Sertraline for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder User Reviews (Page 2)

• Tif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2015

Sertraline "When I find I'm very angry, it gives me time to pause and the ability to shake the bad mood I'd normally have afterwards. I rarely experience unjustified sadness, yet when something sad happens, I still feel sad. I think it just gives me some breathing room to sort things out."

• Anonymous
• May 15, 2011

Sertraline "I have had PTSD for 15 years. I was skeptical about taking medication for my condition, thinking each day I would fight on and get better without the aid of medications. I have finally sought help and have only been taking Zoloft for a short period of time, and already I feel the difference. I feel happier and my general mood is more positive, the negative thoughts have diminished considerably. I have had no bad side effects to date. My advice to anyone hesitating is to just pluck up the courage and talk to your doctor."

• Han...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 11, 2020

Sertraline "Very good experience. Definitely feel a lot lighter. I have been taking Zoloft for about six weeks now, and I have seen a significant change within myself. I have definitely been more productive, motivated to take on the day, and I have been taking better care of myself."

• Kat...
• September 25, 2020

Sertraline "I started taking Zoloft in January 2020. I have been on 50 mg for 5 months now and continuing it for the treatment of PTSD. I have had PTSD since 1998, and going through more trauma makes it to where this medicine helps with the brain's desire to drag and have flashbacks. I still have flashbacks, but it helps lessen the impact on my feelings. Like a numbness to the pain, almost. If I miss a day, I sometimes get suicidal or crazy off the wall if I forget one day of my meds. I take Abilify with it in the morning for Bipolar Disorder too, which works great with it. I still have my memories that meds can’t erase, but time and the drug helps to maintain a level sound mind instead of all over crazy! I am a much nicer person to be around on my meds. Not a cure-all, but it helps!"

• Ama...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2022

Sertraline "I felt results within two weeks. I have been getting anxiety attacks here and there after a traumatic situation in my life occurred. A few months after, I knew I needed to take medicine. It was stopping me from my life! Anyways, in two weeks, I felt better. Me being naive, I thought I had healed from my anxiety and that I didn’t need it anymore... So I stopped taking it, mostly because I felt ashamed of it. Anyways, a week later, I began getting anxiety again. So I’m back to taking it. But it’s crazy that with only 25 mg, it totally shifted me. I kid you not, one day I woke up and the dark cloud over my head was gone. So I’m back to taking it again. Don’t be like me! Keep taking it, even if you feel like you’re better. You’re better because it’s working! But you need to be consistent. Lastly, my side effects were very minimal! Grateful to God!"

• Bma...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 23, 2019

Sertraline "I have had bad episodes of PTSD from a young age and onwards. I would not understand these feelings and had severe bulimia. I couldn’t trust medication. At age 18, I was prescribed 25 mg and didn’t feel much difference, so I never felt like I wanted to take it. Then I began group therapy, where my therapist now prescribed me 100 mg. I feel so much relief at 100 mg. Life feels so much easier. I feel happy now! I’m so glad that I no longer dread each day. I can’t believe how many great things have happened ever since that changed. I know in the past I was a living nightmare for myself with PTSD, now, with a good dose of Zoloft, life is good - it works."

• bet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2024

"I read the reviews here religiously during the darkest hours of my life and they gave me a lot of hope, so I promised if/when this medication truly did work for me that I would write a review as my way of giving back the gratitude I feel to others who have shared here. I suffer from generalised anxiety and developed PTSD after a period of intense stresses over the course of 2 years - the death of my sister during a time I was also working a high pressure job under a CEO who created a horrendous working environment of fear (who eventually got fired through the #MeToo movement, so it really was that bad), then the pandemic hit and the anxiety escalated into PTSD where symptoms became excruciating and chronic. I've struggled to work properly since. I had tried every route possible to heal except SSRIs, I thought medications like this wouldn't work for me. I was so wrong. It's nearly impossible to feel anxiety. My experience is nothing short of a miracle. Don't give up! There is hope!"

• Win...
• November 9, 2019

Sertraline "I was diagnosed with PTSD 8 years ago. It has been a journey figuring out what works and what does not. You hope there is one answer to fix the torment you know as life. There is hope because there is an answer, it takes a bit of searching to find your personal “recipe.” I tried Zoloft and was on it for a year, I had some side effects. Looking back, I had made many friends, I was traveling, working out, I was in shape, eating healthy, and hiking. It was the best time of my life, and I didn’t know why. I met my husband and just had our third child 3 weeks ago and have been back on Zoloft for 3 weeks. All my fear and anxiety is considerably less, I’m more talkative, patient, and am less tempted to lash out. I don’t feel as happy or as sad, it puts me in the middle. I am also starting EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy soon, been seeing a therapist as well. I think it’s important to note I have anxiety, and Zoloft works wonders for me, it doesn’t help me with depression."

• Wor...
• May 7, 2020

"In 2014, I started having irregular heartbeats out of nowhere. Then I started having panic attacks and waking up in the middle of the night, soaking wet with a racing heartbeat and skipping beats as well. I have no idea why. I had always thought that anyone with PTSD was just putting on a show and that they should just be grateful that they came out of their situation alive. I finally got to the point where I looked up to heaven and said, just take me and get it over with, I can’t take this anymore! So I swallowed my ego, or pride, or whatever you’d like to call it, and went to a doctor. She didn’t ask intrusive questions. I just laid it all out on the table. She suggested giving sertraline a try. At that point, I would have tried anything. So I started out at 25 mg and now I take 100 mg a day, and I got my life back! It made me have various weird feelings for a few weeks until my body got used to it. If you are suffering, please give it a try."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 19, 2019

Sertraline "I am on Zoloft 75 mg, and it has really helped me with my PTSD and PTSD-related sleep disturbance. It takes the edge off, so I’m not in a state of flight/fight. It helps regulate my emotions. It doesn’t alter me too much at all besides making me happier and more balanced. Things that used to seriously stress me out don’t seem to bother me as much anymore. Only downside is it really affects libido."

• A...
• February 2, 2012

Sertraline "I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. I am 47 now. I have had panic and anger issues all my life to the point I wanted to hurt someone. I have used Xanax in the past, but it was just a band-aid. My doctor put me on Zoloft and I have never been so centered in my life. Nothing rattles me, and the people I work with and my family enjoy being around me now. I don't care if I have to take this the rest of my life as long as it makes me feel this in control. The only side effect has been increased sex drive with difficulty ejaculating, and my concentration is a little off."

• Lot...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 11, 2018

Sertraline "I have been suffering from severe anxiety, major depressive disorder, and PTSD for over 18 years. Antidepressants sometimes made the anxiety worse. I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2015, and my psychiatrist prescribed Zoloft. Zoloft was really helping me, but I gained about 15 pounds in 2 months, so I stopped taking it. Fast forward to today. I finally got back on Zoloft after realizing that I need it. I literally have been in survival mode for years. After getting back on Zoloft, I can finally function. I didn’t know what it was like to feel 'normal.' The constant flashbacks, anxiety, and depression are gone, and when they do show up, they are manageable. Zoloft has made such a difference, I can’t believe I was living in the hell I was living in for so long. As for the weight gain, I have weighed myself every day since I started taking it, and I have not gained any weight this time around. But I’ve decided it’s better to be pleasantly plump than to be paralyzed by my PTSD."

• h0r...
• March 19, 2015

Sertraline "I've been battling PTSD since a kid. I tried Celexa for two months, and it didn't do anything, so I quit taking it. Six years later, I went to a different doctor who prescribed me Zoloft. Started with 50 mg for two months and bumped up to 100 mg. It does take a few to get used to, but the side effects go away within a week or two. This drug is not drowsy and actually works. I'm talking more, coming out of my shell, laughing, doing stuff again. All I can say is give it a chance. I say two months, if not working talk to the doctor and try something else. I have tried something else, and this is working great so far. The heavy weight that held me captive in my depression was lifted within the first two weeks. Two thumbs up so far. And affordable, I get generic."

• Bir...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 10, 2019

Sertraline "Not to freak anyone out, but I have had a nightmare experience on Zoloft for 8 weeks. I was on another medication that was okay but not great. Instead of asking my doctor if I should just go up, I requested a new medication. I started feeling bad about two weeks into it. My doctor, whom I love and respect, told me to go up about every week. So at 8 weeks, I am a freakin' mess. Abdominal pain of unbearable proportions. Anxiety off the charts with all the lovely side effects. Tomorrow I start fresh. For anyone else starting a new med, watch how it affects you. If it feels wrong, have a good rapport with your doctor or therapist. Give them all the information, if it feels really bad, then don’t mince words, tell them. I will get better, hopefully sooner rather than later. You will too. You are strong and you are special. God created you that way. Love yourself and don’t listen to any negative talk, even from the most well-intentioned. Good luck, and God bless."

• Mil...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 25, 2017

Sertraline "I was going through absolute hell. Dark days were affecting my family life and work. The man inside of me said keep going, but I couldn't. I pulled into the doctor's office, contemplating going upstairs to the office (anxiety). I felt weak asking for male advice from my male doc. I told the doctor about my previous experiences on SSRIs and how they made my mood worse. He prescribed me 50 mg of Zoloft, and after 5-6 weeks, I was me again. It doesn't feel drug-induced, it just kicks your bad thoughts completely. No ill side effects. But that's my story!"

• Fro...
• November 10, 2017

Sertraline "Military combat veteran with previous history of trauma. After ten years of talk therapy, Zoloft cut panic attacks almost to nothing, also brought about a lot of memories, and real therapy finally began. Erectile dysfunction curbed with Bupropion daily and Viagra for intercourse. It took 4 days for side effects to wear off, it took about three months for therapeutic benefits - went back to school, made friends, found a girlfriend, etc."

• CMa...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 1, 2021

Sertraline "I started using Zoloft as part of my medication for PTSD about 5 years ago. For me, this medication is extremely weak, in the sense that it took a lot for me to see a little bit of an effect from it. I've been taking 200 mg for 4.5 years, and I should really be on more, which my doctor suggested, although I decided to cut it off here. I never really experienced any side effects except for a bit of a very, very mild uncomfortable stomach for 2 days initially and feeling extremely 'wired and awake' when I woke up in the mornings for a bit after increasing the dose. The reason I started to take Zoloft is that I experienced extreme paranoia, hypervigilance, and extreme anger/rage. I used to hate people with a passion, and I feel like this medication makes it easier for me to be more at ease around people. If I wasn't on medication, I felt I could be a danger to someone. Zoloft helps me remain calm and helps with my symptoms."

• cam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 13, 2014

Sertraline "I have been taking Zoloft for just over 2 years for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. At my worst, I was on 150 mg, and this held me quite well, I was determined not to be on the full 200 mg. Initially, the shakes and the tiredness bothered me, but not as much as how I felt when I missed a dose. On every increase, I would have a day or two where my mind and mouth raced. This provided a few giggles. A huge improvement from crying and refusing to leave the house. Combining therapy and medication has helped me get my life back. I am now on the decrease as the masses of weight I have put on in a short period of time, my least favorite side effect, regardless of how much I exercise and how good my diet is. Just keeps adding on. Now 50 mg daily and doing well."

• Tos...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 12, 2015

Sertraline "I have been taking Zoloft since September 2014. I was diagnosed with PTSD and started on 50mg. During the first month, I had a slight reduction in my anxiety and general mood, but the flashbacks continued. My dose was increased to 100mg, and I felt better with mild anxiety and no emotions. I can be happy but not sad. Anxiety continued and some flashbacks. My doctor increased my dose to 150mg, and I have been well for the last couple of months, until last week when a combination of work and family issues pushed me over the edge once again. I had weekly psychologist visits for the first two months. I started today on 200mg daily. I think Zoloft works very well for me, but my trauma plays out in my dreams most nights."

• Nik...
• February 24, 2017

Sertraline "Most notable change is my appetite. I've been athletic my whole life, but gained 40 pounds in one year from compulsive binge eating. I thought I was just being a pig, which perpetuated the horrible cycle of depression and anxiety. Turns out I was just really, really low on serotonin. The cravings/irrational food addiction went completely away at around 75 mgs. Now I have to make an effort to eat enough to fuel an active lifestyle. Stress, anxiety, and depression subsided gradually. They're not completely gone, but they're manageable now. Combined with a healthy lifestyle and some intense therapy, I'm able to overcome bouts of anxiety and depression, and those bouts are shorter and less severe. A tool, not a magic pill."

• Wil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 3, 2018

Sertraline "I've had PTSD since childhood. Outbursts of rage plagued me throughout most of my life. Lost a lot of jobs because of PTSD. Have been on Zoloft - 50 mg for 4 months. Outbursts of rage have stopped. Big improvement for me. The downside of Zoloft for me is the loss of sex drive. I can live with it, since the absence of moments of rage is such a big improvement for me. When I first got on Zoloft, I had periods of drowsiness, but those have become less frequent. All in all, Zoloft has improved my life considerably. Too bad I can't go back to apologize to all the people who had to endure my past outbursts."

• Anonymous
• December 6, 2011

Sertraline "Best thing that has ever happened to me. I suffer from anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. At first, I wanted to stop taking it because the side effects were too much, as in tiredness and nausea. Once I had been taking it for a month and a half to 2 months, I have no side effects and I have a significantly better quality of life. I take 100 mg and I slowly increased and found it was a good spot for me. For a while, I had the shakes and it bothered me, but those are gone now too and I have been on it for about 5 months. With therapy and Zoloft, I am a much happier and less anxious person. Keep trying and keep taking the medicine. It's worth it, I promise. I am 19."

• amh...
• September 26, 2019

Sertraline "I had been on and off Lexapro for years for generalized anxiety disorder. I had weaned off of it when I became pregnant with my 2nd child. Three weeks after giving birth to her, she was hospitalized for viral meningitis for three weeks. I never left her side, and the experience scarred me. My fear of germs/sickness was always with me. I even had panic attacks driving into the same city where the hospital stay was. I had started back on Lexapro, but it made me so tired, so I ended up stopping again (no one needs to feel extra tired with a toddler and newborn!). My beloved PCP convinced me to try 50 mg Zoloft. At first, I took it at night (because that’s when I took my Lexapro), but I would wake up in the middle of the night, wide awake with a nervous/anxious/can’t turn my brain off feeling. I switched to taking it in the morning and have never felt better! She upped my dosage to 75 mg, and I feel like I am me again. Not some paranoid mom that freaks out over any sniffle, cough, sneeze, etc., my children may get."

• Cry...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 13, 2020

"I have suffered from excessive OCD, due to an event that caused PTSD, for 2-3 years now. I love Sertraline. I started at 25 mg for 7 days, then graduated to 50 mg after 7 days. I had no appetite, which is a common side effect, which resulted in weight loss. After 2 days on the 25 mg, I noticed a huge difference. I have energy, I sleep well, and I am able to focus long enough to complete tasks from start to finish without being distracted. I don't feel anxious, overwhelmed, or on edge like I used to. My only regret is not getting help sooner!"

• JTa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 14, 2019

"I'm a veteran of the Iraq war. I did multiple deployments over there. I have been on sertraline for a little over a year now for PTSD. I take a 100 mg dose every morning. It took some time to get the dosage right, but once we did, it was like a dark to daylight difference. Driving was a huge issue for me after Iraq. Crowds were and are still a problem for me. Massive anxiety and panic attacks that struck about three to four times a week are now down to happening only two or three times a month. Some months are different given events that happened. But it still helps. I would definitely recommend sertraline. It took some time working with my doctor over time to get my dosage right, but when we did, my quality of life changed significantly. I really hope this helps someone."