Sertraline - just started and feel horrendous...should I keep going?

[ncfcfan85]

Thanks for the replies, all.

I am on a dosage of 50mcg.

The worst feelings is the intense aching throughout my body - already suffering with fatigue issues and this has been made worse by the Sertraline (at least I believe it is the Sertraline, as I started the increased Thyroxine dose at the same time) and also the feeling of just not being there, my head feels foggy and empty, and I think my vision feels worse :(

I've also noticed my sex drive has rapidly decreased, which I am hoping is something that is just an early side effect? Has anybody else experienced this?

Thanks for providing me with some insight that things do indeed settle down, I just want things to settle instantly as this is an awful feeling. It feels such a struggle to even move my legs. I also do NOT like this teeth grinding, for some reason it just keeps happening.

Does anybody know if it is safe to try herbal remedies such as Nytol when on Sertraline? My sleep has been severely effected since starting Sertraline and I have never tried things like Nytol before, but was thinking of giving it a go. But then I saw on the instructions that it mentions not to take if you are taking any medications for anxiety?

Thanks for any further information.

[wareing77]

My psychiatrist told me nytol was fine but not the herbal one. Think its an anti histamine. I was also given sleeping tablets for a while as my sleep at the begining was so bad, they got me a couple of hours sleep but not much more. Gradually my sleep got better as time went on.

Teeth grinding and lack of labido are common tho ive had the complete opposite, my sex drive has gone thru the roof since starting sertraline ha! I didnt have teeth grinding but i used to wake up with awful jaw pain so must have been clenching or grinding in my sleep. Its settled now tho. I also had wierd vision, small wrighting used to be blurred if it was too close to a point i could hardly read what was on my phone, it comes and goes now.

[spawn]

Yeh my sex drive completely went, would go through phases of just feeling numb and no emotion. Now that I've dropped my dose it's all coming back, and my headaches, night sweats and vivid dreams are getting less.
It's a difficult situation to be in, the doctor tells you to increase our dose, but many find that they get increased side effects?
Gav.

[ncfcfan85]

Thanks for replies.

Today is a bad day and it must be down to the Sertraline :( my legs feel all seized up and it's SO hard to lift them just to go up the stairs. My joints feel all stiff too. How long does it take these side effects to go away?

I saw the GP this morning and he said I should go upto 175mcg of my thyroxine and he wants to keep me on the 50mcg Sertraline. He explained to me that the way I am feeling is "to be expected" when starting the Sertraline. Except I am not coping at all because I already had fatigue issues and now everything is worse.

I explained that I can't sleep and he said Nytol wouldn't do much and prescribed me something called Pericyazine, 2.5mg, not as a sleeping tablet but for something I should take if I start to feel anxious - but I thought Sertraline should make you feel less anxious, not more anxious!

I totally forgot to mention about the sex drive stuff to my GP. I really hope this isn't a long-term thing?

It's good to hear that sleep improves as time goes on, but I don't know how much longer I can give these tablets to kick in and start working properly. How on earth do you cope?

Yes my vision has noticeably dipped, but I am starting to wonder if it's just because I am incredibly exhausted?? Maybe my eyes are just tired. I don't know. I can't stop yawning!

This is the worst I have felt in a long time and I'll be honest, I'm scared. I am so fed up of feeling this way :(

[MissyMischief]

Thanks for replies.

Today is a bad day and it must be down to the Sertraline :( my legs feel all seized up and it's SO hard to lift them just to go up the stairs. My joints feel all stiff too. How long does it take these side effects to go away?

I saw the GP this morning and he said I should go upto 175mcg of my thyroxine and he wants to keep me on the 50mcg Sertraline. He explained to me that the way I am feeling is "to be expected" when starting the Sertraline. Except I am not coping at all because I already had fatigue issues and now everything is worse.

I explained that I can't sleep and he said Nytol wouldn't do much and prescribed me something called Pericyazine, 2.5mg, not as a sleeping tablet but for something I should take if I start to feel anxious - but I thought Sertraline should make you feel less anxious, not more anxious!

I totally forgot to mention about the sex drive stuff to my GP. I really hope this isn't a long-term thing?

It's good to hear that sleep improves as time goes on, but I don't know how much longer I can give these tablets to kick in and start working properly. How on earth do you cope?

Yes my vision has noticeably dipped, but I am starting to wonder if it's just because I am incredibly exhausted?? Maybe my eyes are just tired. I don't know. I can't stop yawning!

This is the worst I have felt in a long time and I'll be honest, I'm scared. I am so fed up of feeling this way :(

I feel your pain. Starting the medication was awful for me. I started to feel the side effects begin to lift in week 3 and felt quite a bit better by week 4. Then I upped my dose and the side effects came back...but that is another ordeal.

Xanax for the increased anxiety, and a strong family support system are what got me through the worst of it.

Try to hang in there.

[helena8888]

After 2-3 weeks you will start noticing an improvement on the side effects. The first time I started sert it was at 50mg and I know the pain of starting the med at that dosage. I had a very tough time at the begining, was barely able to function but all got better after 2-3 weeks.

[ncfcfan85]

Thanks for the replies again. Encouraging to hear that the side effects should pass.

I don't think my mood has been too bad last few days since being on the tablets, but I am still feeling very unusual in myself. I think the worst things still are grinding my teeth (even during the day, I can't seem to stop myself doing it), blurred vision (either down to the medication or my sight has just suddenly worsened!) feeling cold all the time, painful calfs (I keep getting cramp there too) and my loss of sex drive (I have little interest in it and now my girlfriend thinks I don't find her attractive)

I've got doctors again tomorrow morning for a review. I will mention some of these. But they seem no closer to going away :(

[S1ckandT1red]

I know what you mean about feeling very unusual in yourself,I still get that now 8 or 9 weeks in.
It's not so bad when indoors but when I am out it can be disconcerting as it can make me feel vulnerable for want of a better word.

[ncfcfan85]

That's a good way of putting it, SickAndTired.

I have also been feeling quite anxious when out and about, but this is subsiding, thankfully.

However, I still feel extremely "woozy" and light in my head at times, get hot and cold flushes, and the teeth grinding is still very very noticeable, I can't stop! Also, I still can't "finish", in a sexual sense

I'm coming up to 3 weeks usage so hopefully I will start to notice some benefit soon. I'm really struggling in general with exhaustion, not helped by the fact that I am suffering with fatigue issues anyway and they seem heightened by this medication.

[Torimori]

Hi, I'm on day 3 (although dropped my dose from 50mg to 25mg from day 2) and feel absolutely shocking. Prescribed for health anxiety and OCD which has crept back up over the last few months. I've had sertraline before (for around 10 months until feb 14) and cannot recall the initial effects being this bad. I am taking diazepam as and when needed but really don't want to become reliant upon it to get me through the day.