Hi have been prescribed Sertraline 50mg on the 5th December. I started half a dose for one week and than was advised by my GP to up the dose to 50MG.
From the start of the medication I have felt awful. Still feel anxious and down, in fact I feel worse than what I did before I started them. I am now 10 days in and made the decision this morning to go back to 25. Feel better this evening. Tried to get in touch with a doctor today but surgery is booked up, so have had to make the decision on my own. In addition to feeling low my stomach is bad. Has anyone else had these problems. I cannot wait any longer to feel better. Would rather feel low without this medication than with it.
I'm on sertraline half dose for 1 week then 50mg for 10days really bad stomach anxiety dizziness headaches wake up at 5 panicking and never leaves me all day feel terrible but been told it's normal keep thinking it's something more serious this is making me worse I'm also on diazapam 3 times a day but there not great when will this panic go away
I'm afraid it takes much longer for the psychological benefits to kick in. About 5 weeks in my experience. However the physical side effects happen pretty much straight away and tend to settle by about 3 weeks. Every time I up my dose I go through what you describe. I upped from 50mg to 100mg about 4 weeks ago and am only just feeling less anxious. Up until now I've felt worse, just like you've said. (Along with tummy troubles, headaches, night sweats, the whole lot). Please persevere and book an appointment with your GP as soon as one is available. He or she may prescribe diazepam or something to take short term until the Sertraline kicks in. You're not alone. What you describe sounds fairly standard with starting meds. Hang on in there. X
Thank you Jen and Julie. I feel so trapped and now really guilty for not sticking to the 50mg today. I am up to docs tomorrow to have a chat. Just so anxious about taking meds, dont want to get stuck on them and have heard so many bad things about them. But thank you again for your supportive wordsx
Hi again. Don't feel guilty. A few days dose swapping won't make much difference in the long term. I really wouldn't worry at this juncture about coming off them. I've done it several times over the years and although it can be difficult, now is the time for focusing on getting better and letting the meds do their thang. They really work very well at getting you through tough times. Give yourself a chance to get used to them; I know it's not easy and I hope you've got support from family or friends. Hope all goes well with your GP. X
I'm on my 10th week of sert. Like u I took 25mg for the first week then went to 50mg, I stayed on that for about 4 wks, then to 75mg which I've been on since.
I've been keeping a note of my side effects each week so I can look them up and so far, they've all been experienced by many so that's a bit of a comfort. I'll reel off in case they ring true for you...spots on my eye, heightened anxiety, noisy tummy, no appetite + weight loss, v bad headache, vivid (but not scary) dreams, slight diarrhoea, itchiness, bruising, slight dizziness...and my latest one is a tight, achy jaw! I know that sounds a lot but most of them were gone in a few days. In the early days tho, by far the worst was more anxiety - absolute last thing we need, so I went back to my gp who gave me propranolol to take while the sert settled in. It helps a great deal with the physical reactions to anxiety which in itself gives u a bit of a break.
Everyone tells u to hang on in there for 8 or 9 wks before deciding either to quit or change the dose and I'd agree with that. I'd also say swapping dosages can make u feel even more up n down. I'm going to try 100mg but as I've found increases to be a bit like going back to the start, I'm leaving that til after xmas!
