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Change of meds: Sertraline
Past User
Recovering🥀Posts: 0 Just got here
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You said you changed medication a week ago, were you weened off the fluoxetine? They usually say it take 4-6 weeks to start seeing benefits from a new medication, and that side effects will lessen over that time and the longer you take it. What time do you take the sertraline each day? I've found some SSRIs like sertraline and citalopram can have different effects depending on when you take them. It's worth keeping a journal of all these side effects if you aren't already, then you can show it to your psychiatrist at your next review.
Hope you feel better soon.
When I started sertraline, I too experienced lots of side effects. My doctor and psychologist told me that they tend to calm down in 4-6 weeks and that's when the meds start to have a beneficial effect. However, the side effects were getting more severe, so I told my doctor about 5 weeks in and she changed me onto new meds straight away. I changed directly over, without any withdrawal of sertraline, and this wasn't too bad. I was reassured that there are lots of options and obviously people react differently to meds so there's no telling what will work for who.
With the side effects you are experiencing, I would highly recommend telling your psychiatrist as soon as possible. Suicidal thoughts are unfortunately a common side effect of SSRIs, but you should not be left experiencing any of these side effects, so please tell someone and they will hopefully be able to change your meds quickly
Let us know if there's anything more we can do to help, take care
Firstly you are doing fabulously observing all these side effects rather than getting caught up in them, so really well done for that!
I definitely agree with what @Past User said and @AbbyOwl about seeing a professional! Sudden changes in medication do a lot to your body! If it's any consolation, before they found the right medication for me they'd put me on all sorts, and it was a real rollercoaster, similar to the position you're in yourself! You are doing so brilliantly though
From a coping side of it all, knowing you'll see a psychiatrist is really important, but aside from that, maybe try to imagine it as (okay don't judge me😅) a Mulan situation😂At first, everything is a battle, she feels behind with everything and is so new to it all, but gradually she gets better and better, and by the end she's climbed up that pole and BOOM she's on a new level of confidence and self-assurance; that's how my antidepressant journey very much felt! (sometimes for extra confidence, 'make a man out of you' is a very motivating song😂) When you get where you need to be, everything comes together
I hope this helped in some way or at least made you smile
Always here if you want a chat or just someone to listen
Meila
My doctor prescribed me Sertraline a few years ago and they completely knocked me for six at first. Especially the loss of appetite, struggles with sleeping, feeling very hot, and having very dark thoughts. So I can absolutely empathise with how you are feeling right now
And whilst what others have said about it taking 4–6 weeks to see the benefits of the medication is true, it only (thankfully) took around 1–2 weeks for my major side effects to pass. So hopefully that's a little bit of reassurance for you. But medication does affect everyone differently, so please don't be disheartened if you're still experiencing some side effects for longer than others.
But I definitley agree and echo what everyone else has already said. Try and keep a diary of all your side effects, and certainly see your doctor if they get worse/keep persisting. And as @Past User mentioned, changing what time of day you take the Sertraline can have a big impact on its side effects as well.
Stick at it though, you're doing really great! And we're always here if you need us
And yes you are exactly right!
That's fantastic news, @zaynab_5
It's really positive that you are feeling a bit better, and hopefully the medication helps you
We are here for you