Sertraline stopping and starting working?

[Bookist]

I've always suffered with my hormones, had PMS and PND etc. Going into perimenopause made my PMS so much worse, so I started HRT which worked well. But I had to stop HRT four years ago when I was diagnosed with early BC. To help with the severe PMS and hot flashes my GP prescribed me 100mg of Sertraline and it works brilliantly most of the time. No hot flashes and no PMS, it's fabulous stuff.

But several times a year it feels like the Sertraline just stops working for about 2 weeks, and I get hot flashes again and an awful low mood. It feels like I've been dropped right back in the middle of PND to be honest, which is hilarious as my DCs are both at university). These episodes appear out of nowhere, no correlation to my menstrual cycle (I'm 53 and periods still fairly regular), and then disappear just as quickly.

My GP insists that no AD can stop/start working like this, but they have no other explanation for why this happens? Has anyone experienced anything similar?

(did also post this on Menopause Board, but thought it perhaps more pertinent to here) x

Hi @Bookist,

Someone was posting recently saying about the different brands of sertraline causing them different side effects - could it be that? I know in theory they are identical but there seemed to be quite a few people agreeing - if you look back on the mental health board for sertraline threads you can see the conversations.

Or is it possible you are occasionally forgetting to take them? Otherwise all I can think is maybe it’s a certain point in your cycle where you might have to try upping the dose to 150mg.

I think the magnets can help with menopause symptoms but maybe the menopause board is the best to ask about that.

Hi Squiggles, thanks for replying. Someone did suggest that maybe some generic brands are more effective than others? I've never really taken note of which brand I get each month, except it's always a generic rather than the original Lustral etc. It would make perfect sense if certain generic brands just didn't work well for me as it would explain the very sudden stop/start effect. It's genuinely nothing to do with external circumstances as my life is really happy.

Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed it but would definitely be worth starting to look at the different brands. I wouldn’t be afraid to up your dosage either one the times it doesn’t seem to be working but maybe one for the GP x

Thank you I will. I also wonder if maybe sometimes my pesky hormones still have a huge surge and the Sertraline is suppressed for a couple of weeks? It definitely feels like a weird chemical switch over in my head.

Have you tried the magnet? There’s very sceptical science but it’s £40 or so and if you read the reviews it gets rid of the hot flushes for a lot of women.

No, I've ever heard of magnets helping with hot flashes? I will do some research.

Do you not have a natural fluctuation in severity of pms symptoms and heaviness of periods anyway?

I know I do, it fluctuates throughout the year and I have a couple of really bad periods a year.

I don't think it's the sertraline not working per say. It's likely just a natural fluctuation in hormones a couple of times a year.

Thanks for replying. Thinking about it, my periods are fluctuating more and more. Several times this year I've gone 70 days between periods. Also my last period was considerably heavier than normal, but I'd already been in a slump for a week already when it started. I think I have to agree with you that it's hormonal surges causing the issue. Such a shame that the Sertraline can't fully suppress them all of the time.