I would have found it helpful to read one person's journey with Sertraline, so I offer mine. I was put on Zoloft twenty years ago for depression, but the side effects of suicidal feelings were so strong, I was taken off. My mornings always were hard, but things would get better as the day went on. I've dealt with this for years, as well as social anxiety. I'm ready to try medication again.
Day 1&2. Taking 25 mg sertraline. I feel nauseated and dizzy with headache. Day 3: I woke up not suicidal! First time in months! Splitting headache. Took 3 exedrine migraines that day. Slept fine.
Day 4-7. Have had splitting headaches each day. I took 5mg cortef (to decrease asthma inflammation). I'm having dry heaves throughout the day. Feel horrible. BUT I have woken up each morning not suicidal!!! Something is going on in my head.
Day 8: My Doctor said he would plan on increasing the dose. So being headstrong, I have increased it myself to 37 mg per day. Splitting headaches. Dry heaves. Strong suicidal thoughts. I remember this horror happened twenty years ago. I'm going to stick it out this time.
Day 8-15. My Doctor had said he planned on increasing my dose. So I increased it on my own to 37 mg per day. Huge splitting headaches. Nausea, dry heaves, even with Bomine. I feel like someone has taken a pickax to my brain and is renovating it. But I no longer wake up each morning suicidal! Instead it hits me throughout the day, when I least expect it.
I remember why I quit before. Suicidal thoughts every morning is predictable. Suicidal thoughts hitting me at random times throughout the day has me on complete edge. I'm going to stick it out this time.
I also stopped this med a little over 5 years ago, primarily due to being hard-headed. I'm considering going back on, but am on the fence about it. It will be interesting to see your progress. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Day 15: I see my doctor, and the dose is increased to 50mg per day, with me gradually going to 100 mg. per day. I take it in the morning. Day 16 still splitting headaches, even with 4 exedrine migraines per day. Dry heaves have decreased to only once per day. I am sleeping fine. I have not woken up with suicidal thoughts once since day 3. But, I average 2-3 hits like a wave of suicidal thoughts at various times throughout the day. This is miserable. I'm going to take the plunge and go to 100 mg faster, I can't take this long drawn out torture. Headaches have decreased.
Day 16-18. Taking 75 mg sertraline. Still headaches, but the dry heaves are down to less than 1-2 times per day. I feel really weird. I forgot to mention that I was battling dizziness the entire time too, but Motion-eaze from Walmart helps a lot. Suicidal thoughts have decreased. I feel like my brain is being pried open with a crowbar, and light is coming in!
First time I started this med I had thoughts that were not so nice. Scared the crap out of me but deep down I knew they were just thoughts. Gave me so much more anxiety than I had before. I'm so glad I stuck with it because after the horrible beginning, I lived again and it felt great! Best of luck my dear
Days 19-20 went to 100 mg. I've not woken up a single morning since day 3 with any suicidal thoughts. Mild depression has hit at various times during the day, but I handle it with deep breathing, prayer, etc. Motion-eaze is keeping the dizziness at bay. My brain feels really weird, but calm.
I've been very dizzy as well.
Day 22: yes mild dizzy and moderate headache, but all the colors in the world seem to be opening up to me. The flowers are beautiful in this newfound light. I am able to calmly listen to loved ones. I feel like this barrier is being broken down in my brain, and though there is a lot of rubble to clear away, there is bright light where there had been none before. Not hallucinating, just the colors I remember the world had when I was a child.
Day 23: Woke up with a headache, but singing in my heart "O What a Beautiful Day". No suicidal thoughts at all today. Only once dry heaves. I have been sleeping well. I've had no appetite since Day 3. I force myself to eat, and make healthy food choices. I feel a newfound hope that I could be "normal".
Thank you
Day 24: woke up with no headache, but I feel like I did before meds. Feeling hopeless simple tasks seem insurmountable. At lunch, hyper ADD symptoms kicked in, feel like racing heartbeat, with exhaustion. I'm leaving on a weeklong trip and will post more later.
Vigorous head massages seem to help.
Still Day 24: No headache. Depression is mostly gone, after a hard morning. I notice colors and depth to flowers. (When people are in oxygen deprived environments, colors become more muted. When given oxygen, the colors return to normal). I am seeing colors I remember from childhood, as well as a better appreciation of depth perception. It seems like my mental "tunnel vision" is opening up to a wider view of the world. Maybe I can live a normal life!
I feel like *me* again. No headache. I also am seeing Depth where I did not before. Both physically and emotionally, if that makes sense. I have physical depth of vision that my brain is picking up on, where the trees and mountains seem more distant, not like a two dimensional picture. I am also seeing more depth emotionally, not so flat and tunnel vision type thinking. Quite interesting.
I love your posts! 