Sertraline for mild general anxiety? Worth it?

[Bellablot2254]

Hi everyone.

im looking for some advice please. I’ve suffered with anxiety on and off my whole life. I’ve recently gone though some stressful events and I’m not feeling great. But I’m also not feeling desperate.

I have had a few episodes of desperation but always just rode them out. I’ve always been against medication because I’m scared it will change who I am, or I’ll get addicted.

Basically I’m not depressed (slight low mood) and I’m not ‘crippled’ with anxiety, however I am very irritable and have general underlying anxiety and health anxiety (last 2 weeks of my cycle seem to be worst). I can cope day to day. I still go to work etc, but I feel like having low lying anxiety means I’m not getting the most out of life. I’m scared of everything and I just want to be able to live day to day without overthinking every single thing and being harassed all the time. My brain goes 100 mile an hour nonstop.

I keep reading about how good sertraline is at reducing anxiety, and thinking about trying it.

I suppose my question to everyone who’s taking sertraline, is how exactly does it make you feel? and has anyone took it for mild anxiety? In other words, anxiety that isn’t ruining your life, but definitely having an impact and stopping you from living your best life?

any insight greatly appreciated :)

You sound very similar to me but I’ve always told myself I wouldn’t take prescribed medication. Luckily I’ve found other ways that have helped such as an online CBT course, exercise, avoiding situations which I know would worsen it! Magnesium supplements help me to

You sound very similar to me but I’ve always told myself I wouldn’t take prescribed medication

what even if you had cancer?

It did nothing at all for me. I also tried another SSRI citalopram I think. Useless. Now I'm back on Xanax 🙄

Is Xanax the same as diazepam? I had diazepam before to help me leave my marriage it really helped me to relax but was a short term prescription

Bellablot2254 how is your week going? Mines been complicated by testing positive for covid! Today my dose goes up to 50. I don't feel any different to normal after a week on sertraline.

Hi @toomanychickens so I was bracing myself for horrendous side effects, but they’ve not been 2 bad so far. The worst part of it for me is palpitations. They’re pretty much constant and very scary. The doctor said it’s normal but is seeing me Monday to review. The only other thing really was 2 nights ago I woke up in the middle of the night with a panic attack, something which has never happened to me before, but it only lasted 5 mins or so. I’ve not noticed them actually working yet, but it’s still early.

Have you had any more side effects?

No side effects for me. Feel pretty much the same. Just going to carry on and see what happens.

hi ! ive just started taking 50mg of sertraline for 14 days of the month to combat my severe PMS. I am on day 5 and up until today have felt really good but i feel extremely anxious today and sick.

i am wondering am i going to have these symptoms every month - I've read so much about the first few weeks being the worst in terms of the body getting used to them but how does that work when taking them intermittedly like we are ?

would really appriciate a reply as i dont know anyone in this situation :)

@MassiveSalad22 my above post was directed to you - if you could have a look forgot to tag you sorry !

Would love to hear how people are getting on with Sertraline. I’ve been prescribed 50mg (Starting with 25 for first week) for anxiety but had bad reaction to Citalopram so very nervous about taking this. Also nervous because I’ve heard it can cause diarrhoea which is a problem for me anyway (IBS) and is a source of my anxiety in the first place! I also am worrying about insomnia as have had problems with this before…. Any reassurance gratefully received!

Hi @Yorkie177 im onto day 13 with 50mg, prescribed for general anxiety. The first few days I felt a little jittery and spaced out, nothing major. But I did have heart palpitations all day which drove me mad. But the last couple of days they’ve completely stopped so I’m glad. But I’ve not heard many people have that side effect. I didn’t get any bowel related side effect, but I did lose my appetite for the first week.

I had one episode of panic in the night. But other than that there’s not much else to report. So far it’s been a lot easier than I thought as I was expecting horrible side effects. But I know everyone’s different.

in terms of feeling better anxiety wise, I think I feel a little more relaxed. I’m due my period and have no PMT so that’s great so I’ll usually very stressed and anxious.

Hope you get on ok.

Hi ! I am on day 6 of 50mg I also have Ibs but this hasn’t caused any further issues for me at all. First night I did struggle sleeping but I’ve been fine since then if anything more sleepy. My anxiety has certainly been heightened since I started taking it but it does seems to be getting better day by day

I would still love to hear from people who only take it for half the month to combat pms … :)

Thank you that’s really helpful. Got myself into a big of a panic about taking them esp as feel pretty fine at the moment and don’t want to feel crap with side effects (PMDD prob going to fear it’s ugly head in a week and I will lose the plot again!)

Thanks for replying, glad lol going well for you

@Yorkie177 yeah I was the same. I have general anxiety but I actually was ok before I started taking them, and I worried they would make me feel worse unnecessarily. I didn’t want to wait for an episode of worry to start taking them, I just wanted to start them and then not have anxiety going forward. So I totally understand. But like I say the side eggs tea have been a lot less than I anticipated. Let me know how you get on.

Hello, I’m on day 4 of 25mg Sertraline (Supposed to be increasing to 50 in a week) have felt fine until today but been having some stomach issues yesterday and today which has got me in a total panic (I have IBD and stomach issues are the cause of anxiety in the first place). Really worried about this esp as I have a long journey coming up. Can anyway reassure?!

Hello, don’t know if I have the right to reassure maybe chat to doc?
I didn’t get any dodgy tum just more anxiety, really difficult two weeks, now I’m a different person! Doc gave me diazepam as well, maybe that bunged me up?! But do chat to doc.
all I can say is 25 mg worked wonders went from arm tingles and dry heaves with anxiety to fairly calm. now I’m supposed to go to 50 and am scared to go thru anxiety again,
can anyone reassure me too?! We’re a needy lot!

I'm on a low dose of Sertraline and not suffering from side effects but it has really helped take the edge off my irritability, low mood and anxiety, without leaving me spaced out. Felt slightly queasy the first couple of days when I started it but no other side effects since. Would recommend it.

Same here have to go up to 50mg next week. Been pretty up and down since starting 25mg 6 days ago. Had a nice calm day where I felt much lighter and then an awful one where I cried all day and had awful dreams!!

did you find the diazepam helped? Doctor has given me some too but haven’t taken yet.

I'm also on 25mg and it makes the world of difference, my anxiety is alot better and my mood has also improved. I found 50mg was too much for me so just half it now

Has anybody found it to effect brain fog? I have terrible brain fog and am worried Sertraline would make it worse, but can it make it better?

Really interesting thread for me as I've been wondering about trying sertraline since it worked wonders for a friend. I've been taking 20-30mg of citalopram for many years, has anyone switched from citalopram to sertraline? Was it better? Any side effects?

Hi natfrances how was it too much for you? I’ve been up to 50 for 3 days and feel bunged up and grotty, and slightly more anxious again, is that what you had?

asterope I had brain fog too. I’ve found it’s a bit more, but better than the anxiety which was debilitating.

yorkie I found it sort of helped? It was a tiny dose of 2mg which I cut in half and took in the day, which may have helped or may he. Made me sleepy!
sometimes I take a whole one at night, but I’m still waking up a lot.
I think it can be bung you up, but that may be my appalling diet of bread at the moment!