4 weeks on sertraline for anxiety, what to expect next?

I'm on day 12 of sertraline at 100 mg (almost 4 weeks since starting this med for generalized anxiety). My mood is still changing constantly all day long from anxious to slightly depressed but more "relaxed".
I'm probably a bit more stable than last week (mood not changing as fast), but this is still very exhausting and I don't have the energy for much more than the very basic activities: eat, exercice, chores.

I still keep benzo use to a minimal dose each afternoon, but I obviously don't feel they are helping as much as a month ago. I currently take .375 mg of klonopin each afternoon, but cettainly could use more and my prescription allow for up to 1 mg daily. Don't think increasing the benzo is a good idea right now but sure could use the extra dose.

Still hoping for more improvement from tne sertraline, but this is definitively very slow to come...
(sleep is very good with 15 mg of mirtazapine and the occasional boost of zopiclone in the middle of the night).
Overall I would say my situation is more tolerable than a month ago, but barely.

Any shared thought on the whole process would be greatly welcomed!

Zoloft right? I used to be on it, it worked well for me at 150mg, I wasn't on the lower doses very long because I was inpatient at the time and it could be increased rapidly.

I would give it some more time. Then if necessary ask about a dose increase, and if you don't feel like it's improving your mood after being on it for a good amount of time then see about switching to something else.

Also, have you tried therapy? Cognitive behavioral therapy can be very helpful for anxiety disorders. Some people get better results with that or that AND the med, but sometimes it's just the med that's necessary. Everyone's different. I would give it a try, or if you want, there are self help workbooks you can order for example if you search "Anxiety workbooks" https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...xiety+workbook

CBT techniques usually try to change negative thinking patterns which in turn causes anxiety/worry.

Whatever you decide, goodluck!

Thanks for the quick answer!
I did a bit of CBT this summer, but then switched to a more in-depth talk-therapy this fall, getting into family issues, relationships, youth, etc. This is cettainly longer and more "painful" than CBT but I know that I needed it. Meanwhile just waiting for the med to give me an "extra push" toward recovery...

In your experience, did zoloft helped somewhat for anxiety ? (I'm not terribly depressed, at least not yet.)

Yes, it helped me a lot with anxiety

I took zoloft on and off for years and it didn't work too well when I started having mood swings. I recently changed to something else that works better. Give it another couple weeks at new dose and if it doesn't seem to be helping be sure to tell your doctor.

Day 15 of sertraline, 100 mg, still feeling mood changes all day long, but not as quickly. I now feel slightly anxious or slightly depressed, which is not great but better than it was. Saw my doc yesterday (GP) and he esnts me to start taper the clonazepam from .375 to .25 mg daily. Big patch of anxiety this afternoon, but feeling not so bad tonight. Hoping for even better days ahead! Insights always welcomed.

Now Day 18 on sertraline/zoloft 100 mg.
Still very anxious and a little depressed, BUT I did felt "good" for parts of the day.
Maybe the med working, or just time... clonazepam still at .25 mg, down from .375 mg.
Sharing each little victories!

Hello. When on Zoloft, I became extremely fatigue, so I had to come off it. I had some cognitive problems too. Good job though . I only managed to go up to 75 mg before we reduced because of fatigue. Good luck .

Social anxiety disorder, GAD, OCD, and panic attacks

Lexapro, 10 mg

I have been on sertraline 50mg once daily since about June or July I think.
So far I have found it to be really helpful for my symptoms of depression.
I still get daily anxiety when thinking about certain things or whenever I leave the house.
It seemed to help me relax better when I'm at home though, haven't had a major panic attack since I started it.

The only complaints I have are that it seems it might be making me more easily irritated than before, and I have noticed that I have been sweating a lot since being put on it.

Day 30 zoloft 100 mg for anxiety:
Still hoping for that bright new day..! Concentration is much better, now able to do thing like playing competitive contract bridge or going to the cinema. Feel very good for short periods during the day, especially after exercising or during the evenings. Still lots of physical symptoms of anxiety and bouts of intense worrying. Still generally feeling "weak" and with limited energy. Doctor will decide Jan 6 if I go back to work... not clear now if I'll be well enough..

Still weaning clonazepam, now at .16 mg daily, down from .375 mg a month ago. Doesn't seem to suffer much from the tapering.

Comments/insights always welcomed!

It's now been 5 weeks of sertraline at 100 mg.
I started feeling improvement in my mood at the 4 weeks mark. Very very gradual but undisputable, everything is slightly easier to do, a bit more interresting, less distressing. But I often do feel tired/unmotivated/lazy.

Still off work and anxious most of the day, still having physical symptoms, but it is less strong, and it comes and goes during the day instead of being non-stop.
Also feeling the side-effects of the meds, most notably a stronger/faster/annoying heart pulse, clenched jaw and night sweats.
Still weaning clonazepam, .375 to .25 to .17 mg daily now, with a cut every 2 weeks.
Not needed zopiclone during the night for the last 7 days, after 6 weeks of nightly use (3.75 mg)

Next week I'm seeing my doc, and we'll decide if the sert dose should be increased.
What could be the deciding factor to let the current dose do its work?, or try to get a better effect with 125 mg ??

May 2016 be a good one for everyone!

Saw my doc Wednesday and finally we went for a dose REDUCTION, as my blood pressure was getting too high (diastolic bloid pressure at 95, taken many times during the day, instead of my usual 75).

48 hours after the dose reduction (75 mg of sertraline instead of 100 mg) and my diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate are already closer to my normal numbers (75 Dbp instead of 95, 70 ppm instead of 80).
I also feel a bit calmer as my heart doesn't want to get out of my chest all day long as it did in the last weeks.
I'm trying to exercice as much as possible during the transition, which also seems to help.

Now I only hope the AD effect will continue to improve my mood/anxiety. Pharmacist says to watch out for anxiety/depression creeping back in the next 2 weeks... as I was only very slowly improving, it's not gonna be easy to monitor. Any specific sign I should be on the lookout for that the dose reduction is getting me below the therapeutic level?

+ I suppose I could also feel some sertraline withdrawal side-effect after 6 weeks at 100 mg..?
+ the ongoing slow tapering of clonazepam (now at .125 mg daily dinner treat)

I feel like a juggler with way too many balls to handle!
But at the same time, I feel much better than a month ago, on much less meds (I was taking 3x more benzo, +zopiclone to sleep, which I haven't use in 3+ weeks)

As usual, thanks for reading/commenting. Helps a lot!!