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.

@Mumma1984 in the morning with breakfast. I heard side effects better if you take it with food and also better to take in morning if you struggle to sleep which I do at times. I've had minimal side effects. Nothing I could say I'd not already had through anxiety itself before.

@Hairydogmummy sleeping isn't something I've had a problem with luckily but I started taking mine at night because I was wiped out if I took it in the morning, by 11 I needed to sleep! Is fatigue a side effect?

Can I join please. I’m on the other sertraline thread but I’ve only just found this one.

I’m suffering from intrusive thought about things from the past whereby I can’t focus on anything else. I’ve had suicidal thoughts and just felt in complete despair.

I went to my GP who prescribed sertraline 50mg. Im now on day 12 and noticing the side effects wearing off. Mornings are horrendous still. I wish I could curl up in bed all day but I have 2DC that I need to take care of. I think I’m seeing some mild benefits now but I know it’ll take a while longer to see the full effect.

I hope you are all doing okay this morning

Morning All, not feeling great today - still worrying over my health and feeling v anxious - what with Xmas coming up and my wedding next year I really need to kick this and feel good, I'm tempted to do a private neurology app and get some advice / reassurance on my symptoms and hope they also don't think I have MS or anything. Today I have a bit of a left side problem, few weeks ago my shoulder was numb inside the joint but it was worse in the morning and then got a bit better towards the end of the day - today my left side just feels a bit weaker, I have some neck pain and back discomfort when I breathe in and I got cramp feeling in my neck last night when I moved it quick while playing with my son, it's the side I hold him on, the side I sleep on, the side I lean to in the car etc so I'm going to try and see a chiropractor as well - just feel very panicky :(

Sometimes a higher dose is needed after two-three weeks. Side effects can be raised anxiety initially for up to six weeks but try to persevere for at least 2-3 mo this if you can. A short dose of Diazepam/Lorazepam can be prescribed to lessen the heightened anxiety feelings. Not all AD's suit all people so after this time you will need to return to your GP for review.

mumma I would definitely say fatigue is a side effect. I have been exhausted since I started taking Sertraline. Like you, I am taking it in the evening.

I take it at bedtime. My fatigue (which had gone on long before that) started to lift after 2-3 weeks, though I had an immediate improvement that I have put down to the vitamin D I was also prescribed.

I'm doing well but the atmosphere at work is terrible - colleague is criticising me and not talking to me, if that makes sense. I'm doing a lot of going to meet people, having a 5 minute mental health break (to log her behaviour) and putting headphones in. May talk to my union soon.

@ThingDoer cool, did you have any other vit d deficit side effects ? I got prescribed a supp too but I bought a stronger one - my level was 43

Hello - day 41 and 42. Gruelling but DONE - last day on the job. I also had my therapy session - moving slowly in the right direction. Hopefully will have more time to engage at the weekend but just wanted to check in and send lots of positive vibes to all. :)

Day 12 for me has been tough at times. I am just so unbelievably tired and I am doing some work from home that needs to be completed by a certain date and I’m just finding it so hard to focus on anything. On the plus side, a lot of the side effects are subsiding except the exhaustion. How is everyone else doing?

I think I have a compressed nerve or something in my back/ shoulder ... my shoulder feels a little weak altho it's not and my back hurts and I feel a bit weird the same side hip, it's the side I do everything - sleep/ carry my toddler etc but it's bugging me because I fear MS I'm constantly thinking it's that! This Setraline clearly isn't working yet ... I've had 2 Gin's to compensate

Feeling ok today. Very nauseated this morning and had a lot of diahorrea. Not much of appetite either. Day 23.
Definitely dealing with stress better. And not over thinking. Thankfully fuzzy head has gone. Glad I stuck with it.

Hello all who read and post and welcome @TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart :)

Hi @Mumma1984 :) health anxiety is not part of my symptoms - my anxiety is all about financial matters. I carry that from childhood - it was a big anxiety of my parents which passed onto me. I hope you find some distance, it must be a hard place to be in .

@jogalong, I experienced the ups-and-downs too, a definite improvement after 15 days, and then very mixed days from dd. 15-30. A HUGE HUGE improvement from day 40 though. Hopefully a constant improvement is just round the corner for you.

@TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart I had (huge) fatigue as a side effect but that disappeared after a while probably around day 35. On day 40 I woke up and I was ready to get up and face the day! It was awesome and this 'can do' attitude is continuing. I hope it comes to you soon too :)

@ThingDoer I am so sorry that things are work are not better. Colleagues can make or break a job - hopefully the union will be helpful.

Day 42 for me and the ability to get u in the morning continues - and I have finished with my stressful job, now I have a week off before starting the new job. My plan for next week would be starting exercising.

My side effects are now all but gone and I feel content and more energetic. :)

I am starting to think this may be a positive story.

Therapy is helping a lot. I am setting myself free from parental and societal expectations and trying to live my own life - the life that makes me happy - and to ditch my old career because, although it sounds good on paper, it is definitely not making me happy. :)

@Mumma1984 I don't know what other symptoms there are!

@MonnaLIza enjoy your week off and your new start. Much better to be happy! I am spending tomorrow doing a job application. I have the energy to do it now, didn't a month ago. I too feel more able to help myself and hold true to myself (having been manipulated by coworker for too long) - though I still react badly to her bile. Onwards and upwards!

@ThingDoer can be fatigue, and some neuro stuff here and there - what was your level?

I don't know - I'll ask next time I'm in.

Love reading the updates and advice. This thread is really helping me at the moment.
Thanks everyone

@Mumma1984 you sound similar to me...my left side bugs me. I get a numb feeling in my left side of my face, a sore shoulder and feeling like my whole left side is weird. GP says nothing wrong with me. I put it down to holding tension in my jaw/shoulder, the way I sit when I'm working and my imagination!

@Hairydogmummy eugh I'm exhausted with stuff! I have so many coming and going things, today I woke with my hand feeling in the verge of pins and needles and a thumb twitch - arm / shoulder thing on the other side has gone now - driving me mad!

@MonnaLiza great update. I’m so pleased to read you’re having some success

Hi! Quick check in on day 44. A day of up and downs but mainly well. No side effects. Docs check up tomorrow.

Hello, day 45 :)

Today I went to see my doc for a follow up. When I went towards mid-September I was totally in pieces and cried non stop - I could not even speak. Today I felt clear headed, did not cry and was able to describe how I feel, even if I still find it rather difficult to talk about my mental health.

The plan is to continue with this dosage and have another assessment after six months, in March. I do not know why I believed he'd suggest to start tapering off sooner ... I guess I was the usual optimist/naive person... so thread you are stuck with me for another few months.... :)

@TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart - thank you :) I was very ill with depression in my 20 and medication saved my life so, although I am aware that antidepressants are not a miracle pill, I have evidence that they can help me. I am also having counselling with a therapist I like and It's really heartbreaking hard to do but it's also very helpful.

So today I am off! I bought a book and the plan for today is reading and cooking! I know that I have also 'exercise' pinned in as plan for the week but today the exhaustion has come back - I think because of the mental effort made in going to the doctor and having to talk about my illness... I am ok writing about it here but I hate hate hate hate talking about it with real human beings. I know, it does not make sense!