Today I took my first Sertraline tablet

[MonnaLiza]

Hello fellow MH sufferers.

Today I have taken my first Sertraline tablet. I had severe depression in my 20s and then struggled after my first child was born, and then again when my mum was ill... and now... the fourth time in my life in which I stare the Black Dog in the face.

Apart from the first time I have always managed to get through the darkness by soldiering on... willpower ... wait ad it will pass, and it did pass eventually.

But this time I felt medication could help. My GP also though so, considering I was sobbing in his surgery. I was prescribed Sertraline.

I waited a few days, but after a rather bad meltdown Wednesday night I decided to get on with it.

So I took my first tablet today and not sitting on my bed terrified about it with my eyes wide open as if I had been taking some form of acid instead of some safe medication that millions of people take everyday.

Tell me to get a grip! And also tell me i'll feel better soon as I am in so much pain.

All I've had so far is a burning feeling in my stomach when I bend over which made me want to throw up and diarrhoea. Anxiety better than yesterday but still there. The S won't be affecting that yet anyway! Went to therapy today which was good and reassuring but freaked out over analysing what I'd said and what she'd think and why she didn't make another app with me at the end...all ridiculous but that's where my head's at...

Hello @Hairydogmummy - hope it's reassuring but I've got no side effects at 28 days, had none after about 3 days. Was fine driving then anyway - just a bit of nausea and an odd spaced feeling, but not dangerously. A bit like having a blocked ear after swimming.

@MonnaLIza last days of your job, how fab! I envy your trips with work - will you still have these in new job too? And thank you for asking - I'm mixed. I actually feel hopeful and pleasure again - so definitely feeling better. And I have found a job I really want to apply for so that's something. But work itself is fairly bad. At least it's all fine bar being completely sent to Coventry by my jobshare colleague (though we are both full time) which is making it hard to do my job properly. Manager is new to managing, being guided by her manager who is pretty ineffectual. I'm feeling rather let down (she was virtually shuttle mediating today).

I read a thing about it not being my business to think about what others think of me, and I'm trying to do this, and I'm trying to live my core values, and to know I'm doing my best and sometimes make mistakes. But I feel very alone at work. One colleague is talking to me. The others are not. We are all grown ups.

@Carwrecker I've got more energy from the 4th week - more than I've had in months. And my sense of humour is coming back. I didn't have any problems with taking in the morning, but switched to nights to fit with my levothyroxine (for underactive thyroid) and find this fine also - may be worth trying a different time for you.

@jogalong I am on 25mg as a starting dose, but Dr said to up to 50 after a week. I'm only on day 4. Would be interested to know if anyone else stays on 25mg or is 50 usually the lowest dose?

Hope your symptoms start to settle down soon.

@MonnaLiza thank you for the kind welcome. I take mine at roughly 7am, I find myself perking up more in the evening time from around 6pm onwards. I never drink caffeine after 7pm but find myself struggling to sleep until 2am when going to bed around half 11

@ThingDoer that's good to hear, I've got a trip away with my girlfriend in 3 weeks to see Jack Whitehall, would be crap with no sense of humour haha. I might experiment with the times I'm taking the little tablet of joy

I was advised to quit caffeine altogether as it mimics anxiety symptoms, but I rarely drink (drank) it after noon anyway - the 'half-life' of caffeine is something like 12 hours. 7pm sounds late to me!

Morning all - day 33 - woke up in hotel, made tea and feel ready to tackle the day - but it's always easier when I am away from home and the only thing I have is look after myself away from the 'to do' pile that is having a family and a home - especially when it doubles as home office, basically I am never away from work!

@ThingDoer going away for work is fun the first times then it becomes a bit of a chore, where every town melts into another... especially because I need to find hotels with lowish budget (think Premier Inn more than Grand Hotel), sort out all my travel, logistics, prepare the day's work etc. It has fun moments and I am glad I have done it but I am also happy to stop. My next job is not going to have any travel! I look forward to normality, routine and having my home to be just my home for the first time in 13 years!

Have a good day all. :)

@Penguinwaddle123 and all - regarding 25 vs 50 vs 100 mg - maybe, as well as symptoms, one's weight has an impact on the dose needed too? Not sure but I guess if you weigh like a hummingbird you may need a different dosage than a gnu or a lion?

Following! Day 1 - wasn't actually conceded about side effects until I came across the threads googling 🙄
Terrible 💩💩💩 within a few hours but I don't know if that's the tablets, or my bodies response to an intense state of depression and tears over the past week.

@Cantfindmyway I'm on day two and had terrible diarrhoea yesterday. Been okay today tho.

hi @Cantfindmyway :) welcome :)

Thank you @MonnaLIza
I'm a LONG TIME LURKER and decided to post today for the first time as have reached the end of my rope. Went Drs for meds, and taking initial baby steps like posting on here and for the first time ever told a few friends how I am feeling. V HARD for me to do!

It's super hard to talk about it.

are you going to have some kind of therapy too? I had my first session last week and I find it really hard/useful.

Day 14. Today was a good day. I felt different. I can't explain the feeling. It wasn't the usual doom and gloom. I just felt calm. I don't feel particularly happy but just relaxed and free of some of my previous emotions. It's hard to explain.
I even went for a walk. I haven't been motivated to walk in about 3 years.
We had a family situation also today which usually stresses me out(Alcoholic brother on a bender blah blah) but I was so calm and my stomach is not in it's usual knot. What will be will be is my moto today.
I still have the heavy fuzzy head feeling. Hope that eases soon.
Stomach is much better with diahorrea gone and less windy😂
Hopefully this is the beginning of side effects easing and I'm starting to feel the benefits of the setaraline.

Tomorrow is a new day. I know it could go either way so I'll just see how I feel when I wake.
Nite all

No sleep last night. And more diahorrea this morn.
Why is something that's supposed to make you feel better make you feel so crap?
Good day/ bad day.
Onwards and upwards. I have to be positive.

@jogalong I was switching on the computer to tell you GREAT about yesterday and then I read about this morning :( - sorry - remember how you felt yesterday - that can and will come back.

Day 34 - early start - managed a 7.15 get up. Well done me :) I feel anxious but manageable. Functional.

@MonnaLIza I've self referred for therapy and am on the waiting list, issue I have is my area only offers CBT and I need IPT Therapy.
My depression is so deep at the moment it literally hurts, it's situational, if I could deal with the situation causing it (a few different things in my life) then I'd be on the up again, but I can't handle what I need to or face it and it's broken me this week. Hence getting on the meds.

I slept fine last night (went to bed at 7.30 same time as my DD haha!!) woke a few times but that's nothing out of the norm for me.

I don't feel sick yet but do have a horrible headache, but I've had that for days from constant crying so who knows if it's a side effect or not!

I'm trying to pluck up the courage to make my own thread about my issues I'm having, but in doing that I have to fully accept and admit to the problems and I'm having a tough time with that xx

Hope you don't mind me hopping on the thread. I've been following for a while but too anxious to post. I feel a bit of a fraud and still unsure if I should be on meds. I think I felt and functioned better off them but know it could be a side effect. I'm on day 17 at 50mg and still a little nauseous now and again, jaw ache... I have my first followup next week.

Did anyone have absolutely no desire for food whilst on Sertraline?
My appetite was low anyway from depression but I'm having to force myself now and I'm not even enjoying the taste of things?

My appetite completely disappeared for the first few weeks but it did gradually come back and was back to normal after a few months.

morning all :)
welcome @bettycat81, do not be anxious to post, everyone is welcome.

@Cantfindmyway - I know what you mean, I am in physical pain sometimes too - also situational depression here - so awful I can't bear myself talking about it. CBT isn't for me either. I hope you can see a therapist soon. I am so sorry about the constant crying and I wish I could offer some comfort . But losing appetite... I wish... I am becoming rounder and rounder because food seems to be my only certainty and pleasure in a collapsing inner world (sorry that sounds a bit dramatic but that's how I feel).

How is everyone doing? All welcome to post. It's good to know we are not alone.

@MonnaLIza doesn't sound dramatic at all, I entirely empathise and understand 💛💛💛 sending you loads of love and hugs.

Isn't it devestating to be in a situation you feel you cannot yet resolve (for whatever reason) and in turn what that situation is doing to you is just cruel and breaking your own soul and heart apart.

I literally feel my heart is shattered at the moment and sadness is just running through my veins. Whichever option I take to deal with it will cause more breaking and more sadness. Feel quite hopeless at the moment.

Am on day 3 of the tablets, and not feeling too many side effects yet really bar the loss in appetite and slight headache. Part of me thinks however that I can't feel worse than I did Monday night when I fully broke down, so maybe I'm not noticing the side effects because I can't feel much worse than I already did who knows! Xx

So it's day 35 and thought I'd do some comparisons about how I felt at the beginning and feel now - in no particular order:

SLEEP
Beginning: terrible dreams, insomnia, very difficult to get out of bed, sleep as escape.
Now: less anxious dreams, less insomnia, still difficult to get out of bed, still sleep as escape.

EXERCISE/PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Beginning: erratic, unmotivated.
Now: very little because always tired. Mindset slightly changing.

ANXIETY SYMPTOMS
Beginning: very severe at all times.
Now: fluctuating. Some happy moment not anxious at all! :)

DEPRESSED FEELINGS
Beginning: Always there, no joy in anything, suicidal ideations.
Now: Feeling kind of 'grey', no suicidal ideation, some moments of levity.

ATTITUDE TOWARDS FOOD
Beginning and now: kinda rubbish really. Filling up with food, just wanting sugars. I am starting to want to change this.

SIDE EFFECTS OF MEDICATION
Beginning: headache, feeling spaced out and super tired. Clenchy jaw.
Now: occasional headache, tiredness is starting to subside, a bit of clenchy jaw.

MORNINGS
Beginning: dreadful. Hating the idea of a new day.
Now: dreadful but I can take it.

Actually the last sentence resumes perfectly how I felt at the beginning of the thread and how I feel now - I have occasional moments when i still feel dreadful, and some happy precious seconds when I feel happy and in control (very very few but they are there) but in general now my attitude is: "it's dreadful but I can take it".

That's progress, isn't it? :)