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.

@FreddyP definitely sounds like it’s due to the sertraline. That’s actually one of the common side effects. The fact you’re worrying about it is probably make it worse. I’ve got all sorts of side effects that I try not to think to much into. As long as it’s listed as a side effect then that’s what I take it as. Im on them for health anxiety so I can relate to your worry but like I said it is common :)

@ACCx thanks again I'll try to bear that in mind from now on x

I'm wondering if maybe sertraline aren't working for me now it'll be 6 weeks tomorrow I'm still not at peace or feeling any happiness my mind is consumed constantly by how shit I feel, I still feel unable to go back to work on Tuesday and nowhere near how I felt on my previous AD, I feel such a failure and people are losing patience with me 😭

I went on 50mg sertraline in 2017 due to awful health anxiety following my mum dying. After the initial side effects it gave me my life back. I came off it last year but my dad became ill and passed away at the end of November. I then got covid 2 weeks ago, and here I am again in the grips of god awful anxiety. Convinced I have something severely wrong with me from covid, unable to sleep or eat, just terror. The doctor gave me some propranolol to get me through the weekend and is calling me tomorrow to see if I want to go back on sertraline. I definitely need to but am also worried about the initial side effects again, so wish I had never come off it.

It’s so hard @cheeseybeans19 . Getting covid is what caused me to go onto sertraline as I was anxious before but that made it awful . you aren’t alone . If you don’t decide to go back on I hope the side effects aren’t too bad.

@wendz86 thanks for the reply, I keep hearing people saying covid set their anxiety off again so I do think that combined with losing my dad is what’s set me off. I definitely need to go back on the tablets as I am catastrophising constantly. I have a huge fear of infection and am obsessed with taking my temperature, a friend just posted in Facebook she is in hospital with a water infection that’s gone into her kidneys and I felt my stomach drop. I was exactly the same when my mum died and sertraline got me back on track so I know it’s what I need again. In the meantime it’s just trying to cope with the waves of terror, just awful. Talking on here helps, and reading other peoples experiences.

@cheeseybeans19 my daughter has covid ATM and its triggered her anxiety massively and she is catastrophizing also 😢 its a horrible feeling as I'm the same ATM the thpughts just won't bugger off hope you feel better soon as it sounds like you've had a lot on your plate

@FreddyP it’s awful isn’t it? I keep telling myself I’m bound to feel under the weather as I am recovering from covid, but my anxiety keeps telling me there’s something really wrong with me. It’s definitely a viscous circle which is really hard to break

@cheeseybeans19 it's bloody horrendous and like you say really hard to break, my daughter is thinking all sorts of things and I feel so bad for her because I'm exactly the same so I really feel your pain bless you x

Thought I would come back to this thread to see how everyone is doing? I started my sertraline, I am on day 11. I snapped them in half and took 25 mg for 7 days, today is my 4th day of 50mg. The side effects have been rough, heightened anxiety, upset stomach and unable to sleep amongst other things, so I have also taken some propranolol as and when I have needed to. I haven’t felt as bad today, I am hoping so much that I am starting to feel some benefit from the sertraline 🙏🏻 How are you doing now @wendz86 and @FreddyP

@cheeseybeans19 - when you say upset stomach, did it last for long? Were you constantly on the loo or could you function? I already have a lot of anxiety around my IBS and this is one of the side effects that really worries me!

@Natje not too long, a few days. Completely understand your worry, I have IBS and also coeliac disease. I wasn’t constantly in the loo, just had the runs a few times a day for a few days but then it settled. I am on day 16 now and day 9 of my full tablet and am glad I have persevered as I am definitely starting to feel better.

@cheeseybeans19 hope you are still improving unfortunately for myself it seems they just aren't the right medication for me as I've not improved and am at the 3 month mark very upset as I felt quite optimistic just wish they hadn't messed around with my AD in the first place as its resulted in a massive relapse 😭

Hi. Reading this for encouragement as my DD is still getting bad side effects 4 weeks after starting sertraline. But wanted to say, try magnesium supplements for restless legs ~ mine stopped almost overnight with it.

Just started Sertraline...3 days
...after long deliberation for depression and anxiety for almost a year and having been on Citalopram. Expected side effects and felt woozy but today I had a few hours of feeling really depressed and in a darker place. It has passed and although not brilliant..better. can anyone else relate. Willing to persevere but it was a bit alarming. Thanks.

@Lollipopnan Hi how long were you on Citalopram?

Just about 12 months but weaned off mega slowly over about 3 months . Finished entirely about 3 weeks ago

@Lollipopnan that's good if you tapered slowly as you get withdrawal from coming off antidepressant which I have only recently learnt so could possibly be a bit of the withdrawal as well as starting the sertraline, I was tapered to quickly by my gp after 27 years on chlomipramine so wasn't great as I thought I was relapsing but could of been bad withdrawal from quick taper, its early days hang in there you'll have bumps along the way all perfectly normal x

@FreddyP thanks. I am always very alert about any new meds...bit of a nightmare actually🙈 but really want this to work so will push on.

@Lollipopnan good luck I'm sure you'll be fine they work wonders for so many people

They made me worse and suicidal!

I’ve just taken my first tablet (25mg).
Ive had untreated PND for 4 years and I am hoping & praying this works for me. My children need a better mum and my husband deserves a better wife 😔

Well done for taking the step @Belle82@Belle82

Ahh posted too soon 🤦‍♀️

You deserve to feel well and happy. I hope they help. I'm 10 months in and honestly wish I started them sooner. They have made all the difference. Take care x

Hubby been on Sertraline before, works well for his anxiety and there were some sexual side effects (generally positive!)