Sertraline Reviews (A comprehensive guide)

In this brief guide, we will look at some sertraline reviews for various disorders, as well as other information about sertraline, like sertraline side effects and Sertraline related weight loss and weight gain.

Sertraline Reviews

Sertraline is an antidepressant that belongs to a class of drugs known as Serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and it is used primarily for depression, though it may be used for some other conditions as well; some comprehensive sertraline reviews are given as follow:

For Anxiety and Stress: “Sertraline has literally changed my life. I took months to start over fear of side effects but once I took a stand and made that jump it has changed my life. The first few weeks are hard ( headaches, fatigue, bad stomach, increased anxiety) but honestly push through it and when it kicks in it’s worth it. I’ve found myself controlling my thoughts better, sleeping better and just overall in a better mood. I haven’t felt this good in over 10 years after struggling with anxiety and panic attacks. I also recommend downloading the DARE app. Good luck warriors”

For Borderline Personality Disorder: “Started Zoloft for Borderline Personality Disorder a year ago. Took a few months to get used to the feeling being on it. It has helped stabilize my mood greatly but I do go through periods of time where everything feels surreal or like every sensation feels very different, especially during intimate moments. It seems to come in waves and then normalize again.”

For Major Depressive Disorder: “for me sertraline did nothing I was on the highest dosage (200mg) and was still having suicidal thoughts and felt as bad as ever, I didn’t even get any side effects apart from loss of an urge for intimacy. The only positive I realised was that you can’t cry, however I still felt just as bad might help for other conditions but in my opinion not MDD”

Zoloft (sertraline) for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: “Zoloft made me not care about anything. I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t sad, I was just numb and indifferent. I didn’t like that and went off.”

“Started taking sertraline 6 days ago feel amazing 10 years I have suffered with the menopause with stress and anxiety I couldn’t take HRT, these tablets have give me new life”

For Anxiety and Stress: “32 yr old female – I was prescribed sertraline 50mg for anxiety, depression.. Before taking it I was crying constantly. The day after taking it I already felt better and on day four now and feel like a new person. I recommend taking it at night. Don’t let all the bad reviews scare you..just take it.”

For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: “I just started sertraline the second time. The first time it gave me bad anxiety and insomnia which eventually went away. This time, the second time, I just had an increase in anxiety and depression. I also have experienced diarrhea from taking this. It is good but be warned that it may increase your anxiety during the first month.”

For Bipolar Disorder: “I was put on Zoloft for bipolar and it made me angry and caused IBS D that I still haven’t gotten rid of. Don’t take if you have mood swings”

“I had insomnia for years. I never felt depressed, I just could not sleep from age 29 for a long time. I did go on and off of it for a while but probably should have just remained consistent. It would have been better. I went to an MD at Mayo and he said take Zoloft in the morning. Never any side effects that I realized. Worked great for sleeping. No wakeful 3 AM nights. I don’t take it now but when I slip back into insomnia, I start it again. Trust it.”

Sertraline Side Effects 

Some of the most commonly seen sertraline side effects are given as follow:

• Insomnia
• Agitation
• Shaking
• Diarrhea
• Somnolence
• Decreased libido
• Nausea
• Increased sweating
• Fatigue
• Indigestion
• Anorexia 
• Anxiety
• Constipation 
• Palpitations
• Tinnitus
• Aorgasmia
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Agitation 
• Weight gain
• Yawning

Sertraline Dosage

Sertraline dosage varies depending on what disorder it is being prescribed for, and what the severity of symptoms is like in the individual.

In most cases the physician will also want to start with lower doses and go on to bigger doses.

For example, in depression, the physician may start with about 50 mg of sertraline per day, and then go on increasing it by about 25 mg per week once they have seen the effects taking place, and usually the maximum dosage they will give will be around 200 mg.

In case of stress and anxiety related disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the physician may prescribe about 25 mg to start with, and increase by 25 mg at per week intervals till maximum possible dosage for that patient is reached.

Other things sertraline may be prescribed for includes premenstrual dysphoric disorder and social anxiety or panic disorder.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

Sertraline Weight Loss Reviews

Most people are concerned about weight related changes when they start taking antidepressants, and therefore here are some sertraline reviews that talk about weight loss:

For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: “I have suffered from excessive OCD, due to an event that caused PTSD, for 2-3 years now. I love Sertraline. I started at 25mg for 7 days then graduated to 50mg after 7 days. I had no appetite, which is a common side effect, which resulted in weight loss. After 2 days on the 25mg, I noticed a huge difference. I have energy, I sleep well, and I am able to focus long enough to complete tasks from start to finish without being distracted. I don’t feel anxious, overwhelmed, or on edge like I used to. My only regret is not getting help sooner!”

“I have taken this for 10 years, The things that I used to care about no longer worry me. no loss of initmate energy, i recommend this for people who want to take the edge off! Side effect: on missing a dose I feel my head is spinning and it makes me a little dizzy. so i don’t miss doses if i can help it. I also lost some weight but not enough to worry about.”

Sertraline Weight Gain Reviews

While there are few reports of sertraline causing weight loss, there are more of this drug causing weight gain, and some sertraline reviews that mention weight gain are as follow:

Zoloft (sertraline) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: “AWFUL side effects!!! Took Zoloft in high school and gained 50lbs along with an eating disorder because the psychiatrist brushed off all my complaints as irrational even though the weight gain was detrimental to my mental health (still cannot drop the weight years after stopping), hair loss, constant cold sores, cavities, very heavy periods (and eventually severe anemia), brain fog, loss of creativity, eventually developed severe Tourettes syndrome after stopping, list goes on!! AVOID if you value your health and well-being! Also did not even help that much! Not worth it at all for me.”

Zoloft (sertraline) for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: “I have been taking 100mg Zoloft daily for almost 8 years and I find it really helps with OCD, especially the dulling of intrusive thoughts that would normally cause me a lot of distress, anxiety and were quite frankly, ruining my life. I am now at a stage where I am wondering whether I should attempt to wean myself off this drug, but am increasingly anxious about coming off the drug, as it has been so successful. I’ve had a few side effects, such as a reduced attention span and weight gain, but all in all, the drug has helped me live a normal life, with only two relapses in the eight years I’ve been on them. Both times I’ve relapsed, I have received help from a counsellor or CBT, but have stayed on the drug throughout, maintaining a steady dosage.”

Zoloft (sertraline) Anxiety and Stress: “I started Zoloft 3 months postpartum. Not for postpartum depression, rather for anxiety and OCD. I experienced no side effects initially at 50mg. I felt great the first month: annoying habits of my husband’s didn’t bother me as much, my thoughts didn’t spiral into negativity like they tend to, and work issues didn’t affect me much. I can’t say it helped OCD at all – I saw no change. However: my experience declined steadily over the next 3 months due to side effects. I started grinding my teeth, causing the growth of mandibulur tori (bony outgrowths in your mouth-permanent), absolutely zero intimate drive, and weight gain (about 25-30lbs). The latter was particularly upsetting because I had lost nearly all my baby weight before. My husband said I seem unhappy now that I’ve weaned off (been off about 2 weeks). However, this could be because I’m speaking up about his annoying habits again. My mood feels fine to me. 100% the benefits of this drug do not outweigh the negatives.”

Zoloft (sertraline) for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: “I have had PMDD for some time. I was initially prescribed Prozac and it did nothing. I take a high dose 100mg during the luteal phase of the period and it helps. Not symptom free but more manageable. The side effects are tiredness (too mellow and not hyper motivated) and weight gain but I can live with this instead of extreme mood changes prior to Zoloft. It also helps me manage work and personal life better. It takes the edge off. My symptoms include racing obsessive thoughts, anger, raging, paranoia primarily (general distrust of all human beings). I still get food cravings and some thoughts but they are dramatically reduced. I try to manage PMDD with diet, supplements (magnesium), yoga etc. Too. It is a tough mood disorder and wish I knew what I had years ago.”

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we looked at some sertraline reviews for various disorders, as well as other information about sertraline, like sertraline side effects and Sertraline related weight loss and weight gain.

Sertraline is a well-known drug which most people may know as Zoloft, and it is used in the treatment of many conditions apart from depression, even though it is predominantly an antidepressant.

Sertraline has many benefits over other antidepressants, and it tends to be relatively less discomfiting in terms of the side effects it causes, and because of its shorter half life, it also tends to be more easy to get weaned off.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Sertraline Reviews

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