Taking sertraline but worried about side effects..

[wholenutcadburys]

Hello,

Apologies if this isn't the incorrect topic.

I have been prescribed sertraline nearly 10 years ago and took it with absolutely no issues, felt like a different person instantly and back to "me" again. Came off before having my DS and tried again after having DS as had awful PND..
I then took sertraline again with awful nausea, shaking and tremors. Changed to citalopram but I was so scared of the side effects I didn't take it.

I have had a chat with the GP and they have tried sertraline again as I'm hoping it was just imbalance of hormones after my DS.

I just worry so much about the side effects of the medication again, last time the nausea was horrendous, fainted and shaking luckily when I was in the house with my mum, tremors and horrendous night sweats.

I have the tablets all ready to take just worry so much about the effects!

I also was someone who had no issues with sertraline starting it (although I was a mess, 2 months post birth, so maybe I've blocked it out). Can you prep somehow for starting again? Family help, call in favours, easy dinners etc?

@CocoPlum
It's bizarre I have had no side effects the first time round.. yes this is a possibility, I think I just worry that the side effects I had are a really possibility but the pros and cons are just outweighing one another..

Thank you for your response x

I understand. I know though how I felt just starting to reduce my dose. Short term it will be hard but please think about how you felt the first time when your mental health was so positively impacted x

@CocoPlum

Thank you 🩷 i think a years worth of feeling have just built up and I understand I cannot go on like this so I've decided it's best to go back on to something rather than struggling alone.. x

I had horrific side effects from sertraline (also stopped for second pregnancy) that took about 2 months to ease off completely. But, the difference in my mood so fast made the nausea, insomnia, shaking, etc, worth it. I took citalopram decades ago at 18-26 and I was a zombie for the entire duration.

This too gives me hope ❤️

I had bad side effects the first time I tried sertraline but the second time I didn't at all...can you titrate up slowly and see how you feel?

What strength have they started you back on?

The first month or so can be really really hard work for some (it was a bit for me but not enough to stop them) & it's common for ppl to stop taking them. For me it was well worth getting through that period & sertraline has REALLY helped me. I was also really worried about the side effects, especially the dizziness cos it's a trigger for my panic attacks, so it put off starting them too lol.

I can't forsee me stopping them any time soon - only 50mg but it's just enough to let me logic through my anxiety without making me numb.

I've been started on 50mg, I might see if I can speak to my GP about a lower dose as my reasons for taking them far outweighs the side effects I will just have to deal with however the fear of the effects are preventing me at the moment to just take the plunge and see how it goes..
I have to make my mind up soon as I'm a student in my final year (nursing) and don't want to be feeling crappy on my placement blocks

I absolutely hated the side effects - fainting, bowel issues, complete detachment from everything. It did numb my anxiety, not to the point where it left but to the point where I didn't care what the anxiety did to me. I had to come off it, I couldn't live like that, and I'll never take it again.

Is it the same brand as last time?

Not sertraline, but I take a long term medication and have horrendous side effects with certain brands (it's the 'fillers' they use, not the active component).

If you find onethatsmok, you need tk get your doctor to specify the right brand on the prescription.

Starting at 50 is quite a big jump. I started at 25 and cut those in half for the first week!