Sertraline help

[clpsmum]

I have today been prescribed sertraline. I do not have any depression but I have crippling anxiety, intrusive thoughts, overthinking and panic attacks. I've just read the leaflet and then a thread on here that for the first few weeks it can actually make all these things worse. Has anyone experienced this? I really can't cope with things getting any worse than they already are and I just don't know what to do. Any help is greatly appreciated

It did get worse for me but I was in such a dark place I pushed through and by 4 weeks I realised I hadn't had a panic attack for a few days.

Following thread as have them for PNA and the side effects are what makes me not want to take them along with having a bad experience with them in the past when I've been given them for GAD

I started on 50 first week and now on 100 .

My heart has started racing so I've taken a propranolol in the hope that stops any anxiety before it starts and calms me down a bit 🤞🏼🤞🏼

How are you OP?

It took me a while to adjust to them. At least two weeks. I felt like adrenaline was coursing though my veins, increased anxiety, ridiculously vivid dreams. It was quite disturbing. I started on 50 and increased to 100.

But they settled down and have since been life-changing. TOTALLY life changing. I wish I'd tried them years ago. My issue was severe PMS. That's all gone. It's so amazing.

How are you feeling @clpsmum

I was lucky and had very little side effects starting but like many of us I was worried about what they may make me feel. It was such a game changer for me.

@clpsmum how you feeling today

I keep busy with work but feel I can get easily distracted and fall behind with work and have to end up working longer to catch up

Hi everyone sorry for the late reply. Thank you so much for checking on me how thoughtful of you to think of me. I am feeling really sick and have completely lost my appetite but apart from that I am ok. Already I feel less anxious which has surprised me. I did have a panic attack yesterday but it was mild compared to previous ones.

How is everybody else doing?

Honestly thank you so much for your support I cannot tell you how much it means to me

This thread encouraged me to start mine yesterday.
So far I have no side effects but was exhausted last night and went to bed at 9 (I'm usually in bed by around midnight).

Hope you start feeling better soon, it is really good news that the panic attack was mild, hopefully the tablets are starting to work.

I took my 3rd tablet last night, I try and take it around 6.30ish, the first two nights it made me feel a bit dizzy, almost very slightly drunk, I wouldn’t have attempted to drive but I slept well, I had a mild headache yesterday.

Last nights tablets didn’t make me feel dizzy/fuzzyheaded, I didn’t sleep as well but I do have issues sleeping, today I have a slight headache but nothing unmanageable, I am hoping the side effects continue to be mild, I keep telling myself I am already 3 days closer to feeling better.

Hope everyone else is doing ok?

@clpsmum @Itismarchalready @SomeonTookMyAnonymousUserName
We all seem to be around same place.
I take mine after school run so the dizzy spell is over before collection time.
Some days are better than others
Today I feel sick but don't normally.
I think they allow me relax about small thing that used annoy me like an untidy house.

How is everybody doing?

I'm on Day 3 today. I'll take my third pill at lunchtime.

Yesterday I noticed a strange uncomfortable feeling in my jaw and neck accompanied by chattering teeth (is that the right word - you know when you're cold and you shiver, your teeth can chatter). It was very mild and I could stop it by clenching my jaw but it happened when I wasn't thinking about it.

I also had a mild headache but nothing that needed painkillers.

I had a decent sleep; nothing to report.

I'll see what today brings.

My Dd had the odd headache when starting on 50, a bit of an upset stomach, but nothing awful. Going to 100 she has had a bit more anxiety for a week or so... including one panic attack where she was so worried as she hadn't had a full blown one before. But everything is settling down after 2 weeks and she feels "stable" emotionally now.

It was and is the best thing for me and I'm on the lowest dose
After years of being on stronger anxiety meds, I know now I'll be on these forever and that is ok by me
I can't put a price on my mental health - I came off for a few months and the eventual fallout was awful 😢 but just having this small amount (25mg is the start off amount or child's amount but it's great for me)
Try it you may need to try a couple types to get the right one for you but it might just be what you need
Good luck 🤞🏻

I'm with you on this. I've said the same x

I took my 4th tablet about 6.30 last night, I didn’t get the dizzy/fuzzyheaded feeling I had the previous evenings and feel absolutely fine this morning, I need to drive today and feel fine to do so.

I’m hoping that this continues but I’m expecting the side effects to catch up with me at some point?

Is anyone else who is perhaps slightly further ahead feeling better yet?

I feel more settled than I have been for several weeks but can’t understand why? It can’t be the sertraline as I haven’t been taking it long enough?

I certainly feel like I have more energy.

I have a very difficult day today ( anniversary of the death of a family member and feel like I’m coping with it better than I thought)

Possibly a placebo effect as I’ve read the effects from sertraline don’t start for at least 2 weeks?

I would be really interested to know how quickly anyone noticed improvements etc.

Hope everyone has a good day, thank you for keeping this thread going I don’t have anyone to discuss the medication with in RL, this thread is a huge help.

@Itismarchalready glad the thread is helping
I feel less anxious when o take it
I am on 100mg now
I do find it hard to sleep so take sleeping tablet at weekend

I definitely experienced the nausea and upset tummy symptoms for the first week or two but my anxiety didn't worsen. I did feel a bit spaced out initially. I am so glad I persevered though as after the first few weeks it was like a cloud had lifted. Ive not taken sertraline for a year now, and my anxiety has never gone back to pre-sertraline levels and I personally feel on a more even keel. Good luck xx

So today is day five for me and the worst day yet. Anxiety, panic attacks is, sickness and the runs. Sorry if tmi! Hoping this means the meds are kicking in and trying to stay positive 🤞🏼🤞🏼

How's everybody else. So thankful this thread is continuing. Nice to have a safe space as I'm so limited in RL

@clpsmum I’m so sorry you are having a bad day, hopefully you are through the worst of it soon. Do you have a review booked with your GP?

What time of day are you taking your tablet?

I took my 6th tablet about an hour ago, I don’t really have any appetite today and I feel a bit more anxious tonight than previous nights, the worst side effect for me so far is the headache, its been there since I took started the tablets but it feels worse today than it has been, painkillers don’t seam to help.
I’m also very very tired today.

I certainly don’t feel as well as I felt yesterday morning when I last posted.

I have a review booked on Monday with my GP, the review was booked at my last appointment 4 weeks ago and I had been prescribed the tablets about 10 days before that but I put off taking them because of the side effects etc.

I’m not as far along taking them as I should be, I not sure what the GP will say re increasing etc, I would prefer to stay on the 50mg for a while to try and see an improvement before I think about increasing if needed.

Hope everyone else has had a better day, It so nice to have this thread to reread. Other than DH I don’t have anyone to discuss this with either.

Just keep going for a month to see if it helps

How is everyone feeling today?
I took my 7th tablet this evening, I felt fine this morning, lots of energy but by lunchtime felt like I had flu, stuffly nose, sore throat, achy, tired etc, this has happened the last 3 days, I’m not sure if it is connected or not?

I’m finding that for a few hours after I take my tablet I have awful anxiety/panic and my heart starts racing. I’m also waking for a couple of hours each night despite taking zopiclone.

I will move to taking my tablet in the morning once the side effects settle but I am self employed and really need to work/focus in the day so I’m putting up with the broken nights sleep as a trade off at the moment.

Tomorrow is the end of week one for me and I’m not seeing any improvement yet but the week hasn’t been as bad as I had feared either.

Hope everyone else is ok and is looking forward to the weekend

I have always had broken sleep
I think part of my problem is kids growing up and not needing me anymore makes me anxious.