I've been struggling with depressive moods for years, and after a few weeks of near-crisis I finally plucked up the courage to see someone about it today.

I saw the nurse practitioner who prescribed 100mg sertraline daily and made a referral to counselling. She admitted she didn't know a lot about mental health but has given me a month's worth of meds to try while I wait for my referral.

After coming away and reading up a little on sertraline I'm getting a bit worried - is 100mg ok to start with? Lots I've read says 50mg is more usual, and side effects might be more likely with the higher dose?

I'm also worried about some of the side effects I've read about, mainly how the meds affect sexual function. One of the main problems I've had for years is very low sex drive, and this has caused major issues in my relationship (I'm female btw). I've always assumed this had something to do with my moods and anxiety, but I'm worried that sertraline will make this much worse.

I realise I should speak with my doctor about this, but I'd have to pluck the courage back up and I'm sat at work now worrying! Any thoughts or experiences would be very gratefully received