Sertraline side effects?

Treatment and medication
1

Hello!

I have been taking Sertraline at a 50mg dosage for a couple of months now, and I'm doing really well. My mood has lifted and my anxiety feels under control. However, I do think I'm having some side effects. They are:

- fast irregular heartbeat

- tenderness and increase in size of breasts

- Jaw tremors

- breathlessness

- increase in appetite

- constantly tired

Has anyone else experienced these side effects? And are they normal? And is there anything I can do to manage them?

Any info/advice/stories/chat would be really appreciated!

Thank-you!!

2

Increase in size and tenderness of breasts in definitely a side effect, as is appetite change and tiredness. The others could be as well.

3

Hi Jessica, yes, these are all side effects I have had or are still having. Side effects should be reduced in intensity and sometimes they disappear, but they can come back. 

You can best best manage all these side effects like anything else, take a walk or get some exercise to help with energy, try to get more rest and sleep and eat healthier, reduce coffee and sugar. I gave up on my chai latte. I didn't know how much caffeine I was consuming right before my attack. No alcohol, etc. I also gave up on grapefruit because I fear it would interact with my med. I use this short acronym to remind me. Don't he HALTS (hungry, angry, lonely, tired, stressed). Try to develop loving relationships because you really need the love of a good one. Hang in there. It will ge better by 4-6 months.. Xx

4

Hi, I'm on week 10, 50mg. Feeling loads better and every day more my old self. I've still got some palpitations and definitely an increase in appetite - however I totally lost my appetite for many weeks when I was down and actually lost weight, so at the moment am enjoying eating again! I've got a dog so am always out walking often twice a day, so not too concerned. I'm also ready for bed by about 9 o'clock and usually fall asleep on the sofa! I look at it as it's my body recovering so needs all the sleep it can get. Hope you continue to improve 😊

5

I'd take those side effects

I've had months of very bad ones

Don't mean to sound funny but you seem to be doing well compared to what you can have.

Mine are taking over my life literally.

Sounds like you're doing really well on them

So keep that in mind well done

6

Thank you for your help!

7

Thank you so much for the advice! I'm not drinking at all at the amount but I could definitely do with some more exercise and a healthier diet. I will give those a go! I'm sad I have to give up my soya lattes, however on reflection I am drinking far too much coffee! 🙈 Your acronym is fantastic! I've taken a note of it and I'll use it to frequently.

Thank you again for your help. I so appreciate it.

Hope you're doing well xX

8

Hello!

Thank you for your response. It's good to know someone else is in the same boat! I lost my appetite at the beginning also and was being sick a lot. Now I reckon I should just be grateful for being able to keep food down!

I'm definetly going to increase my exercise as by the sounds of it that will really help.

I'm glad you're beginning to feel back to your old

self!

Good luck xX

9

I also would mention I've reduced my work hours as I believe work stress/bad management is my underlying issue. Good luck! x

10

Thank you so much for your response!

I know - I am very lucky. I've read some horror stories online, so I need to remember the position I am in.

I just wanted to make sure my side effects were all totally normal.

I'm sorry to hear your side effects are so bad. I truly hope you begin to feel better soon! Xx

11

I'll look into that! Good luck to you too! Xx

12

Hi Jessica.

Pleased you are feeling better.

I'm on my 7th week on 25mg and my side effects have been horrendous

I'm hoping that they go away completely soon, it the dizziness and

Nausea I find hard to cope with,

My other side effects I'm still getting are

Flushing/ like my skins burning

Numb hands.

Boob tenderness and defornatly got bigger.

No headache which I'm surprised because I suffer from migraines.

On and off anxiety but people say you can still get that until it in my

system

I may have to increase my dose further down the line but I want to see if

this works for me first.

Hope the rest of your side effect settle down soon.

Best wishes.

13

Hey no problems one thing I've noticed from these forums are just how many side effects there are. I guess some people are good at not thinking about them and letting them pass. I tend to dwelling them no doubt prolonging or accaserbating them

How old are you? What dose did you say you was on

14

Yep, I've learned that acronym more than 2 decades ago but only started using it in recent years, so you're waaaay ahead of the game for me. smile Also, HALTS is easy to remember, and it means to stop whta it is you're doing to meet those needs if they are not met.  

Yep, stay away from caffeine - coffee or tea. I only do non-caffeine teas, like chamomile with honey and lemon. When you get really really well though you could a small drink or mocha latte or chai soy latte now and then, etc., like I would have a bit of champagne but I always risk getting terrible headaches the next morning. I'm doing great. 4th month mark yesterday and going on a short vacay in three days. You will get there.