Has anyone else on sertraline experienced drug tolerance after months/years of being on it? I have been on 50mg of sertraline for about 11 months now, and it has been working amazingly. My panic is pretty much non existent and I hardly have any anxiety symptoms-when I do it’s very easy to deal with and goes away quickly.
However, the past two weeks or so I have been feeling heightened anxiety daily, not as bad as it was before I got on medication but bad enough to be noticeable and irritating. Is it possible that I built up a tolerance and need a dosage increase?? I have an appt with my doctor next week but I’ve just been wondering if this is happening because my body became tolerant to the meds. If this is true, will this keep on happening ?? Making me increase the dosage every time??
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Answers
CA
Catholicmom
14 Jan 2023
It’s nice to hear from you again! I spoke to you a few times when you first started sertraline. I have experienced a few occasions during the past twelve months where I felt the medication had stopped working. Of course I over thought it and made it worse! The first time was only a few months in. The only change had been a new generic prescription given to me by my pharmacist. I did some research and read that some people are very sensitive to specific brands and should stick with them. I returned to my pharmacist and ordered the same generic brand I had been on and within a week I felt much better. The second occasion was before Christmas. I felt a real dip in mood. I had to return to some self help tapes to get me through the anxiety. I was quite concerned that sertraline had ‘pooped out’ on me. Of course I knew this was a fact from previous experience but it is unusual for it to happen within the first twelve months. Thankfully it only lasted ten days and left as quickly as it had arrived. I have no idea why it happened but have a feeling it was stress associated with Christmas. Best to speak to your doctor if this continues. They may suggest a small increase ( maybe 75) Don’t stress too much 50mg is the lowest therapeutic dose, many people are on a higher amount. Apart from that don’t forget to do the work on yourself that helps deal with the panic and anxiety. Rest, hobbies, walks in nature etc. sertraline helps but life can be hard at times and we all need some self care. All the best
Votes: +0
VI
Vic2090
14 Jan 2023
Hello again! Thank you for your response. Now that you mentioned specific brands… I did recently change pharmacies about a month ago. Maybe the new pharmacy I’m with has a different brand and it’s affecting how I am feeling. That’s an interesting fact and I’m going to look into it. Thanks again for your input!
CA
Catholicmom
14 Jan 2023
Yes, it’s more common than you realise. If you research it you are not alone in being sensitive to different generic medications.
