Sertraline for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder User Reviews (Page 5)

• pen...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 19, 2024

"I have PTSD plus BPD and depression. I have been on them for 3 years plus, and I believe they stopped working. I'm on 200 mg, but my doctor told me in some rare cases they can go to 300 mg. I'm thinking of adding 50 mg on as I feel depressed, hopelessness, and despair. Should I add an extra 50 mg on? I seriously need to do something."

• Did...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2014

"49 yo female with post-traumatic stress disorder. Severe anxiety, crazy obsessive-compulsive thoughts led to depression. Started at 50 mg, start-ups were horrible: increased anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, night sweats, waking up in a panic when I could sleep, lethargic, feeling stoned and like a walking zombie. Skin was hot and tingly, shaking on the inside. Feeling flat and no motivation to even brush my teeth. Went down to 25 mg for a few days and now back to 50 mg. On day 11 now and most of the depression has lifted. OCD isn't as bad, it's more controllable, anxiety still there a bit. If this is the beginning of the future, I'm happy. It was worth the initial start! Can see the light at the end of this dark tunnel, and I feel a bit free now."

• Sur...
• June 29, 2018

"In January 2018, I was depressed. I suffered from daily panic attacks and compulsions from OCD. I walked around like a scared cat all the time. Thoughts in my mind swirled like a tornado. Worst-case scenarios about my future. No appetite. Not able to concentrate. Horrible triggers due to underlying and unknown PTSD. After no success with Lexapro, my practitioner changed me to sertraline at 25 mg for two days, then 50 mg for two weeks, then 100 mg for two weeks, then 150 mg, which I have taken since April 2018. Each increase in the medication helped the panic, OCD, anxiety, and depression gradually. The depression lifting was what I first noticed, then the panic went, then the OCD dissipated, and finally, the anxiety and fear left. Today I am feeling so much better. My confidence and self-esteem are back. My appetite is great. There is no OCD, haunting, fear, or depression, and I have a very good outlook for myself and my life."

• XXX...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 18, 2022

"I have been taking Sertraline for about a year now. I started on 25 mg. I was very cautious to start with, but I had been seriously struggling with anxiety and PTSD, which had gradually gotten worse over years of fighting it. I had increased to 50 mg after a couple of months, then 75 mg for a couple of months, and have just increased, with the full support of my amazing GP, to 100 mg. I was really worried this feels like a high dose, but three days after the increase, I am already feeling so much better. I feel more settled, and I am so grateful. Reading other people's experiences, this feels like it is hopefully the right level for me. Thank you so much to the makers of Sertraline, you really have made a huge difference in my life."

• Bik...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 25, 2021

"I've been on sertraline 100 mg for over 2 years now. I've not been able to walk out the front door for a walk every day ever since I've been 18. I'm now 41 years old, and my dogs have made it possible, on top of meds, and although I still have symptoms, I can fight through them easier. My dogs happily have a walk pretty much every day now. I also suffer from PCOS, which increases symptoms of CPTSD."

• Ano...
• May 27, 2015

"Zoloft saved my life. It's been like waking up from a lifelong nightmare. A lifetime of panic attacks, stress, and anxiety warped my perception of what 'normal' was. I still feel normal stress and anxiety, but only that which stems from rational causes (car broke down, lost job, etc.). There's no feeling quite like feeling in control of your life and yourself again."

• Lad...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 16, 2016

Sertraline "I was prescribed this med last spring (over a year ago). I am professionally diagnosed with PTSD, OCD, depression, ovary issues, and severe anxiety attacks. These were diagnosed prior to being on Zoloft. It helps me feel less in need of doing things now with my OCD 'rituals.' My ovary issues are getting better. It does also help with social anxiety for me. I'd like to say and point out that I heard of a lawsuit going on with Pfizer on this med, and I'm very upset about that. First off, if you're going to become pregnant, any doctor should tell you not to be on anything except for prenatal vitamins. It's the doctors getting the money for prescribing the meds, don't let that fool you. If you are nursing, pregnant, or want to have a baby, do without!"

• CMa...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 14, 2018

Sertraline "I've been taking Zoloft 200 mg every day for about 1.5 years now. I was lucky because I've never had any real side effects from it, and I jumped up 50 mg at a time pretty quickly. It took at least 2 months for me to notice any changes in my unstable mood. Recently, unfortunately, it feels as though Zoloft has lost its effectiveness, and I'm feeling pretty awful again. I don't feel depressed, I just feel unbelievable anxiety, paranoia, stress, rage, disconnection from reality, etc., which is why I was taking it. Although the stuff is like water for me, it barely does anything, although initially, it helped take the edge off a little bit. Everyone's different, so you'll react differently. There's no way of knowing unless you try it."

• Mam...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 17, 2023

"I hate meds. I convinced myself I didn't need them for so many years. I started taking sertraline last year, and it was horrible at first. I felt really bad, but when it was gone, it was a lot better. I now take 100 mg, and I feel good. I used to be okay with 50 mg, but after a while, I felt like it wasn't doing anything anymore. I'm happy I said yes to sertraline, and I hope you will have a good experience with it too. Have a nice day, and don't forget that you are not alone. I know it's tough, but you got this! I promise you are a lot stronger than you think."

• Lor...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 23, 2023

"Life-saving. Stops my depression, anxiety, stress, and panic attacks, stops the feeling of being stalked and my thinking clear. Makes me able to be functional. I started at 25 mg a few years ago, and I am on 175 mg currently. It takes a while, a few weeks, to build up and see results. Don't instantly stop this medication. Slow withdrawal with doctor awareness is important."

• Hea...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• October 12, 2021

Sertraline "So I've had severe panic attacks, anxiety, and depression from losing my mother in 2010. I had tried others before taking Zoloft, and they weren't as good as taking Zoloft. I have finally stopped taking it because it has made me gain so much weight. I was 135 lb when I started and am now 200 lbs, but other than the major weight gain, it has helped me. The withdrawals are pretty bad currently, but I'm hoping that now that my life is in order and great, I can do it without it. Just wanted to tell my experiences."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 31, 2020

"Originally, when I first started taking sertraline, I felt I was more mentally able to deal with PTSD. With flashbacks, I was more able to distract myself and felt it easier to stay away from upsetting thoughts. My initial problem was I couldn’t stop shaking or sweating, and I was completely unable to sleep, I was lucky if I got 30 minutes a night. I came off the tablets, but after a consultation with a doctor, went back on them with sleeping medication. I felt a constant pressure of sadness and couldn’t feel happy, I literally felt like I had voices in my head telling me I’m worthless and had to remain sad. I’ve tried citalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline, and all have given me suicidal thoughts. I don’t believe antidepressants can actually help me."

• Ang...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 28, 2022

"I was on Zoloft/Sertraline for about four years for PTSD/depression. The first time I took it for about 3 years straight, it helped a fair amount with my depression and energy levels, and I slept better (the sleep on Zoloft was pretty good overall). I got off of it because of issues with libido and my suicidal ideation not subsiding and ended up going back on because of even worse suicidal ideation. The second time I felt numb, disassociated, and got no respite from the suicidal thoughts. It was almost as if it affected me like a completely different drug. I also experimented with different dosages and found that the higher dosages caused me more anxiety and issues sleeping, so I pretty much stayed on 50 mg most of my time on the drug. I got off of it and have been on Prozac for about 5 months now, and it's been much better. Zoloft is really helpful for a lot of people, though, so maybe don't knock it till you try it for a couple of months. Everybody is different."

• Hap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 23, 2022

"I started feeling better within the first 2 days. I started off at 25 mg. My constant mental chatter calmed down, and I woke up this morning wanting to wake up… I haven’t felt that way since I was maybe a small child. If you start at a low dose, the side effects are definitely avoided/minimized. I recommend this medication for PTSD and anxiety. It really helps decrease the hyperarousal."

• Oth...
• August 5, 2021

Sertraline "125 mg of Zoloft a day has been a lifesaver for me. I was hospitalized for disorganized thoughts, panic, a flat affect (lack of emotions), and an inability to function. My brain was so messed up it was a struggle to do easy things like order off a menu or hold a conversation or stay awake. My brain kept getting cloudier, and I believed there wouldn’t be a cure until I was put on this medication. Suddenly, everything stopped getting worse. Slowly, in the next few weeks, I felt better, less panicked and depressed, no more thoughts of suicide, more clear thinking. Luckily, I have had no side effects at all, only slight nausea when starting. I will say that the downside is that after a few months, I found the medicine no longer made me happy but instead just made me numb. It’s still a lifesaver, but I’ve had to add other medications to treat my depression. It also helped a lot with OCD, though, basically curing my OCD."

• Zeb...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 16, 2012

"I've felt much less depressed, and it has slowed down my panic attacks considerably. BUT, my concentration and memory have been drastically affected. Thinking of going off the medicine because I'm making so many mistakes at work."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2022

"I had a pretty severe reaction day 1. I was prescribed 25 mg. I had a severe reaction on Prozac, didn’t sleep for days. I took it around 6 pm. Within a few hours, the headache started and I started having trouble focusing. My puppy was trying to get me to play, but I didn’t have the energy to. The next day, I felt heavy, my body, face, thoughts all had a weight over them. I couldn’t think, and when I tried, they felt very far away. I had a therapy session that day, but could not focus or visualize anything. Accidentally drove through a red light because I was trying to remember which turn to take. A task at work that normally took 2 minutes took half an hour because I just couldn’t think. I felt completely shut down."

• Eri...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 12, 2017

"I'm in my 40s. I grew up in an abusive, alcoholic family. My dad was the alcoholic and my mom a crazy liberal. I developed PTSD, social problems, and severe anxiety. I set a New Year resolution to try to resolve my issues. I'm not at all depressed or unhappy, but the anxiety was overwhelming me to a point where I could not sleep. I finally caved in and went to a doctor and was prescribed sertraline 25 mg. For about the first 3 weeks, I felt like a new man, but I think I need to increase the dosage a bit because I still feel a little jittery. Overall, this medication has helped me tremendously! I feel much better, and I'm not bothered by stress anymore."

• Red...
• October 12, 2015

"Started 50 mg three weeks ago. The change has only been for the good. I still have moments that fear is large, but they are fewer than before Zoloft. I played golf for the first time in months last week. Life is better, and my head doesn't get spammed with messages now."

• Ano...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 25, 2019

"Started Zoloft 50 mg 8 weeks ago. Have previously been on citalopram for 2 years. Side effects I have experienced are headaches, not sleeping, trembling hands, random outbursts of excitement, sleeping a lot at the start. At around 7 weeks, I began noticing I had become emotionally numb (emotional blocking). Unable to feel any emotions, for example, laughing, crying, empathy for other people. I feel like this could be too high of a dose or the wrong med for me personally, as I haven’t felt any benefits from it 8 weeks later. I just remember with citalopram (20 mg) I felt that moment when you realize your antidepressants are working! That genuine feeling of hope and excitement! I feel worse than I did a few weeks ago, so back to the doctors for me."

• VPa...
• April 25, 2020

Sertraline "Started taking Zoloft on September 8. The first month was very tiring with headaches. October: headaches and no appetite that persisted until the third month. Had some hair loss and diarrhea for a month or so in December. Then I had nausea and bad brain zaps around February 9. That was when I was fully off for a week. January: I was taking half dosage the whole month. Now it’s April, and I still have a few dull brain zaps when I’m really tired or if I cried. Plus the sexual side effects did not go away. Decreased libido, and I don’t feel horny anymore. There’s literally not the same feeling as before I started taking the medication. Not as much natural lubrication either. The doctor that gave this to me told me nothing about it but gave me a printout. Always ask what medications your doctor is supposed to be upselling before accepting ANY. ALWAYS look at the warnings. Sadly, this did not work, and it’s taking me a long time to try to get back to a normal libido and mind again."

• Nin...
• May 5, 2020

"This Zoloft is the worst medication I have been on. I strongly advise against taking it. Day 4 of taking it, and I had to be rushed in via ambulance to the hospital. I had a headache, shortness of breath, dizziness to the point where I was almost fainting, racing heart, tingling, and a cool burning sensation on my face, neck, and arms. I was convinced I was having a heart attack and that I was going to die. The doctors told me they think it's a panic attack, brought on by a reaction to the Zoloft. Stopped taking it that day. I have since had about 10 other visits to the hospital and the same amount to my doctor. Severe panic attacks (which I had never had before), anxiety, and depression. I am in a constant state of anxiety, constantly feel dizzy and foggy, even when I'm not having a panic attack. It has severely affected every aspect of my life. This all started from the Zoloft, and it's still going on over 2 months later. Stay clear of this medication if you value your health."

• Aan...
• December 14, 2021

"After taking Prozac for many years, 40 mg was increased to 60 mg. After 3-4 months, my anger and anxiety were through the roof. I have PTSD, chronic depression, panic attacks, and BED (binge eating disorder), which has led to me becoming obese. Last week, I was ready to throw the towel in, suicidal, dark thoughts took me to dark places. Today, I’ve begun Zoloft 50 mg, to be reviewed in 2 weeks. I’ve read all the reviews, and the positive is outweighing the negative. I’ll post again in a few weeks to see how I’m coping."

• por...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 9, 2023

"I have been on Sertraline for nearly four months now and can say with certainty that this drug makes me feel like a zombie most days. Ever since I've taken it, my ability to care about anyone has diminished significantly. Also, according to my doctor, my liver health has steadily declined since using this drug. Be very careful if you use this!"

• Dan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 13, 2021

"I started Sertraline 4 weeks ago after I ended up in the hospital twice because I couldn't cope anymore after coming off Endep, the worst thing ever. I've battled mental health for a long time and have had many meds changes and a lot of issues with medication. Changing meds scare me so bad that I was fighting against taking new meds. I finally gave in and took them, and so far they seem to be working well. I've been on 50 mg for 4 weeks and need to go up to 100 mg now. I haven't had any side effects, which is a change considering I have reactions to most meds. So far, all is good. I haven't had a panic attack since starting, it's still a long way to go, but I would suggest trying it if your doctor prescribes it, it may just help. PS my issues are PTSD, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, health anxiety, depression, social anxiety, and agoraphobia."