A month on Sertraline - My experience

Treatment and medication
1

Hello,

I am a 6 Year sufferer of Chronic Anxiety since my father was diagnosed with cancer then watching his 3 year decline to his passing then trying to manage the grief.

I have kept a diary from day 1 of starting 50mg Sertraline for chronic anxiety and depression.

Symptoms below will have been worsened by my chronic anxiety and may not all be result of Sertraline but as some are new symptoms I have listed them all.

My symptoms so far 1 month in on 50mg Sertraline include;

Severe Tiredness

2kg Weight loss

Depersonalization bad

Messed up sleep patterns

Feeling low and Depressed

Massive Panic Attack Hyperventilating, hands and jaw locked, pins n needles

Foggy thoughts

Poor memory

Upset tum every day

Tearfulness

Anxiety far worse

Nightmares

Hands shaking re nerves

Don't feel like doing stuff

Just want to sleep

Feeling of heavy depression

I have a dosage review with my doctor coming up this week so will update soon.

2

Sorry to see your suffering things should start to improve though if you stick with it. 

3

Thank you for your kind comments.

I definitely intended to stick with it now I have come this far.

4

Hi,

The first month is truly awful.  The first two weeks I had many of your side effects, and could hardly function, but by week 5 they are subsiding and I am having some good days now, and most days I feel okay by lunchtime.  I find despite the morning nausea, eating something in the morning does help, although the constant feeling of sickness does make this hard. My doctor told me that they would expect me to feel a lot better by 6 weeks, and I have to say week 5 is much better. 

5

What dose are you on and what are you taking it for? Really looking for some relief in the 3rd week of taking 100mg.

6

I am on 50mg taking it for severe anxiety and depression. I believe it is caused by hormonal imbalance from the menopause.  I didn't really feel much better until day 28 - but everyone seems different and I am not sure what double my dose would be like, but I hope you get some relief soon.  I would never ever have believed I could feel so bad. I don't know how I got through it - as I had to work - but I just took one day at a time and somehow I did get through it. 

7

Thank you for your comments Caraviva,

I am currently waiting for a call from Doc to review Sertraline dose.

Feeling really bad today..

8

Update..

I had my dose doubled and was put on 100mg Sertraline today as 50mg was doing nothing after 26days.

Currently feeling really low and Anxiety at all time high.

9

This is totally normal you need to fight it . Getting on Sertraline is terrible but once you have been on it 2 or 3 months you will wonder what all the fuss was about

10

Thanks for your feedback CJ, I will stick with it ..