Afternoon all, I can't say that it's good I'm afraid, one of the worst days ever actually.
I took my first 50mg at lunch today. I was told that I might experience gastrointestinal discomfort, but that I could return to work. WRONG!! There is pretty much nothing worse than being stuck in a toilet cubicle of your office building too ill to risk taking a taxi home... For 3 hours!!!
I'm not saying that this isn't a wonder drug, I see a lot of positive comments on here. I however won't be continuing to take it. And think that anyone who is starting should do so on a day where they can stay home, near a toilet to ride out the side effects if they should occur.
I don't wish to be negative, I just really wish my doctor had warned me this could happen before I returned to work, and became stranded.
In other news, the anxiety that this situation caused was made worse by the palpitations and dry mouth.
Good luck to those who continue to take this medication. And remember, it's better to spend your first day on it at home feeling fine, than trapped in a toilet cubicle at your office crying and panicking!
*** title typo alert!*** I did of course mean "warned about".
Also, I'd like to clarify that I'm not seeking to scare anyone off this drug, it's clearly very effective. Just wanted to share some information that could have saved me a very uncomfortable and embarrassing afternoon!
Hi
Completely agree. I took this on a Friday night and was so bad with panic attacks that it caused ended up in a and e by Sunday... Doc did say I should take it over the weekend though for the side effects - I could only stay on them for 5 days as couldn't handle the panic attacks x
Me too - bit meaning to scare anyone as each person is different. I now take fluoxetine and there are so many people that don't get on with that ... Every one reacts differently
I have unfortunately taken many different pharmaceuticals advised by gp's over the years (the worst being Venlafaxine by a COUNTRY MILE), but I've never had such a strong and immediate negative reaction to one before. For me, taking time off work to deal with side effects negatively reinforces the cycle of my OCD and anxieties, so I don't think I'll persevere. Having said that, I wouldn't want anyone reading this to be put off trying it, as it seems to have been salvation for many anxiety sufferers. I only advise that there is a CHANCE you might spend the day on the loo feeling pretty weird! (Hopefully not in your Central London office like I did!)
life is the hardest game we will ever play, but as long as we're still playing, we're winning!!
Peace x
Thats a lovely saying! Where do you live, you say central london, i'm in kent!
What do you think you'll try next? Is it OCD and anxiety you suffer with? I take fluoxetine for anxiety (on day 11 now) but had taken it before so know it works.. did yo ever find one that worked? x
Hi, I had terrible side effects taking Sertraline, and with every increase, 50,100,150 boy did the side effects get worse. I took it for close on a month. When my monthly visit to the doc came around he took me straight off it and put me onto fluoxetine and seroquel. The Sertraline increased my anxiery by 100 times, and did nothing for my OCD. So I am back on what I was a few years ago, and doing much better. Yip fluoxetine has its side effects, tightning of my muscles, yawning, constipation, lower sex drive (but better than Sertraline) but generally pretty cool tablet. The Seroquel is very expensive, no generics and is great for anxiety and major depression. I am also on Epitec which stops my mood from going to low. These forums are great to see that what helps some people is also sometimes very toxic for other, and to give encouragement to all.
Hi rob74885, completely agree! Sertraline awful for me but works well for others - find fluoxetine to be a good one (so far) 
I have been on 50mg sertraline for four weeks now and have had severe side effects of many kinds but the worse has to be the upset stomach. I lost two stone in three weeks. I have good days and bad. Today has been bad. I run my own business and time off isn't an option. I don't know what to do for the best. If I come off them no will I have withdrawal symptoms?
I was prescribed sertraline last october for anziety mainly but it didnt help so doctor also precribed me beta blocs still awake half the night feeling tired etc, so he now has taken me off the beta bloc because i was also spinning out with them and he has increased the sertraline to 100mg, took higher dose yesterday but last night only had a few hours sleep and hot sweats, does anyone else get these side effects?
Hi, I find the beta blockers help with the racing heart - which kept me awake so much.
Tony - I would say you'll have to speak to your doctor - 4 weeks is a long time to have put up with the side effects for. Have you being seeing your doc weekly for them to monitor your progress?What are you taking them for?
Hi I saw my doctor after 2 weeks, he didn't seem concerned about the side effects. I have to go back after another 4 weeks. I'm taking them for anxiety. I don't know if they're working as I'm still anxious but perhaps i'd be worse if I wasn't taking them.
I'm taking them for anxiety too and feel the same, have you tried beta blockers work very well for racing heart and help me sleep a bit too I think. The appetite has been hard for me too, haven't lost as much weight as you by the sounds of it but really suppressed my appetite and still is - i'm on day 12 now.
Great you own your own business but must be hard to not be able to take time off - i don't know what i'd do if i had to work now and be normal!
Tony - I'm taking fluoxetine by the way as didn't get on with sertraline at all
I tried fluoxetine at first but it didnt help my anxiety it made it worse for me, what were the side effects you had with the sertraline? the biggest for me to handle is not sleeping, I think if you can sleep you can handle the day much better.
I think sertraline is like marmite, you either love it or hate it.
I took it for 26 days, and the side effects were just evil. The physical ones were quite unpleasant, dry mouth, very upset stomach, zero appetite etc. But, by far the worse SE was the way it increased my anxiety by a factor of 1000.
The waves of anxiety were overwhemling, and I experienced full on anxiety attacks (never had one before), and it felt like my chest was on fire. I also now totally get whey people commit suicide, I was so desperate for the anxiety to stop, that I just wanted to walk under a bus.
I might as well have taken plutonium pills, I think sertraline was that poisonous for me.
Have now been on amitriptyline for 2 weeks (it's an older tricyclic AD) and I am a totally different person. In fact I feel exactly like the normal, happy, optimistic ME again. I admit it does make me quite sleepy when I first wake up, but I sleep like a log, and once I've had my first cup of coffee I'm smiling and ready to face the world.
Yup def, Steraline was horrendous for me, it triggers constant panic attacks, as in 45 mins of every hour I was having a panic attack and the other 15 mins felt like I was going tp throw up, couldn't sleep or eat and ended up in a and e. been few a rough few weeks from deciding to take tablets to going through that on sertraline, having to wait for it to leave my body and then starting on fluoxitine. By which point I was so weak, no sleep etc and the sertraline trigging the panic attacks. now i'm 12 days in to taking the fluoxetine and although it feels very slow I do feel a tiny bit better each day. I know its all trial and error as docs have no idea how we will react to medication, but feel like I really got the short straw with going through what i did with sertraline. but you read some forums and people are getting on with it brilliantly with no side effects!
Im off work at the moment which is really helping as means I have no added pressure on my anxiety. are you just planning on taking tablets for your anxiety for a while or seeing a counsellor etc?
Not sure what to do now, doctors just increased my dose yesterday suppose I should try longer with them but I feel so weak from lack of sleep.
Hi
I would say if your doc has increased the dose it must be for a good reason, could you go back and ask for something to help with the sleeping?
If the sleep is the only side effect that is effecting you it might be worth persisting