Sertraline 2- A second handholding thread

[freckles20]

This thread is a follow on to the original handhold thread- for those beginning or continuing their journey on sertraline. All are welcome.

This is a supportive thread, where all situations are unique and there is no judgement.

Hi

I have been on sertraline for 15 days now, I was prescribed 50mg but due to having bad side effects the last time I tried it, dr advised me to split the tablets and just go up to the 50 when I feel I’m ready……..
However, first week was rough, but since then I have felt them working !!!! Which is amazing!!! I have had bad anxiety for 7 years now but it got to the point where I HAD to get some help, I couldn’t do it on my own anymore.

So, I know I need to go up to the 50mg, but I’m scared of the new wave of side effects, did anyone else have bad side effects when upping there dose??

I’ve just upped mine from 50 to 100 today so I’ll keep you posted posted if I get side effects!
Hoping my jaw-clenching doesn’t get any worse, it’s bad enough for me on the 50. My appetite is huge now too. If that increases then I’ll end up with an expensive food bill lol.

@ TwilightSkies I hope you don’t suffer with the increase too much 🥰

P.s I’m at the opposite end, not really had much of an appetite , but still had a huge shopping bill as all 3 of my children are on 6 week holiday 🙈

For the first 2 weeks I started on sertraline I really lost my appetite and felt quite sick-ish. Then bang….massive appetite ever since. I’m on the skinny side anyway so maybe that’s a good thing!

Oh God yes, the food bill always goes up loads during the holidays. The snacking!

Has your anxiety affected your sleep much, if you don’t mind me asking?

Sorry I didn’t see your message last night, the first few nights I struggled to fall asleep and stay asleep, but the last week it seems to have corrected it’s self.
I take mine at bed time so that could have been the reason for the initial slew issues.

I have woke up a bit anxsty today, the first time in a while and I’m thinking if that’s a sign I need to move up to 50 mg?

How are you feeling today?

I’m day 18 now. Most side effects are gone and my sleep has improved immensely. Still no real change in the anxiety though 😩

Day 20 (miscounted yesterday)
My sleep is great and my mood has been noticeably brighter today. I realised I’m in my PMT week too but not had any of the rage like I usually get. Still got the anxiety though…

@HeReWeGoAgAiN1112

Day 20 (miscounted yesterday) My sleep is great and my mood has been noticeably brighter today. I realised I’m in my PMT week too but not had any of the rage like I usually get. Still got the anxiety though…

I’m glad your feeling brighter! Hopefully the anxiety will wane 🤞🏽. Do you find the anxiety is worse that before taking sertraline?

Well, I did it…… 18 days @ 25mg -1 day @50mg, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t get bad side effects from going up 🤞🏽, 25mg I felt was working, I felt “lighter” of that makes sense, but over the last couple of days , I started to feel the anxiety creep back in, not bad, but it was laying on my chest, so hopefully upping, will sort that out !

I just want my energy back now, I’m just so tired, I do the tea for example, and I am exhausted! What’s all that about??

Little update… I went up to 50mg after 18 days ( I think ) on 25mg.
So far so good, it’ll be my third tablet at 50mg tonight.
I can tell I’ve had more but that’s about it so far, I’m hoping that’s a sign of things to come 🤞🏽

@Keewro that sounds positive!
My anxiety was the same bar a couple of days in the middle that were awful!

I’m day 22 today. I feel great! My mood is wonderful and my sleep is amazing. I’m even enjoying the trippy dreams 😂 The anxiety has eased a little today and I’ve not needed any propranolol today (first time in weeks).

Hi

Hi guys any advice would b appreciated. Iv been on sertraline since January, 50 for 7 weeks increased 100 for nearly 6 months and now 150 for 2 weeks! Is there any point continuing or should I start ova n start a new med.

@NAdz1984 is it not having any effect on you at all? I’d say it’s time to change if not.

Second day with less anxiety! Starting to feel so much better now. I should have done this last year…

I was feeling good but not great on the 100 that's y doc increased me. I am beta than before but the anxiety and intrusive thoughts r always there

Place marking . I’m on day three, some of these posts have given me so much hope that I’m willing to keep going despite having thought earlier about just stopping it already.

@Brabraboo

Place marking . I’m on day three, some of these posts have given me so much hope that I’m willing to keep going despite having thought earlier about just stopping it already.

How is it going @Brabraboo?

I'm on day 2, starting at 50mg. Withdrawing from another 3 antidepressants at the same time so feeling hellish and not sure what to blame. Really hoping these work though! I'm going through all the sertraline posts and they're keeping me going.

Hi, I thought I'd add an update. I was on the original thread and have now been on Sertraline for around 10 months. I went from 50-100 after a few weeks. It has absolutely been a lifesaver for me and I'm so glad I started taking it.

The side effects at the start weren't great but they lessened after a few weeks. I went on them for depression but I now realise that anxiety was also a major issue. I've been through a lot recently and I've coped. I can see the positives in life, I can sleep at night and I even feel happy on occasion!

Hello
I am on day 5 of 50mg, felt a bit spacey for the first couple of days, I am feeling really quite good now. When did you start to get any negative side effects if you did?
Hoping I am not going to feel too rubbish in the next couple of weeks.

Hello - just been reading the thread as I’ve just taken my 5th dose of 50mg. On day 3 I felt better but now having a crash - feeling detached from my family (young kids), anxious and like I need to hide away. Forcing myself to take them trick or treating though and have got some decorations up, but normally I really enjoy Halloween so I’m feeling sad that I’m not today. I know it’s normal to feel worse before getting better so hopefully this will pass soon. How is everyone else?

Hey all, adding my experience & checking if it fits with others. Been on 50mg for 2 months (did two weeks on 25mg first) & am feeling so much better in myself. But the nightsweats! This morning I've woken up and I can feel it dripping along my skin. Not my head, hair or face but my entire body. This didn't start right away, probably about a month in.

On my period too & even my modibodis are wet 😭. Has anyone found the sweating is even worse on their periods? I'm 43 & think in peri & wonder if that combination is making things worse?

I also had the wind, ridiculous & constant little pops that - thanks to two incidents, one two hours after my very first tablet & once about a month ago, of a pop not being a pop but a fully liquid poo - terrified me every time. That seems to have eased off now though.

On a lighter note, my health anxiety is much much better as is my general wellbeing.

Does this ring true for others?

@Caerulea can’t help with night sweats as only been on it for 5 days but just wanted to say I’m encouraged to hear your health anxiety is better - that’s what I’m hoping for. How long did it take for your anxiety to reduce? Mine seems to have ramped up which I know can be normal in the first 2 weeks.

@sulkysukey it seems to vary wildy for ppl but definitely around the 2wk mark, if not a little earlier. I found the physical effects worse (bad stomach, sleep issues, lack of appetite) than my mental health in those two weeks, but that really seems to differ for ppl. By three weeks I suddenly realised I wasn't constantly googling all the different ways I might be dying 🙄. My constant low lying anxiety was vastly better too, it kinda happened without me noticing rather than a switch being flipped.

Stick with it & fingers crossed for you!

I've been a reader on mumsnet for years but have finally joined so I can join in with this thread.
I'm about to start 50mg of sertraline today and I feel really nervous about it.
I'm worried about the side effects, and I'm also feeling guilty and worried that there's nothing wrong with me, I'm just a stupid lazy liar who needs to pull myself together.
I feel like I don't want to take them and I can't understand why.
I've been in private therapy for a couple of years which is helpful but I feel in a pretty bad place now.
I'm finding this thread really helpful to read though, so I'll carry on with that.

Hi everyone, sorry to come so late to this thread. Ds (18 yrs old in December) has been taking sertraline (50 mg) for 18 days now. He's feeling so nauseous, poor thing. Especially after doing weights at the gym.
He takes it at 9.30 pm.
I've tried calling the gp but he hasn't got back to me. Ds is desperate and I'm worried that he'll stop taking it.
Does anyone have any advice for me? Anything to relieve the nausea (he's worried he'll actually be sick at the gym).
Should he change the time that he takes it, or reduce the dose?
Thank you!