"i&#039;ve been on zoloft (sertraline) in the past and now lexapro. i find them equally effective and no real difference in side effects. insomnia, dry mouth and yawning/jaw clenching for the first couple of weeks which is unpleasant but transient. my anxiety levels started to improve after a couple of weeks but didn&#039;t notice any major improvements in mood for 6-8 weeks and took 3 months to reach full effect. definitely has helped me and i intend to stay on it long term. i have also tried valdoxan (agomelatine) in the past which did absolutely nothing for me and i went backwards while on it. ssris seem to work better for me."