Sertraline and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 5)

• abc...
• November 6, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "I had been suffering from increased anxiety and panic attacks the last few months, so I went to my doctor, who put me on 25 mg Zoloft for a week, onto 50 mg afterwards. From nearly the first day, I started having terrible side effects, including significantly increased anxiety, diarrhea, complete lack of appetite, insomnia, constant fidgeting, agoraphobia, teeth chattering/grinding, and depressive thoughts that I’ve never experienced in my entire life. These began over the first few days and got increasingly worse over the three weeks I took it. I cried and cried at how terribly I felt. It did not agree with my body or mind. My doctor took me off Zoloft immediately and switched me to Effexor and Buspar. My side effects went away after about two days, and I have experienced none of those side effects since I've been on the new meds. Please just be cautious if you take this, know the risks, because they are very real. Also know when to quit and try something else."

• Els...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 18, 2016

Sertraline for Major Depressive Disorder "Started at 25 for about two weeks, then went to 50. Each dosage change brought back a few symptoms, but all are gone in a few days. Zoloft helped me a lot, I had never taken an antidepressant before, so I was nervous. My intrusive thoughts are gone one month later!! Don't read too much into this page, it caused me to have anxiety/panic attacks. My biggest problem was swallowing, but that was due to anxiety. I didn't want to take the anxiety meds on top of Zoloft, so I just waited the attacks out, last max two hours. Just know to gradually increase your dosage and to check in with the prescribing person when you have concerns. Side effects: nausea, fatigue, loose stools, blurry vision in the morning, breast felt numb (gone now), dry mouth (gum!!)."

• Geo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 8, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I'm on day 4 of sertraline (25 mg) and just can't bear the side effects. I was on Ambien after experiencing severe insomnia, but ended up being diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I can't see how this pill could help me. My anxiety is worse than ever, I had a terrible headache all day, diarrhea, and my heart is just racing crazily. Never considered using benzos, but now that's all I want so I can stop this horrible, giant panic attack."

• Lil...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 19, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on 50 mg of the medication for 2 months now. Anxiety and stress were my issues. At first, the side effects were really bad. I felt weak, nauseous, no appetite, and had diarrhea. But after reading reviews here, I stuck with it, and I must say I am glad I did. My anxiety almost completely disappeared. I still have the odd day where I have some anxiety, but that is usually linked to some sort of trigger. I do, however, still get the side effects mildly, especially if I take the medication on an empty stomach. So I would suggest, if possible, take it with food. I do, however, understand that not everything works for everyone. As for me, this is the 6th medication I am trying, and I finally found something that works for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 15, 2018

For Social Anxiety Disorder "Do not give up on this medication early! I experienced bad side effects and worse anxiety until week 6. Was constantly looking at reviews wondering if it would work for me. I had diarrhea for the first week and had bad headaches and a pounding heart for two. After two weeks, it seemed to be working, but then I went back to feeling horrible after a few days. Now, after 6 weeks, I'm finally feeling comfortable around people, and my mood has improved a lot. I'm actually enjoying being in social situations! I didn't realize how bad my anxiety was until feeling what it's like to feel normal. My relationships have improved, and I feel so much more confident. This medication can be truly life-changing, so push through the first weeks of feeling horrible, and don't forget it can take 8 weeks or more to experience the effects. It's so worth it!"

• ERa...
• October 26, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I took one of the sertraline tablets, 50 mg, and felt like I might die. I experienced nausea and loose bowel movements, followed by a weird taste in my mouth, no interest in food, and, worst of all, a feeling of being ‘wired’ and more anxious than ever. I felt like I wasn’t in my own body. It was like a bad trip. I woke frequently in the night and felt hungover the next day. I won’t be taking any more of this."

• Rea...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 1, 2022

Sertraline for Panic Disorder "I started back on Zoloft this morning due to a bad decision to take Wellbutrin. I am sorry, but Wellbutrin isn't the pill of choice for anxiety. I was on it 6 days, and I have been without sleep for 3 nights in a row and have lost my appetite today. My heart pounded constantly, and my body would never settle down. I am having intrusive thoughts (one song keeps looping in my head). I had several panic attacks in the last few days after stopping it. I made the decision to go back to my old faithful, Zoloft. I got off of it in July due to weight gain after having been on it twice within 8 years. I gained about 10 or 12 pounds from it. At this point, I don't care about the weight gain! I want sleep, a calmer spirit, and peace of mind. Zoloft did give me diarrhea this morning and made me nauseous, something that I did not experience the first two times taking the meds. I know that the next couple of weeks will not be pleasant, but I will push through it to get to the other side."

• Koa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 25, 2014

Sertraline for Major Depressive Disorder "Zoloft is a very good medication for anxiety and depression. For me, better with anxiety. I am bipolar I, am also on Zyban 150 a day. Taking these two medications together is fine, as is also taking when you are bipolar. Only with a specialist's direction, though. I have been on Zoloft a couple of times, the only side effect before was severe diarrhea. This time when I started taking it, I got butterflies in my stomach and flutters, but over time, this unusual for me side effect left me. Some say how many weeks to feel an impact. For me, this last time was around 6 weeks. Which is normal. It's been proven that any time prior to 4 weeks is most likely a placebo effect. But if you feel better, well, whether a placebo effect or not, it's good."

• Emz...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2022

For Anxiety and Stress "I started sertraline 12 weeks ago, and it's helped me a lot, although I feel my dose could be upped. I'm on 50 mg at the moment. Only side effects at the beginning for me were loose stools and poor sleep. I started this for anxiety/overthinking & worrying. I'm a lot calmer since starting this medication. I will rate this an 8, only because I haven't had the wow factor I read about in reviews, but it definitely helped calm my mind. Noticed a real difference after about 8 weeks. After reading reviews, I expected the worst, but I didn't have any of the awful side effects that I read. Good luck on your journey, and remember it doesn't make you weak for starting medication, if anything, it makes you stronger for realizing you need something."

• Bud...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• June 14, 2017

For Depression "I have taken a wide selection of antidepressant drugs, including imipramine, Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor, to name a few. Prozac and Effexor were two of the worst drugs. With Prozac, I had chronic diarrhea and no therapeutic benefit. Effexor had no therapeutic value and left me completely sexually impotent. Sertraline has helped with my racing thoughts and depression, with little or no noticeable side effects. My experiences may not be typical for everyone, but it is the best antidepressant I have found."

• Mal...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 21, 2021

Sertraline for Panic Disorder "This past year, I would get panic attacks that would lead to anxiety. The sensations and feelings would last a day or two and would go away (happened three different times). Then in early October, it happened and didn't go away. My doctor prescribed me 50 mg of Zoloft (once a day) and the lowest dose of Xanax (as needed). The first week of Zoloft was a nightmare. The anxiety was at an all-time high, no appetite, dry mouth, diarrhea, and couldn't sleep. The Xanax was able to take the edge off a little bit. If I didn't have the Xanax, I probably would have stopped taking the Zoloft. After 10 days, things became a little less intense. I was able to eat, anxiety was still present but at a much lower level, and stomach issues were no longer. About 5-6 weeks later, I noticed that I am back to almost 100% anxiety-free. It comes and goes, but it is a lot easier to deal with it. Not constantly stressing. It was worth it. Don't give up. Therapy also helped me!"

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

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "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."

• Jon...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 30, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I told myself that I would share my experience if sertraline (Zoloft) helped me, so here I am. I'm a healthy young man, with a fantastic life. Got a job I love, kids, and a wife I adore. I have no obvious reason to struggle with my mental health, yet I somehow developed intense panic disorder. I would wake up all night and be shaking, my muscles twitch and tic, I had constant diarrhea, and a feeling of intense dread and despair 24 hours a day. Sertraline made all of that go away almost entirely! The first 2 weeks were very hard. Everything got worse, but by day 10 I could feel it starting to work, and my panic attacks beginning to go away. By day 15, I was sleeping through the night, and by week 3 I was great, with no side effects. My thoughts are clear and I've stopped worrying all the time. I think I might have OCD and that's also gone. I love sertraline."

• lif...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 17, 2017

For Anxiety and Stress "I have suffered from anxiety since I was in my teens, I'm now in my 40s and have GAD. I first started taking this medicine, and it gave me really bad diarrhea, and I stopped taking it, but it was definitely helping with the panic attacks. I didn't have them at all! I could feel one like it was about to come on, but would go away just as quickly. I stopped taking it because of the diarrhea and tried others like Lexapro, which didn't do anything at all for me. I was on 100 mg sertraline and talked to my doctor about lowering my dosage to 25 mg to start with, so I don't experience the side effects so much. I'm up to 50 mg now, and it's working great."

• Dam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 21, 2020

For Depression "Sertraline has a black warning from the FDA. Now, if the FDA has a warning on something, it must be serious. Doc recommended it for anxiety. Two years later, I've become like a walking zombie. Zero emotions and no desire for anything. I just wanted to be left alone all the time in a room. So, at the start of 2020, I said enough is enough. I stopped. The shakes, agitation, brain zaps, diarrhea, irregular sleep, appetite, sweats, anxiety like never before, unnatural dreams, the list goes on. I felt like I was possessed. I don't recommend taking drugs, full stop. The odd Valium if anxiety is really heavy on certain days, but SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, STAY AWAY FROM SERTRALINE. It might make you feel okay at the start, but the side effects and withdrawals are really scary. Good diet, exercise, real friends, helping others, studying something you've always wanted to do. There are so many things we can do to help our mental state. SERTRALINE is not one of them. Hope this helps."

• MGC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2018

For Depression "Started sertraline on 28/11, and I am so happy with it! I started with 25 mg a day for one week and then went up to 50 mg. Initially, I had a slightly dodgy stomach (mild diarrhea/soft stools/flatulence) and really vivid dreams, but no other side effects. Depression seemed to get worse around 3 weeks in - but that may just be coincidence. Four weeks in, I suddenly started feeling better, and I haven’t had a bad day since! I’m now 2 1/2 months in and so happy that I started it. I feel completely back to myself. I’m so content with life, and yet I was so miserable I wanted to die only 5 weeks ago! Thank you, sertraline!"

• MGC...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 13, 2018

For Depression "Started sertraline on 28/11, and I am so happy with it! I started with 25 mg a day for one week and then went up to 50 mg. Initially, I had a slightly dodgy stomach (mild diarrhea/soft stools/flatulence) and really vivid dreams, but no other side effects. Depression seemed to get worse around 3 weeks in - but that may just be coincidence. Four weeks in, I suddenly started feeling better, and I haven’t had a bad day since! I’m now 2 1/2 months in and so happy that I started it. I feel completely back to myself. I’m so content with life, and yet I was so miserable I wanted to die only 5 weeks ago! Thank you, sertraline!"

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

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder "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."

• Coo...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• May 21, 2019

Sertraline for Depression "I have been on Zoloft for more than 20 years. Over the last 6-8 months, I have had increased side effects: diarrhea, loss of appetite, not sleeping, sleeping too much, just laying around waiting for the next trip to the bathroom. I had blood work, colonoscopy, endoscopy, you name it. Nothing! I read up on Zoloft side effects. Bingo! I started tapering off. Already, all of my symptoms are improving. It's been only three days. Depression is the same."

• loo...
• December 24, 2009

Sertraline for Depression "I started taking Zoloft about 1 month ago for depression. I take it in the morning. Right now, the side effects outweigh the benefits. I, too, have the shakes, some sexual side effects, and loss of appetite. I'm feeling a bit more anxiety and excessive yawning. The worst of it has been the problems with my lower GI (diarrhea). My doctor wants me to try and wait it out. He seems to think the side effects will subside. I'm reading positive things here. I'll stick it out and see if things improve for me."

• Emz...
• September 15, 2018

For Anxiety and Stress "I started this drug on 25 mg once a day. Day 1 was fine, day 2, I felt a bit lightheaded and just strange. Day 3 was cold chills and shaking, diarrhea, and terrible anxiety, half-side headaches. Day 4 was the same. Today is day 7, and the side effects seem to be calming down. I’m determined to ride the bad stage out because my anxiety was next level. The doctor wants me to stay on 25 mg for another week and then increase to 50 mg."

• Lov...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "I’ve started taking these meds a couple of weeks ago. In the beginning, I had slight side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and anxiety waves, but now I am feeling much calmer and am sleeping much better. I'm still on 50 mg, as my doctor thought that there was no need for me to get a higher dose. I am really happy that this medicine is working for me and really hopeful that with time I will completely recover from anxiety."

• Anonymous
• May 2, 2012

Sertraline for Depression "Been on Zoloft 25mg a week. It killed my depression (almost) and my anxiety. I've been an opiate addict for 6 yrs and only quit 1 week ago. I can't believe I have no interest in painkillers all of a sudden. Several side effects occurred the first 4 days: insomnia, migraines, diarrhea. It's impressive now though."

• Anonymous
• September 18, 2011

Sertraline for Depression "Since puberty, I had been diagnosed with everything under the sun except for what I really suffered, and I have taken so many different medications the names have become a blur. Finally, I was diagnosed at 34 with bipolar disorder type 1 compounded by bouts of clinical depression. I was given Trazodone, but couldn't take the vivid nightmares. Depakote, which gave me migraines. Finally, I found a good therapist who got me on Zoloft. It took a good 4 to 6 weeks for it to accumulate in my system, and I did have the runs for the first couple of weeks, but it made a huge difference in my life. Just the thought of some doctor taking me off Zoloft makes me panic. I never want to go back to my life before Zoloft."

• Pau...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 4, 2016

For Depression "I took sertraline for two months after a short period of depression. Started with stomach cramps and terrible diarrhea. Could not think at all. Began to have difficulty in reading and writing. Became aggressive and unpleasant to be around. Felt like all my emotions and cognitive abilities had been switched off. Reactions became so slow that I stopped driving out of fear of killing someone. Became paranoid. It's awful."