Sertraline

[Lottie124]

Been taking sertraline for 17 day’s now! Still feeling horrendous in the mornings very anxious and no appetite! Is this normal this far in to taking it

Three weeks was my turning point! My appetite came back at 4 weeks. I’m 5 weeks in now and feel a lot better but also having CBT which helps.

Thank you! Did you find mornings hard? What dose were you on? X

I’m on 50mg and it did work quickly for me to some extent (around 10 days I started to get some good days and less scary patches) but full effect I’d say took 6 weeks with 4 weeks being noticeably better too. Hang in there!

And mornings were definitely the hardest with my nice patches from 7pm and those nice patches worked backwards into the day, getting bigger as time went on but mornings were the last to improve. X

Thank you! Yes that’s exactly how I feel! Evenings are noticeably better! Mornings are just horrendous! My dose has just been up to 100mg but doing it slowly 75mg then 100mg over a week or so x

I also posted about appetite, it seems to be missing but the moment my physical symptoms of anxiety and panic disappeared my appetite became normal again. Are you taking beta blockers too or just sertraline?

Just started propranalol yesterday so hoping it helps! Upped my dose to 100mg so maybe that’s making things worse at the min

The propranolol should help. That is a daily medication (not accumulative) that will work by relieving the physical symptoms. The sertraline is the medication to fix the illness itself and it takes time. Keep posting and chatting. I’m extremely lucky that my sister is an off work GP. She has talked me through every single day since I crashed. And understanding how things work and what the symptoms are from really helped me.

My sister described it like: The propranolol is the paracetamol to help the symptoms of your ‘tonsillitis’. The sertraline is the antibiotics to fix the tonsillitis itself but it takes time and you must finish the course to be sure you’re clear.

My 16 year old has just been prescribed Sertaline for depression and anxiety. She is also having weekly CBT and occasional visits to a psychiatrist (who prescribed Sertaline). There seems not to be much evidence for Sertaline working for under 18s. Does anyone have an experience with their teens using Sertaline? I’m really hesitant about having her start on antidepressants so young.

Yes, mornings were definitely the worst for me too. I was like Happy - some evenings were better and then it just got a bit more. I’m on 50mg and GP will review when I’ve been taking them for six weeks.

Forgot to say, mornings started getting better by the fourth week.x

Brilliant advice, thank you! I do feel like by the end of each day I feel slightly better.. but the back to square one the next morning I just want to feel like my self again xx

I felt exactly the same as you Lottie! Every morning I’d wake up and wonder if the anxiety would be gone and within a couple of minutes it was back! Most of the time it’s not there now though and if it is it’s just a moment then goes. I think within the next week or two you’ll notice a big difference. I had terrible anxiety during the first week but much better now - still ups and downs but the downs are nowhere near as bad and don’t last long. Good luck!x

"I’m really hesitant about having her start on antidepressants so young."

Sexual dysfunction from SSRIs sometimes appears to be permanent or long lasting even after ceasing taking them. Anyoneespecially the young I guessshould be aware of that risk before taking them.

Does anyone ever feel like they get a lot of tension headaches when starting sertraline? My head feels like it’s going to explode x

I didn’t get headaches but I know they’re one of the side effects. Are you clenching you’re jaw (another side effect) - that could be giving you a headache?

Yeah I am clenching my jaw a lot! I’m guessing that’s what is causing them! God I can’t wait till all these side effects are one it’s horrible x

I’ve been on them 6 months
Weirdly had NO side effects
Just stopped losing my shit quite so much

I’m now on 50 and when this batch ends will
Start to taper down

Good luck OP

Wow how lucky! No side effects! Think I’ve had everyone going! X

How are you doing @Lottie124? My job ends tomorrow after 9 years and I was quite anxious all morning which I guess is inevitable. But by this evening I couldn't give a shit. I wish I could tap into 'couldnt give a shit' all day! That would be bliss!

A family member has been on these for just over 5 weeks now but seems to be getting worse. Worried they aren't going to work at all.

@Happyspud I can defo feel an improvement, still have terrible anxiety in the morning? And still not much appetite! But getting there slowly! Ah no! No wonder your anxious! Is that due to the coronavirus your job has ended! @silvachicken I think it can take 4-6 weeks to kick in from what o have read x

@Lottie124, yes Coronavirus means no contract extended this time. But I was already thinking it was time for a change before this happened. So I’m swinging between totally fine and even happy about it and feeling the claws of anxiety ruining my feelings about it for patches too.

With the anxiety I have found a few coping mechanisms that have helped me greatly. If I’m out and start to feel off, I plan in my head a movie at bedtime in my bed with one if the kids as a treat and this gives me a wave of ‘looking forward to something’ that I can draw on. So I can tell myself ‘ok, I feel panicky now but it’s just a feeling and we’re all ok and later it’s going to be really nice watching a movie and cuddling whichever kid’.

I also found from mindfulness that the idea that the anxiety is just ‘sensations’ and will pass, (quickly if I don’t feed them) but will pass regardless, very helpful.

2 pieces of advice from a YouTube video I found.

1. Before your feet hit the floor each morning, choose 1 thing that is good enough for that day. That is the only thing you need to achieve for the day to have been a success. It can be a simple thing or a challenging thing but something you choose.
2. Understand that what you choose to focus on is what will grow. So focus on your family rather than the news etc.