Sertraline and Headaches: What Users Say

• Der...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2020

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 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."

• Was...
• September 3, 2020

Sertraline for Depression "About 6 weeks ago, I started Zoloft at 25 mg for GAD, mild depression, and some PTSD and OCD symptoms. Before you continue reading, please understand that my experience likely will not be yours, as is the case with every single review you'll read. Do not be scared to start. It absolutely helped. My overall mood didn't change much, but it helped the physical symptoms of my anxiety and helped me cope with my life stresses. I began to enjoy doing things I love again. I still had bad days, but I was overall functioning well and productive, although I still had not the best outlook on life. Side effects I experienced: insomnia, daily headaches similar to hangovers, shakiness, increased depression the first week, decreased appetite, menstrual changes, and decreased libido. Again, this is just my experience. Do not be afraid to give it a try, people are much more likely to leave negative reviews, I just wanted to leave a review to help others. Best of luck, you've got this!"

• Gra...
• October 2, 2019

Sertraline for Depression "Just like all of you, I scrolled these reviews for hours both before and during my Zoloft treatment. I’ve been on Zoloft for 5 weeks now (7 weeks if you include the first two weeks on 25mg, which is below the therapeutic dose). I tried two SSRI’s before Zoloft, and each made me violently ill or suicidal. The side effects of Zoloft have been minimal - just a mild headache as I up my dosage. I have currently moved up to 100mg, week 6!! My experience has been incredibly positive. I let go of things easier, such as fights with my partner, and I don’t have horrible recurring thoughts. I have still had a total of about 8 bad days over the course of Zoloft, but that is life!! This is not a magic pill. In fact, my anxiety has subsided so much that I’ve become incredibly bored! What do I do with all this free time?! It has made me reach my life’s purpose, and it has given me hope. Please don’t give up. I wish I tried Zoloft sooner. Sending love and hope to you all x"

• Sue...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 20, 2021

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on Sertraline for 5 weeks now and was so cautious as I have had maybe 3 SSRIs in the past. I've had nearly every side effect: nausea, headaches, panic attacks, hot sweats, hangover feelings, and was so worried it wouldn't get better. I have anxiety and pure O, and in week 5, I can honestly say my negative thoughts have been quietened down significantly. I've never taken any other medications that have ever done this, it's unbelievable. My mind is so calm I feel like a different person for the first time in years. Please don't be disheartened by the worsening symptoms in the first 4/5 weeks, it does get better, stick with it. The only thing I'd say is my emotions are a bit deadened too, but much better than searing anxiety and negative thinking. Also, remember there is always hope, get all the help you can, and I hope sertraline helps you too."

• Spo...
• May 22, 2020

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I’m an anxious person and self-managed for many years. After 12 months of struggling, I finally decided to take meds. Beforehand, I poured through all the side effect information/experiences, worrying! I just want to say... wish I’d done it sooner. Side effects lasted 4 weeks, worst in the first 2. Makes you feel a bit rubbish: headaches, nausea, jaw tightness, insomnia...brain fog and brain fizzes that feel a bit like anxiety/panic attacks (come in waves and pass in an hour). It *all* goes away eventually! I worked while starting this drug & didn’t need any time off - don’t worry. You will feel back to normal by week 4! On my 5th week and I’ve begun to notice the difference. There’s still a bit of rumination, but the restlessness is gone. The last week I’ve felt happier and dare I say braver than before! If you’re reading this, worrying about the side effects...Trust me, it really isn’t that bad. Be patient - you will get there!"

• Sav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 12, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "I have been on Zoloft for 15 years. However, I started getting anxiety when I had to get a CT scan to make sure my cancer was gone. I guess the worry of the results. Then, a week after that, my close friend passed away, and I had a work situation that became stressful. I talked to my doctor, and she upped my dose from 50 to 75mg. For the next four weeks, I thought I was going crazy. I had hot flashes, a heavy head syndrome, sweats, headaches, and some nausea. Reading these reviews helped me so much. I can honestly say I have been feeling wonderful. It has taken 4 weeks and 3 days, and it’s like night and day. Stick with it. It does get better. I hope I continue feeling this way! And remember, I went through it too."

• Bob...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 4, 2023

For Anxiety and Stress "If you're currently reading this, rest assured that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Despite being an outgoing 29-year-old male, I have been struggling with anxiety for longer than I care to remember. However, by taking sertraline on and off since I was 23, I have found relief every time without fail. The side effects can be incredibly challenging during the first 2-5 weeks of taking the medication, with symptoms like sleeplessness, loss of appetite, low energy, dizziness, and headaches. At times, it felt like I wouldn't make it through. However, after about 2 weeks, my family and friends noticed my smile returning even if I didn't. And after 4-5 weeks, it was as if a magical spark had been reignited within me, and I was myself again. When combined with self-love and care, sertraline can help you feel like yourself again. It's important to push through the challenging times and find a new hobby or rekindle an old one alongside taking the medication. With this combination, you can feel unstoppable! I currently take 100mg of sertraline, although I started with 25mg. Remember, you are stronger than you realize, and we're all in this together!"

• Riz...
• February 18, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "I started taking Sertraline 3 weeks ago for anxiety and panic. I’ve always been able to manage it, but it got to the point where it changed and I had no control. The first 2 weeks were horrific. I had every side effect going including exhaustion, increased anxiety, restlessness, tingling, headaches, dry heaving, shakes, nausea, increased HR, and even ended up in ER for chest pain. I decided to stick with it to see what happened. From day 17, the side effects improved, and I felt my energy increase. I also have hypothyroidism, so an increase in energy and clarity is really helpful! I’m hopeful that it may improve even more. I haven’t had any panic attacks since the first few days now, and my HR has also reduced. The only thing I’ve found is that I’ve had a tickly throat and a deep dry cough triggered by it. Has anyone else experienced this? Good luck to all of you reading this, it’s so hard living with these feelings, but we can all find a way through x"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 9, 2020

For Depression "Back in February, I started having hot flushes, then felt dizzy and odd, a bit down. Then, a week later, I had anxiety, which I had the same in 2007 when my mum died. So, my doctor put me on sertraline. I went from a dose of 25mg to 50mg and for the first two months, I had every side effect: headaches, blurred vision, cloudy brain, feeling sick, anxiety, up and down days. But I came on this group to keep positive and kept with them. Now, 5 months on, I'm almost back to myself. I do have odd days, but that's life, and I just get over it. So, for anyone just starting sertraline, please be ready for a few weeks of feeling really rubbish, but believe me, you will soon start to feel better, and it will work for you. So, hang in there, as we all deserve to be happy."

• Joe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 9, 2015

For Anxiety and Stress "This has been one of the toughest medications I have ever been on. I've been on countless numbers of antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilizers... Around 25 medications in total. I was wrongly diagnosed as borderline personality and suffered greatly as a result. Sertraline made everything so much worse for about three weeks, but then, it was like a switch had been pressed in my head. My racing, obsessive thoughts stopped, my constant headaches, insomnia, sweating, worrying, heart pains, vanished. I can think, I can feel, and I can, for the first time in a long time, be 100% completely myself without the pain. You don't get points in this world for suffering, and this has improved my life by about 100000000%. Stick with it."

• Mad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 12, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I am on 50mg of sertraline. It did take a long time for the medicine to fully level out. I experienced some of the initial side effects: increased anxiety, insomnia, headaches, shakiness, jaw pain, and dizziness. But all eventually went away after a month or so of use. My husband noticed a difference in me around week 4, but I didn’t really notice much of a change until week 6/7. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure the medicine was truly working until about 12 weeks in. I have had a lot of ups and downs, but the downs have been less often since about week 4. Now at a little over 14 weeks, I feel like things have really leveled out for me. I still feel emotions. I cry, I laugh, I joke around, I get excited for family outings. All of the normal feelings are back. I don’t feel emotionally blunted. The side effects can be tough in the beginning… and from my experience, the doors and windows don’t start to open very quickly. But once they do, it can feel really incredible."

• 140...
• December 25, 2014

Sertraline for Depression "Zoloft has been a life saver for me. I honestly don't know how I would've gotten through the past year without it. I had anxiety and depression, but after I started taking Zoloft, I was finally starting to feel myself again and my headaches have gone away. If you have moderate to severe anxiety and depression, I would highly recommend this. It truly saved me."

• Mir...
• September 9, 2018

Sertraline for Panic Disorder "I promised myself that I would write a review and try to help someone else if the medicine worked, and boy did it!! This is truly a miracle pill. It helped me with everything, including my panic attacks, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and OCD rituals. I’m free again, able to live a calm life. I will say the first few weeks were brutal. I had every side effect: nauseous, diarrhea, headaches, dizziness, some minor hair loss, and more. I prayed this pill would help me, and it did. Before it, I had no quality of life and, to me, the side effects were worth it. I stuck it out for 3 months, and I’m back to my old self and even better. I had very dark days. The fear was paralyzing, and I couldn’t function. I couldn’t get through the day without my Xanax 0.25 frequently and now Xanax free! I started with 50mg for a month and then 100mg for 8 weeks. Today, I’m working, exercising, being the mom I want to be, and taking stress better. My panic suffering is over. Thank you Lord and Thank you ZOLOFT!"

• ram...
• March 2, 2021

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "To all the people reading the reviews, hesitating about taking the medication and looking for a valid reason to (or not to) start: 2 years ago (at 32 y/o) I had crippling anxiety - constant panic attacks, going to the emergency room on a weekly basis for over a year because I was always so sure that I was having a heart attack. I sat with the medication for 4 months, worried about starting it. Afraid of the side effects, that it would alter my mind, the stigma, the possibility that it wouldn't work and that it would make me irreversibly depressed. I had no reason to be afraid of the side effects - I experienced slight headaches and perhaps mild dizziness for the first couple of weeks. 2 years on and I have my life back. It takes a while to start working with your body and it's hard to notice it working its magic; but if you stick it out...you too could find yourself looking back and thanking this little pill for letting your mind think clearly again."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 14, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Sertraline is unbelievable. I was experiencing anxiety and panic attacks for 18 months and refused to take medication for it, in the belief that it would make me weak as a male. I’d wake up daily scanning my body, thinking what’s wrong with me today. I went to the doctors monthly for a checkup believing there was something wrong with me. Then I decided to give the medication a go. For the first two weeks, it was horrible. I felt worse than I ever did before - sickness, head pressure, loss of appetite, increased anxiety and panic attacks, and feeling zoned out. After the two-week mark, I have never felt better. I have very little anxiety and no panic attacks, and actually enjoy life again. Please stick in there when you start taking sertraline, they are brilliant. Advice at the start is to take a couple of weeks off work as you will not want to go in. These will change your life and make you smile again."

• Ren...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 2, 2022

Sertraline for Panic Disorder "I’m a 32-year-old female that started taking Zoloft a week ago! Your comments really helped me to even start taking it, so thanks to everyone that left a review because I’m scared of medicine. I am to leave a review in hopes to help someone like me! I started on 25mg but broke it in half to get it into my system for one week, and I will move up to my 25mg. But my experience so far: I have had sleepless nights, headaches, diarrhea. I haven’t really been hungry, but y’all, don’t let that scare you like it did me. I’m telling you, even on a small dose I can tell a small adjustment already, and I will be back in another week to update y’all on the dose increase, but take a leap of faith and try it. I can already tell I’m feeling somewhat better just in a week! We are all in this together!"

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2015

Sertraline for Social Anxiety Disorder "Headaches and a little nausea at the start, now 4 months in, I don't know how I coped before. The anxious 'bad butterflies' that I thought were normal have gone away. Obsessive overthinking and cringing after I got home because what I may have said, has gone away. Feeling almost hyperactive and intense when in a group situation, almost gone. Road rage... work in progress! Hahaha. Sex drive has diminished but this might be a good thing as was obsessive about it before. Less pressure. Wish I had started a lot earlier. Thought my anxiety was part of my personality, but the reality is, without it, I'm back to me again."

• msr...
• December 15, 2020

For Anxiety and Stress "I have had major anxiety for about 3 years now and I was hesitant about medication and went to therapy. I decided to try it because I was feeling way too overwhelmed. First, I tried half of the dosage which is about 15mg. I took it at night because some of the side effects were dizziness or nausea. I woke up the next morning and felt good. High energy and joyful. I began to feel some side effects like low appetite and mild headache 1 or 2 times. It really just helped to lower the physical symptoms of anxiety. I changed my dosage to the full pill now of 25mg. It definitely helps me throughout the days. I take it in the morning now, the side effects for me are very little to none. I might get a headache here and there. But I feel like I get the most “out of it” taking it in the morning. I have been on it for about 3 or 4 months now. I just wanted to come on here because there are so many bad reviews and they had me scared. But you’ll never know until you try it for yourself."

• Ano...
• February 5, 2022

For Anxiety and Stress "I'm 53 and been battling anxiety since I was in my twenties. It all started one day out of the blue with that dreaded feeling of fear and that things didn't make sense, as if I was losing my mind. On top of sheer panic, a dry throat, a tummy that was swirling around like a washing machine. To top it all off, was that awful feeling of how frightened I was and that something awful was going to happen to me. So, along came sertraline 50mg and my journey of getting my life back. These tablets are life savers, but people treating anxiety have to start somewhere, and it won't happen overnight. Please stick with the program, you will most probably experience insomnia, headaches, trembling limbs, and a feeling of the worst panic and runaway thoughts ever. But after a couple of weeks, you 'will' start to see your sunshine again."

• Mea...
• November 7, 2019

Sertraline for Depression "I’m onto my second box of Zoloft. I took the entire first box over a month at 25mg. I had headaches pretty much every day but they weren’t extreme, just a dull ache. There were also a couple of times where I was feeling nauseous, the pharmacist told me to eat before taking the pill, and that actually helped. So after the first month, I reached my prescribed dose of 50mg daily. No headaches at all now, and no negative side effects at all. My mood is so much better, I actually catch myself laughing at things online or on TV. I am so much more calm and patient with my kids. My husband and I were having huge verbal arguments every couple of days, which I now am capable of refusing to do despite his pushing. I can repeatedly say, 'I’m not going to argue with you,' and stay calm for a long time now, which is obviously new to my husband who is so used to getting a big reaction from me. I honestly feel absolutely fantastic with this medication. Going to ask my doctor about upping my dose for better results!"

• Dyl...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2023

Sertraline for Anxiety and Stress "Unlike a lot of people on here, I was lucky enough to avoid having really any anxiety at all up until about 5 months ago when I suddenly started suffering from the worst health anxiety you can imagine. Every single day for 3-4 months was miserable, all I did was think about my health and check my heart rate and Google my symptoms nonstop. I started Zoloft at the start of April, and let me tell you the first few weeks were hell. Headaches, nausea, increased anxiety, you name it. I read these reviews every single day, only focusing on the ones with positive reviews, and just reading everyone say it eventually gets better was what kept me taking the medicine, or else I would have stopped, but I’m so glad I didn’t. I’m now on about week 7, and I feel better than I have in the last 6 months, most days, my anxiety doesn’t even cross my mind now (and I’m on a very low dose of 50mg). You got this!"

• anx...
• June 26, 2019

For Anxiety and Stress "Anxiety has plagued me since childhood. I had been to the emergency room and various doctors with different illnesses but the underlying cause was always stress. It affected my whole life, how I performed at school and work, relationships, and self-esteem. I finally hit rock bottom 3 months ago and went to my doctor for help. I am not sure what would have happened to me if I hadn't been prescribed sertraline. My previous experience of antidepressants wasn't good but only because I couldn't handle the side effects. This time I made the decision to stick it out. The first 6 weeks were tough at times, I had headaches, felt dizzy, and nauseous but it was worth it. I am only taking 25mg as I know it's all I need. I actually don't recognize myself and the things I can do now that the anxiety has gone. I am calm, relaxed, and don't overthink things, it has truly changed my life. I feel like I have to pinch myself constantly because things are going so well."

• I...
• December 7, 2012

Sertraline for Depression "I started using Zoloft on Wednesday the 5th of December 2012. Today's date is the 8th of December 2012. Four days, it has only taken four days for me to feel like a new person. I have been on it before, therefore I know what side effects to expect. Everybody is different, but I suffered from loss of appetite, headaches, nausea, feeling a bit dizzy, lower back pain, and trembling hands. This only lasts for a week or two. I used to cry for no reason (even at work), snap at my partner for stupid things, I was paranoid over everything, socially scared (I always wanted to stay home). I haven't cried since being on Zoloft, nor snapped at my partner. I am a new person now. I'm so happy and look forward to my new life. 100/100."

• Ann...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 24, 2024

For Generalized Anxiety Disorder "I’m in my 40s and was prescribed sertraline 25 mg to start help with anxiety and insomnia. The nurse suggested to do half for 2 weeks until I adjusted and then the full tablet. I started with 1/4 of a 25 mg tablet and had some side effects like increased anxiety, insomnia, headaches, restless legs, and dizziness. It took about 3 months to adjust and then move up to 1/2 tablet and all the side effects came back again. This is my experience, and I’m super sensitive, have PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, intrusive thoughts, and OCD. The benefits have been that I’m able to leave the house most days, take showers (which used to cause panic attacks), no weight gain, fewer headaches, but the insomnia did not improve. If I increase my dose, I have to do liquid sertraline since my genetics test revealed that I’m sensitive to this medication."

• BAa...
• May 22, 2015

Sertraline for Depression "Absolutely changed my life. I am a 20-year-old female who has struggled with depression and irritability since roughly 13. I tried meditation, I tried the 'power of positive thinking', I tried listening to podcasts, I tried counseling. Nothing helped me until Zoloft. I've been taking Zoloft for 5 weeks. I had minor side effects for the first couple of days (looser stool, headaches, stomach aches) but nothing I couldn't handle, and they went away after 2-3 days as I got used to the medication. I'm currently taking 50 mg and don't plan on increasing. I feel overall happier. I'm not as irritable, and things that I used to hate (going to work) are no longer even bad. I feel more myself, and like I'm not afraid to be outgoing. Highly recommended."