Sertraline newbie! Terrified to take the first one

[HollyLondoner]

Hi all

Today I am due to start sertraline and I'm so scared. I have a 17 month old and didn't have PND and loved my mat leave. I returned to work in October and didn't cope at all and got signed off in December. My work have been horrible and I feel bullied out of my job by my mat cover but that's another story.

I have been having bad panic attacks, terrible insomnia and crying all the time. I thought it was time to start medication but I'm also terrified.

I took fluoxetine for a few years in my 20s and it really helped but they've said sertraline would be best to try. I feel like I'm extremely hormonal but my levels are apparently fine.

Do I just take the plunge and start because I'm just surviving at the moment.

Oh also I've had 17 months of barely any sleep as my boy has only just started to sleep better so that really hasn't helped. Only been a week though so don't want to jinx it just yet!! I also don't feel any better after a week of sleep yet.

I started sertraline about 2 and a half weeks ago. I started on a quarter of a 50mg tablet - so 12.5mg. Took that for 4 days, then 25mg for 4 days, then 37.5 for 3 days, now up to 50mg.

I was SO worried about having side effects, particularly nausea, but I've felt fine - haven't really noticed anything at all and certainly no worsening of mood etc.

It's fine to build up slowly so if things have ben hard today straight onto 50mg, take a lower dose tomorrow for a few days before increasing the dose gradually.

Jumping on here as I’ve taken my first 50mg sertraline today.

Have had a massive mental health crisis triggered by falling extremely ill over Christmas and lots of unprocessed trauma. I’ve been referred to a psychologist and was prescribed sertraline by the locum gp who saw me. I delayed starting it for 5 days as I terrified myself reading about side effects, but I’ve had to admit this don’t going to shift on its own.

My first tablet gave me almost an instant bad stomach 😫. Am hoping it eases! How are you doing @HollyLondoner?

@MindatWork sorry to hear that!

I'm pleased to say, I've not had my side effects. Some headaches and nausea but nothing much more than that. I would even say I feel a little lighter. Not better yet, but definitely not worse.

How are you feeling now?

Hi, thank you for sharing your experiences. On day 5 at the moment. Always had anxiety and accepted it as normal, but it exploded with physical anxiety attack in December on my period, came out of nowhere and now feel a bit broken, breathing felt so short, but started to feel better with exercise, supplements, breathing etc, then as my next period came, the same feeling came around again and it floored me even more. Started sertraline to escape this bad place, after lots of deliberation. Just hoping it works, along with therapy. So many different stories and experiences but nice to see this thread as people tend to disappear over time on older forums.

Glad to hear that @HollyLondoner - I’m on day 10 today and have found it better than I expected from all the horror stories I’ve read. I had two brighter days earlier this week but the anxiety has got me back in its grip again yesterday and today.

I had a very positive first therapy session yesterday - I clicked with the psychologist straight away and am relieved to have someone help me process everything (several years worth of trauma related to infertility, IVF and miscarriage).

Im just bored of it now, every day is a struggle and I just want to feel like myself again. I do have a lot of family support and everyone is telling me recovery is not necessarily a linear process and there will be good and bad days.

Welcome @Lea84NAFS, how are you feeling so far?

@MindatWork Glad you’re at least having some positives. I thought I was feeling slightly better last night, to then wake up to tummy pains of dread and I don’t even know why. Now in bed at 7.30pm because I feel rubbish. Really hope this passes and it gets better soon.

I started a month ago - very sleepy and slightly busy for the first few days, but that has now gone and I feel real improvements already.

Hi again, everyone. I've now been on them for 2 weeks, and although I initially felt better, It has passed, and I'm back to my anxious, short tempered self. I know it's early days, but I just want to feel better!

I understand how you feel, I’m taking tablet 9 (50mg) later today and most days I wake up with anxiety in the pit of my stomach not to mention many side effects. I’ve had two ok days where I’ve felt more normal but always feel back to square one again, and that it’s not going to work.

Both myself and two people I know are on it
no side effects at all , apart from it made me tired and blood pressure bit lower that’s all

best advise I heard for any medication is to get a partner to read the side effect so they know what to look out for anf dont read them yourself ever

My god I've had the most insane diarrhoea for days now!! I felt really nauseous but then the stomach cramps started and for the last few days I haven't been able to do anything, even sleep as it is every few minutes. I've taken loads of immodium and nothing is helping.

Anyone else having a problem? I do have IBS but this is horrendous

@HollyLondoner oh no. That sounds really miserable. I haven't experienced that myself due to sertraline a few weeks into taking them. Could it maybe be a bug or something you've eaten?

I'm about 2.5 weeks into taking again and my anxiety increased last weekend. From memory I think this has happened to me before, that my 3rd week of being on sertraline or a dose increase can be a bit of a tough one for me where it feels like things have got worse and I won't ever get better. But a couple of days on and I am feeling less anxious again. So hang on it there guys. It takes longer than you realise to start working properly. One day at a time. Maybe even less if that's more manageable when you feel in the thick of it.

Hey, glad you're feeling ok. I have been on sertraline three times, once after a traumatic incident and twice after having bad postnatal anxiety. The first time I just felt tired and it didn't help, but was only 21 and have heard it's not always effective for under-25's.

It was a miracle for the postnatal anxiety - it had built up until I was having continuous waves of panic all day and night, not able to sleep or eat, and suddenly I felt completely fine and ok again. I had sugar cravings and vivid dreams as side effects, but once I was able to identify and manage the sugar cravings it was fine.

Sorry to hear you’ve got a bad stomach @HollyLondoner - I’ve had a terrible tummy most of the time I’ve been on sertraline (day 15 today) but I think it’s the anxiety more than the meds.

Miracle of miracles I woke up today with no anxiety, after 3 weeks of feeling like the world is going to fall on my head. I could weep
from relief. I’ve been going to the gym, meditating a lot and practicing good sleep habits, so I’m hoping all of it combined with the meds is helping.

Im not getting ahead of myself and am well aware I might feel terrible again tomorrow. Just the fact that I can have a normal day is hugely encouraging.

How is everybody feeling now? Any positive updates?

I’m still doing ok but am trying not to get too excited because I know the anxiety might rear its head again. I have a close family funeral in a couple of weeks and also need to go back to work but am feeling cautiously positive.

Hope everything else is feeling a bit better - how are you feeling @Lea84NAFS ?

@MindatWork That's good to hear! I'm glad it's going in the right direction for you. I'm sorry you have a funeral, I hope it goes as well as can be expected. I'm still waiting for the anxiety to subside a bit more, mornings are tough to get motivated and not get a pain in my tummy. I haven't gone back to exercise yet as I'm waiting for my period to come and go (I've had panic attacks last two periods that's what started this whole realisation of how anxious Ive been for years and my cycle has really affected me in the last couple of years) but if I can get past it, then mentally hopefully I can start to get back running / football etc... It's day 17 today x