Sertraline causing INDIFFERENCE.

Hi everyone. This is my first time posting in any forum ever (aside from Yahoo Answers). I'm having issues with my sertraline 50mg causing me to be very sleepy and all-around indifferent. I keep missing class (I am in college) but I don't care enough to go if I wake up halfway through a class (which is happening right now). I can't decide: was I better off just being more anxious/sad sometimes but actually DOING more? I wasn't happy, there were some good days though. I don't know. Thanks.

Hello & Welcome, MissOlivander. Indifference and apathy have long characterized my experience of depression, the various meds notwithstanding. Frankly, I cannot tell how much of the apathy is due to the meds vs. the depression itself.

Your question is exceptionally important, though. Please see your prescribing doctor as soon as possible; even leave them a phone or email message.

There are two other threads on this very subject within the last few days. The brand name is Zoloft. I had the same experience and posted in the one called Zoloft lethargy.

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I have a huge problem with getting to glass on time. I'm late over 90% of the time by 10-30 minutes and I've missed 25% of school so far which is becoming a problem. Sometimes if I'm late, I just don't go because I was always told when I started high school that if I'm late, I might as well just not go. That analogy doesn't work because there was this one week were I was late for three mornings and just skipped three days of school.

I know it's hard and we can't just "get up". But that's the only thing that will work. Putting the alarm clock across the room so I have to get up and disarm it or pressing the snooze button 20 times doesn't work because I just end up going back to bed.

But I would rather that problem than have anxiety. I take Prozac but I already had that problem before I took it for severe anxiety. Maybe it made it worse but I think all SSRI's do that.

It took me over 2 years on that med to get into the no care state. But when I did I did. I had no emotions. My home was falling apart. You could say I acted like I was very depressed because I didn't do anything. But I didn't feel depressed. I didn't notice any feelings. I was totally indifferent to other people's suffering too. I couldn't take in that something was wrong with me. I was like brain washed. It was weird.

i'm on 200mg of it and have very similar emotions to what you describe.. however i think it's more of the disorder rather than the medication.. it takes time to take effect, and it's one of those medications you really can't afford to forget about taking, because of the dependency of the chemicals it produces to your body. so i think what you're feeling is your depression, because there's different rates of sadness and depression (you probably already know that, but just making sure). being on the medication since 2011 until now, i know there's a very big part in terms of tolerance.. perhaps you may need your dosage upped, but that's something to talk to a professional about whom can legally let you do that.

I guess it depends on how long the OP has been on meds. Short enough to still feel depressed? Long enough for tardive dysphoria?

For me personally it wasn't "the illness" because my zoloft was for anxiety, I had no prior history of depression so the dulling was the med.

Is the no care state the goal? I guess I feel like I have enough information from hearing others and my own experience to think if it makes you tied and lethargic it is not the right med for you. If you are depressed when you start it like I was it is rather hard to tell where the drug stopped and my mind started. I do remember feeling like being numb was a good trade off for a while but even then I knew that would not be ok for long. Without the grey areas I should have stopped this drug with 3 months instead I waited a year. A no care state would not be ok for me.

Bottom line is I am not impressed with this drug for people who get tired or lethargic on it.

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Jimi... I feel like you are describing. I've missed a lot of my college classes. Luckily it's not as bad as it was last semester. The worst part is my mom. She gets all worried about me missing class, but not about ME, because she doesn't understand. She just wants me to be perfect. I can't be that right now. Feeling lost and alone. I'm so thankful that I do have supportive friends who know what I'm going through. I started tapering from 50 to 25 this week. Feeling a little more moody and sad but still very tired and not motivated. We shall see...