what side effects did people get? and how long did the anxiety peak last.. not having a good few days and with health anxiety its not fun, I'm willing to ride through it but just curious what side effects others experienced etc and how long it actually took to start feeling yourself again..
Hi Sophie,
i’m now on week 8 of 50mg of sertraline. I very nearly gave up at the start of week 4, my Gp urged me to stick with it and i’m so pleased i have. The last couple of weeks have been great, i would say that i very nearly feel like back to the old me!! Still get health anxiety and irrational thoughts with it. However the meds are now working and so is the CBT therapy, now when i have these thoughts and feelings i am able to recognise them for what they are. Anxiety!!! Chalenging the mindset and being logical and rational helps to turn negative thoughts and fears around. Staying positive and not letting anxiety and fear control you isn’t easy at all. Stick with it though it’s definatley worth it!! I can remember a few short weeks ago thinking that i’d never feel like me again. The side effects that i had were horrific headaches i littrally thought my head was going to explode. Muscle tremors in my legs which made me feel shakey when i walked. Achey limbs and joints, and Cloudy vision. I also completley lost my appetite and would feel very nauseous if i forced myself to eat, my mouth always felt dry and i was constantly drinking water. I had really bad dihorrea for the first 3 weeks even though i was hardly eating anything!! I really didn’t believe i could continue with the sertraline any longer. My Gp assured me that all of these side effects were quite common and would pass. I was very sceptical but agreed to continue. I’m so pleased i did. I really do feel like i’ve turned a corner and i’m finally getting my life back. My counsellor made a really good point at my last session, she said to always remember that our minds are so powerful that they have made us feel this way and actually created these physical feelings and symptoms that we are suffering from. If our minds have the power to do that, then just think what they are capable of when we put them to positive use!! I really hope you stick with your sertraline. It’s tough going but worth it. Take care, big hugs 
Thank you so much!! I really needed to hear this - I have some really scary days with my health anxiety and its totally ruining my day to day life.. I will definitely stick with the sertraline because I’m willing to go through side effects if it means feeling like me again… what kind of symptoms did you have with your health anxiety? has the tablets helped reduce them symptoms too… my biggest fear is my heart and I’ve had tests etc but still cant get any of it out of my head, it’s horrible! but your comment gives me a lot of reassurance xx
Hello
i have been taking half of 25 mg since late august and I start taking the 25 mg and gain a lot of weight witb it