Should i start taking sertraline??

Treatment and medication
1

I have been diagnosed as depressed today, feel i have been depressed for 6-12 months now. Doctor has prescribed me 50mg of sertraline per day.

Have been reading through some of the other feedback left on here and am getting the feeling

That more people than not dont get on very well with it :-\

I have a two year old daughter who attends nursery and am unsure as to how

These side effects are going to affect this.

I do know that things affect everybody differently but from what i have read, am slightly concerned now whether to take them, please help.

2

Hello stace85,

I have been perscribed 50mg sertraline for the second time and have been on it this time for the last eight months and all I can do is give you my personal experience as people can react differently to it.

Sertraline has made a big difference to my life and lifted me out of a very difficult place but I would advise you to combine it with at least ten CBT sessions,don't look to just take the drug on it's own for long periods as in the long run it's about addressing how you think about the difficult situations that bother you and learning to adapt to different coping skills in your mind.

Be prepared to ride the storm initially as I suffered bad side effects from this drug but stick with it as after around 4-6 weeks it normally kicks in and it's brilliant when it does.

Best of luck.

3

Hi Stace, welcome to the club. See being diagnosed as a positive action. Now at least you know what you have, and you have started treatment. As with all mental illnesses you must take care of yourself and especially take your medicine on time as prescribed. Sertraline has worked wonders in many people lived but they generally don’t go to forums as everything is ok. All of us posting our thoughts and what we are going through may help someone. I was diagnosed with server depressive disorder. I have been taking a tablet called Seroquel for a few years now and all was ok until I went to another doctor and asked him to put me on a cheaper alternative medicine as I had to cut back on my finances. Well I was started on sertraline and what hell I went through, hey, I can manage the nausea, the craps, the headaches, but the added anxiety as a side effect was just to much for me to take, the depression also got worse, and I was in and out hospitals 3 times, they even pushed the sertraline up to 150mg. I couldn’t move out of my bed, a shivering suicidal wreck. Then I took the bull by the horns, I borrowed some money and went to see a top Specialist and I told him no sertraline

No citalopram (the doctors love to play with these two crappy meds) , he put me back on a lovely tablet called Seroguel, I was on 300mg, and then was taken back to 150mg. I have a box of tranquilizers if I need one, and a good sleeping tablet. There is no need for you to suffer, the doctors obligation is to give you quality life, if you get nowhere with him, fire his ass and get another specialist, don’t waste your time with GP’s.

So, if you are going sertraline route, some information, the meds start working 3 to 4th week. But this isn’t always the case, some of us struggle past 4 weeks waiting for the miracle wand to make everything ok, and it doesn’t and we are worse off that when we started.

So keep a journal and make sure you don’t get to anxious / low. Depression is a chronic disease and should be treated carefully. All the Best. Depression if one of the toughest diseases and you must take it head on as it doesn’t take any prisoners.

4

Hi All,

I have been on 50 mg for about a week now, and I have been very anxiety ridden, to the point that I start shaking, also I can't seem to get enough sleep. I don't know if it's because I check my diabetic son in the middle of the night, or is it the pills. I had no side affects with the 25mg, but this dose is giving me headaches, nausea, tiredness, I just plain feel lumpy. I better read more about side affects and contact my pcp. With this med, I still seem to be able to do my mom duties, but I get so pooped out just doing the little things. Stace, just give it a try and if it doesn't work call your pcp, that's what I have to do. Good luck. Maybe I should try what Rob is on.

5

Hi Stace85

I posted yesterday on my sertraline experience but I'll be brief to help you out.

As with all posting on here, be prepared for a rocky few weeks!! I suffer with generalised anxiety and underlying depression.

I've been on 50mg once a day now for three weeks and the first two were a nightmare. Didn't suffer the cramps, headaches, nausea but did suffer the off the wall anxiety spikes. Problem for me was that I wasn't warned about the possibility of these anxiety spikes so I just presumed my condition was getting out of control. Two major panic attacks later saw me in A&E and a very detailed discussion with my local area crisis team who informed me that my reactions were quite normal and to be expected. I'm currently using diazepam to control the anxiety but I have to be honest and say that already I'm using nowhere near the prescribed doses and my good days are outweighing the bad.

Can't agree more about the CBT classes. I've done one course already which really helped but at the time I was being treated with diazepam and sleeping tablets only which probably wasn't quite enough for my level of anxiety. Once I'm settled with the sertraline I will revisit the course and I'm confident it will really help me. Right now I'm just focusing on keeping the anxiety controlled.

In short, follow the GP's advice and give it a go. Your in a much stronger position than I was as your being ore warned about the side effects and remember its different for everyone so you might be lucky and get through problem free!!!! Let me also add that my sleep has really settled already, the mornings can be a bit crap but at least I'm not to tired.

Good luck and stick with it. Keep your friends close and don't be afraid to ask for help.

6

Sorry, it was 'my sertraline story'

7

Thank u all for responding to my post.

My GP has also set up CBT sessions for me, which i am looking forward to starting, not so much the AD's though. I just want to feel back to my old self again.

I dont want me having the undesirable SE's to affect my daughters routine so its nice to hear from other parets who are taking the same thing.

Have always had issues with my sleeping, is it usually insomnia that would affect u on sertraline?

I did read it can make u sleepy too.......??

8

Also, i dont knowingly suffer from anxiety, the sertraline is for depression so would i still have anxiety as a side effect? Sorry to keep asking alot, just want as much info as i can get before starting

9

Morning. I'm a parent of a child with special needs and I got through the initial few weeks on sertraline. It seems so long ago now! I've been on it 3 months now and the first 2 weeks were up & down; I had very good family tho who kept me company when I was feeling low.

I still managed to care for my child and do the school run etc.

After the first 2 weeks it settled down, and it wasn't every day I felt low/anxious. Week 3 I was fine and then I dipped again on week 4. Was ok week 5 and then felt low (but nothing like before sertraline) weeks 6 & 7 and from week 8 more or less totally fine!

10

P.s. Insomnia affected me in the first week and then not had a problem since. I am tired quite a lot but nothing too noticeable to how I was before

11

Hey,

I can give you my insight into my own issue and feedback that may help you and others understand this easier.

I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression back in September 2013.

My issues were brought on due to the pressures of my job and possibly a few other personal issues to boot.

After breaking down at my computer one morning while talking to one of my colleagues, I dropped everything then went straight to my wife in tears for help where she then rang the doctor and got me in the very same day. (My wife is my rock, my soul partner)

This action was the best one single thing that my wife did for me and this helped me on my road to recovery so much quicker.

Identifying the actual problem is the most important thing that you must do and accepting in yourself that you actually have a problem.

After seeing the doctor who was just great and fully understood my situation, I was prescribed with 50mg Sertraline per day and over the course of my illness this never changed until Yesterday where I am now moving on to a once every two days dose as part of my withdrawal program.

I can say that my own experience with Sertraline has been very positive, however with a few side affects which I will state below.

Headaches (Normal for me as i used to get migraines when I was a kid aged 8) Now 43yrs old.

Sleeping issues (But always had this problem anyway)

Increase in appetite (Great as I needed to put weight on anyway)

Unable to ejaculate during sex (The wife loved the lengthy sessions)

Chest pains (Minimal, sort of like indigestion)

Varying anxiety at first (Got better as the Sertraline took hold)

Slight short term memory loss from time to time.

Fatigue feeling,

On a very positive note and the best advice I can give is as follows,

Talk...Talk...Talk.

The 1st few weeks were by no means easy, for starters the 50mg tabs did not work straight away and I was feeling anxious at varying times of the day, with the urge to check in on my work which just made me even more depressed, with thoughts of how can they manage without me, what affect is this going to have on my colleagues, etc, etc.

I put this out of my head as soon as i was able to,

I kept myself busy with anything else but work while I was off for 6 weeks. (No mobiles, no computers, no work..!!)

Setting myself goals such as getting a new bike and cycling again, bringing back good memories from my past that made me feel happy and alive.

Going walking with the dog and enjoying pleasant things like views, fresh air, etc.

Eating better foods, healthy foods, a better diet all round.

I found that writing down all the problems during my 1st week of my 6 week phase after diagnosis that made me this way helped me lots (I wanted to remember while it was still fresh in my mind)

Talking with my company HR and boss upon my return to work after the 1st six weeks about these issues and how they affected me, my work and my home life. (They were astounded by all the work I actually did, as was I)

Agreeing a phased return to work program over six weeks helped me to break in to work again gradually and not just jumping in head first. (An understanding company helped make this easier)

Taking regular breaks and lunch during the day and not just working through like I used to do.

The most important of all was to TALK......To your family, friends and anybody else that was willing to listen to you.

It is funny how strangers can give you something that close family and friends can not.

So to sum all this up...!!!!

I am nowhere near a fully recovered man just yet, but I am making good progress and remaining positive all the time.

I feel happy and a better man for it, my wife is happier, my family is happier and I generally feel like I have a purpose again. :o)

Sticking to the happy thoughts, keeping positive, keeping active, keeping focused.

I am not sure at present how my next 6 week period is going to pan out during my withdrawal program, but I must remain strong and not let the bad times return again.

My GP has told me to come straight back to her should any issues occur and we will re-evaluate my situation again.

I have also updated my boss and HR again as the withdrawal program could be a tough one and side affects may surface which may affect me and of course my work again.

I hope that anybody reading this gets some benefit from my story and I wish you all the best in your own individual scenarios.

12

Some other points on this,

Not thinking about the side affects of Sertraline and just getting on with the prescribed dosage.....Because this itself will bring on anxiety.

Remember that it may take between two to four weeks for the benefits of this medicine to appear, so it is very important that you keep taking it, even if it doesn't seem to make much difference at first.

If you feel your depression has got worse, or if you have any distressing thoughts or feelings in these first few weeks, then you should talk to your doctor again....Remember it is good to talk.

13

Oops, I said 50mg for a week I meant 100mg... Just to let you know I am 9 days into 100mg, and I am starting to get my energy back, less tired, getting back to what my normal is... Yahoo.... Finally the side affects are going.... hope there is no relapse.

14

Hi Rob, I know it's been a while since you posted on here, but I'm hoping you can help. I've been on Sertaline since October at 50mg,I got worse beginning of Xmas & it got increased to 100mg. It's now being increased to 150mg. I feel as bad as ever, no improvement, severely depressed along with side effects of anxiety, not eating, diarrhoea, panic.not sleeping well, waking early. I've told my GP how I feel, but they just say to persevere for a few weeks longer. I'm so scared of my own thoughts & feelings, I'd happily put up with all the side effects if it's gonna work. I daren't not take my meds for fear of getting any worse. 

I'd welcome any positive advice please... 

The only other professional support  is the NHS crisis line, Samaritans & a support line in Leeds open at night over the weekend.

15

Hey Marty. Just read your post there. I know its a year old. But it really has helped me. Thank you.