sertraline 50mg for crippling anxiety/health anxiety, please help :(

[Lertle]

I suffer from severe anxiety, its been up and down last 2 years but the last few weeks its been through the roof

it started when I had a health scare 2 years ago after I had my 3rd dc. think lump. it turned out I was ok but recently I had to have another check up relating to it, again turned out fine and I was happy for a few days. but I just think about death and illness all the time I am particularly scared of cancer, it scares me even writing this down. all you hear is 50% of us will get cancer I am not scared of dying what scares me is knowing it is coming ie if I got ill and was told it was terminal. I can honestly say the thought of me was knocked down by a bus tomorrow or next week or next year doesn't scare me. or if I just didn't wake up. I actually love my life I have 3 lovely dc, am financially ok, I love my job, I have a few good friends, a lovely house, a car, we don't struggle (we really used to but had a couple of strokes of luck and sometimes I feel I don't "deserve" my life)

also dh has lost 2 friends in the last year, one was murdered and one had a heart attack. they were only in their 40s. I also get scared of dh getting ill / dying.... he is older than me (I am 36 and he is 44)

I am jumpy, I have lost my appetite, I feel fearful all the time like something awful is going to happen. the only time I feel safe is in the evening before bed when the dc are all in bed dh and I are all snuggled up watching tv. then I wake up the next morning usually too early for some reason, just with a panicky feeling and spend most of the day feeling like it (up and down) then subsides by the evening.

I have been on sertraline on and off for 12 years for depression (25mg) and 2 weeks ago I decided I needed to ask for more help. so I went to my gp and he just made me feel silly tbh and didn't really have any suggestions other than double my sertraline to 50mg.

so I have been on 50mg for about 2 weeks and haven't noticed any improvement :( ....also the sertraline kills my sex drive and that in turn makes me anxious as If dh and I are not having regular sex that makes me stress about our relationship because I feel like we are less close the less we do it

I have an appointment for some counselling coming up, I am praying it helps

I also wanted to know what else people take for anxiety and if anyone has found anything that helps. I feel like I am going mad. sorry this is long x

[sofasetteecouch]

I've started taking 50mg sertraline about 4 weeks ago and it has helped a lot. It took about a week and a half to kick in, so maybe see if it takes a little longer to work.

[viviennewestood]

50mg is usually a starting dose. To treat anxiety you would need to be on at least 75mg. I'm currently on 100mg and finally feel stable (most of the time).

[Lertle]

Thanks both

Bloody hell, really? 75mg? I think I would be like a zombie :( ...I already feel weird on 50mg, I am sort of tired and dopey

I am glad you feel stable though Vivienne

How are the side effects for both of you? Do they wear off at all at any point? particularly the lack of sex drive

[viviennewestood]

After a month or so you'll feel less like a zombie

Your sex drive will eventually return but I know how awful it feels in the meantime! I didn't think I'd ever want sex again. No other side effects for me. I would definitely stick with it and see how you feel in another couple of weeks. If it's still not agreeing with you then maybe ask your GP to try another type of medication. I've tried venlafaxine, citalopram and fluoxetine before this one and none of them did anything for me.

[supermariossister]

I am sorry to hear that you are struggling too, its hard isnt it when you feel like you have no reason to feel the way you do. I started sertraline 50mg last week so i am new to this too and feeling as you say a bit zombie like,dopey and absolutely roasting all the time so know how you feel. I think all you can do is give them a chance to help, i havent noticed any effects on my sex drive but i am having more episodes of panic which im hoping is just a side effect and will go away, i am happy to chat, it might help share experiences.

[Lertle]

hope so Vivienne that's how I feel ! yeah I have tried citalopram and it was absolutely awful, I was shattered all day then couldn't sleep at night. and as for the sex drive, I couldn't even orgasm sorry for tmi

supermario let me know how you get on, you are a couple of weeks behind me. I haven't noticed a change in my temperature, poor you, that sounds horrible esp with how hot the weather is

[supermariossister]

I've been asleep most of today, got out in the pissing down rain to do school run but it actually helped cool me off and feel more awake, going to try and take tonight at 8/9 and see if that's any better tomorrow. Hope you have a calm night

[Lertle]

hi supermario

that's how I am, I could literally sleep all day if I could!

hope you had a good evening last night and a better day today. I have managed to get a lot done in the house today, cleared out dc1 and 2's room, had a clear out of junk and sorted my utility room out, always seems to help me if I do things like that. anyway not sure if that is why but I have had a better day today

how were you after taking your tablet at that time? i normally take mine just before bed

[supermariossister]

Sounds like you have had a busy day and achieved a lot sometimes it really does help to keep busy it's dredging up the effort to do it so well done there.

I didn't sleep well at all last night really restless and jittery but I have had a better day today so think night time is the way forward.

[MB69]

Anti-depressants can be very helpful, but, usually GPs would want to combine them with counselling or psychotherapy. The idea is that the antidepressants can 'hold' you whilst you investigate the basic cause of the anxiety in counselling. Some types of counselling may be too short term (just 6 weeks or so). You may need quite a lot more than this. I have found humanistic psychotherapy to be helpful. But it is not a quick answer.