Sertraline for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

• Mal...
• January 11, 2024

Sertraline "I was never formally diagnosed with PTSD or anxiety. I decided to try therapy. It was okay and helped some, but it did not ease my anxiety or the effects it was having on my stomach and body overall. I decided to go to a doctor and try a different approach. My doctor prescribed me 50mg of Zoloft. I took it for 3 weeks. As my doctor warned me, it worsened my anxiety, and I felt pretty rough for those 3 weeks. No appetite/sleep was hit and miss. The day before the 3-week mark, I felt the worst. Intense emotions and really just felt helpless, I almost gave up on this medication. When I woke up on exactly 3 weeks after starting Zoloft… it worked. I literally felt and feel like a brand new human being. A much better version of myself. I eat better, I exercise, my stomach issues are completely gone. I still have emotions and worry about things, but it’s easily manageable. I’m now on 100mg and feel amazing and excited about life again! It takes time, but it works."

• Cal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 12, 2015

Sertraline "As someone that hates crowds and dealing with people in general, Zoloft seems to be helping. I have also tried Lexapro, which caused horrible weight gain and total numbness when it came to feelings. Zoloft has been doing the opposite... My appetite is pretty much non-existent. So far, I wouldn't say I'm having any major side effects, and I'm overall happy with everything."

• Daz...
• June 15, 2019

"I have been taking sertraline for about 18 months for PTSD now at a dosage of 200 mg. At first, I had a lot of side effects: insomnia, thoughts of wanting to die, bad stomach cramps, and severe headaches. After about 3 months of taking them, what came to me was what I describe as the second wave of side effects, which was sleeping almost all day and all night, and sweating a whole lot of the time. The way I now look at the second wave of side effects is that it is not a side effect at all, but my body and mind relaxing and getting rid of the built-up anger, aggression, stress, and the pain of PTSD, and as all that gets released from my body, it caused me to sleep. I have noticed myself not flying off the handle anymore, the suicidal thoughts gone, and the living parts of my past over and over again causing all this as I could not cope with reality slowly going. PTSD is an illness that I ignored and refused to believe I had. The sleeping all the time has now gone. For me, sertraline worked."

• Tre...
• November 12, 2021

Sertraline "Can’t recommend this medication highly enough. After suffering from panic disorder and a bit of PTSD symptoms for years, I really lost myself and was becoming suicidal and severely depressed. I took Lexapro for years, and it worked well for a long time but began to stop working for me as well as it had in the past. Switching to Zoloft saved my life. Intrusive thoughts have diminished, and even if they do pop up, they hold no weight like they used to. Panic attacks are gone, and my general mood is back to normal. Side effects were pretty minimal. Upset tummy for a couple of weeks, and aside from that, nothing. Sex drive is as healthy as ever, which I know some people get concerned about. I'm on 50 mg at the moment and am happy to increase if things change and I need some more help. It took close to a month for me to feel the full effect. Don’t be afraid to take this medication as side effects are minimal and really subside after a few weeks. I hope this helps someone struggling."

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 12, 2023

Sertraline "Here is my 2-year experience with Zoloft. I went on it in February 2020 during a particularly bad breakup. Started taking 50 mg once per day. Helped a lot with the mood swings. Felt more relaxed overall. Helped a lot with social anxiety - I could talk with people easier, and asking people on dates was easier too. My creativity improved. The meds lifted the self-critic, and I could flow much better with writing and painting. Some less-than-ideal effects, experienced more 'brain fog,' some sexual effects (harder to reach orgasm), and the lessened anxiety made me more impulsive, which ramped up my drinking to problematic levels. I got off it in 2022. Not a bad experience overall. Glad I tried it."

• Sly...
• October 9, 2011

Sertraline "I had a traumatic experience with an ex-boyfriend of mine three years back, and I've been fine. I am now deployed and doing missions in Iraq and have seen a few explosions and whatnot, and I think that's what triggered my Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I was hesitant about trying medicines, but they said I could take them and still go out on the road. So far, they seem to be helping lighten my mood, and I actually want to get out of bed in the morning and not worry or get irritated and paranoid at random times like I normally would. I am also taking it with clonazepam, which is helping a lot! No side effects yet, hopefully none to come!"

• nan...
• November 23, 2015

Sertraline "I had a car accident in November 2013, concussion, PTSD, etc., and finally the best treatment is Zoloft. I feel better, no panic attacks anymore, and nausea is almost gone, and frustration is almost gone."

• Bra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2020

Sertraline "I started taking Zoloft at 25 mg for my anxiety and PTSD caused by a bad reaction to some NyQuil I took a while back. At first, when I started taking it, I was okay but still was having trouble. At about 1-2 weeks on it, I always felt like my face was melting and could not think ahead. I was in panic mode 24/7, but I could sleep even though when I woke up it didn’t feel like I did. I would wake up, cry, go to school, cry, get on the bus, cry, get home... cry all night until I fell asleep. I was not depressed before I started taking it, but I was during. I had extreme thoughts of suicide. I also could not climax, or when I got close, it felt like I was going to pass out. I have heard that the medication equals out after about 3 weeks, but I couldn’t stand it to happen anymore."

• Jin...
• February 12, 2018

Sertraline "I am so deeply grateful for Zoloft at this time of my life. Before I started on it, I was having constant intrusive thoughts of sexual assault. I was afraid of going outside. I was afraid of my phone. My anxiety was out of the roof. I was so easily startled all the time and would constantly be trying to suppress emotional flashbacks so that I could go to work, be with my partner, or do menial tasks like wash the damn dishes. Now, I feel like I have mental space—like I have the choice to take care of myself and work through my trauma. Memories that were incredibly scary for me to even think about are now memories that I am able to access (in part, sometimes) and confront. Zoloft has given me my brain back. I used to be so afraid of getting on medication because of the stigmas attached to it, but this has really been a lifesaver."

• Che...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 17, 2013

Sertraline "I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, aggression, paranoia. I started with sertraline a few months ago, 100 mg. Before that, I used citalopram for a year, 30 mg, which caused head pressure, so I wanted to stop with it. 100 mg sertraline made me feel zombie-like, low concentration, so after two months, I lowered it to 50 mg a day. My aggression came back, but I had more concentration and was willing to get out of the house. At one stage, I felt like this medicine was not helping, so I decided to quit, and I began to take 1/3 of the 100 mg tablet a day (approx. 35 mg). I've read that one is never to go cold turkey with SSRIs (side effects). My paranoia came back with a vengeance! So I went back to 50 mg, and paranoia went away. I think I will try 100 mg again."

• PTS...
• March 9, 2010

Sertraline "I started taking Zoloft 8 weeks ago. I was extremely stressed out and was suffering from PTSD due to a bad car accident. After about 1 1/2 weeks, I really noticed a difference. Not stressed anymore, but I do feel a bit zombie-like. I also have a problem with memory and focusing. Also really tired at night. Overall, right now, I guess it is worth the trade-off. Also have intestinal issues, but hope it will go away."

• ari...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 16, 2022

Sertraline "I have been taking this medication to help with anxiety and flashbacks mostly associated with C-PTSD. Prior to being on this medication, I would suffer from daily flashbacks for about 5 years. Other SSRI medications did not seem to help. Zoloft gave me my life back. I'm on a high dose of 200 mg, which works well. I do feel that it affects my memory, not related to my flashbacks. I do not know if that is the mechanism of how it works, but it is a small price to pay in my opinion, to stop the flashbacks/dissociation/anger/anxiety from C-PTSD. I also have noticed that if I forget to take a dose, I do experience flashbacks on that day, perhaps I am more sensitive than most? Overall, very happy with this drug."

• NoN...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 19, 2017

Sertraline "I've been taking Zoloft for about half a year now on 200 mg. I'm not taking it for depression, it's being used in conjunction with other things for rage and anger, hypervigilance, as well as dissociation. I've been pretty lucky with this medication because I experience absolutely zero side effects. In fact, I could probably take a higher dose right now, although I'd rather stick with the minimum and use coping techniques. I still feel like 'me' on Zoloft. In fact, I feel more like myself than I have in a long time. I still feel my emotions and everything, although I experience them in a healthy, normal way. I don't experience all of the irrational, exaggerated, awful feelings and sensations I used to, in a good way. I feel normal again."

• CMa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 5, 2017

Sertraline "I've got severe PTSD, OCD, and social anxiety. I started taking Zoloft to help manage my PTSD symptoms, mainly anger/rage, flashbacks, and dissociation. I'm a small male, I only weigh 125 lbs. I started at 25 mg and then jumped to 100 mg, then 200 mg within 2 months because this stuff's like water for me. I've been on 200 mg for about 7 months now, and it's helped a lot, although not enough. I still feel my symptoms when they hit me, although they're slightly toned down. By the way, I don't feel like a zombie at all, I still feel like myself, just more calm. It feels as though I'm not taking anything at all most of the time. I've basically also never had any side effects except the first day or two I had a slight sore stomach, but nothing close to bad."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 26, 2015

Sertraline "I suffer from PTSD and panic disorder. I have given Zoloft a good 3 months. I started at 25 mg and worked up to 150 mg. Although it did seem like it took the edge off my suffering temporarily, my body seemed to be fighting the medication the whole time. At 50 mg, I suffered panic attacks that were much more severe than the ones I had prior to the medication. I found some tranquility at 100 mg for a week, then my PCP put me at 150 mg to see if things improved. They did not improve. I experienced increased agitation, tremors, shaking like my body was in fear, yet I was not, sweating, then hot flashes. My blood pressure skyrocketed. My PCP referred me to a psychiatrist who put me back at 100 mg. Symptoms subsided, but after a week, it became clear my body was rejecting the medication altogether. Yesterday, I was on Zoloft, having hot flashes, sweating, severe panic attacks, racing heartbeat, and high blood pressure. Today, I am on 10 mg of Lexapro, and my blood pressure is fantastic. I have not had a panic attack all day. Sure, it's only been a day and my body may react differently after taking it for a while, but it has been a welcome change from Zoloft. I wished I had asked for a change sooner, but I have never been on antidepressants before."

• Str...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 1, 2022

Sertraline "I have seriously terrible anxiety and depression - though anxiety is the main issue. This medication has changed my life. I still experience anxiety, but it's no longer overwhelming and not over the smallest little things. I don't ruminate as much - and it allows me to function. It doesn't make me high in any way. The only side effect was having the Hershey squirts for about a week when I first went on it, but that cleared up."

• Joe...
• May 30, 2018

Sertraline "One of the worst drugs to give anyone. The side effects are out of control. The fact that a medicine that has been approved to treat PTSD can make you harm yourself is beyond me. Took for 3 months before the active duty Navy doctors finally changed the medicine. Not only did it make everything worse (not able to sleep, depression, and feelings of hopelessness, among others). On a weekly basis, my spouse was concerned for my well-being, requiring her to call the ambulance about 1 to 2 times a month. After being taken off the medicine, I was able to get away from the awful feelings. A new up-to-date study needs to be done because I am not the only one that has had these effects."

• Lla...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 3, 2020

"Sertraline has saved my life. My diagnosis is muddled - I have an official diagnosis of CPTSD and MDD, but they’re debating whether I also have EUPD. Basically, my mental health was in an absolute state. Sertraline lowered anxiety, so I could sleep, socialize, and just about work again. The benefits started with 50 mg, got better on 75, even better on 100, and now I’m gradually upping to 150 in an effort to lessen the remaining depressive fog. Suicidal ideation is almost eliminated, I don’t hallucinate anymore, I can feel joy again. I was so scared to take it after my negative experiences with other meds, but this one has saved my life. Barely any side effects - a bit of anxiety and digestive issues (both diarrhea and constipation) when I first up the dose. Loss of libido has not occurred on 100 mg, but I expect it might at 150."

• HVa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2016

"After back-to-back traumatic events in late 2015, I found myself struggling with PTSD, severe depression, panic attacks, and anxiety. I was hesitant about starting this medication due to the side effects. I started off at 25 mg and gradually increased to 100 mg. Initial side effects included loss of appetite, insomnia, increased anxiety, and diarrhea. It was a struggle to make it through the side effects but completely worth it! I noticed the full effect after 6 weeks, and the side effects subsided after a month. I've never felt so great and haven't had a panic attack in over two months. This medication, along with cognitive therapy, has helped and made my life 100% better. If you're reading this and hesitant about starting this medication, don't be."

• Alm...
• October 27, 2019

"I have never experienced anxiety in my life before a recent run of extremely distressing events caused me to have extreme anxiety to the point that I was unable to function. Started on 50 mg and the side effects were extreme. You really need to persevere with this drug. After 2 weeks, I felt a slight improvement. I knew it needed 4 to 6 weeks to really kick in, but around week 3, I felt I had plateaued, slipped back even, and asked the GP to increase the dose to 100 mg. Once again, the side effects kicked in, but not as severe this time. 5 weeks on the 100 mg, and I have had a run of 3 good days. Feeling like myself again. Ready to resume work. Still some bad days, but they are tolerable compared to how I was. I have also had CBT, which I believe has helped enormously. My message would be to stick with it. It can take more than 8 weeks for some people. Take it at the same time every day. Be kind to yourself and give yourself the time you need to get better. It will happen."

• sto...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 23, 2020

Sertraline "Zoloft made me feel completely disconnected from my surroundings - numb. I told my doctor I felt as though someone could commit some awful assault on another person, and I would stand there emotionless and then walk away. I wanted to not have the hyper alertness connected with the PTSD, but this was way too far to the opposite end of the scale."

• Con...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2020

Sertraline "Never felt worse in my entire life. Within the first couple of hours after taking Zoloft for the first time, I passed out, was vomiting, had cold sweats, hot flashes, headache, and extreme fatigue. Two days after I stopped taking it, I still have no appetite and zero energy. I would describe it as the worst I ever felt in my life, and I’ve had mono before."

• CPT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 6, 2024

"I am in my 50s and have had CPTSD for decades, a lifetime really if I include my childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect from my narcissistic mother. I have only been on sertraline (Zoloft) 25 mg for less than a week and already feel better. The only side effects I've noticed are jaw soreness, appetite loss, and intermittent mild stomach upset. I have not had increased anxiety/depression, as others have reported. Many users report insomnia in the first few weeks, but I am actually sleeping better already, after only 4 days. Even though I take Alprazolam (Xanax) and Zolpidem (Ambien) every night, I still wake up multiple times in the night with anxiety nightmares and do not get a good night's sleep. I've also noticed decreased rumination and hypervigilance and less social anxiety. Yesterday, I actually went to a group social event instead of staying home and self-isolating. In a few days, I will increase to 50 mg, and I am excited to see how this medication will help me even more."

• Thi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2015

Sertraline "I was on this for 2.5 weeks. I was on a 50 mg dosage, and I don't know if it was too much for my body (I weigh under 110), but the severity of my panic and anxiety worsened. At first, it made me have insomnia, and then after a week, it was the complete opposite - uncontrollably falling asleep immediately about 30 minutes after taking the dose, and it became incredibly hard to wake up in the morning. It would feel like lifting 400 lbs to make my legs move in the morning, and I would still feel tired after 14 hours of sleep. My fearful thoughts became worse and completely clouded my head, and I had this overwhelming feeling of impending doom resulting in panic attacks. Also, loss of appetite from a combination of the extreme dry/cracked mouth and nausea."

• pop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2012

Sertraline "I have been on this medicine for 3 months for my PTSD, and I find it has helped somewhat, I can think straight, calm, centered. It's wonderful in combination with Lyrica for my GAD, in which I'm in the 4% that gets euphoria from it."