Sertraline - 7 weeks and still no change?

[hails27]

Hello everyone,

I am new as a poster on the forum but I have been reading it for some time. I have been on 100mg sertaline for nearly 7 weeks and still havnt seen a significant inprovement in my moods. I am wondering should I still give it time to work? Getting quite exasperated now with feeling down, no motivation to do anything , simply because I really dont want to be this way as Im sure lots of people dont! Should the medicatin have cused any change in my mood now? I really appreciate any feedback or replies to the thread. Sorry for babbling, hard to put what i want to say into anything slightly coherent at times!!

Thanks,

Hayley xx

Small bump. Hails27 my gp has recommended this for me today & I've come on here to find out about it.

I think the info she gave me said 2-3 weeks.

Sorry that doesn't really help you

Hi - I was on Sertraline for 6 months but didnt see any improvement. My GP suggested changing and am now on Venfalaxine but had to try various dosages to get it right.
Are you seeing your GP regularly?

I also had counselling whilst on the AD's and started doing 1 thing per week for myself then increased it. I like reflexology bit pricey but if you go to a beauty college you can offer yourself as a model.

Keep at it - there is no magic cure but it does get easier xx

hello and thank you for both your comments. To Mithered - I seen him he first time and he put me on 50mg but I felt they wernt working so after 4 weeks he upped them to 100mg. I have another appointment with him on Wednesday so i am going to try and see if he will change me to somthing else. I feel they dont take me too seriously. I am starting counseling in Jun also, looking forward to this as I am hoping it helps me too!

I would love to so something for myself too, like you do, but I find it hard to find something Im interested in anymore. I used to like different things but have lost interest to be honest. Im open to sggstions though.

Thanks again for the replys, they are both much appreciated xx

Hails, I have decided against trying antids. For two reasons, I am breastfeeding and don't want to have to worry about it transferring to dd in my milk (gp says it's fine but I am a worrier) and my therapist thinks I should really feel the despair I need to feel. Eek!

So I have decided to try and make time for me. It may sound a bit much but I am going to:

• yoga
• swimming
• grow & care for something in the garden
• start a project/make something

I know they might sound silly but life feels very overwhelming and frightening at the moment and I think these might help me to slow down, give me something to look forward to/care about/take pride in.

I know my situation may be very different to each of yours so these aren't suggestions as such but just sharing my plans!

hello Hulla,

Yeah you have good reasons not to try the anti depresants. I let myself 'feel' the despair for a long time without anti depressants though and felt I finally needed some help as I was going furher down every day. But as I said I understand your decision, we all have our reasons, and they are usually best for us.

I have started to make cards, but cant really get 'lost' in it if you know what I mean. Id really love to start walkig every day, but its hard getting the motivation and I get nervous thinking about it. Pathetic I know!

I did get my antid's changed this week. I am now on 10mg Cipralex, though I havnt heard of these. Has anyone any exprience of these?

I don't mean to make it sound as though the things I listed were alternatives to antids.

My MIL keeps saying "can't you just take Kalms? Or put some essential oil on a tissue?". She just wants to help but I feel like her suggestions belittle how I feel. That's certainly not how I meant to make you feel with my list of suggestions.

DH doesn't understand why I struggle to leave the house sometimes. Particularly after dd's birth. He thought baby groups would make me feel great but I'd feel such relief deciding not to go. If I managed to go out I also used to feel so pleased with myself for doing it.

I don't know that anti-d you mention but I hope it helps x

Hello Hulla,

Again thnk you for your reply. I didnt think you were trying to belittle me in the slightest. verything you hve said is very helpful, i just meant that we all have to try what suits us so you are doing the best thing for you at the end of the day. And I totally understand your reasons behind not taking antid's at the mo!!

I also meant I tried for a long time without antid's, so didnt want to have to take them, wanted to help myself but I couldnt.

I can understand why you dont want to leave the house sometimes, I fel exactly the same way. Its hard for people who dont have depression to understand the way we want and have to do things. Like you I also feel so much better when I do get myself out of the house, i spend wayyyy too much time thinking about it beforehand. I shoudl really just get out and not think about it, but its easier said than done!!

Have you tried any of the things that you mentioned in you earlier post? Like the yog or swimming? Maybe you could get a yoga dvd for home for the days you dont feel like going out. Yoga is supposed to b very relaxing so I hope it helps you in some way.

Thank you again for your replies Hulla x