Been on sertraline for 12 days and I feel worse than before honestly. The side effects are brutal and my anxiety is still there. Doc said to give it 4-6 weeks but I'm not sure I can white-knuckle through a month of feeling like this. Is this normal? Should I call and ask for something different or just wait it out?
Honest question - did your doc mention taking it at night instead of morning? Game changer for sertraline side effects for a lot of people. The nausea and anxiety can be way worse if you take it when you're already anxious.
Stick it out if you can. I was in the same boat at day 10, felt like garbage, but by week 3-4 something clicked. It's genuinely rough in the middle but it passes. Tell your doc about the side effects though - they might adjust timing or dose.
Don't white-knuckle through this alone. Tell your doc NOW about how bad it is. There are other SSRIs and different dosing schedules. You don't have to suffer through if it's unbearable. Some people do better on different meds.
Real talk: the side effects usually improve faster than the anxiety does. Nausea/headaches/whatever usually peak around day 7-10 then start getting better. The therapeutic effect takes longer. You're almost through the worst part.
Sertraline specifically gave me insomnia and sweating for the first 2.5 weeks. It was genuinely worse than the anxiety I was trying to fix. But week 3 something flipped. I'd call your doc about the side effects though - they might adjust timing or dose to help you get through this
12 days is so early man. I remember day 10-14 being genuinely awful - nausea, weird dreams, felt hopeless. But then something shifted around day 18 for me. The fact your doc said 4-6 weeks tracks with what I experienced. You're in the rough patch but it does get better.
This. The side effects are real and brutal, don't let anyone gaslight you about that. But that 4-6 week window isn't made up - your brain chemistry is literally rewiring. Keep a journal of how you feel each day so you can actually track improvement instead of just feeling stuck in it.
12 days in is legitimately the worst part usually. Your body's adjusting to a chemical it's never had before. White-knuckling sucks but you're almost through the hardest phase. How bad are the side effects? Some of them can be managed if you talk to your doc
The 4-6 week thing sucks to hear but it's real. Your brain is adjusting to a chemical change. The first two weeks are usually the worst. You feeling worse is actually kinda normal. Journal how you feel so you can track the improvement when it comes.
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12 days is waaay too early to judge. I know it sucks but sertraline is notorious for the first 2-3 weeks being rough. You'll probably feel worse before better. That's normal. Can you call your doc and mention the side effects? Sometimes adjusting the dose helps.