Does anyone take Sertraline?

Hello,

I have been prescribed this for sever anxiety from a Doctor recently .  I also got a referral on same call for Autism.

I had very bad nausea for two weeks.  I did research and there are some common side effects including insomnia, nausea, and may others.  I was advised to take it before sleep to minimise side affects.

I did feel like it wasn't worth it after the first  week as I had to work alongside feeling sick.

I just explained this to my manager and they were very understanding. I would suggest giving it time as my side affects passed after two weeks.  It has made a difference to me.  I still have problems with focussing and do still get anxious but it is more manageable.

Hope it gets better soon.

I've recently started on sertraline - I have been on fluoxetine for many years but they just didn't seem to help so I've been moved onto sertraline.  I'm still not sure if it's helping or not as I can't leave the house without having a panic attack but so far I don't really have any side effects.

Yes I did my insane Dr said I was depressed even though I told her I wasn't but she was like we'll try you on this anyway. Side effects were crazy! Sickness, upset stomach, shaky hands and so on... So I was on it for a few weeks and then I stopped because it actually made me feel even worse, physically and mentally.

You can win, but sadly people very often do not. 

A bloke on the internet some years ago camped outside a trickcyclists (psychiatry) convention and as they came out, asked them individually if they had EVER "cured" anyone. The answers were somewhat illuminating...

For an actual CURE, some people turn to religion, and some people make others make significant changes in their lives which they find work for them.

Some people falsely believe that only a person with letters after his or her name can provide a solution to their problems.   

With depression the advice "Never Give Up, Never Surrender" is the best advice. The antidote to "panic" is relaxation. I have had panic attacks when I was young, but fortunately I learned a bit of yoga when I was a kid, and I'm familiar with the concept of "taking control of my body" and practiced in the basic techniques of being still. It came in mighty handy on many occasions such as when the army got me to climb way too high for any sensible person, and I found myself "stuck" at a dizzying height (I made the mistake of looking down!) As I felt the rush of panic, I just froze in place, and stilled myself, as the instructor got concerned, I just called down "I just need a moment" and when I felt better, I got on with it. But you most likely won't be able to do that without a bit of practice at home first. Your body is NOT all that you are, it is your intimate animal companion though this life, and like any animal, YOU can take control and give it direction, and if it needs it, "comforting". 

To be honest, my depression went away BUT I also felt nothing. Not happy or excited.

The panic attacks were still there due to the side effects/worrying if they’ll ever go away. 
you can’t win

No, I'm being genuine. I've been, on the whole, recently quite disappointed by our "professional" classes.

Dentists who do filling in kids that aren't needed.

Doctors who clearly don't know what the hell they are doing and then complain when you google up your symptoms and actually find the correct treatment.

Mechanics who when asked to remove a bit of play in your steering return the car with the air conditioning inoperative, deny any culpability until you SHOW THEM where they broke the pipework taking the rack out.

Policemen who show up to your burglary and then start looking for issues with the vehicle parked on your drive.

Aircraft engineers who carefully replace the protective cover over the flying controls of an aerobatic aircraft whilst leaving a bloody great torch inside..

That sort of thing! I D.I.Y. an awful lot, not because I want to, but because everything is done in such a careless manner by those "experts" who we pay to do things, which means every repair drags on, and on. At least when I do stir myself to work, I GET IT RIGHT FIRST TIME, even as an amateur.

In fact that seems to be the mark of an "Amateur" these days, an interest in the work itself and not just; "How much Mercedes will it buy for me, and how quickly can I get on to the next "earner"?"

is that sarcasm. i can't always tell or are you being genuine ?

Blimey, reading this thread is truly terrifying.  I wish the medical professionals would quit trying to force these things on me.  I am NEVER, EVER going to give in and take them.  No matter how bad I might be feeling, ANY side effect, ANY at all would send me over the edge.  

But then I'm a medical phobe, I guess.  And you can't expect to give a medical phobe anything with such scary side effects and not expect to make them worse.

I took Sertraline for about four years and all that time I had problems in the toilet department, I had trouble sleeping, I had shaky hands and headaches. And that stayed with me whilst I was on it. And went when I stopped taking it.

I’ve used Setraline for several years and I find it helpful 

I found my sense of taste and smell was reduced. I had extreme difficulty waking up in the mornings. Generally I experienced fewer periods of shutdown but never really felt like I was firing on all cylinders either. It will take time for your body to adapt to the Sertraline and for the Sertraline to reach a stable level in your body. After a month if side effects haven't settled down do not be shy about going back to your doctor. There are other drugs and some work better for some people than others.

My wife has very vivid dreams on Citalopram and sometimes talks in her sleep to the point we can almost hold a conversation.

I found that I was more anxious for the first 6 or so weeks. I didn’t like that.

Also, it’s worth noting that generic versions can sometimes cause more side effects than the brand name. It’s not that the medicine is any different, or worse, it’s just that its usually coated with something different. One I had gave me awful heartburn and reflux. My Dr had to make specific notes in my prescription not to give me those or others I had issues with. (I’m a drug sensitive person)

I must say, I had some wonderful dreams while on Sertraline!

I can’t even get a drs appointment. Phoned yesterday and they didn’t have any, phoned today and they didn’t have any. They won’t booked in advanced ‍♂️ 

I didn’t take it today and I’ve got the worst headache. 111 told me to stay on it till I see my GP or stop if it gets worse. 

Blue said:

NOT A PROFESSIONAL 

Which gives you a lot more believability in my eyes...

I'm not happy about this. I can get a more trustworthy and informed service from a street-drug-dealer than these quacks seem capable of providing with any consistency. 

They pushed Prozac in the nineties, telling us how harmless it was, and still when people try to expose the huge link between school shooters and Prozac, people just keep denying that the drug could possible cause you to be come revengeful and likely to plot an atrocity.

Since exactly that happened to me un the nineties, I tend to believe my own experience and I strongly disagree with the statement that appears in this thread "It's best to take advice from medical professionals, not 'people you know'". It's best to get as much information as possible before taking any new drug, rather than blindly trusting your doctor. Sorry, but that gets one of my super rare downvotes. 

We need something better than a cadre of barely competent medical heirophants handing out dangerous drugs like smarties to an unsuspecting and trusting public, because the medical rep handed them a leaflet, and gave them a freebie of some sort.

(I've spent a lot of time in different doctors offices doing I.T. looking around, whilst waiting for software to compile, and they are all jammed with advertising materials for the latest miracle drug (like Zopiclone a fiendish substance that appears to be destroying my friends wife and his happy and well earned retirement along with it). And they all hate the internet, because people are actually starting to check the REAL side effects as reported by other users on forums like this. 

O.K. Rant over.. 

Nice to know I'm not the only one! It was sold to me as being very well tolerated.

Hiya,

I started Sertraline in 2018 and I have mixed feelings on it. 

The doctor told me there were side effects and it would be good for me. There are horrendous side effects, but do they get better with time? Eventually.

My NT friend had been on it and only had nightmares and hyper-realistic dreams. I on the other hand struggled, within 30 minutes I had horrendous diarrhea for the rest of the day. The first week was horrendous, vomiting, unable to sleep, diarrhea, increased anxiety, stomach pain, my brain felt wired and I couldn't focus. My favourite was dubbed the Sertraline headache, and would happen everytime I woke up leaving me dizzy and disoriented for months. But I sucked it up, tried to go back to uni and work. But some of the symptoms - tonnes more I can't remember- left me phoning in sick to my new job and I got fired. They rest of the symptoms lasted a month or two. 

After a few months, a developed ne symptoms - headaches, memory loss, tiredness, lack of concentration, brain fog, insomnia and dizziness. But my anxiety and depression was 10x better. So my doctor prescribed Lustral - just a different brand of Sertraline and I don't know whether it was a placebo affect or what but I feel tonnes better. The only side effect I have now is a poor memory! 

However, Sertraline is a nasty drug but can work well for everyone. I never upped my dose for fear of the side effects. But I warn everyone thinking of coming off it that withdrawal is very real. I missed a couple of days of pills because the doctors mucked up and it destroyed me. 

Sorry, if this was a bit off putting, but this was my experience.  I know people that have good experiences and bad, but I'd rather warn you of how bad it can be. 

To me, the benefits outweigh the negatives but if I had to come off it, I wouldn't restart. 

I hope if you decide to stick it out you have a far better experience :) 

Hiya,

I started Sertraline in 2018 and I have mixed feelings on it. 

The doctor told me there were side effects and it would be good for me. There are horrendous side effects, but do they get better with time? Eventually.

My NT friend had been on it and only had nightmares and hyper-realistic dreams. I on the other hand struggled, within 30 minutes I had horrendous diarrhea for the rest of the day. The first week was horrendous, vomiting, unable to sleep, diarrhea, increased anxiety, stomach pain, my brain felt wired and I couldn't focus. My favourite was dubbed the Sertraline headache, and would happen everytime I woke up leaving me dizzy and disoriented for months. But I sucked it up, tried to go back to uni and work. But some of the symptoms - tonnes more I can't remember- left me phoning in sick to my new job and I got fired. They rest of the symptoms lasted a month or two. 

After a few months, a developed ne symptoms - headaches, memory loss, tiredness, lack of concentration, brain fog, insomnia and dizziness. But my anxiety and depression was 10x better. So my doctor prescribed Lustral - just a different brand of Sertraline and I don't know whether it was a placebo affect or what but I feel tonnes better. The only side effect I have now is a poor memory! 

However, Sertraline is a nasty drug but can work well for everyone. I never upped my dose for fear of the side effects. But I warn everyone thinking of coming off it that withdrawal is very real. I missed a couple of days of pills because the doctors mucked up and it destroyed me. 

Sorry, if this was a bit off putting, but this was my experience.  I know people that have good experiences and bad, but I'd rather warn you of how bad it can be. 

To me, the benefits outweigh the negatives but if I had to come off it, I wouldn't restart. 

I hope if you decide to stick it out you have a far better experience :) 

I think you need to talk to the doctor and maybe try a different version of an SSRI.  My wife took that for two days and had terrible trembling and her anxiety got worse.  We went to the Dr and he switched her to Citalopram initially at 10mg then up to 20mg.  The side effects were few and even those disappeared after a couple of weeks.  She also has the opposite of you in that she went from being a bad sleeper to a very good sleeper on the new tablets.

There are quite a few types about and I am guessing Sertraline is the cheapest so that is the first one they try.