Last week my GP put me on 50 mg of sertraline. I tried them for three days and the effects were dreadful. headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, anxiety through the roof, weakness. She has taken me off them now and has prescribed 10mg citalopram. I’ve been off the sertraline for three days and not yet started the citalopram. I’ve hardly eaten for nearly 2 weeks and feel as weak as a kitten which in turn is making me even more anxious. I should start the citalopram but the thought of the side effects are again making my anxiety go through the roof. I feel trapped. I know I should take them but terrified to. I should add than I was on 20mg citalopram for about three years but came off it about 6 months ago - a mistake I’m now regretting. The side effects of the sertraline really shook me up.. Help!
you didn’t have side effects the fitst time on celexa?and why sertraline when the celexa work before?
You may suffer the same side effects unfortunately. They come hand in hand with most SSRI’s. The key is being able to ride them out. I struggled massively, but the ppl on this forum helped me through it more than any GP I saw. I was the same I didn’t eat, I lost a lot of weight, my anxiety was horrendous, racing thoughts, shakes, dizzy spells you name it I had it. It takes its sweet time to kick in. I took diazepam to help me through. I wld recommend something similar to help get you through the first few weeks. It worked for you before right…so you know there’s light at the end of the tunnel, it’s just the journey there that is hard, but so worth it!!
Thanks for your response lois95799. When I first started the citalopram years ago I DID have bad side effects but in hindsight not as bad as the sertaline, which is why my GP thought we should try something different. Unfortunately the side effects this time on sertaline was far worse.
hello, coming off is a mistake lots of people make. really take a note of how bad you feel right now, so you dont do it again. not lecturing, but its easy to forget how bad you can feel.
ideally, you want a low benzo dose to get you through the initial side effects, if its an option. it would deal with the anxiety. drs dont always like recommending it, because you can become dependant on it. it certainly helped me with starting a new med.
you are in a state at the moment, and without meds, its probably going to get worse. thinking about it will also make it worse. you know you have to start cit, just do it, longer you leave it, worse it will be.
you need to be on a working med dose asap, but you have the side effects issue. you could try 5mgs for a short while, to minimise side effects, buts its likely to take longer.
10mg is a low dose, its what your dr recommended, its a logical recommendation, just do it, and get starting over with. one less worry.
just start the cit.
ok so more than likely your going to get side effects again.i would ask your doctor for a short term benzo while your body is adjusting to the med.
A friend on mine who is usually extremely supportive is unwittingly putting pressure on me to eat and do more and is scared for me going on a downward spiral. I get it. I’m concerned about this as well and if the roles were reversed I would probably say the same to her. But what she says makes me even more anxious!!! No response necessary from you guys but I just wanted to vent a little if you understand…
Thanks Nigel. I don’t read your comment as lecturing at all. I was having talking therapy at the time (its now ended) and it helped with many issues I had and felt so much stronger emotionally. Won’t be that naive next time. I took the plunge and took one a couple of hours ago after my first post. Think voicing my fears on here help me take it actually.
Nigel45109 just suggested the same. I’ll see how I go. I have a very good GP who listens and make me feel she understands. If things get worse I’ll certainly ask for benzo
hi there ron same thing happened to me i was put on sertraline and i was on them for a few days and was bloody awfull my doc changed me to cit 10 mg for a week then up to 20 mg i had loads of side effects lost lots of weight my doc prescriped propananol but they was bloody awful to how ever 10 months down the line things have changed for the better life is great they do take a good few months to really work and for me they have been fantastic dont get me wrong i do get a few down days and my weight as shot up bit i can cope with that so keep going things will get better ..
It’s natural for family and friends to worry about you. My family were like your friend but were also so supportive. I was where you are, I thought I was going crazy. I couldn’t eat for a couple of weeks, lived on slimming world shakes, which was hard enough to stomach, never mind food. As long as you can drink then don’t worry too much about food. You’ll eat when you are good and ready. I’m type 1 diabetic and I survived on little to
nothing.
At the starting stage all I can recommend is a benzo like the others. Diazepam was my best friend. Water, sleep when you can, get out for fresh air when you can, audio books, mindfulness, friends and family around you. It’s a rough ride just now but you will pull through 
Sertraline was bad for me as well. I lasted one day on it. It took me a month to find the courage to take another antidepressant, I was petrified, but also not getting better. I started off on a low dose of citalopram, 5mg and made myself eat, in total I lost 2 stone whilst ill. That was July 2017, I am now better and gradually decreasing my medication. It took a good few months (5months) before I felt abit better, others improve sooner. I struggled to believe I’d get better, now I am and so will you xx You can do this xx
Thanks really encouraging Louise. Thanks. The food side IS beginning to worry me.
When I struggled to eat I had complan, you can buy it from the chemist or boots. You just have to try and eat even if it tastes horrible.
ron, moaneys message is so relevant to you. explains exactly what i went through. i lost 3 stone in 3 months. only down side was having to buy new clothes. treat eating, like its something you have to do, like a chore. i supplemented food with lots of chocolate milkshakes and bananas, as they were easy to eat, sort of settled anxiety a bit, and high in calories. diazepam was a life saver, and meant no side effects when i started on a new anti depressant. ask your dr about whether you can have them. diazepam works more or less immediately, and takes anxiety away. as soon as you start cit, get over the initial increase in anxiety, when your anxiety starts dropping, when cit is working, appetite will come back with a vengeance. just get on with it.
chocolate milkshakes and bananas were easiest food to eat. really easy, when you dont want to eat.
My appetite is shocking just now…seriously…I feel pregnant all over again (I’m not) , cravings galore!! 
I’ll take this over the rest though. No competition there!!
Sertraline saved my life, but omg the side effects I had at the start was so bad, I didn’t sleep didn’t eat, intrusive thoughts I got suicidal, was awful, but I kept at it coz I knew it would make me worse before better, 10 days it calmed down a it, then after 4 and half weeks I was do well it was amazing.
I stayed at 50mg sertraline for 2 years, I’m off them now.
Before sertraline dr gave me citalopram 20mg, I thought I was going to die after just one dose, it was hell on earth.
If I was you stick to sertraline and get some benzo to help with first 10 days.
Just my personal experience for you to think about.
All the best x
what i say is enjoy your none appetite now because long term it will be back with a big vengeance .dar she blows.lol thats how i felt.