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Mental health

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Original poster

Sertraline - day 1 - feeling awful

28 replies

Mummytotwonow · 14/02/2022 04:39

Hi,

Took my first 50mg tablet at 10pm tonight. Woke up at 3am with headaches, diarrhoea, feel sick as dog, immense thirst and can't get back to sleep. Feel absolutely horrendous. Don't think I'll be taking it again :(

OP posts:

unidentia · 14/02/2022 05:02

It is worth sticking with it. Its life-changingly good stuff once you're past the first 4 weeks.

You need to take the tablet with a meal or you'll get nausea.

I take it in the morning so it interrupts my sleep less.

Good luck

The side effects do wear offf.

DoucheCanoe · 14/02/2022 05:06

It gets easier and fades eventually.

I switched to taking mine in the morning as I had similar issues in the beginning and that helped a lot.

I've been on a 50mg dose since May last year for anxiety and it's been life changing, just give it a couple of weeks :)

kerosene20 · 14/02/2022 05:06

Please continue OP. I felt like I was dying for the first few days but my goodness it has changed my life. Please remember why you’re taking it and stick it out z

MamaJubba · 14/02/2022 05:09

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. We've removed this one because it looks to have been posted on the wrong thread.

AugustSeptemberOctober · 14/02/2022 05:59

Sertraline is amazing stuff - I feel like a new person since I started it last year. The first couple of weeks were awful, but I'm so glad I stuck with it! Try to push through, you'll be glad you did.

Original poster

Mummytotwonow · 14/02/2022 06:33

Thanks everyone. Now stead of feeling sick I'm now non stop vomiting. Were you actually physically sick? Not sure I can do this for a number of days or weeks. I'm Not going to be able to work like this and have two hound children to look after. It's all so shit. Seeing your comments about sticking it out and that's it worth it really wants to make me stick it out but I don't think I can feeling like this.

OP posts:

DoucheCanoe · 14/02/2022 09:28

I wasn't sick at all but did feel nauseous at times.

Are you sure you're not just unwell OP?

EnoBaby · 14/02/2022 09:41

I had awful headaches, dizziness, tinnitus and nausea for around a month after I started taking it but I persisted and it’s the best thing I’ve done for myself. No more obsessive thinking or anxiety at all!
I think physical side effects are a pretty standard downside to the adjustment period, but if you gave any thoughts of hurting yourself speak to your doctor immediately. This happened to a friend and sertraline just wasn’t the right way for her.

BabyInTheJungle · 14/02/2022 09:43

Oh gosh I had horrible nausea for a few weeks but wasn't actually sick. Could you have a bug/food poisoning? That seems very extreme.

It is life changing and does settle down but I can sympathise, being sick is awful.

Emilyh1986 · 14/02/2022 10:43

Could you try taking half a dose for the first week (i cut mine in half) that's what i'm doing and the only side effects i'm having are tiredness, dry mouth and yawning a lot!

RedMozzieYellowMozzie · 14/02/2022 10:45

Definitely don’t take it at night it’s much better in the mornings. You need to stick with it - the side effects will pass

Kshhuxnxk · 14/02/2022 10:47

Gosh never had side effects like that - are you sure you don't have a bug? Maybe stop and retry in a week?

CherryAndAlmond · 14/02/2022 10:48

I broke mine in half for the first couple of weeks and that helped a lot. So did taking it in the morning. Life changing for me too. Stick with it OP if you possibly can.

Tomselleckhaskindeyes · 14/02/2022 10:49

It doesn't sound right to me. Sertraline didn't work for me so went on a different SSRI.

whydoesitalwayshappentome · 14/02/2022 10:52

My daughter was physically sick for a day or so on it but it soon passed.

Purplecatshopaholic · 14/02/2022 10:53

@CherryAndAlmond

I broke mine in half for the first couple of weeks and that helped a lot. So did taking it in the morning. Life changing for me too. Stick with it OP if you possibly can.

My side effects were horrendous too. Phoned emergency doc twice to two weeks I was so ill. Advised to stick with it, which I did. So glad I did. Agree it is absolutely Life Changing. Try to stick it out op. Good luck.

Specialk2021 · 14/02/2022 10:53

I was on this medication for a couple of years I felt the exact same when I started taking it honestly it does get better might not seem it but it does.. it's worth sticking at it however if you don't feel better after a week or so of taking it get in touch with your gp to discuss it x

TheFormidableMrsC · 14/02/2022 10:54

My DD started this over Xmas. It took a couple of weeks to settle down but my God she's like a new person. Try and stick with it.

stargirl1701 · 14/02/2022 11:05

Ugh. I hear you. I tried 6 weeks and got progressively worse with every bloody week.

Fluoxetine helped for a while. Mirtazipine worked for a while.

Now trying Citalopram.

amymel2016 · 14/02/2022 11:08

Keep going if you can OP, I started in November and it’s worth every side effect. I was physically sick and had awful anxiety/headaches for the first few weeks. It soon tapers down and now I’ve not thought about being anxious in weeks.

tcjotm · 14/02/2022 11:29

The first few days were bad but it was totally easy after that and life changing. Keep going if you can. I found the side effects gave me something to focus on besides being depressed- weird but it helped.

Original poster

Mummytotwonow · 14/02/2022 13:35

Thank you so much everyone for taking the time to reply. I won't take one today and will start from tomorrow taking them in the morning and see how I get on. I'll also try maybe taking half the dose to start with. I really need them to work as my depression has got worse so hoping they help somehow x

OP posts:

speakout · 14/02/2022 13:55

I know SSRIs work for some, amazingly but not for everyone.
My DS tried two different types and evan after 4 weeks was feeling worse than ever.
And the other created a serious side effect which is well known, but ended up with police and emergency being called in the middle of the night.
I took one 20mg tablet 8 days ago and developed serotonin syndrome. I can't remember much about the whole of last week, I spend days just being sick and sleeping, crying.
I haven't quite recovered, and still feeling physically and emotionally fragile.

I know some swear by these drugs, but I wouldn't touch them again.

SEcretsand · 14/02/2022 13:59

Speak to your GP in case it's a reaction. My partner took it for the first time a few days ago and had a bad reaction, lip swelled became very dizzy and couldn't stop vomitting all night couldn't keep water down and ended up in a and e. He's now having to be prescribed a new anti depressant. Although this may not be the case for you but just get it checked by a Dr just in case as I know anti depressants can make you feel a bit shit the first few days.

speakout · 14/02/2022 14:15

SEcretsand

I agree.
Serious side effects are not common but they do happen.
I couldn't walk for three days after one tablet.

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