Sertraline side effects

[LittleMissOverthinker]

I have recently started taking sertraline, as well as weening off imipramine. I’ve been on medication for about 9 years and this is the first change of meds I’ve had in about 8 years. I know that they take a while to have a full effect and the whole “it gets worse before it gets better”
My moods are more up and down, really hyper then crash down to feeling sad. No appetite for savoury stuff and all I want is sweets and chocolate
Just wanting to know what other people’s experiences are??

I've been on it for a week now, I've started on a quarter of a tablet (50mg full tablet), because I'm very sensitive to medications. I tried to go up to half a tablet on Wednesday and had awful side effects so went back down. I've had no side effects on a quarter apart from a bit of low mood and tiredness. One morning I really struggled to get up. I feel 'better' already although my dr says this is probably a placebo effect.

Hi, I just switched to sertraline 4 & 1/2 weeks ago. I was on 50mg for first week then up to 100mg. I have had moments of feeling better but today I woke at 5am having panic attacks because I am off on sick leave and beating myself up about it. From all the forums I’ve read it seems to take a while to experience the full effect of the medication. It’s such a tough situation to be in. I desperately want to be better.

I started with 50mg and felt hyper for the first few days. My appetite was decreased and I felt sick a lot. I also struggled with sleep for the first few weeks. It settled down after 2 weeks and now I feel normal again but I am craving sweet stuff more.

This is my third run and I had really bad nausea for the first four weeks. Normal for me. Lack of appetite as well. Just a long four weeks op then all should settle for you

I went on it a few years ago and it made me so sick and dizzy I lost nearly a stone in weight in two weeks I binned them, probably not recommended but I was also a nightmare, went from struggling to big highs and huge lows, it was worse than the constant lows.

Hi @LittleMissOverthinker

I've been on Sertraline 50mg daily since 2016. Back then the only side effect I really remember having was "closed eyes hallucinations", it was as terrifying as it sounds but honestly within a couple of weeks that side effect stopped.

Sertraline gave me my life back, I can't say it better than that but it's true and I never needed to increase the dose because 50mg daily really put things back on track for me.

Recently though I have had a resurgence of the severe overthinking etc and have just this week started on an increased dose from the 50mg to 100mg. So far side effects have been limited to nausea and headaches, I can handle that but it's only been a few days on the 100mg, so I am expecting other effects to hit soon.

I am desperate for Sertraline to work again for me because for more than 3 years it truly was working, so I am hopeful the increased dose will work too.

I'm wishing you all the best and please try to remember that no matter what side effects you might experience, these effects are only temporary.

Good Luck!

Day 6 of sertraline 50mg and I feel wired. My mood has improved dramatically since day 4. I'm tired but I can't sleep, the most I had lastnight was probably an hour. I had to call in sick for work today (I probably would have been super efficient at work today but I didn't dare risk it or drive to be honest) Side effects from first few days were lots of dizziness and nausea. I've no appetite at all. Please tell me someone if I will start to slow down and able to get some rest

I was on it for 9 months. It helped my anxiety to some extent, but for me the side effects outweighed the benefits, and feel so much better since coming off them, my anxiety is now under control. The horrible side effects I had for the duration I was on them were - really heavy periods, aches and pains all over my body, bowel problems, sleepiness- all of which I never suffered from and all of which have resolved since I came off them 6 weeks ago. This is just my experience.

@Petals23 did your bowel problems start when you first started taking them or randomly appear?

I've been on sertraline for about 2 months and the last week have had diarrhoea, I've been super strict on what I've eaten in case it's food poisoning but it's not shifting and tends to be just before I'm due to take my next dose so I have a feeling it's the tablets?

I had to stop Sertraline cos it was giving me bad diarrhoea daily. Binned them. Would never touch them again

From the start or into the course? I've had it since week 6/7

From the start. I tried stopping it for a day or two and was fine then as soon as I started it I would get diarrhoea within an hour

From the start for me too, what I can only describe as loose bowels. Everything back to normal now!

2738 Days of Sertraline.... Yep, since mid 2012!!!

Ask away...

Hyperactive
Then drained
Headaches
Highs
Lows
Dry Mouth
Crazy Dreams
Anxiety

The things above for me, out way the dull days when u just can't think straight!

Just keep going xxx

Thankyou everyone. I’m just experiencing a fair bit of muscle ache, like restless legs which is annoying! My mood feels no different after 3 weeks x