My second time on Sertraline

[Lilypad225]

Hello,
Just a little background. The first time I took Sertraline was 6 years ago for chronic fatigue, low energy and brain fog after having a bad stomach virus. My doc prescribed 50mg, but after the first dose I had terrible side effects. She then told me to take half the pill. I took the 25mg for a few months, then increased to 50mg for a short time before tapering off. I was only on Sertraline for about 7 months, and then my life was back to normal!

Now, after dealing with stress and another stomach virus(which I had 3 months ago), I'm experiencing the same symptoms again. My fatigue is milder this time around, but brain fog is still pretty bad. I also discovered I have a severe vitamin D deficiency. My doc prescribed vitamin D2 50,000IU and Sertraline(25mg).  I have been on the Sertraline for a week now, but my reaction to the medication is different this time around. I'm experiencing insomnia, tingling sensations in my hands and head, nausea, feeling spaced out and a lower mood. Does the same SSRI work the second time around? Could I be having these side effects because 25mg is too high of a dose for me?

[Paxiled]

Sometimes the ssri doesn't work the second time around, but I'm a little confused -- given that antidepressants are often sedating and are difficult to take it's hard to understand why they would be used for fatigue and brain fog if you weren't feeling depressed or anxious.  I"m not sure whatever happened the first time was the Zoloft.  I guess I'm wondering, why not just see if the Vitamin D helps by itself?  And it should be D3, I think, not D2, which I think is a synthetic form that isn't absorbed well.  It just sounds like, given both times this happened after a virus, that it isn't a mental problem but a physiological one.

[Lilypad225]

Thank you for your response! The first time I was sick, I struggled with the fatigue everyday for about 5 months, that's when my doctor told me to try the Zoloft. I thought she was crazy, because I told her I wasn't depressed or having anxiety, but within four weeks of taking it I started feeling better, and having more energy.
Yesterday, I cut my 25mg pill in half and I'm feeling a little better now. I think I should give it some time, seeing that it takes a few weeks to see improvements. I also heard that Vitamin D3 is better to take compared to D2, but from what I understand D3 is not prescribed in such high doses. Maybe I'm supposed to take the D2 until my levels go up, then supplement afterwards with D3?