Sertraline for Anxiety and Stress User Reviews (Page 2)

• Matt
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2024

"I wanted to take the time to write a review, as reading all those already on this site got me through the first 6 weeks of taking sertraline. I experienced every side effect possible and felt so low I ended up in hospital after a few days of taking them. However, I'm now on week 8, and my life is transformed. My anxiety/depression has pretty much gone, and I can go about my life as normal. My advice - STICK WITH IT, it does get better. Reach out and use the support of your friends and family if you struggle initially."

• Me789
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 11, 2015

"I could do a commercial for this medication. It has completely turned everything around for me. I have always had anxiety, but it became significantly worse after having children. I feared being alone, ruminating thoughts, insomnia, panic over the insomnia, feeling like the worst mother, feeling like I couldn't care for myself or my children. I fought taking medication for so long. I finally gave in. I started with 25 mg and moved up to 50 mg. I began to feel better in a week, and I felt the full effects by 4 weeks. It has given me my life back. I'm happy. I'm not stressed. I feel normal again!"

• Jayne
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2020

"I’m on week 5 of sertraline 50mg and I think I’ve had every side effect which has been horrendous - but most disappeared after 2 weeks. I still have dreadful morning anxiety, a cough that comes and goes and ringing in my ear but all manageable. That’s the negative part. On a positive note, I haven’t had a panic attack since starting this medication and my mood swings are loads better. I hear myself laugh more. I’m keeping everything crossed that I will see more improvement with the anxiety. I have never suffered from anything like this until 7 months ago, and I refused medication thinking it will pass (it doesn’t). If you can get past the first few weeks, you will start seeing positive changes. I still have a few bad days, but nothing like it was without the medication. Good luck to all starting."

• Lana
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 10, 2021

"4 weeks ago I switched to sertraline 50mg as my other medication stopped working. I was on Lexapro for 6 years which changed my life! I found sertraline has really helped with my anxiety and depression, and I'm finding my daily living as a busy mom of 3, a caregiver for my husband, and a dog mom a lot more enjoyable. I am increasing today to 100mg of sertraline as this increase is needed to suit me. I found the first 2 weeks starting sertraline heightened my anxiety and depression, which Xanax helped ease the heightened anxiety for the first 2 weeks, but I held on and I am glad I did. I hope this helps someone else."

• Yay
• December 12, 2014

"Long story short, anxiety took over my life overnight. I was experiencing looping thoughts, negative anxiety-causing ones. I am big on organic food/natural remedies, etc. I don't even like cold medicine, so I went three months battling daily attacks. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. The doctor prescribed clonazepam and sertraline. It did take the full five weeks for me, but I gained control of my thoughts right away, within days! Amazing! I lost weight on this, but my appetite has now returned. I feel great! Totally normal, eight weeks in, and forgot I ever had anxiety in the first place. I feel 100% normal. I wish I would have gone to the doctor sooner. Hang in there, you can beat this!"

• soraya
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2020

"My son worried constantly about having cancer. He had these thoughts for over 2 years. I hated to see him like this. Always crying, frightened. He smoked, so it made the health anxiety much worse. He was put on sertraline. He was very ill for 4 weeks, much worse than before he started taking it. But now he doesn't talk about it and is now happier. I can't believe it. How it's changed my 26-year-old son's life. He still has autism; he always will, but he is so much happier, and the anxieties have 90 percent gone. Thank you, sertraline. You are a magic pill. Mother of Luke."

• Kayle...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2024

"I feel compelled to write a review for this medication because of how much it has helped me and how scared I was to take it. Like many people with anxiety, I was TERRIFIED to try medication, but I knew my anxiety was out of control. I was at a point where I couldn't grocery shop or attend any social gatherings without severe anxiety. The first 2 weeks were hell. I couldn't get out of bed, washing my hair felt like the hardest task in the world. My anxiety got so much worse in the beginning. I even had scary intrusive thoughts. My partner stayed with me the whole time and was so supportive, which helped tremendously. After two weeks, I started to notice a difference. The side effects went away and I was less anxious. I am now on week 4 and I have no side effects, and my anxiety is gone. I can grocery shop, go to social gatherings, and live my life in peace. For anyone who is going through the tough bits…I have been where you have been. Keep pushing. It works."

• Zimmer
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 20, 2019

"When you start sertraline, you need to stick with it. It doesn't start working for 6 weeks. I've had anxiety all my life but 3 years ago developed OCD and panic disorder. The first 2 weeks of taking sertraline was awful. Horrible thoughts, racing heart, anxiety worrying if the pill would work, then there was a sick feeling, dodgy tummy, etc. You only feel rubbish for 2-3 weeks and then you feel just as you would before the pill. Anyway, I read on the NHS website that Sertraline takes 4 weeks to start working for depression and 6 weeks for anxiety. And true to word, I started feeling great after 6 weeks. I was patient and it paid off. I've been on it for almost 12 months and it's the best decision I've made. I don't care if I have to take this for life, if I feel better mentally, then surely my body will be healthier physically!"

• JoeH
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2015

"This has been one of the toughest medications I have ever been on. I've been on countless numbers of antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers... Around 25 medications in total. I was wrongly diagnosed as borderline personality and suffered greatly as a result. Sertraline made everything so much worse for about three weeks, but then, it was like a switch had been pressed in my head. My racing, obsessive thoughts stopped, my constant headaches, insomnia, sweating, worrying, heart pains, vanished. I can think, I can feel, and I can, for the first time in a long time, be 100% completely myself without the pain. You don't get points in this world for suffering, and this has improved my life by about 100000000%. Stick with it."

• You...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 19, 2024

"I found this site bookmarked on my web browser today... and it took me back three years ago when I first started Zoloft for the second time. I came on this website multiple times every single day... praying that the medicine would work, and the side effects would go away. The first time I started Zoloft, I had absolutely no side effects. The second time that I started it was a few years later, and I had pretty bad nausea for about an entire month. I was honestly so ready to call it quits both on the medicine and my battle with depression. Honestly, it does get worse before it gets better. I remember thinking at least before I was depressed and not nauseous all the time. Every time that I was so tempted to stop taking the medicine, I would come back to this site and read the posts. I'm coming back here to let you know that it gets better. Three years later, I am married, have the cutest puppy dog, moved out of my parents' house, and my career is thriving... YOU'VE GOT THIS!!!!"

• Healt...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2020

"I started 25mg sertraline at the end of June 2020. I was depressed as well as anxious. I used to feel like life was pointless as we all die anyway, and although I wasn’t suicidal, I didn’t want to continue living this way. The first few days I had an upset stomach and was waking up at random times through the night, but this quickly went away. I increased my dose to 50mg, which I am on now. My main side effects are vivid dreams and lack of sex drive. I still experience anxiety every so often, but it’s much better and easier to get over. I am considering increasing my dosage to 100mg to see if it helps with this. I am far less on edge and jumpy; I feel like I used to be on constant high alert, and that’s definitely reduced. My depression, I would say, is completely gone. I feel happy again and excited for the future, which I thought was impossible. I no longer think that life is pointless. I wouldn’t have thought that medication could help with these thoughts, but it definitely has."

• Ruby
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2024

"I very nearly gave up in the first week due to bad side effects. Bad headaches, anxiety, and strange dreams made me question whether sertraline was right for me. I spoke to my GP, and I decided to push through, carry on, and give it a chance to work. Admittedly, I did start to see some ‘green shoots’ of mood improvement, in parallel with the bad side effects, in the early stages. It’s week 4 now, and I feel like a teenager again. My energy and motivation are much improved, to the point that I have to watch I don’t overdo things. I feel like the Duracell Bunny at times. Given the other reviews, I’m expecting things could improve further still… My concern is the increased appetite and bad bags under my eyes. That said, it’s made me realize just how bad I have felt for the past decade of my life. Push through the initial bad stage, and you will reach a better place. Good luck!"

• A86
• April 24, 2019

"2017, I just started a new job after a year of unemployment. I began to feel anxious at work, and a few months into my new job, I had a severe breakdown. I went to my GP who explained everything to me in detail. She prescribed me anti-sickness tablets for my sick feeling, which did WONDERS immediately, but she also said that I need to give Sertraline a chance to work. Fast forward to 2019, and I wanted to write this review to anyone who was in my shoes in 2017, searching the net for the magic cure, anxious about the future, and feeling trapped and like they will never get better! THERE IS HOPE!!!!!!!! Give the medicine a chance to work, Sertraline saved my life!!!!!!! I am still taking it at 125mg and now looking to lower the dose because I feel so much better, I feel comfortable. I am able to get on the tube like I used to (without anxiety), I can sit in meetings, and I can even present to a crowd now! I got a promotion at the start of this year and loving life."

• Julia
• January 13, 2020

"I started taking this pill over 3 months ago, because something bad has happened in my life. I had very intense panic attacks and shaking, couldn't sleep, constant anxiety. If you are someone who just started to take these pills, brace yourself: the first 5 weeks are gonna be HORRIBLE. But hold on, it starts to get better afterwards if you keep taking them. I started with 50mg, which was soon raised to 100mg. I got almost every single side effect that was listed in the pill's warning: Shaking, worsening panic and depression, fear of death etc. These thankfully gradually faded after the first 2 weeks. The longest lasting side effect was that I kid you not, I couldn't sleep more than 45 minutes a night for almost a whole month! INSOMNIA! Now I have been on these for almost 4 months. The panic attacks are absent, and even on the worst nights, I can easily sleep 4-5 hours. On weekends, I can even sleep in :) A very tough medication, but in the end, it works like magic!"

• DaisyR
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2023

"This medication has honestly saved my life! I have never suffered from anxiety until it just came on overnight. I honestly felt like I was having a mental breakdown, I was having panic attacks and awful intrusive thoughts and it was sending me in a downward spiral fast. I went to my GP and they prescribed me Sertraline, I’ve never taken medication for anything so I was skeptical to start it but after reading reviews and feeling like I genuinely had no choice I decided to try it. The first 3 weeks were the worst time of my life, suicidal thoughts constantly and my anxiety was through the roof to the point I couldn’t leave my house and I would just lay in bed any chance I got. But after about 3 and half weeks I’ve started to feel myself again. My anxiety has pretty much gone, I’m not having any intrusive thoughts and I’m starting to enjoy life again. I honestly don’t think I would be here today if I hadn’t started this medication, I’m so glad I gave it a chance."

• lauren
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2024

"I started on sertraline 2 months ago. I was started on 25mg for 1 week, then 50mg. I have really bad anxiety that when I leave the house, I'm having panic attacks. I can't walk anywhere by myself; I'm that bad. I have felt a little bit better, but now I have gone up to 100mg and hoping this will help me to feel normal again. This website is the reason I'm sticking with it."

• Magood
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 15, 2019

"I have been on sertraline since 9 days ago. I had all of a sudden generalized anxiety which progressed to panic attacks without any obvious reason. My doctor has prescribed me sertraline 50 mg once daily and told me that may make me sleepy. In those 9 days, I had the worst nausea and loss of appetite with internal shakes. The first day had nightmares. Elevated anxiety and panic attacks especially in the morning. Almost every day I refer to this site to reassure myself that everything will be okay. I will keep you posted. Please wish me luck."

• Mr Tune
• April 30, 2019

"27-year-old from the UK, Carlisle, on 50mg Sertraline. This medication is excellent. I have tried: Prozac (impulsive & diarrhea), Mirtazapine (5-stone weight gain), Citalopram (severe depression resulting in a constant stream of suicidal thoughts, NEVER AGAIN!), Venlafaxine (severe anxiety and nervousness), Amitriptyline (sedation). I have been on this for 2 weeks. When it started working, I felt happy and calm. I didn't wake feeling angry and fed up with life. My memory has improved, and my sleep has improved. I can go outside, which I was unable to do before. I don't comfort eat, I don't ruminate over negative things, I'm interested in my hobbies again, and I am more outspoken and unafraid of confrontation. It is out of this world! Keep trying and don't give up. You will wake up one day out of this waking coma and see the color of reality again; just keep trying different medications. No matter what, keep going! I have been depressed and anxious for years; this has truly saved me from oblivion."

• Annie...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 17, 2020

"I wasn't feeling too good at the beginning of last year. Panic attacks, my body felt like I was overheating, breathless, stomach upsets, loose bowels, shaking. Feeling that I was hopeless at work and home. Very toxic work environment, overloaded with work. I had a breakdown which put me in bed for two weeks unable to function with daily tasks. I couldn't cook or stand the smell of food or walk. I felt dreadful. I was eventually assessed by mental health who diagnosed me with depression and anxiety. I was on a dose of 25mg sertraline for one week and slowly upped over 8 weeks to 100mg. I had every side effect in the book. But I thought, what the heck, I'm ill anyway so carry on. This is a slow process and not a magic overnight cure. Sertraline saved me. I am now able to handle stressful situations calmly and feel physically better, able to enjoy my life again. Hang on in and don't give up."

• judon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2021

"Just finished my 6th week on 50 mg Sertraline and wow. I feel like a new person. I'm 56 and started therapy several months ago to deal with a family issue. The other party dropped out of the sessions right away, but I decided to keep going. Through therapy I started realizing I had some stuff to deal with, lol. I had lived with anxiety and depression for so long that I almost didn't realize I was doing so. I was self medicating (alcohol and food mostly). Sertraline has changed my life for the better. Yes, the first 3-4 weeks and side effects were a little rough (best described as being tired, anxious and zombie-like) but nothing too outrageous. The best analogy I can come up with is the clouds have parted and for my whole life I had never realized it was overcast all the time. I'll try to check in at 6 months with an update."

• IT WO...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2021

"Depression and anxiety for over a DECADE! Thought there was no way that a pill could make it go away or help… thought depression and anxiety were normal for adults. Really sad actually. Read the reviews…. The first 5-6 weeks SUCK SOOOO BAD! Horrible! Then no depression, I'm happy, I don't feel weird or unusually happy just how I did before I was depressed. Anxiety almost all the way gone but considering increasing dose since I still do get some anxiety but NOTHING near before. I used to have racing, neurotic thoughts COULD NOT STOP THEM. Now I feel like I AM IN CONTROL not crazy, unhelpful, worrisome, incessant, thoughts!! What a relief! Wish I had started the first month I got depression. I feel so bad that so many people suffer terribly thinking that big pharma can't help, when it completely does. No side effects after 6-8 weeks. Been on it for 4 months"

• Junior
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 2, 2019

"Hi. I promised myself I would comment once I was feeling better because reading these comments gave me reassurance when I was starting Zoloft. I started having uncontrollable panic attacks and anxiety after a mild electric shock at work. For me personally, I had no positive effects for about 4 weeks. Then I was really up and down for the next 2 weeks, where 1 day my anxiety would lower for periods, and the next 2 days it would be back up. After around week 6, I started having longer periods of much lower anxiety, but still, anxiety would come on here and there. Now, 8 weeks in, anxiety is a lot less. I still feel it from time to time, but definitely feeling better. Hope this helps someone who is reading all the comments about people feeling better after just a few weeks and thinking it's taking too long, so Zoloft won't work. It does, just some of us take a little longer to feel the effects. Hang in there; good times are coming."

• Cassy...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 8, 2016

"I promised myself when I was a wreck that I would post when I was myself again. Truth is these forums gave me hope when everything was hopeless and kept me going. I started on Sertraline 50 mg upped to 100 mg for severe anxiety that had been building up for a year. I focused on my anxiety all the time, life was not enjoyable. Word of advice-- if you are on Sertraline for anxiety you will feel worse beyond belief for a start!!! Please stick with it-- I never would have without forums. I felt much better after 6 weeks but has taken 11 to be me again. It is a slow process but the results are amazing. I needed a lot of time off work as I am in a surgical job-- don't feel guilty as I did. We have an illness like any illness. Don't ever lose hope."

• Moo
• June 1, 2020

"I have been on Sertaline for 7 weeks . The reviews on this site gave me reassurance when I started taking it, so I feel it is only right that I should share my experience. For the first 2 weeks I felt nauseous so I ate little and often. I recommend that if you don’t feel like eating to make yourself eat as the feeling will go. I also did have feelings of low mood but again these feelings did subside. The main problem I had for a month was insomnia. I took a low level prescribed sleeping tablet for a month but with help from my GP. This has to be taken with caution so I weaned myself off after a month. The GP after 3 weeks did suggest that I swap to another anti depressant to take at night which may help me sleep but as Sertaline had helped my anxiety and I had overcome the other side effects I said that I would persevere for another 2 weeks and I then tried a herbal sleeping aid after a month for 2 nights which worked and then I have slept naturally ever since"

• Suffe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2024

"I previously posted when I was at 9 days to say I read the posts every day seeking reassurance... I later posted on 29 December 2023 when at 2 weeks and 4 days, saying I was feeling some benefit but didn't see how I could ever be happy again. What a change there has been. I am now at 7 weeks and 2 days and feel great. No more dread in the morning in the pit of my stomach. No more racing thoughts or rumination. My upsetting situation has not changed but I am able to cope. I am stronger and can enjoy myself without the cloud of misery hiding on my shoulder. I started at 50mg of sertraline and have remained at this dosage with no plans to increase. To recap, the first week was hard with continuous shaking and anxiety, rumination, running to the loo every hour. No appetite. These all passed in about ten days. Today, I am unaware of any side effects. I bless the day my doctor prescribed sertraline. It can be scary to start a new medication, but I found this to work so well for me."