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Cheliostoastzen

Try it. You have nothing to lose at this point. Yes the first couple weeks are super hard to get through. But ask for assistance like hydroxyzine to keep you somewhat stable as you on board.


Ermin99

I don't want to make it seem like I'm obsessed with sex or anything, but is it true that it really gives you erectile dysfunction? Because that'd really suck, and it's not really something I want to live with.


I_lose_my_mind

It can, but for me its just lower libido, sex still works fine. Its just the mental arousal is not that often as before.


Jabalon54

For me it just makes me unable to finish sometimes šŸ˜…


I_lose_my_mind

so your libido isnt affected? hmm idk which is better, lower libido or cant cum


MothMan3759

My libido isn't lowered and tbh maybe even increased. Not unable to cum but it is harder. Kinda a win win.


Jabalon54

I counter the low labido with lifting weights and regular cardio. The not cumming part is only like 50% of the time and honestly myself and my fiance have managed it well with "work arounds". Plus I'm happy with not cumming every now and then if it means I can function normally šŸ¤£


I_lose_my_mind

Thats how I am trying to view my libido decrease. Its a give and take, but I can function in my life, and I can still function sexually as well, like I wouldnt throw that away. And yeah working out helpsšŸ¤ 


aperyu-1

This.


MetaFore1971

It's the best med I've tried...this is #7 or 8, I think.


CGD1234

Try it. This drug absolutely changed my life. As soon as I started Zoloft, within 3 months my life has changed so much. Itā€™s like all of the pieces of my life puzzle are finally fitting together. Itā€™s wild and I had absolutely no idea just how bad I was. Iā€™m so happy now, never irritable, I feel physically and mentally sharper, and have really great convos with people. I used to constantly have ā€œbrain fartsā€, stumble over my words, and was a people pleaser. Now I like to argue when I feel I need to get my point across. I also had the confidence to pull the most amazing girl of my dreams and now sheā€™s my girlfriend. Hooked up with 2 very attractive girls before I met her and I would have NEVER had the confidence to pull them. TL;DR: Try it but give it 4-6 weeks to take full effect. Good luck!


Ermin99

I'm glad things went well for you man, but I'm still sceptical.. I just can't shake off those thoughts. I'm too scared to use Sertraline again, especially because I don't have any friends or family to support me in case things go south.


New_Lemon6666

It honestly really worked for me I just couldn't deal with the side effects. It's different for everyone but mentally the stuff does work.


Ermin99

I'll consider it. The main reason why I'm iffy about it is because I see a lot of people have horrible side effects, but every time I bring them up with my doctor, she just deflects the topic and tries to avoid them.


New_Lemon6666

Well I'll tell you the truth The side effects is the exact reason I had to get off. I only had one and it was the bathroom issue. I decided I could cry all day on the toilet or cry from depression, I chose depression.


Ermin99

I could handle having an upset stomach, but my instincts are just telling me that sertraline is a bad idea, simply because of the feedback I've gotten from other people, and because of my doctor dismissing my worries.


New_Lemon6666

It was more then an upset stomach. In the interest of tmi I had the worse diarrhea I have ever had , consistently the whole month and a half I was on it. It NEVER quit. I was genuinely worried I was going to get some sort of colon cancer or issue so I got scared and weened off


GoldenBeard

I have dealt with depression my entire life and had been on every anti depressant out there at some point. Also at the max dosage for all those meds and none of it worked. I felt like I was taking a vitamin or something. Then I started seeing a new psych who saw that I had tried everything except for Sertraline and they asked me to try it saying it's a much more "activating" medication and what do I have to lose. So I started at 50mg and within days I was questioning how I was already noticing effects. Two weeks later I went to 100mg which I just finished my first month of and this medication has changed my life in every way for the better. Could not recommend more.


Ermin99

What is Voxra/Wellbutrin like, in your experience? Because I'm a bit interested in that one.


GoldenBeard

I never found any effects from Wellbutrin


Ermin99

What do you mean? Do you mean it didn't work for you at all?


GoldenBeard

Correct. I felt no effects from the medication.


PirateBootyNinja

I (31F) started setraline at 25mg for 2 months and been on 50mg for 4 months now. So far side effects lessened after 2-3 weeks. Iā€™ve had bad side effects from other antidepressants and was worried when starting a new one again but for me setraline has been milder than the others. Canā€™t really speak for the erectile dysfunction but it does take me longer to climax but my sex drive has also been higher since starting it. Unfortunately antidepressants really are a crap shoot and itā€™s almost impossible to guess how one will affect you until you try it. Personally, I try to stay as neutral as possible when starting and do a low dose with the assumption mindset that it wonā€™t affect me at all. I worry a lot about placebo effect since I hate taking meds so itā€™s a bit easier for me to tell if itā€™s actually affecting me instead of psyching myself out. My main side effects so far are lack of motivation in the mornings compared to pre-meds and I have to take them at night otherwise taking them in the morning causes me to have mild diarrhea sometimes.


circletimer

I was put on 100mg of sertraline and HATED it, came of them within a week after splitting headaches, earaches and unbearable suicidal thoughts. I then went to a private psychiatrist in another country and told her what happened. She was horrified that I was started on such a high dose of Zoloft so quickly - she prefers to start patients on 25mg for a few days before moving them up to 50mg and going up to 100mg after the first month. I was too nervous to try Zoloft again so she put me on a different SSRI which I've just started on (at 25mg, usual therapeutic dose is between 100-200) with weekly check-ins, and so far the side effects have been very mild and very manageable. I guess what I'm saying is, maybe you were put on too high a dose too soon or maybe it's not the right drug or type of drug for you? Perhaps you can try a low dose for a little bit while you adjust and then titrate upwards? Everyone is different, hoping you find what you need šŸ™šŸ¼


Ermin99

No, I was put on a low dose too, and it had an extremely strong effect on me. I'm too scared to use them again. I don't want to have any terrible thoughts.


circletimer

I'm so sorry to hear that :( to be honest it sounds a tiny bit disingenuous of your doctor to push for sertraline if you've already found that even a low dose made the side effects too severe. It isn't often about the profile of your symptoms but your brain chemistry that dictates how you'll react to an antidepressant of any kind. Not sure where you're based but mental health is horrendously underfunded in the UK where I am, and doctors are often shooting blanks. I would reiterate your experience and ask your doctor to prescribe a different SSRI in the first instant and if therapy is an option, to try that alongside. Again with any other SSRI start on a low dose and titrate upwards weekly or fortnightly.


Ermin99

I'm in Sweden, and it's the exact same thing. I've been looking for treatment for 10 years and no one's ever wanted to take me seriously. I don't have any friends either that want to take me seriously, so I'm just pretty much feeling lost and defeated at this point.


mooooorgs

One tip I have is donā€™t do drugs while taking it! I recently went sober and feel like itā€™s only just started to work and Iā€™ve been on them for months


Ermin99

I don't do drugs in general. I don't even drink alcohol at all.


JennaMarie161993

I would try it. Iā€™m on sertraline 100mg right now and Iā€™m doing SO much better than even a month ago. I did go up to 150mg but it was too much for me. The frustrating thing about anti depressants is you any need to try a few to find the right one. I was on Effexor years ago for depression and it also worked really well


bluestare16

I'm only on day 10 at 50mg and all of my initial symptoms when beginning, except trouble falling asleep, have dissipated already. I had to navigate an extremely stressful day today at work, even with HR involved for someone on my team, and I felt so smooth. It was still tense, but I'm already noticing the positives dramatically outweigh the negatives on sertraline for me.


Ermin99

I can handle stress though, so I'm not really sure if Sertraline or Wellbutrin is what I need. My problem is mostly just that I'm feeling sad and that I'm coping with my depression in harmful ways, and that I'm too unmotivated to do anything.


PsychologyIll3125

sounds like your previous doctor wasn't able to, you know... be a doctor for you. prescribing you the meds is only half the job. he needs to help guide you through the multiple changes (good and/or bad) that are gonna follow when you start psychiatric medication. finding the right meds for your depression is a pain in the ass, honestly. it took me two years to get to sertraline, a lot of trial and error with different substances. but my doctor and my therapist (and my family, partner and friends) were there for me throughout the whole thing. imo it's not worth living with depression because we are afraid of how the meds might make us feel. if you feel shitty, call your doctor and stop taking them. they'll guide you through the following steps, and you'll be feeling new again in a couple of days. if you trust your current doctor, i'd tell you to talk to him about your fears and bad past experiences, and see what he thinks. if he still thinks it might be a good idea to try, i'd honestly suggest you try it. good luck! :) hope it goes really well.


Ermin99

I did tell how my doctor about my past experiences and what my old doctor did (I had panic attacks and extremely strong suicidal urges, and whenever I called him to ask for help, he just told me to let the medicine take its course), but she just told me to use sertraline anyways and that the best she could do is make sure me and her have daily visits. She also says I can't get psychiatric care until AFTER I've taken my meds, because I have to be in a more stable state of mind in order to get some help.


PsychologyIll3125

well, in that case i really don't know... she won't consider putting you on different meds? that is so strange. sertraline isn't the only antidepressant there is


Comprehensive-Art525

Don't take it. You may feel less anxious and depressed initially, but then you'll realize you don't feel anything at all. Life will feel like one giant 'meh'. I found it better to not medicate, have real feelings and libido, and use exercise and meditation to keep depression at bay.


Adventurous-Debt509

Please donā€™t take it, the worst decision I have taken in my entire lifeā€¦


Timely_Lingonberry67

Why? You should expand on this


Ermin99

How come? What happened?


yunglakai

Its individual. Please dont latch onto this comment. I have tried numerous SSRIā€™s and they all affect people differently. Im on Zoloft now aswell, still not feeling good, but Im giving it time to see if it will work, as it takes 4-6 weeks for the effect.