Sertraline for Postpartum Depression User Reviews (Page 3)

• SGa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 20, 2021

Sertraline "I’m writing an update, as it has been a few more weeks of taking 25 mg Zoloft. It is definitely still helping, but the most interesting revelation happened. I have an amazing general practitioner who really wanted to help me figure out where my anxiety was coming from. We had many conversations, and she then asked if I had the Mirena IUD. I did. After going over the timeline of when it was placed and when my panic/anxiety really started, she came to the conclusion that the IUD was part of the problem. We removed it about 17 days ago, and the general anxiety I had been feeling has gone away. The rash I had on my neck is also gone. And the insomnia is pretty much non-existent. My OB swears it couldn’t have been the Mirena, but my GP says she has seen this a few times. I have learned to always get a second opinion if you are experiencing postpartum issues. I will be weaning off the Zoloft soon and will try to write an update."

• gen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 8, 2022

Sertraline "I started having panic attacks 3.5 months postpartum. I had a difficult time finding a trigger (probably hormonal shifts), so it was hard to be able to avoid. My doctor gave me a prescription for hydroxyzine to use as needed until the Zoloft kicked in. I did not want to start the Zoloft. I was super concerned about having to be on it forever, and I am also breastfeeding and worried about transfer to the baby. I tried to just use the hydroxyzine, but it did not stop them, it just calmed me down after they had started, and I started getting anxious about the next panic attack. I was super worried about being emotionally blunted as well as not being able to perform at a high level (I have a demanding, technical job). I have been taking it for a little over 6 weeks, and it is a game changer. I haven't had a panic attack since I started taking it. It doesn't eliminate anxiety, it just dampens it. If you are debating taking it, don't. Just take the meds. You will be happy you did."

• Dea...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 3, 2020

"I've been on sertraline for over a year now. And for my depression, I wouldn't say I'm 100% back to my normal self, but I'm a lot better. It has also helped me in other ways as I have IBS and I have a bad back. I have read antidepressants are used for pain, and I have to say they have worked for me. My IBS is so much more manageable, so my anxiety levels have reduced when going out or going on long car journeys. And my back pain has eased dramatically!!!"

• Ali...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2020

Sertraline "I’ve been on this for about a month now. It gives me horrible headaches, and I notice if I don’t take it, my depression comes back 10x worse. I’ve been battling PPD for 2 years, and I hate feeling like I’m not doing enough for my kids."

• Duc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2024

"This drug is a godsend. I’ve always been a pretty anxious person but I had managed it pretty well. I had a traumatic birth and NICU experience. I had a ton of intrusive thoughts and felt on edge all the time. The postpartum and weaning hormones didn’t help. I was reluctant to try medication but the intrusive thoughts were truly taking over my life. My doctor prescribed Zoloft. I started at 12.5mg and had nausea and diarrhea for 3 days. I was anxious but continued to take it and I was more afraid of the medicine than anything else. I thought it would change me or dull my emotions. Nope. I slowly moved up to 25mg and started doing things I like again. I got an anxiety CBT book and that helped. But I still felt anxious. Moved up to 50mg and the next morning I felt like myself again. It was like a light switch. The side effects and adjustment were rough but stick with it. I truly am so happy I have it. Stay strong!!"

• Dai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2020

"Shortly after having my son, my doctor diagnosed me with postpartum depression. They prescribed me Zoloft 50 mg. I don't know if that's too much of a dosage for someone my size and age (18 years old, 5'0, 135 lbs). But they told me that I had the option to not take them at all. I started to become extremely moody and emotional. I then started to feel worse than usual. So I took one pill. I was okay the first hour. I fell asleep but woke up feeling like I was dying. I was up from 12 a.m. to 3 or 4 a.m., having back-to-back anxiety attacks. I can't eat or drink anything without gagging or feeling like I'm about to puke. I believe I was experiencing hallucinations around 2 a.m. I almost fainted twice, my body became stiff and couldn't move for about 30 minutes. Once I was able to move again, I got stuck in another position. I went number two at least six times, my body was extremely shaky to the point where I walked to the bathroom and had to hold onto things. I felt like I had the chills, but I was sweating."

• Sav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2022

Sertraline "I was really struggling with obsessive thoughts and lots of anxiety. Now I feel way more relaxed, and I let things go! It’s a great medicine to me compared to other medicines, it has lower side effects, in my opinion."

• Lus...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 15, 2023

"It was with my second baby. Right after the delivery, I was suspected to have breast cancer, and my baby was misdiagnosed with infant seizures. I lost my appetite and couldn’t stop thinking about the worst things. The doctor prescribed me sertraline because it was the most compatible with breastfeeding. In the country where I live, they don’t have any medicine to help with the side effects of SSRI, and the side effects were horrible! My anxiety was enormous, I lost 4 kg in 2 weeks, couldn’t eat, had horrible nightmares, and couldn’t stay alone with my baby. I asked my husband to work from home for 1 month because even with my nanny, I wasn’t reassured. It took 6 weeks before I felt better, and 4-5 months to become normal. I felt the happiness to live. But I highly recommend this medicine, even if it took so long to be efficient. Don't give up, please!"

• Jil...
• October 21, 2022

Sertraline "Reading these comments and reviews has me looking forward to taking Zoloft. My son is almost 2, and over the past 6 months, I have been falling apart. It was hard when he was a newborn, but it's even harder when they want you all the time. I know I should want to tend to my crying baby and not be annoyed. Rage over everything big or small, overthinking everything, thinking of when my parents pass away and what I'm going to do as a single mom. Thank you all for these reviews. I can't wait to feel better for me and my baby."

• lac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 22, 2018

"I was suffering pretty badly from adjustment disorder after having a very high-needs baby and have always suffered from anxiety that magnified significantly after I had my son. I was CONSTANTLY irritable with everything and would snap in an instant over nothing. I’ve tried my best to avoid medication, but I was not comfortable with the person or mother I was becoming. My only regret is not getting the medication sooner. It’s helped tremendously. I still have rough days, but they no longer feel like the end of the world. The only downside I have found is that I am pretty much numb to sex."

• Ema...
• April 19, 2020

"After my first baby, I started having terrible panic attacks, insomnia and depression soon followed. Therapy wasn't enough to stop the recurring feeling of dread, so my doc recommended 25 mg of sertraline. I was scared to take it at first after reading the reviews of symptoms getting worse before they get better. But I'm SO GLAD I finally decided to give it a try! A friend of mine said she didn't experience any side effects, so I thought maybe I would be the same. But this wasn't my case. The first 2 weeks were pretty hard - not a lot of physical side effects, but I would have daily 'anxiety and depression attacks,' usually before lunch. They always passed, so I knew I just needed to power through. I've been on it for 4 weeks now, and I feel so great - happy and like my old self. I've been able to stick to the 25 mg dose. I now look forward to each day with my wonderful baby daughter. :) The only reason it's not a 10 is it hasn't completely cured my insomnia, now starting on trazodone for that."

• JRa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 14, 2021

Sertraline "I was prescribed Zoloft for my severe PPD a month after I had my son. It did not work well for me at all, however, I was extremely unwell already. It did not make life better for me in any way. I can’t say for sure if it was what caused this, as I was severely depressed and had horrible anxiety, but my main symptom was severe diarrhea and upset stomach (I had purple, blue, orange, green, etc. stool daily and no appetite, but gained 25 pounds in 30 days not eating. I also had terrible, terrible jaw clenching, almost to the point of crying after sleeping (I read this was a common side effect online). It was terrible for me. I didn’t notice any other specific side effects but wouldn’t ever suggest it, as it didn’t help me."

• Nyz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 5, 2020

"I find and feel it helps sometimes, not always. Some days I cry at everything and seem to be overemotional, and others I get extremely irritated off of small things. Some days I’m extremely positive and happy, upbeat, and others I just can’t seem to get it together. I’ve gone from 25 mg to 50 mg, and I don’t want to become 'dependent' on a drug of any kind. I definitely don’t sleep the way I did before pregnancy and birth because it’s all about the baby now. My spouse works two jobs, so help with the baby comes little and far in between. It’s not my spouse's fault whatsoever, it’s just simply the way it is. I don’t work because I don’t want to miss out on my son’s achievements as a newborn like I did with my firstborn. I guess to sum it all up and not bore you with my story, I don’t know if it works, and I don’t know if it 'doesn’t' work either. I’m sorry if I’m of no help in this forum."

• Mb2...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 2, 2017

"I was prescribed 50 mg for postpartum after the birth of our 2nd. I suffered from a few anxiety attacks during pregnancy but never had them prior. I was leery of medical but did not like how I was feeling. It took about 2 weeks, but I really never felt better and have not had any anxiety or side effects! So happy it helped me get my life back."

• tia...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 7, 2022

"I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression since I was little. I’ve always been sensitive. I cried easily. I started experiencing anxiety in the 8th grade when I was stressed really bad. Ever since I had anxiety, but it was every blue moon. I knew my triggers, so I was okay with it. I had my son at the end of 2020, and my anxiety got worse, and I was in and out of the hospital. I was so hardheaded because I didn't want to take medicine because I felt like I could get through it. I felt like I was crazy. I got angry, cried, couldn't sleep, I was losing my mind! I finally told myself I needed rest! And I started taking the medicine, and after 2 weeks I’ve been good! I can enjoy my baby boy and my boyfriend. I still cry a little and have anxiety, but it's not as bad as it was before. Sertraline helped me a lot! I'm thinking about getting into therapy and taking a lower dose because I'm at 100 mg, and I want to be able to go lower so my anxiety and depression won't get bad!"

• Bib...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2022

"I started on Zoloft 4 weeks ago, started with 12.5 mg for 7 days, then upped to 25 mg for 3 weeks, and now I'm on 50 mg for postpartum depression, anxiety, PTSD, and somatization disorder. It's helping somehow, and the side effects are diarrhea and mild headaches. Now it's getting better, and I'm waiting for more improvements. Give it a try."

• Abb...
• June 4, 2019

"I was put on sertraline about a year ago. It helped me feel calm and more stable, able to deal with a toddler, a teenager, and a house build. However, around 3 months ago, I tried tapering off. I'd run out of the tablets, so I came off them over the space of 2 weeks from 50 mg to 25 mg. The physical side effects were awful, but I plowed on through until recently when I realized I wasn't coping again. My partner noticed I wasn't my usual self, and yes, I was acting a bit crazy/feeling crazy. Pretty much the way I'd been feeling with postnatal depression before going on sertraline. The only good thing about coming off the tablets was getting my sex drive back. However, I realized it's not worth it. I'd rather feel calmer and more stable. My only concern is that I'll get the initial side effects for a few weeks again like I did last time... dry mouth, head zaps, and exhaustion. Today is day one back on sertraline, and I'll be working closely with the GP this time."

• ple...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 7, 2022

"I took this med for the first time today, 50 mg for my PPD and panic attacks. Then, 4 hours after taking my first dose, I felt like my body was on fire from the inside out. My BP rocketed to 179/91, and I ended up going to the emergency room. It's now been 10-11 hours since taking the med. I slept for about 3 hours and woke up shaking, freezing cold, with diarrhea. After calming myself down, I realized my anxiety is causing the side effects to be 100000 times worse. I will not ever be putting this drug in my body ever again. It is one of the scariest experiences I've dealt with, and I have 10 more hours to ride out for its HALF LIFE to wear off and hopefully side effects as well. I will preface this with the fact no SSRI has ever worked for me, but none has ever caused me this much mental turmoil either. Please be aware before taking this drug."

• Mid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 28, 2015

Sertraline "I started taking Zoloft the other day. I only took 2 days' worth, and at first, I just felt out of it, and I heard that was common. But then I started having even worse panic attacks and trouble sleeping. In the middle of the night, the second night, I started having mild hallucinations. Things were moving and just looking weird, and I had to wake up my fiancé."

• Nel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 3, 2022

"If you are reading this, I would like to tell you there is hope. It has been 5 months since I started on this medication. I had a baby in Feb 21, and 6 weeks later it all started. I became agitated, restless, fidgety, constantly crying for no reason, and feeling extremely anxious. I wasn’t coping with myself, but I was trying to keep it undercover so that no one around me knew what I was going through. I had so much pressure feeling in my head that it came to a point that I couldn’t remember stuff or concentrate. I went through so much mentally. My health visitor advised me to speak to my GP, and I didn’t want to go on medication. I started sertraline 6 months after going all through this, and it is the best decision I made, I wish I had taken it sooner. I didn’t think I would be able to go back to work, but I have returned to work. Side effects were horrific for at least 8 weeks, if not longer. 5 months on, I feel like me. I feel as though I am ready to slowly wean off."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 20, 2021

"Ladies, if you are reading this, I hope you aren’t in as dark of a place as I was from this medication. This made my anxiety/depression go into a severe panic state. Luckily, my OBGYN helped me (my regular doctor prescribed me the sertraline) ask about Trintellix and Resperidal (it’s called an antipsychotic, but in low doses, helps tremendously with anxiety). Us mommas can’t afford medications to “make things worse before it gets better.” Trintellix is an antidepressant, which used with the Resperidal took the anxiety away by THE NEXT DAY!! Good luck, people. Anxiety/depression goes hand in hand and is no joke, but it does get better."

• Sop...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2021

"Echoing other reviews on here, I started to get PND around 8 weeks after my 2nd child was born. I felt irritable constantly, snappy with my older child. I had very irrational behavior. I’d come up with scenarios in my head and think they were real. I wasn’t enjoying being a mom (something I’d always enjoyed before), and I didn’t feel like I wanted to live my life anymore (I wasn’t suicidal, but I just wanted to disappear far away somewhere away from my family). Since starting Zoloft/Sertraline, I honestly can say with hand on heart that I feel so much better. Not high or elated, but I feel like myself! Which is exactly what I wanted. I’m calmer, have more patience. I don’t wake up in the morning hating my life, and I am enjoying being around my children and partner again. I feel like my temper is under control, and I can process things more easily without going 0-100. I would definitely recommend this antidepressant, and it’s something I will certainly be continuing with."

• Chr...
• April 16, 2021

"Completely helped my postpartum anxiety from a 10 down to a 0. I can function and am productive and happy with my 5-month-old daily! I’m 6’0” on 10 mg and 145 lbs. The only reason I may discontinue is because I cannot orgasm. I hate sex now, like literally waiting until my boyfriend is finished. This is awful because otherwise my life is amazing on 10 mg Zoloft!"

• Kim...
• September 19, 2016

"My son was born toward the end of October, and I've been taking the medication since then. It's been working great up until about a couple of weeks ago, with family-oriented drama and moving to a better location (packing everything myself, then unpacking when we got settled in), all the while taking care of my son. Just seems like I need a higher dose. I had a moment when my boyfriend and I were arguing, and our son started crying, and all I could do was laugh. I couldn't stop. I also noticed I've been spacing out more than normal... Gonna talk to my doctor and see if a higher dose would be better."

• Mam...
• May 2, 2019

Sertraline "I have been on this medication since 6 days after I had my baby. So it needs exactly 359 days, and I took this daily as prescribed. It’s 50 mg, and it’s not working anymore. Before I started taking this, I was crying nonstop, and I felt so detached from the world when I wasn’t crying. It was bad. I started taking it, and after about 3 weeks, I started feeling okay. It’s been a month since I felt okay. Still taking this medication daily, I feel no different from where I first started. Crying every night, and feeling so detached. It’s good for something temporary."