Starting sertraline for the first time
Hi everyone
Hope you池e all doing okay.
After many weeks of struggling with anxiety I have spoken to my doctor today and alongside talking therapies I have been prescribed sertraline 50mg
I have never taken medication before and I知 feeling pretty nervous
When would you advise the best time to take the medication will it be okay to take it in the evening or do I need to take it in the morning?
How long does it take to work.
The doctor is calling me in two weeks time to discuss how I知 feeling.
What are the side-effects like as I知 feeling pretty worried.
any advice would be much appreciated
Thank you
Re: Starting sertraline for the first time
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Originally Posted by
My happy ever after
I have spoken to my doctor today and alongside talking therapies I have been prescribed sertraline 50mg
For anxiety 25mg for the first week might be a better starting dose to minimise any side-effects. You should get your GP's okay before changing the dose.
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I have never taken medication before and I知 feeling pretty nervous
No need to be. Most people have few problems taking SSRIs. It is the relative few who do that come to support groups.
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When would you advise the best time to take the medication will it be okay to take it in the evening or do I need to take it in the morning?
That is entirely up to you. After about 5 days plasma levels will stabilise to a steady-state with only minor variations in levels across the day. That said, some do better when taking a SSRI either in the morning, or the evening. I guess it comes down to biorhythms. The important thing is to take it at about the same time every day so pick a time when you can be sure you won't forget.
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How long does it take to work.
Typically between 4-12 weeks. Antidepressants have no direct effect on anxiety, or depression in the way say aspirin has on a headache. They work by stimulating the growth of new brain cells (neurogenesis) in the hippocampal regions of the brain to replace cells killed, or prevented from growing by high brain stress hormone levels. The therapeutic response is produced by these new cells and the stronger interconnections they forge, not the meds directly, and they take time to bud, grow and mature. For a more detailed explanations see: Depression and the Birth and Death of Brain Cells (PDF) and How antidepressant drugs act.
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What are the side-effects like as I知 feeling pretty worried.
As per above, most have few issues. However, side-effects are not always down to the med. An anxious mind is very capable of producing the whole gamut of side-effects if given half a chance. The important thing to keep in mind is that side-effects are not a sign of harm, but just the body adjusting to the med. There are usually ways of minimising any side-effects that may arise.
Re: Starting sertraline for the first time
I started on 50ml 14 days ago - I was so worried about starting. It made me feel sick to start and I lost all interest in eating - then I lost all interest in doing anything which made me depressed. I've been told it takes a good few weeks to start working - I'm phoning my doctor on Thursday for an update. Before this I'd not taken anything for 18 years - I think support like these forums is great as you can discuss your fears about this medicine and get it all out. - Ask me anything about my journey so far if you want to know more - big hugs
