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Why is Sertraline 100 mg not helping with my symptoms of anxiety and depression?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

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Published At May 3, 2021
Reviewed AtMay 3, 2021

Patient's Query

Hi doctor,

I am a 53-year-old male. I developed anxiety and depression five years ago and was on Cipralex 5 mg once daily for the past five years, and it worked wonders for me, as I had no signs of anxiety or depression for the past five years. However, the symptoms of anxiety and depression have come back to haunt me from the middle of last month, and my doctor switched me from Cipralex 5 mg to Sertraline 50 mg twice daily. He started with Sertraline 25 mg for a week, then increased the dose to 50 mg for another week, and now for the past two weeks, I am on 100 mg per day. I am taking this medicine for the past four weeks. But there is no visible improvement in my symptoms of depression and anxiety. I am diabetic and have a family history of diabetes and depression.

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understood your problem, and I am here to help you out. You might need an increase of the dosage of Sertraline above 100 mg. May I know if there are any symptoms of depression at present that you would like to mention? Do you have thyroid disorders?

Patient's Query

Thanks for the reply, doctor,

The symptoms of depression that I am witnessing at present include loss of interest in day-to-day activities, a continued sense of guilt and failure, I do not feel about moving out of bed in the morning, negative and pessimistic thoughts continue to overwhelm me, especially mornings are terrible with mountains of depressive thoughts. I am diabetic, and I do not have any thyroid disorder. As I mentioned earlier, I am on Sertraline 100 mg (50 mg in the morning and 50 mg in the evening). I am unable to focus on my work. Please, doctor, help me out of this debilitating mental disease as it badly affects my work and family life.

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It looks like the dosage you are taking is not being sufficient enough to combat your depression. You need to increase the dosage of Sertraline to 150 mg. You can do a teleconsultation with your psychiatrist in your region or country for an increase in the dosage of medications, or you can teleconsult me so that I can evaluate in detail and assess your condition. Good luck.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Siva Anoop Yella
Dr. Siva Anoop Yella

Psychiatry

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