Sertraline- Please share your honest experience

[ACCx]

Hi, so I suffer massively with health anxiety. I feel like it is starting to make me depressed also. Currently having CBT for my anxiety. Currently I’m having muscle twitches all over my body and convinced myself it’s MND or something like that. Dr has tried to reassure me this is just anxiety and has told me I should consider taking sertraline. (I had it prescribed to me a couple of months ago but was far to scared to take it) it’s just sat in my cupboard and I just need to make a decision. I know I should take it, but I’m terrified of it having a negative effect on me. I heard people just feel numb on it and that’s not what I want. Please share your experiences if you don’t mind. Or if you can think of anything alternatively please share.

I have taken my first tablet today and already feeling a bit weird. Felt nauseous before but that passed, then felt a little weak/dizzy and for some reason my jaw feels really tense and feels weird.

I started sertraline just over a fortnight ago and I’m amazed at the difference already. The first week to ten days were a bit rough as I was told to expect - felt fuzzy, spaced out and had pretty bad headaches but I get those anyway. Then it felt like a cloud had lifted. My anxiety has significantly reduced and as someone unthread said, things roll of my back more now and I don’t ruminate and worry about everything in the way I did before. My mood is much better and I no longer feel the crushing exhaustion I was attributing to a lack of sleep (I had PND/PNA). I was also worried to take it but I’m so glad I gave it a go, even though it’s early days. Good luck!

I have taken a few different anti depressants over the years for generalised anxiety disorder. For me sertraline was one of the easiest ones to tolerate. I didn't get any side effects at all. Unfortunately it stopped working for me after a while but I had no problems coming off it.

Everyone is different so it's worth just trying whatever they recommend and seeing how you go.

@ACCx

I have taken my first tablet today and already feeling a bit weird. Felt nauseous before but that passed, then felt a little weak/dizzy and for some reason my jaw feels really tense and feels weird.

Don’t worry it’s all totally normal, even the jaw clenching for some reason. But don’t let it put you off.

@LadyCatStark thank you so much I needed that reassurance as I was beginning to really worry about my jaw.

@Corilee2806 thank you. Sounds like such a good experience on them I’m glad you’re feeling much better!

My MH hit a big dip due to work stress earlier in the year.
I was prescribed Sertraline.
I felt really odd for the first two weeks - very nauseous, very tired. But after that, I felt loads better and it has really helped me put everything back into perspective.

I took my first sertraline yesterday and I honestly don’t think I can continue. I feel so weird today. Couldn’t sleep last night, tingling hands, nausea, this morning I feel Really weak and like I can’t even concentrate. I don’t even trust myself to drive this morning

I started taking it in 2018, during a particularly bad time with anxiety. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It worked quite quickly for me. I am still able to laugh, cry, have feelings, but the bad times are more manageable & I am not scared all the time. I still have mild anxiety but nothing like I used to. For me it has been so helpful.

@ACCx it is tough to begin with and the symptoms you describe are quite normal, but the likelihood is that if you stick with it you will start t feel better. I can imagine if it’s specifically health anxiety you suffer with this must be really challenging for you - is there anyone who can support you through these early days? I know how tough it is - I have two small children and could barely function to look after them but a few weeks later I’m so glad I continued.

Take care and try and go easy on yourself if you can. What dose are you on? Did your GP recommend to start by halving the dose then gradually working up to check you can tolerate it?

@Corilee2806 thank you for your kind words. Yes it is very scary for me with me having health anxiety. Especially as I’ve been worrying about muscle twitches and then to get the tingling was pretty terrifying. My gp started me on 50 but I spoke to her again this morning and she advised me to halve that to start with so I’m just going to split the tablets and try that. I’m so worried about how I’ll be today. I do have a partner that did the school drop off this morning thankfully, but he works 12 hour days so isn’t here alot of the time. I need to drive to pick my daughter up from school and swimming lessons and things like that. I’m scared I won’t be okay to drive 😩

Aah glad you spoke to your GP - that’s what I did and starting with 25 helped, still had side effects but it meant when I moved to 50mg after the first week it wasn’t so bad, in fact I didn’t notice much difference at all. I think you will feel better if you do that and it shouldn’t be so difficult with driving etc. It is horrible when you feel that bad, I know I wouldn’t have been able to drive on some days in the first week. You will feel calmer quite quickly though I’m sure. Take care x

Thinking of you today. ACCx I really hope you can work through it and the meds help you feel better. Taking new meds with some side effects is a really brave thing to do when you have health anxiety.

I totally understand how scary side effects can be but I have also found that if I keep busy, I tend not to notice them so much. I think we're so used to expecting to feel strange that it's no wonder that we do!

I’ve found sertraline amazing, but the side effects were tough at the beginning. I felt so spaced out. I actually started myself on 12.5 and then worked my way up over a few weeks to 50. That worked well for me and now they’re really starting to work. I have terrible health anxiety which was getting unbearable and I do think it’s stabilised everything a bit. I hope they help you too. It’s such a horrible thing to go through.

Been off and on sertraline for years. They're great. A week or so of side effects but keep hands and head busy and you won't notice them so much. When you stop do it with doc knowledge or if you decide yourself you must taper off and not just stop them. Good luck.

@naturemumma @Mantlemoose thank you both! I took half a tablet today and still really struggling to sleep. I have this weird tingling / pins and needles. It’s really freaking me out

I struggled so much to sleep for the first week. It was horrible. I really sympathise. I find it best taking them in the morning quite early and also at the same time every day. I found that evened out the sleep a bit.

Have you looked on the CBT 4 panic website? There’s a great audio on there about physical anxiety symptoms and it kind of talks me down if I’m struggling!

I also found it best to take a quarter of a tablet to begin with. I seemed to just have such a strong reaction to it! But now I’m on 50 and it’s really working. I found it so panic inducing at the beginning, but it was worth it for me personally. I hope you’re okay.

If I’m really struggling to sleep sometimes o find listening to an audiobook or really non contentious podcast helps me a little bit. The first week is the hardest, but it does get better and I honestly don’t know where I’d be without them at the moment. I resisted taking them for years and years, but I wish I’d taken them sooner.

Hi 👋

I went on a high dose (100mg) of sertraline last December and it saved my life. I had been suffering from undiagnosed PND due to the pandemic. I was suffering from a lot of anxiety too and it helped with that.

In June dropped to 50mg then in July 25mg then six weeks ago stopped completely and had no withdrawal effects at all. I didn't change weight or anything whilst on it. The first two weeks when I started taking it were a little hard, the first three days being the hardest as I felt very out of it but I stuck with it and so glad I did.

@hellosunshineagainx

Hi 👋

I went on a high dose (100mg) of sertraline last December and it saved my life. I had been suffering from undiagnosed PND due to the pandemic. I was suffering from a lot of anxiety too and it helped with that.

In June dropped to 50mg then in July 25mg then six weeks ago stopped completely and had no withdrawal effects at all. I didn't change weight or anything whilst on it. The first two weeks when I started taking it were a little hard, the first three days being the hardest as I felt very out of it but I stuck with it and so glad I did.

Oh and I meant to say at first I had to take them in the morning or I was up all night, after a couple of months I was fine taking them before bed

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Im so worried about the pins and needles. Last night I woke up with a numb hand due to them. This morning my face feels tingly. I don’t know if this is a side effect from sertraline or I have something more serious. This is so scary to me as a HA sufferer :( x

Joining the thread. Hope you're ok ACCx 💐

I'm sat at work this am with an unopened box of Sertealine on my desk. Have had them for two weeks. Prescribed for anxiety. Have never taken antids before and I'm so unsure as to whether or not to start them. Have always felt so resistant towards antidepressants (have taken propranolol for years but it's not helping much anymore) telling myself I can pull myself through it instead.

I'm really worried about the side effects (particularly on libido/sex life as sex is one of the few things that makes me regularly happy and calm) but my anxiety is just hideous right now. Ended up screaming at my (wonderful) DP over fucking petrol last night 🥺 (we were driving around trying to find an open station, passed 5 that were closed and I was borderline panic attack). He is the most chilled out person ever so just doesn't get why I feel the way I do (tbf, nor do I).

I am struggling to concentrate at work, sleep is poor and I've bitten and picked my nails/skin around my nails to bleeding stumps 😢.

I feel that I have nothing to lose by trying Sertraline at this point but I still feel resistant. Eurgh.

@LazyMareofEastown hey, I’m sorry to hear you’re also struggling. I’m only on day 3 and I am having some side effects but im trying to power through and give it a chance. I just got to the point where enough was enough. I realised I couldn’t get over the anxiety on my own x

@LazyMareofEastown

Joining the thread. Hope you're ok ACCx 💐

I'm sat at work this am with an unopened box of Sertealine on my desk. Have had them for two weeks. Prescribed for anxiety. Have never taken antids before and I'm so unsure as to whether or not to start them. Have always felt so resistant towards antidepressants (have taken propranolol for years but it's not helping much anymore) telling myself I can pull myself through it instead.

I'm really worried about the side effects (particularly on libido/sex life as sex is one of the few things that makes me regularly happy and calm) but my anxiety is just hideous right now. Ended up screaming at my (wonderful) DP over fucking petrol last night 🥺 (we were driving around trying to find an open station, passed 5 that were closed and I was borderline panic attack). He is the most chilled out person ever so just doesn't get why I feel the way I do (tbf, nor do I).

I am struggling to concentrate at work, sleep is poor and I've bitten and picked my nails/skin around my nails to bleeding stumps 😢.

I feel that I have nothing to lose by trying Sertraline at this point but I still feel resistant. Eurgh.

It didn't affect my libido but did affect my ability to orgasm, with patience I could again after ehing on it for around three months but not going to lie the sensations definitely feel 'numbed', I realised the extent when I came off them and within a week I was like 'wow so this is what sex feels like, I forgot'

It's invisible for me in terms of side effects. I just feel....normal. steady, calm, content.

It's a medication like any other. And is prescribed for a very very bloody important reason. Some people won't get on great with it but it will improve the lives of way way more people than that.