When will it work?

[ShellyTai]

Hiya folks - hope you don't mind me lugging into your post - just wondering how you're all getting on with your Sertraline ?? I'm in hell with mine.....
I've been on mine for just over 3 weeks - 2 weeks @ 50mgs then upped to 100mgs 7 days ago ..... OMG, don't think I can cope .... persistant pain between shoulder baldes - worse when I eat, not that I can eat much I've had no appetite now for a couple of weeks so need to force myself to eat (so of course I've convinced myself I've got eosophagal cancer...), has been there for over a week now.....dr is sure it's caused by anxiety ..... I seriously think I'm going mad....don't think I can carry on....it's so hard to get through it....xxxx

[-Stella-]

Thanks for the info chicaplatense, don't worry, there is no such thing as oversharing as far as I am concerned

Hello ShellyTai, welcome to the thread I am sorry to hear you are having such a bad experience but it sounds like side effects to me, not anything more sinister, and will probably settle down (easy to say, I know) as you get used to the medication.
I do think the sertraline is helping my anxiety because I have not had an anxiety attack for really quite a while now - I still get endless negative mind chatter but the physical symptoms like feeling as though I can't breathe properly have pretty much stopped, touch wood! Unfortunately it does not seem to have done much for my depression and I still feel really low all the time - there were a couple of days a few weeks ago when I actually felt okay, as though a cloud had lifted, so I felt hopeful, but it has gone right back to how it was before, crying all the time, feeling there is no hope for the future, no energy, etc.
I saw my doctor again at the start of last week but she did not suggest adjusting my dosage so I am still on 50mg (have been for just over 8 weeks now). I am going again tomorrow so we'll see what happens...

[-Stella-]

...so I am supposed to increase from 50mg to 75, which will involve trying to halve one of these tiny tablets. That could be entertaining, given that I am the clumsiest klutz known to humankind
Seriously though, I hope that a) this has some beneficial effect and that b) the side-effects are not too hideous this time around. The doctor told me to go back down to 50 if I feel too ill, so we shall see, again.

[-Stella-]

I just took my second dose of 75mg. Didn't feel many side-effects today, but that familiar achiness and shakiness is around right now. I hope I don't start to feel as horrible as last time, but the side-effects took about three days to reach their worst before, so I am nervous!

[-Stella-]

3rd full day on 75mg. Not feeling much better, but maybe it is too soon to expect an increased dosage to have any effect. Found it difficult to sleep last night (but that could be nothing to do with the meds) and a bit of a headache today, but that seems to be about it as far as side-effects are concerned. Here's hoping this is as bad as they get.

[-Stella-]

Day 4 on 75mg, and no noticeable side-effects this morning. I am quite impressed by the lack of hideous side-effects compared to when I first started taking the 50mg, I was really scared but if this has been as bad as it will get then maybe it was just the shock of going from nothing to 50 in the first instance.
I am also feeling a bit less depressed than I have been, but I am always wary about considering that it might be part of a trend because I am usually disappointed. It might be too soon for an increased dosage to have changed anything, but it is nice to have a better day from time to time! I hope it continues...

[mollys]

Me too, I am on meds for two weeks now and the doctor gave me 5mg of Valium to help me along ,but I found that making me very sleepy. I just want that little lift to feel happy inside again.
Some days I am dragging myself around and I used to love Christmas and family around ,now this year I could not care less.
Dont get me wrong I have a wonderful husband and 5 lovely boys and doing my best to show them that I am ok.But really inside I am not.

[-Stella-]

So, a week on 75mg now and the side-effects seemed limited to feeling a bit tired, shaky, and headachy for a few days at the start. When I think how ill I felt when I started on 50mg (from nothing), I think that is really good!
I still feel very down today and can't concentrate enough to get work done, but I feel less hopeless than I did last week. I saw the doctor again this morning but they were running late so the appointment was very rushed and not very useful. I want to believe that things are improving, but it is hard to know how much to hope that they are and how much to put down to natural variation - ups and downs.

[-Stella-]

Okay folks, quick question - how long after a dosage increase should I wait before I conclude there is no effect? I am feeling as depressed as ever (although the anxiety is still less bad than it was) and am wondering whether I need to change something (I see my doctor on 2nd January again) or whether it is still this stupid game of 'wait and see'?

[MrAndy]

Okay folks, quick question - how long after a dosage increase should I wait before I conclude there is no effect? I am feeling as depressed as ever (although the anxiety is still less bad than it was) and am wondering whether I need to change something (I see my doctor on 2nd January again) or whether it is still this stupid game of 'wait and see'?

I would say at least 3 weeks