Sertraline - can’t get through a whole day

[Kir5tyTwiggy]

Been on sertraline 6 days now and thought today was a turning point but come 4:30 my side effects come back head aches clenching jaw feeling sick and pretty much back at square one , not due to take next tablet till 8:00pm....does anyone else experience this ??

Yes and it does pass but it takes a few weeks. I'm in the same boat 7 weeks into a new medication and still struggling. If you can power through it really will get better. If it's too much, speak to your GP or pharmacist x

It is also worth taking the tablet just before bed so you sleep off the worst of the side effects.

Hi thanks guys
Don’t think I cud last 7weeks like this , I don’t go out of house I managed to do a bit of cleaning around home today and this is not like me , just fed up today as felt good this morning since taking them really thought I’d turned a corner then bang on sofa feeling like rubbish again I have to myself I’ll give it two weeks as I can’t live like this for weeks on end any more

I take it at 8:00pm

I'm on day 16 of sertraline and these side effects have now gone, feel that my mood has started to improve.

I’m on nee medication too. I know what you mean about not wanting to go out the house. I have to literally force myself and paint on a smile. It’s awful. Maybe ring your doc and tell her/him the side effects. He may be able to help you instead of waiting. X

If you think the effect is wearing off less than 24 hours later, is it worth taking them in the morning rather than evening? Then you're asleep when you're starting to feel it.

Try having a quick snack (breakfast biscuits are good) and taking them when you wake up. Don’t recommend taking them on an empty stomach as they made me feel quite ill when I did.

I found I adjusted quicker as the worst part was at night when I was asleep. Side effects went after about a week on a low dose.

Thanks
Just feeling really down and deflated today just want to wake up and be able to get ready and go out my door but I’m so far off that

Something telling me is it worth changing AD but then it wud of all been for nothing

I'm sorry you're having to deal with the side effects as well as the original reason you started on Sertraline. I think it really differs from person to person; I remember feeling sick, dizzy and headaches - mainly for the first week, maybe nine days. Whereas some one I know who takes the same dose gets the jaw clenching thing.
What I will say, is that taking Sertraline has been life changing for me. I didn't realise very low I had been until I started to feel better. That low mood anxiety walking through wet cement feeling that made every day things so hard just started to lift. Amazing. The apprehension over the side effects was probably my biggest concern with going on antidepressants in the first place. The benefits have outweighed those initial days ten fold.
Definitely speak to a GP again, because maybe starting on a lower dose may work better for you. If you don't get on with Sertraline you can try something different. The only thing I will say is don't just stop taking them as opposed to tapering off because you can feel quite dizzy.
Sorry to write so much hope you feel better very soon!

Hi no that’s fine
I love hearing other people’s experience on sertraline and I only take 25mg that why I thinking it just doesn’t agree with me , doctor gave me 50mg but completely wiped me out

I just hope I come out the other side soon

You do really have to give it a few weeks to build up and gradually things will get better by better until one day, in a couple of weeks, you'll realise just how much better you feel. It's a slog but it's worth persevering. The only thing I would say is that you're unlikely to get many of the benefits from 25mg without increasing up to 50mg relatively soon. My psychiatrist told me it would end up just prolonging the side effects without them being able to do their job.

I'm on day 13 of taking 50mg of Sertraline. I feel much better than I did. Headaches have now gone but still jaw clenching and waking early (though am getting back to sleep soon after)
GP said to increase to 100mg after 2 weeks but I doubt I will. I don't want more side effects or to have difficult when wanting to stop taking them altogether.

Erm... one of the side effects is insomnia, so I wouldn’t take them at night.

When I took 50mg it completely wiped me out I did t like the feeling at all it was horrible , and it’s just knowing if it suits u or not ?

I know I should give it longer but then I’m thinking maybe I’m a person it doesn’t suite !

Sorry guys just really bad day and fed up now thanks for all ur experiences and suggestions,

@Kir5tyTwiggy

When I took 50mg it completely wiped me out I did t like the feeling at all it was horrible , and it’s just knowing if it suits u or not ?

I know I should give it longer but then I’m thinking maybe I’m a person it doesn’t suite !

Sorry guys just really bad day and fed up now thanks for all ur experiences and suggestions,

I'd honestly give it a bit longer if you possibly can. It's well known that the side effects can be rubbish with this, but it's also a really good, powerful drug if you can get the benefit from it. I started on 50 and was dubious as to whether I should have started lower but now I'm past the first week I'm glad I stuck with the 50. That's not to say I feel perfect because I don't, and I'm dreading them saying I need to increase again 🙄

But honestly. Try to keep yourself busy with TV, reading, napping - whatever. You don't need to be productive all of the time. I know it's easy for me to say as my side effects weren't that bad even on 50, but I've read enough on Google (that's anxiety for you! Haha) to know just how many people really struggle, but then say they're happy they stuck with it ☺️.

It’s definitely a powerful drug , It kicks in about 20hours after taking tablet the last few days so in day I’m not to bad but then all the side effects kick in , I couldn’t get a appointment with GP today will try again tomorrow to see if I shud up dose or keep on 25mg for now , it will be a week tomorrow I been on it and I’m going to keep going I really want to get to two weeks to see how I feel as I know a week is not longer enough, yea I Google like u and see good and bad about sertraline need to find the courage to up dose

Hope you don't mind me jumping on. I started taking Sertraline 50mg, about 3 days ago. I take it at 8pm and then from 3am onwards I have sickness and diarrhoea until about 8am. It is unbearable, painful, constant nausea. Zero sleep, it is lucky I was working from home that day. I also cannot eat at all. Tonight I have taken 25mg instead to see if that helps.

@Morello339

Hope you don't mind me jumping on. I started taking Sertraline 50mg, about 3 days ago. I take it at 8pm and then from 3am onwards I have sickness and diarrhoea until about 8am. It is unbearable, painful, constant nausea. Zero sleep, it is lucky I was working from home that day. I also cannot eat at all. Tonight I have taken 25mg instead to see if that helps.

Sorry it's tough for you :(. A lot of people start on 25 so hopefully that helps you. Side effects do usually subside but it doesn't suit everyone and only you can decide what's worth putting up with.

I was lucky with my side effects despite starting on 50 but even I was a bit miserable and uncomfortable for the first week.

Let us know how things go x

Hi I’m feeling so much better now to how I was , not going out on sofa or asleep all day feeling sick head aches and just horrible anxiety and now I feel so much better I started on 25mg was so much better after about 10 days but you should defo try 25mg

Thank you all. Havent been sick today so seems 25mg has helped that part. But I am so dizzy and lightheaded. I will persevere for as long as I can. I just worry if they don't pass by the time I return to work it could impact my ability to do my job.

Yea the dizzyness isn’t nice at all but it did take me a while 10days for side effects to stop but everyone is different I hope it all stops soon for you

Thank you everyone. I took 25mg again last night and no sickness yet. I might wait until next weekend when I dont have work and try to up it to 50mg. So if I am sick I can stay in bed all day !