Restarting Sertraline - will the side effects be like before?

[ZaZathecat]

My dad recently came off Sertraline (gradually), but since stopping, about 2 months ago, has gone back to her pre-sertraline levels of anxiety, causing nausea, diarrhea and pain attacks. I have suggested she starts on it again, but she is worried about the terrible side effects she had during the first 2 weeks, which made her even worse.
Can anyone say from experience whether going back on Sertraline gives you the same severe side effects you had the first time? I'm hoping there is a tolerance to it the second time around.

That should day dd, not dad.

I went on sertraline when I was 19 and had horrible anxiety at the beginning and took myself off it after about 2 months. I restarted it after I spiralled and stuck at it this time, I've been on it for a solid 6 months now at 20 years ago. I didn't have any anxiety starting it a second time which was the main thing for me. I had a bit of nausea the first time which I didn't have the second time either. I experienced a bit of a loss of appetite with both but nothing that didn't rectify itself after a couple of weeks. It was a really good decision for me to start again at 50mg and then increase to 100mg after 2 weeks to soften the side effects, which I think helped. I definitely had a better experience the second time :)

20 years old*
Sorry!

Thanks duckie, how long did it take for your anxiety to calm down once you restarted?

For me the anxiety was maybe a week and a half and I struggle with depression too which took a little longer to level out, but I do remember waking up one day after about a month/5 weeks of taking it and it was almost as if it hit me overnight. Pretty much all my motivation came back and everything became easier and I've only had 1 panic attack since which compared to before is amazing! I would definitely say give it a go as her body will recognise it so hopefully the side effects will be milder if there at all. I'm so glad I restarted it as I was nervous about the side effects too but there was nothing to worry about :)

duckie that is encouraging. My dd is meant to start a summer job next week and is terrified because she will be getting constant panic attacks and the rest. She only just admitted to me that she came off Sertraline 2 months ago. She thought it wasn't helping her. However for the last 2 months she's been back to square one so I am sure it was helping a lot, she just didn't know it.

Does anyone else have experience of this?

I would suggest your DD requests a medication review with her GP. There are lots of different antidepressants/anti-anxiety meds out there, and different ones work for different people. Sertraline is notorious for causing really bad side effects in a lot of people - I had similar to your DD and came off it within a week. It was such a bad experience I convinced myself all antidepressants were bad for years.

A few years ago my mental health was so bad I decided to try again - was recommended mirtazipine and it works so well for me. I'm like...well, just me (no wooziness or numbed emotions etc) but without the depression and anxiety! No side effects whatsoever unless you count helping with sleep (they're taken at night).

My husband also didn't get on with sertraline at all and was switched to trazadone, which again, works really well for him.

Get DD to speak to her GP. I honestly don't know why sertraline is always the first option offered as I know soooo many people it affected terribly! (Obviously know it also works well for many too!)

Thanks SAB50, it's a problem speaking to a GP at the moment as she's just returned from uni and has put in the forms to re-register here but apparently it's going to take about 2 weeks. She's been told to go to Urgent Care if she needs an appointment before that, which is not really helpful.
Once she can get an appointment maybe they can try her on a different one.

Just to warn you I came off sertraline 250mg in 2019 and due to lockdown fucking with my anxiety went back on it (only 25mg) in 2020 and the first few days were horrendous. I've never experienced side effects like that before. I ended up calling 111 but they arranged for some telephone counselling and the side effects got better after a couple of days.

Ah not so good, it's a tricky decision

Hi! I totally understand your concerns — I’ve been taking Zoloft (Sertraline) for quite a long time myself, and it’s made a huge difference in my life. When I first started, the side effects were tough for about two weeks — I had increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, and nausea. But after that adjustment period, everything gradually improved. My mood stabilized, I felt more balanced emotionally, and my anxiety became much more manageable.

Interestingly, I had to restart Zoloft once after stopping for a while, and the side effects the second time were milder and didn’t last as long. So yes, in my experience, your body might tolerate it better when you go back on it. I always order mine from delivery-service24.com/categories/Depression/Zoloft — they’ve been super reliable, fast, and the quality is always good. Just make sure your dad starts on a low dose again and builds up slowly — and of course, check in with the doctor. Wishing you both the best 💛