Sertraline side effects
Is anyone else here taking sertraline?
I've just begun taking it and I'm experiencing horrible side effects, what are your experiences?
I've just begun taking it and I'm experiencing horrible side effects, what are your experiences?
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I used to hallucinate and get really dizzy... I didn't enjoy it at all.
Original post by sorafdfs
Yes I take 200mg sertraline. The side effects do wear off, but I completely understand they can be a nuisance. Worst for me has to be the tiredness.The side effects do ease though.
Original post by Anonymous
I used to hallucinate and get really dizzy... I didn't enjoy it at all.
Thanks for your replies - I took a 50mg tablet a couple of days ago and two hours later I was vomiting with a bad stomach ache, shaking, and seeing these green flashes. I seem to be having some of the worse side effects, unfortunately. Do you think there's any correlation with the severity of someone's side effects and the time they take to wear off (if they do at all)?
Original post by pineneedles
Thanks for your replies - I took a 50mg tablet a couple of days ago and two hours later I was vomiting with a bad stomach ache, shaking, and seeing these green flashes. I seem to be having some of the worse side effects, unfortunately. Do you think there's any correlation with the severity of someone's side effects and the time they take to wear off (if they do at all)?
I think those are extreme side effects. I would seek medical advice immediately: get an emergency appointment at your surgery and call 111.
Original post by sorafdfs
I think those are extreme side effects. I would seek medical advice immediately: get an emergency appointment at your surgery and call 111.
I saw the pharmacist - it's easier than getting an appointment. I was told to try again, so I will this evening. Hopefully it won't be as bad.
I took 100mg for 6 months and here are all the side effects I experienced during that time.
Sickness
Loss of appetite
Massive weight loss (20 kg in 2 months)
Insomnia
Always tired (constant yawning)
No craving for nicotine considering I was a smoker.
Euphoria
Ejaculation became difficult (only being honest)
Hand tremors (which I still have 3 years later)
Highly intolerant to alcohol (4 whiskeys and I would be rat arsed)
And finally memory loss to the extent that I struggle to remember those 6 months. It still feels like it was only days.
But with all those side effects it would not have been possible for me to get over my depression without them.
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Sickness
Loss of appetite
Massive weight loss (20 kg in 2 months)
Insomnia
Always tired (constant yawning)
No craving for nicotine considering I was a smoker.
Euphoria
Ejaculation became difficult (only being honest)
Hand tremors (which I still have 3 years later)
Highly intolerant to alcohol (4 whiskeys and I would be rat arsed)
And finally memory loss to the extent that I struggle to remember those 6 months. It still feels like it was only days.
But with all those side effects it would not have been possible for me to get over my depression without them.
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Original post by DiddyDec
I took 100mg for 6 months and here are all the side effects I experienced during that time.
Sickness
Loss of appetite
Massive weight loss (20 kg in 2 months)
Insomnia
Always tired (constant yawning)
No craving for nicotine considering I was a smoker.
Euphoria
Ejaculation became difficult (only being honest)
Hand tremors (which I still have 3 years later)
Highly intolerant to alcohol (4 whiskeys and I would be rat arsed)
And finally memory loss to the extent that I struggle to remember those 6 months. It still feels like it was only days.
But with all those side effects it would not have been possible for me to get over my depression without them.
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Sickness
Loss of appetite
Massive weight loss (20 kg in 2 months)
Insomnia
Always tired (constant yawning)
No craving for nicotine considering I was a smoker.
Euphoria
Ejaculation became difficult (only being honest)
Hand tremors (which I still have 3 years later)
Highly intolerant to alcohol (4 whiskeys and I would be rat arsed)
And finally memory loss to the extent that I struggle to remember those 6 months. It still feels like it was only days.
But with all those side effects it would not have been possible for me to get over my depression without them.
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It's strong stuff I got most of those symptoms. Didn't get the weight loss though, lucky bastard. As you said it did mostly work. Didn't care abotu anything while I was on them.
Original post by Plutonian
It's strong stuff I got most of those symptoms. Didn't get the weight loss though, lucky bastard. As you said it did mostly work. Didn't care abotu anything while I was on them.
The weight loss was bad considering I had already lost 30 kg prior to me taking them. I weighed about 65kg at my lowest and for someone who is 6' 4. That is bad.
They are great for enabling one to seek real help and a short term solution but they have the worst side effects of any drug I have ever taken.
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Original post by DiddyDec
The weight loss was bad considering I had already lost 30 kg prior to me taking them. I weighed about 65kg at my lowest and for someone who is 6' 4. That is bad.
They are great for enabling one to seek real help and a short term solution but they have the worst side effects of any drug I have ever taken.
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They are great for enabling one to seek real help and a short term solution but they have the worst side effects of any drug I have ever taken.
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Any weight loss is good if your fat. Ran out of food once and lost 8 lbs. Great week.
Original post by Plutonian
Any weight loss is good if your fat. Ran out of food once and lost 8 lbs. Great week.
I used to be fat (110kg) at 17. I lost 30 kg in 2 and half months of almost constant exercise and poor nutrition. With heavy depression and PTSD to go with it.
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Original post by pineneedles
Is anyone else here taking sertraline?
I've just begun taking it and I'm experiencing horrible side effects, what are your experiences?
I've just begun taking it and I'm experiencing horrible side effects, what are your experiences?
Why do doctors even still prescribe sertraline? My personal experience after being on sertraline was that it made me the most depressed I've ever been in my life, absoloute despair, and I took an overdose whilst on it so the doctors immediately took me off it and was started on a different antidepressant. I know they say different drugs have different effects for different people and that just because something didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for others, but I still think sertraline is such a messed up drug, would not recommend to anyone. I think you should book an emergency appointment on Monday to talk about the side effects you've been having and see if it's the right one. Doctors are all too willing to shove meds down Mental health patient's throats without understanding the repurcussions.
I'm on 100mg and the only side effects I've experienced are body tremors and tiredness. Possibly loss of appetite too but I think that may have been due to the stress of something else? 
That's a rather high dose to start on. Did your GP tell you to take that?
Original post by pineneedles
Thanks for your replies - I took a 50mg tablet a couple of days ago and two hours later I was vomiting with a bad stomach ache, shaking, and seeing these green flashes. I seem to be having some of the worse side effects, unfortunately. Do you think there's any correlation with the severity of someone's side effects and the time they take to wear off (if they do at all)?
That's a rather high dose to start on. Did your GP tell you to take that?
The headaches are awful
The side effects seemed to settle down for me after about 3 weeks. It seemed the benefits of the drug were greater than the few side effects I had.
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The side effects seemed to settle down for me after about 3 weeks. It seemed the benefits of the drug were greater than the few side effects I had.
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Original post by Anonymous
Why do doctors even still prescribe sertraline? My personal experience after being on sertraline was that it made me the most depressed I've ever been in my life, absoloute despair, and I took an overdose whilst on it so the doctors immediately took me off it and was started on a different antidepressant. I know they say different drugs have different effects for different people and that just because something didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for others, but I still think sertraline is such a messed up drug, would not recommend to anyone. I think you should book an emergency appointment on Monday to talk about the side effects you've been having and see if it's the right one. Doctors are all too willing to shove meds down Mental health patient's throats without understanding the repurcussions.
I whole heartedly agree with you, sertraline is a horrible drug. Worse than most illegal drugs in terms of side effects and benefits.
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Original post by DiddyDec
I used to be fat (110kg) at 17. I lost 30 kg in 2 and half months of almost constant exercise and poor nutrition. With heavy depression and PTSD to go with it.
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Ah I'm one of those people who gain weight when depressed.
Original post by DiddyDec
I took 100mg for 6 months and here are all the side effects I experienced during that time.
Sickness
Loss of appetite
Massive weight loss (20 kg in 2 months)
Insomnia
Always tired (constant yawning)
No craving for nicotine considering I was a smoker.
Euphoria
Ejaculation became difficult (only being honest)
Hand tremors (which I still have 3 years later)
Highly intolerant to alcohol (4 whiskeys and I would be rat arsed)
And finally memory loss to the extent that I struggle to remember those 6 months. It still feels like it was only days.
But with all those side effects it would not have been possible for me to get over my depression without them.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Sickness
Loss of appetite
Massive weight loss (20 kg in 2 months)
Insomnia
Always tired (constant yawning)
No craving for nicotine considering I was a smoker.
Euphoria
Ejaculation became difficult (only being honest)
Hand tremors (which I still have 3 years later)
Highly intolerant to alcohol (4 whiskeys and I would be rat arsed)
And finally memory loss to the extent that I struggle to remember those 6 months. It still feels like it was only days.
But with all those side effects it would not have been possible for me to get over my depression without them.
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But how did the drug even help you to get over your depression? Did you stop taking it after that point?
Like with sertraline, as I said before, it just made me feel so incredibly dark, like darkness just took hold of me. I was depressed before but under sertraline I had, I believe, the most severe form of depression I've experienced. I took escitalopram after the whole sertraline incident and that helped me in that it stabilised my mood more since I was having fewer low dips. But even now after 4 years I'm still on that same escitalopram and I still get depressed. I feel like nothing's helping my depression. I've got a lot stronger in many ways and have a fuller life now but I can still have very dark thoughts.
Original post by DiddyDec
Aww omg I'm so sorry, huge hugs. But glad you've come to feel better by the sounds.Original post by Anonymous
But how did the drug even help you to get over your depression? Did you stop taking it after that point?
Like with sertraline, as I said before, it just made me feel so incredibly dark, like darkness just took hold of me. I was depressed before but under sertraline I had, I believe, the most severe form of depression I've experienced. I took escitalopram after the whole sertraline incident and that helped me in that it stabilised my mood more since I was having fewer low dips. But even now after 4 years I'm still on that same escitalopram and I still get depressed. I feel like nothing's helping my depression. I've got a lot stronger in many ways and have a fuller life now but I can still have very dark thoughts.
Aww omg I'm so sorry, huge hugs. But glad you've come to feel better by the sounds.
Like with sertraline, as I said before, it just made me feel so incredibly dark, like darkness just took hold of me. I was depressed before but under sertraline I had, I believe, the most severe form of depression I've experienced. I took escitalopram after the whole sertraline incident and that helped me in that it stabilised my mood more since I was having fewer low dips. But even now after 4 years I'm still on that same escitalopram and I still get depressed. I feel like nothing's helping my depression. I've got a lot stronger in many ways and have a fuller life now but I can still have very dark thoughts.
Aww omg I'm so sorry, huge hugs. But glad you've come to feel better by the sounds.It gave me the complete opposite effect it made me euphoric. Which allowed me to open up about my problems. See I am an incredibly reserved person in real life and nobody would be able to tell to terrible things I gone through. I do not share my life with anyone. But the sertraline allowed me to talk about myself and allowed me to resolve many of my problems which I had been facing for many years.
Once I felt I was able to live in the real world and I became tired of the side effects I took myself off the meds and had no come down life many others do. One day I just stopped taking them. I was content with my life and had gotten over the death if my best friend. I still have bad days such as the anniversary of his death or his birthday but that is to be expected. And weirdly about a week ago I was watching a.police programme where a young man tried to kill himself and it really touched me. Leading me to cry for a few hours. I know it sounds silly, but i want to be honest as I can be. Sure I miss him but there is nothing I can do. He killed himself 3 years ago and I have come to accept that there was nothing I could have done.
Regret is a useless feeling as there is nothing that one can do now to change the past. We must move on. However with my experience of great loss I can help others going through similar situation and help them to see light on the other side.
I can see that I am rambling but this is a subject I am incredibly passionate about, I do not want others to waste their lives by leaving life early when there is still hope even if they cannot see it. I have faced incredible hardships and have come out the other side successful.
I want to help others to do the same. Talking can make all the difference between life and death.
When I say this I really do mean it. If anyone wants to talk please do not hesitate to pm me. I would be more than happy to help you in any way that I can.
Edit: also thank you for your support it is appropriated. Sorry I forgot to mention that earlier I got carried away.
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(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Plutonian
Ah I'm one of those people who gain weight when depressed.
It wasn't the depression that made me lose all the weight it was 2 and a half months of hard manual labour in South Africa. Working on a farm, carrying 50kg bags of fertiliser and having 3 days off in the whole time I was there. I highly recommend it for losing weight and gaining a sense of perspective about how privileged we are in the west.
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Original post by DiddyDec
It gave me the complete opposite effect it made me euphoric. Which allowed me to open up about my problems. See I am an incredibly reserved person in real life and nobody would be able to tell to terrible things I gone through. I do not share my life with anyone. But the sertraline allowed me to talk about myself and allowed me to resolve many of my problems which I had been facing for many years.
Once I felt I was able to live in the real world and I became tired of the side effects I took myself off the meds and had no come down life many others do. One day I just stopped taking them. I was content with my life and had gotten over the death if my best friend. I still have bad days such as the anniversary of his death or his birthday but that is to be expected. And weirdly about a week ago I was watching a.police programme where a young man tried to kill himself and it really touched me. Leading me to cry for a few hours. I know it sounds silly, but i want to be honest as I can be. Sure I miss him but there is nothing I can do. He killed himself 3 years ago and I have come to accept that there was nothing I could have done.
Regret is a useless feeling as there is nothing that one can do now to change the past. We must move on. However with my experience of great loss I can help others going through similar situation and help them to see light on the other side.
I can see that I am rambling but this is a subject I am incredibly passionate about, I do not want others to waste their lives by leaving life early when there is still hope even if they cannot see it. I have faced incredible hardships and have come out the other side successful.
I want to help others to do the same. Talking can make all the difference between life and death.
When I say this I really do mean it. If anyone wants to talk please do not hesitate to pm me. I would be more than happy to help you in any way that I can.
Edit: also thank you for your support it is appropriated. Sorry I forgot to mention that earlier I got carried away.
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Once I felt I was able to live in the real world and I became tired of the side effects I took myself off the meds and had no come down life many others do. One day I just stopped taking them. I was content with my life and had gotten over the death if my best friend. I still have bad days such as the anniversary of his death or his birthday but that is to be expected. And weirdly about a week ago I was watching a.police programme where a young man tried to kill himself and it really touched me. Leading me to cry for a few hours. I know it sounds silly, but i want to be honest as I can be. Sure I miss him but there is nothing I can do. He killed himself 3 years ago and I have come to accept that there was nothing I could have done.
Regret is a useless feeling as there is nothing that one can do now to change the past. We must move on. However with my experience of great loss I can help others going through similar situation and help them to see light on the other side.
I can see that I am rambling but this is a subject I am incredibly passionate about, I do not want others to waste their lives by leaving life early when there is still hope even if they cannot see it. I have faced incredible hardships and have come out the other side successful.
I want to help others to do the same. Talking can make all the difference between life and death.
When I say this I really do mean it. If anyone wants to talk please do not hesitate to pm me. I would be more than happy to help you in any way that I can.
Edit: also thank you for your support it is appropriated. Sorry I forgot to mention that earlier I got carried away.
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It's crazy that sertraline made you so euphoric but yet me so depressed. When did you start taking it and come off it?
I agree that talking is one of the things that has made the most difference to me over the years, having people to talk through your problems with, not pyschiatrists or counsellors but someone you can actually exchange experiences with. I find counsellors and psychiatrists etc too one-sided... they give nothing away.
Real sorry to hear about your friend, but it's so admirable that in a way, dare I say, you're using his struggles as something to motivate you to help yourself and help others.
Impressive you experienced no come down. I've tried coming off but after a week or so got hit by a bout of depression. I'm pretty much alright if I'm surrounded by friends as I can't have a massive depressive episode even if I'm distant but when I'm alone I can start to feel lost self-loathing and worthless very quickly. So I went back on them after a week off them. after four years on that specific pill it's more a way of life and habit than anything. I don't think they're making any difference now anyway cause I'm drinking such a quantity almost every night which makes the medication null and void. Doctors are suggesting more meds but I hate them.
