How long does it take to kick in?

[Panic33]

I'm on my 3rd day and feeling so much better at the moment - I just hope this feeling lasts.

[Panic33]

day 6 an unfortunate panic attacks started - will try to go going on Sertaline tho

[Panic33]

All the info I've found so far:
Please add or correct if you know:

Sertraline has been shown to have a half life of approximately 26 hours. This long half life allows for once-daily dosing. Sertraline's main metabolite, the therapeutically inert molecule N-desmethylsertraline, has a half life of 62-104 hours this is why it builds up in your system before you get the benefit(therapeutic response). The reason you get the side effect at first is why the responders adjust to the increase in serotonin.

[Panic33]

Yesterday - day 13 - felt normal all day and thought all would be fine, the ADS most have finally started working. Today I'm back to square 1, feel real bad now as I not sure if the ADs are fully working and this is as good as I can hope for or are they still building up in my system. Is it normal to have a fine day followed by 1 back to full anxiety?

[sue.b]

Hi ya Panic 33

Yes, that has happened to me too, twice each time my psychiatrist advised me to increase the dose. I was increasing approximately 25mg every 3 weeks. He also mentioned that unless you are on the right dose for you (which can differ from person to person) for the right amount of time, the symptoms of the depression / anxiety will still come through.

He explained it in this way:

If you consider a dam as being the ad's and water being the depression, until you have built your dam to the correct height (i.e the correct level of ad's)the water will still pour over the top. This made quite a bit of sense to me.

I am now on 150mg - day 9. I have started to notice definate improvements, maybe you need to check with you GP about increasing the dose.

What dose of Sertraline are you on at the mo.

Hope the anxiety etc has died down a bit for you.

Take care

Sue

[Maj]

I took lustral 12 years ago. After two weeks I felt as though a black veil had been lifted from me and I remember waking up one morning and thinking "why was I so anxious?" I felt so much better from then on and will never forget how that medication helped me. I took it for 6 months and then came off without any after affects whatsoever. I was terrified to take them in the first place but they helped me so much. I took prozac for a few days recently and felt absolutely awful. Never again. Lustral really helped me and I hope it has this affect on you.

Regards
Myra

[Panic33]

Thank you for your replies. I'm on 50mg - I started at that dose two weeks ago.

[Panic33]

Been to see GP today - he told me I should give sertaline 6-8weeks then go back and see him. Going see how goes.

[Panic33]

The major panic and ming racing, brain fog seem to have calmed alot, but still getting tingling sensation in forehead and periods of anxiety where I feel dreadfull. I can't remember having any of the tingling sensations or brain fog before I started sertaline tho - I just couldnt stop thinking things were wrong with me. Now I get periods where I think all is Ok but when the anxiety does kick it seems worse.

[Panic33]

Had three days of being 99% back to feeling normal and thought all was cured, but then woke in the night and got bad anxiety and brain fog - felt awful all day since. Hoping this is just a set back and will feel OK again soon, or have the ADs done all they can and I'm heading back down hill? Any experiences of feeling awful after the ADs kick in and you felt OK?