Sertraline - what do you think?
SirMickTravis
Posts: 2,607 Forum Member
✭✭✭
I've been on this since Monday and suffering quite a lot of nausea. Within hours of taking it I could feel changes in my body happening. I'm finding things much easier in the mornings, sleeping fewer hours but my appetite has gone completely and the near permanent nausea has got worse. Perhaps I could take it in the evening instead?
0
Comments
Some people are ok with them and swear by them, were as other's have had their lives ruined by them.
It's up to you whether you want to find out which camp you fall into.
You've only been taking them since monday and if I were you I'd just flush em down the bog.
With respect I don't think that's very wise advice , you have no idea why the OP was prescribed them. Speaking for myself they have quite literally been a life saver.
You can adjust the time you take them, yes, taking them in the evening may mean you sleep through the worst of the side effects. Give that a try, and if it doesn't help, return to your GP and let them know.
^^^ Those are profoundly ill-informed comments and they should be completely ignored not least because anti-depressants can take a few weeks before the beneficial effects can be felt.
To SirMick, if, after a few weeks you're still having issues, please go back to your GP to explore dosages, other medications, etc. and good luck there!
Antidepressants can take up to 6 weeks to work.
There's nothing wrong with my post at all.
I'm still suffering from side effects years after taking an anti depressant, and I am one of many people.
Some people are fine on them though.
They might help you, or make you worse.
Just stating facts.
You're taking a risk taking anti depressants.
Everyone reacts differently to them.
And after a few weeks use they can fry your sex drive and leave you with long term, in some cases permanent, horrible erectile dysfunction.
This hasn't happened to you TV user, but it's happened to other's and is a risk you take, Sir Mick.
Theres other side effects too.
I suggest you do your research into the side effects Sir Mick, and read the pamphlet that came with your anti depressants.
Many people who suffer withdrawal symptoms wished they had never have gone on the medication to start with. Doctors haven't got a clue by leaving people on the meds far too long, and often weaning people off far to rapidly. When the patient complains of the intense and protracted withdrawal, the silly doctor usually advises that it's the original depression/anxiety returning.
In my opinion, antidepressants (of the SSRI and SNRI varieties) such as fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline and venlafaxine are bad news. I'm certain they cause long term medical problems, especially when used over a long period of time.
You're right. Bottom line is, they don't fix any problem and very often make things worse in the long run. For those people on SSRIs and think they work, they're very often just living like a zombie with not a care about anything. And then when the medication stops working (which it will in the end), the original problem is back with a vengeance, together with horrific withdrawal symptoms that are never ending.
Also not sure why people think doctors have half a clue about anything.
I would suspect that most medics are better informed than random individuals on a forum.
That's my view too but we're all different
I had that on the first day and thought uh oh - but it didn't continue. The nausea has got worse though. I've hardly eaten anything for the last 2 days and I even went for a jog this morning (not very far) due to the anxiety.
I think the 'chemical imbalance' thing was debunked years ago. Additionally, it isn't possible to measure chemicals in the brain. If anything, SSRIs will cause an even worse chemical imbalance if ever there is one. The meds will down-regulate receptors over time, which is why when people come off them they feel worse than ever as it takes a long time to up-regulate and get back to baseline.
I would highly recommend speaking to your doctor though if it continues, give it a couple of weeks and strangely, the time of day you take it can impact the side effects you get. Hope it all settles down for you soon.
Utter rubbish. From start to finish.
Sorry, but this is rubbish. I did a lot of research into depression and antidepressants before I took any and the "chemical imbalance thing" has definitely not been debunked. Depression is such a complicated illness with a huge variety of causes and factors which make certain people more prone to suffering from it. There's a huge amount of scientific evidence which shows antidepressants do work and help the brain to function better. This kind of rubbish is what stops people going to their doctors and getting help for what is literally a life-threatening condition.
Depression is not a flaw in someone's character, it's not them being weak or not being able to cope with life, it's a medical condition which can get better with the right treatment. Also, it should be noted, that not everyone who suffers from depression has some deep rooted issue or trauma that has caused it. Nothing terrible has ever happened to me, I have a loving family, lots of great friends, a good job, a nice house, an incredibly happy relationship, it's just that my brain for whatever reason does not work properly and puts me in persistent extremely low mood regardless of how brilliant my life is, the medicine I take stops that from hapenning anymore. Until they find an alternative treatment that actually works I will continue to take them, as I do my medicine which helps my stomach work properly too (which incidentally I don't hear anyone telling people they shouldn't take). Rant over.
For the OP, I was on Sertraline for a few months and hated it, I had no appetite, no interest in sex, couldn't orgasm no matter how hard I tried and just felt generally a bit numb. I asked my doctor if I could try Mirtazapine as I had researched it and that has been a million times better for me, only side effect is a slightly increased appetite. It can be hit and miss with antidepressants, if one doesn't work then push your GP to let you try another until you find one which suits you.
Nope, I'm afraid it's not. It is not known how antidepressants "work", however what is known is that when some depressed patients were given placebos during research, almost the same number of people "recovered" from their depression.
You clearly haven't studied enough if you didn't already know this.
No disrespect Laura, but it is not known how antidepressants "work". See my post above. In any case, once the medication stops doing whatever it is doing and eventually quits, the patient is usually left with unbearable protracted withdrawal on top of the original condition. Antidepressants are only a short term bandaid - if the patient doesn't learn to deal with the cause of their depression, anxiety or OCD, the problem will persist.
There is a med that you have probably not heard of from a French pharma called Tianeptine (brand name Stablon), it's an SSRE. It is thought to work the opposite of an SSRI. Instead of inhibiting serotonin, it enhances the re-uptake. You might be surprised to learn that this also claims to work as an AD. Indeed, there are many accounts of people supposedly achieving remission. SSRIs are supposed to "correct" a serotonin problem by allowing more of the chemical to be available. Serotonin = happy chemical, apparently. Tianeptine should reduce Serotonin meaning a worsening of depression, however that is not observed by most patients who take it. Yet more evidence that "chemical imbalance" is utter nonsense. You might as well give someone paracetamol and tell them it's a brand new AD and observe a reduction in depression.
I think it is only fair that people are warned of the potential damage these meds can do. Oh and by the way, a side effect of SSRI is.... Increased risk of suicide. Go figure. If anyone is reading this and is thinking about starting an AD, please do a quick google about the med and read up on other people's experiences, the side effects and the after affects once the med quits. All of these things will not be explained to you by your GP as all you will be told is "they're perfectly safe". That's rather rich given that it is unknown how they apparently "work" in only some cases, whereas a placebo almost has the same effect.
And Laura, I hope you're prepared for when your Mirtazapine stops working and you're left with insomnia on top of your condition. A good solid 1h of hard exercise 3 or 4 times per week will do far more for you than Mirt or any other AD will.
The same medics who rely on big pharma companies to make a living. A simple google search about SSRI withdrawal will throw up thousands of people stating how bad their life became post medication, and how they are now left with debilitating conditions on top of their original condition that never was fixed, just hidden.
I know who I believe.