Hi to you all,
I've had panic disorder with agoraphobia for over 20 years. I was on the highest dose of Duloxetine for approximately 10 years, but recently my GP took me off this, as I was beginning to have many episodes of panic attacks.
I started taking 25mg of sertraline 18 days ago. Since then the GP has raised the dose to 50 mg and then on day 14 of taking sertraline she raised it again to 75mg. I wondered if anybody knows how long it takes to get in to the system. I currently feel more anxious and highly agitated. I'm finding it hard to leave the house. Any advise would be welcome, as would any information on this medication. I need to start feeling better soon, as I am self employed and need to earn some money. This is also adding to my anxiety!
Thanks!
Dear Zoe, after a week I was great, I am on 100 mg but I am great now my life has change completely, I have never felt so well in my life, or I can not remember it. I got nauseas so I bought stomach protectors, and I am fine now. I am on Trazadone at nights too, and have been in sereal meds and nothing worked, I was really really depressed and suffer anxaety and thought it was me I was uncapable to feel well and relax, i just wanted to get high to stop thinking, alcohol, pills, smoke sometimes,... anything to shut my head, I could not cope anymore, I went to spycologyst and no improvement, I really really tried to change, I stopped drinking over a year now, but I was feeling the same or even worse, I realy tried to change but could not and was so frustrated I could not understand why I could not feel like the rest. And It was because I did not have SEROTONINE, and the sertraline recapted it in my brain, I FEEL CURED, I AM CURED, my head stopped.... Unbeliable... I could not understand why I was like this I have it all and I only wanted to stop my life. Nothing would make me feel Well, Nothing. SERTRALINE works, I am enjoying life like never before, I never thought I could feed this well, I can not discribe it. You might need to find some good books to help you undertand that most of our thoughts are lies and drive us crazy, they limit our lives with fears, that are not true,... I got a spycologist too, but I stopped seen her as I feel great now, but will need suport again when I try to leave the medication... My problem is now that I really am scared to give up the medication, I never want to go back to what I was, It was Hell. My spychiatrist told me 6 months and will try to reduce it to see if I can cope without it... and I am fine now and do not want to stop now.... please remember IF IT HARD TO LIVE IN HELL, SURELY IT IS EASIER TO LIVE IN HEAVEN 
I started Sertraline 50mg a week ago and it started working after 5 days, I feel 80% of my normal self again and I'm getting back into my usual routine already. I did experience an increase in anxiety at first but by day 5 it was gone, now on day 7 and feeling great - no side effects either! CBT starts Thursday. Stick with it for a month and if it isn't working ask to try a different SSRI.
Hi
Thanks so much for the replies!
I've been on sertraline now for about 6 weeks and it's been really tough!
Have just gone up to 100 a day (since 3 days ago) and I think I'm starting to improve.
Dr says its coz I was on the highest dose of duloxetine and having to start on a small dose (25, then 50, then 75 and now 100) of the sertraline is why it's taking so long. Have to say I've never felt so ill, but am having some glimmers of hope now!
Been thankful that people around me care and that places like this are so helpful!
Thanks x
Hi Zoe, I really am happy the Sertraline is kicking in, your life will change trust me, I had been trying several meds and was not getting better, I thought it was me It was my fault I was this way, and was not, I had Serotonine Deficiency, and could not cope, the worse you feel the less your body produces, a circle that gets worse. You will start enjoying life, it was like waking up of a nightmare I did not know normal people feel this way, I thought the way I felt was normal and was my fault I could not be like others, I just could not feel relaxed. And nobody knows what is like to be ill. I even had to hide it from eveybody and was more dificult everyday, and I ended up taking anything to have some peace... I hope you are going out now and are enjoying work and life, THERE IS ANOTHER LIFE FOR YOU 
and it is about to start 
Hi.
GP increased the dose to 100, but I'm not doing so well. Been on it for over 2 weeks. But I'm now feeling really depressed. Just don't think carrying on with the sertraline is for me. It's changing me as a person. I'm so low and I don't normally suffer from depression. I'm also very sensitive and agitated.
Is it time to try a different drug!?? Just need to feel better. Last week I had 3 good days.....
Zoe
I hope you are better,
You have to visit your doctor asap.
and tell him how you feel.
I wrote it down to the spyquiatris, as when I got there I was quiet.
and he read it.
I had to go on several medications until they found the right one.
do not lose faith you will improve, I did and was really bad...
I quitted alcohol too, as was making it worse.
I do not know look into your habits what you can improve.
And get hobbies.
I join painting classes, gym, I run in the seafront...
Anything that fills in your life
Hope you get better soon,
seriously I thought I was never going to come out of the nigthmare and I did.
Just keep up and you will be back on truck,
and you will be so happy of being alive.
IT DOES GET BETTER
What a great post, love it! ;-) I started with anxiety around 4 months ago, Doctors said it was health anxiety. They gave me xanax 0.5 and Lorezapam 1MG tice daily. But when my body asked for more my Doctor wanted to change to another addictive medication which I said NO. I suggested sertraline 25mg 5 days ago. But in order to tap put of Lorezapam he also gave me another medicaation which I took for 5 days along with sertraline. First 3.5 days after using sertraline 25mg alone was pretty good. Light headed which was 24/7 for me stopped and breathuing better. Sure, I also have nasal breathing problems which is not helping. ;-( Today is day 5 on sertraline alone and 10 days today on it and I started to feel a little strange again. Little light headed. I'm only taking 25mg at around 4PM as suggested by my farmacist, Doctor said before bed time but this time I took the farmacist recommendation. The first 4 nights slept great, last night not so great. I read this medication takes around 6 hours to kick in and it normaly takes 2-4 for full benefits. I do feel reallly tired now so I have to asume is the medication. Now I ask, is this normal to feel so tired? Will it get any better?
Hi Lydia,
I just start Sertraline last week. And still feel anxiety and not good sleep at night. I like your attitude and hope that I can get the same results as yours. You really encourage me.
I've started taking 25mg Zoloft two weeks ago and haven't really felt much better .I still feel depressed can't leave my room,not much appetite,hard to sleep at night cause I sleep little on and off in daytime.Im glad though for all the good ppl and advice that really helps and give hope to be patient.thanks to all and if any advice please continue because it really does help.
I've been on Sertraline for 5 months now. I started at 25mg, which I seemed to tolerate ok. It made me feel "weird" for a couple weeks, but was ok. Was a bit nauseous, bit realized (for me) that taking it with food helped. Doctor told me after 2 weeks to increase to 50mg. That's when I had a much harder time with the effects. Called the Doctor's office and they said to go back to 25mg for now. I stayed on 25mg for about 2 months....then realized that it was not enough. I "checked in" with my wife on this and she suggested that I call the Doctor and see if they'll let me try 50mg again. Supposedly 50mg is the minimum "therapeutic level" for Sertraline. So I tried it again and having been on 25mg for 2 months, my second try at 50mg was not half as bad....actually it didn't bother me at all, but I did see a VAST improvement in my anxiety and frustration/anger. I have been on 50mg for 3 months now and feel like my old self again. Not that Sertraline is for everyone, hence the reason there are so many SSRIS on the market these days, but for me it is working well. Basically I feel like it has helped me to save my marriage and the relationships I have with my kids. I was getting annoyed and frustrated to such a degree that going a whole day without feeling that way never happened. I love myself and my family too much.....I feel much better. Now that doesn't mean a still don't get annoyed or frustrated...but I have been able to handle it much better. It's how I was reacting to something or someone that made me feel that way. Now I am much better able to redirect myself or keep myself from "blowing up". I feel like I can discipline my kids properly and not fly off the handle doing it. I can have a conversation with my wife about something that is bothering her or myself and not immediately go on the defensive. For me anyway, it has helped a great deal. I've been much better able to realize that there are many different and better ways to react when I get upset. I hope that either Sertraline does the same for you or that you find another SSRI that will. Unfortunately it does take a while to notice a difference. Take the 25mg for a while.....even maybe a couple of months like me. If you find it works for you after a few more weeks, stay on it. Once/ if you start to feel better, stay on the 25mg until you feel like maybe 25mg isn't enough....maybe it will be for you. But if it isn't, see if your Doctor will increase you to 50mg. One step at a time. if you're on 25mg for a while, the jump to 50mg is not so bad. I wish you good luck. Let me know how you're doing after a couple/few more weeks!
Hang with it a while. 25mg of Sertraline worked for me after a couple/few weeks of being on it. However, after 2 months I realized 25mg was not enough. Going to 50mg was much easier after being on 25mg for that long. I've been at 50mg for 3 months now and I feel much much better. My "thermometer" is my wife and kids. I "check in" with them every so often to see how I'm doing...lol. They notice changes in me much quicker than I do. So far I feel like Sertraline has made a huge difference for me. Now of course there are many SSRIs out there...the reason is, not any one SSRI will help everyone. It's worth a shot. If it doesn't work for you after a couple months go back to your Doctor and tell him/her that you would like to try a different one. Just don't give up.....you will find something that works best for YOU. Let me know in a few weeks if Sertraline worked or not. Would like to hear about it. This forum has been very helpful to me and hope that I can give something back, drawing from my limited experience with Sertraline. Good luck Amy!
Thanks again for your experience and advice because these forums are what have been giving me faith.I feel helpless sometimes because I started the 25mg two weeks ago and don't see much change.I haven't been able to leave my house for about that time and don't see my Dr. For a couple weeks,but with other experiances I feel hope.
Hi zoe
It takes about 6-8 weeks they say. I was on 50mg for 4wks but still felt very anxious and depressed, my doctor raised it to 100mg last wks and my anxiety has almost gone but I still feel low mood. Stick with it they say.
I hope you feel better soon, life can be hard eh x
Hi I am new here I take remeron, lyrica,elavil,and seroquel at night. I know that is a lot of medication but it had helped me work and have a life. But recently started having panic attacks that interfered with my job and driving. They started me on Zoloft I am on 50 mg and have been on it for for 3 weeks. There are short periods where I feel "ok" but hope it starts getting be better
Lydia
did you start on a low dose and gradually went up to 100mg. When and how long did it take to level out?
thks
Lynda
Lydia
how long before the sertraline started working for you?
lynda
I am wondering the same. I have suffered on and off with mild to chronic depression and anxiety since a bad car accident in 1992. This has caused me many problems in my last two jobs, and I am currently going through a harassment case with my employer as I feel they bullied and harassed me during the 6 months I have been there. Due to this, my dr has moved me from 30mg citalopram to 200mg setraline? Crossover went form 20mg citalopram and 50mg setraline for two days then 10mg citalopram and 100mg setraline 4 days then no citalopram and 150mg setraline for 4 days then 200mg setraline .it has been about 2 weeks now and o am feeling pretty low, have little get up and go, could sit and watch a wall all day, and mean while, I am not working, stressing about money for my 4 kids and wife and feels pretty bleak. Feel like a freak that can't get a hold on life😪 and wonder if I will ever be smiling and working with energy. I am 40 years of age and this has bugged me since I was 18
Sorry to hear you are feeling so bad. I feel each SSRI's is so different, if you feel that nothing is improving another chat with your DR is needed. You have so much responsibility it is overwhelming I hope you are speaking to someone that can help with all your worries. I have had a lot of problems with depression and there is light at the end of the tunnel, it's not easy. Your body has shut you down to protect you, just relax and be kind to yourself our minds need time to recoup, my thoughts are with you and can always chat
Thanks.
I still get on with life , but do feel this cloud is always there .like moarning a loss but there isn't one ?
Dr has asked I give the 200mg setraline another two weeks then they may decrease the dose.