quetiapine is a lot worse and although they are not deemed addictive for the actual body, it's more psychologically which I can totally understand.

I think it takes up to six weeks to level out. I found I had to make other changes too, diet, exercise etc. Then I really did feel better. All the ads did was stop me falling completely apart. The other positive thing was that they lifted my energy instantly and I felt less like a lead weight. Taper down by 12.5mg not 25mg - that's my advice. My doctor said going up to 100mg is neither here nor there and some people can feel quite spacey - it put me off and I'm glad as it would have been a longer withdrawal.

I'm now on 12.5mg and I'm really doing fine, so it is possible - there are a lot of bad stories out there which worried me too, withdrawal isn't totally pleasant but it can be done. Good luck to you OP.

I think 50 mg is the minimum dosage for Sertraline though, so they don't give you the opportunity to decrease. They all go up in 50s, highest being 200mg.

Each dosage is different for each diagnosis. I was told for years that Sertraline was used for anxiety and it did fuck all for me. It raises your serotonin so maybe not the best. 🤷‍♀️

Thanks @ lemonbalmtea
I'm definitely feeling an increase in energy today/less negative. I suspect they are beginning to kick in (cautious yay).

Loads of muscle twitching though, odd.

@Holdingonforlife
Yes...does increased last Friday from 10 to 15mg. I had been on the lower dose for 7 weeks and I still couldn't do much, no energy, not sleeping, unable to commit to activities and feeling anxious.
Now, I've started unconsciously clenching my jaw, which I hadn't done for weeks, having sweats and headaches, not sleeping more than a couple of hours and get very agitated.
It gets overwhelming and I can't see it ending.

Unfortunately it is normal. They often take up to 3 months to settle on. I took nearly 8 months to fully settle on Ads although Sertraline is considered a much more refined and therefore gentler drug so stick at it if you can.

50mg is quite a low dose tbh so possibly its not enough to have beneficial effects but enough to have side effects IYSWIM? My daughter was 18 & had severe debilitating anxiety when she was put on 100mg Sertraline, (she is 20 now) for her the effects were very swift, literally within days she had a dramatic improvement. She went from being unable to leave the house to going to college, getting a part time job & tomorrow she has her driving test. None of this would have been possible without Sertraline. I can't see her being without them, but it is a small price to pay for having a life. She actually needs a med review now because effects have lessened over the last 18 months, so will probably have a small increase.

The side effects DD had initially were being unable to sleep, but this was aleviated by changing the time she took her drug to morning than night, & also not feeling hungry. Any effects disappeared after around a month I would say, but she's still not a big eater.

I suggest you go & see your GP to question if the side effects you are having are within a normal range & whether you should look to changing the dosage or trying a different med. Good luck with it.

Thank you both. I am starting to see an improvement so fingers crossed, it's beginning to kick in, and the side effects are slowly reducing.

Thank you all again for your input, it's very much appreciated

@Holdingonforlife I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better and seeing an improvement 💪🏻
It’s funny, last time I was in them I had zero appetite whereas this time I’m the complete opposite, maybe down to a changing metabolism and being 37 as opposed to 23.
FWIW I take my pill in the morning as soon as I get up , not sure if that’s better than taking it at night or not but either way I’d imagine it’s a good idea to take it the same time every day. I don’t feel overly tired nor do I have trouble sleeping so in my case it’s just fortunate that taking it at that time of day has worked ok for me (or it may make absolutely no difference but if something is working ok I’m not going to second guess myself or rock the boat).

Do you take it in the morning or evening? I was advised to take it in the evening as it then helps to kick in by the time I'm awake the next morning. For me it also took about 4-6 weeks for me to see a good improvement in how I felt.

I'm just starting week four on sertraline and it's been a nightmare, anxiety depression and panic attacks have all been much worse, I was taking Venlafaxine a few years ago and I can't remember the side affects being this bad, I will stick with it as some posts say four to six weeks, I hope they work and the pain hasn't been for nothing, good luck to you all.

I'm just starting week four on 50mg of sertraline, the past three weeks have been awful, my anxiety and depression have been much worse and I've had panic attacks, I was taking Venlafaxine a few years ago and can't remember feeling like this, so tired and unable to eat, as some posts say it can take four to six weeks I will carry on, hopefully I haven't been through this for nothing. Good luck and best wishes to you all

I’ve actually been on 50mg of Zoloft for quite some time now, and everything has been going well. My anxiety and depression haven’t been an issue lately, although it wasn’t easy at first. It was definitely worth it, though. By the way, I order my Zoloft from ^topsup24.com/buy-zoloft-uk.html^—if anyone is looking for a reliable online store, it’s tough to find a good one these days!