Sertraline day 1 - help!

[LavenderLxx]

I have been prescribed 50mg daily of sertraline to treat depression by the GP.
I think I have been depressed on and off for a number of years but have only recently faced facts and realised I need to ask for help.

i have taken the 1st dose this morning and now in the afternoon I feel awful - I had to pull over driving as I felt like I was having a panic attack (racing heart, hard to breath, racing thoughts) I’ve got pins and needles in the hands and feet and feel so nauseas. I’m currently on the sofa with a bowl next to me! I appreciate that there are side effects to any medication but I feel rotten already and don’t have the luxury of just taking myself off to bed as I have 2 young children and a mum who I care for.

Help! Please tell me it’s gets better!

Can I ask what you took instead.
i honestly felt like I’d poisoned myself with Sertraline - I have never felt so unwell. There was no way to continue through those side effects

I felt the same when I tried duloxetine. I remember being in bed feeling like I was on a rollercoaster that wouldn't stop. It turned my anxiety up to 11. I only took one and refused to take another.

I've been ok on tricyclics. I had imipramine for PND, which was fine. I felt a bit floaty but not in a bad way.

Then later, I started on trazodone, which is an SARI. Absolutely no anxiety at all and it helped me sleep. Plus, it didn't negatively affect my sex life, which was really important to me. I had enough problems without that being spoilt as well!

Thinking about this, some people seem to need an antidepressant that has a lot of pep and zing. Whereas some people (like me) already have far too much pep and zing and need something that will mellow them out.

Yes, that’s exactly how I felt - my brain is already running at a million miles an hour and the Sertraline just seemed to speed it up even more!

I tried Citalopram ( gave me a horrendous rash 2 weeks in although i felt great on it ) and mertazine (?) .I reacted to that as well and had to get checked at a&e as my heart was so fast and I thought I was going to pass out
sertraline has been great for me just seems a case of trial and error unfortunately

Agree with other posters. Start on half a tablet taken in the morning with food. Absolutely changed my life and still on 50mg.

Oh me too, very much so.

Have a read about the two I mentioned, imipramine and trazodone, and see what you think. There's mirtazapine as well, which is another tricyclic.

It might also be worth asking the receptionist at your surgery which GP is the most knowledgeable about antidepressants, unless you have one that you prefer to see.

Please don't give up on trying to find one. It sometimes takes a few goes to find one that works for you.

I’m on day 7 of 50mg. I was having anxiety attacks anyway so it’s tricky to tell what is the drug and what is me.
One on day I felt so low and then really wired. Other days I’m having panics.
my GP said 4-6 weeks to work so I’m clinging on.