Hi
I am on day 43 ( six weeks) of taking sertraline. The first week I started on 25mg and had no side effects at all. A week later my doctor put me up to 50mg. Days 12,13 and 14 were really hard with increased anxiety and panic attacks. Day 15 my mood improved a lot and apart from some nauseous feelings and an upset stomach I felt much better.
By week five I was quietly confident that the medication was helping and was looking forward to a brighter future.
The past four days my mood has dipped considerably. I feel quite jittery. I’m not sure if that is my nerves or not. I am ruminating on negative thoughts, telling myself I will not get better. It’s quite upsetting. I have heard of the roller coaster effect where things can change until the drug reaches a level of stability. I’m hoping this is what it is.
I’m happier staying on 50mg for now as my previous stint with lexapro 14 years ago showed me that I don’t do as well on a high dose. I was on 10mg for six years then 5mg for the remaining five years and functioned well.
Has anyone else experienced this?