Sertraline! Any thoughts/experiences??

I've just been prescribed Sertraline but as usual, have Googled and now scared myself witless with the possible side effects.  I'm extra cautious as I was on Lofepramine recently but after 4 weeks had to come off it as it made me feel much worse, did crazy things to my mind without me realising and the side effects were unbearable.  I'm now worried about Sertraline being potentially worse!! 

I am BFing and note that this is apparently the SSRI of choice for BFing mothers but wondered if anyone had any positive experiences of this drug to share?

C-L

I was on Sertraline for about 10 months, the only side effects I had were lowered libido (but then depression is going to do that anyway!), took me (a lot) longer to orgasm when we did get around to DTD, excessive sweating (at night, although I have since been told that this is something that often happens to women after they give birth - I had no idea!), and a weird feeling of nausea/slight gagging when I yawned.

Other than that, they only other thing that happened was I felt a whole heap better.  Not back to normal, but a damn sight better than without them.

I think that a big problem with t'internet is that people mostly post when things go bad, so you don't read about the millions of people who have nothing but good results.

Hope you are ok?

1

I wasn't b/fing when I was on Sertraline but I was on it for quite a while a few years ago. The only time I had a problem was when my dose was increased and for a couple of days I was dizzy an faint and got very cold. Other than that I was OK and didn't suffer any other problems.

Hope that helps and Good Luck

I have been prescribed sertraline, but I stopped taking it as I found that my milk supply lowered and that I got really bad night sweats.

However I have had this prescribed previously and have suffered no side effects what so ever, so Im putting it down to me breastfeeding and different stuff going on this time as to why I got the side effects.

I wasn't on this one but I do think the side effects of all SSRIs look much scarier when written down.

Hope you're feeling better soon

As a Dr: sertaline and lofepramine are completely different kettles of fish. Sertraline is MUCH cleaner, side effects wise. You should find that after a week or so your side effects are fairly minimal - the delayed orgasm and sweats are most common, but most people tolerate them well and feel physically "normal" once they've got over the first week. I tell my patients to expect nausea headaches and spaced-out-ness for the first 5-7 days and to stick it out taking the tablet daily even if they don't want to or feel dreadful - because if you do, by day 5 or 6 the symptoms will settle and you'll feel fine. If you don't take them or take one tablet one day and not the next etc etc, then the initiation symptoms last longer.

As a patient: I was on sertraline 50mg for 6 months. It saved my life and my marriage/ relationship with my children. I had headaches and nausea fairly badly for the first 5 days, but I kept taking it because I knew I had to even though I didn't want to. By day 5 I was starting to feel a little better, by day 6 I felt physically normal again. By week 3 my mood was almost normal. It was so quick. After that I didn't really notice them, or any side effects. I never got sweats but I did get delayed orgasm (which I didn't relly mind that much). I had no symptoms on stopping either.

I think it's a great drug, and I prescribe it frequently.

HTH.

I've been on Sertraline a couple of months now and haven't noticed any side effects - I'd taken some other ad's for just over a week before (can't remember the name) and they made me feel awful, dizzy and flu like.  I started feeling a lot brighter after a couple of weeks, although by the 4th week my mood slipped again so my GP increased my dose from 50mg to 100mg.  The higher dosage seems to be doing the trick, although there are still the odd days where I get a bit down usually when I'm suffering badly from lack of sleep.

Also, I'm BFing and haven't noticed any difference to milk supply or any effects in C.

HTH

xx

Wow, thanks all for taking the time to reply - especially useful to have the doctor's perspective, thanks Rache.

Will definitely give it a go.

Clarry-Love