Sertraline making me feel a bit - weird ...

[nervousbreakdown]

For want of a better description . I have been on 25mg for about six weeks and have been feeling increasingly odd and detached from things . Not only that but very paranoid about things that aren’t scary too . I was watching a bloody Disney film earlier (to try and calm down) and even that scared the shit out of me for no real reason I can understand . I am struggling to walk around as I’m so dizzy and strange feeling - like having a horrendous flu . Wheezing when I lie down too .

I appreciate I am unfit and I have mental health issues but this is a whole new level of ‘ill’ for me , I’ve only had that paranoid feeling before on gabapentin and it got as far as hallucinating before I was taken off it again. I’m worried that’s what’s going on - I feel like I am dreaming a lot . I can manage to watch TV but can’t focus my mind , keep like blanking off and then coming back ? Not losing consciousness but it’s ljke the feeling after you’ve read a book for hours or something .

I’ve been horrendously sick tonight so not taking the tablet and going to try see a GP tomorrow morning but is it likely just the sertraline ? They have mentioned psychiatric hospital a couple of times since Christmas and I’m worried that’s what’s coming next .

25mg is a really low dose so I'd be surprised if it was this making you feel so bad. Sounds like a good plan to be going back to the doctor, I hope they can help.

I'm sorry you're feeling so strange. As the pp said, you're on a very low dose and whilst there are obviously side effects, I'd be shocked if everything you've listed is a direct result of the meds. Also you've been on them for 6 weeks now and so everything should be settling down.

I would explain what you've said in your post to your GP and ask if you can be given a different anti depressant.

I lasted 2 days on a low dose of sertraline before I decided I'd rather be depressed. It gave me the most awful sense of detachment, like nothing around me was quite real. I remember sitting on a chair in our dining room hugging my knees against my chest like I was holding onto myself, trying to reassure myself that I was still real.

My depression wasn't that bad at that stage though & it came & went in phases for a few years so I had reason to believe it would get better of its own accord eventually. I definitely wouldn't recommend stopping something you've been taking for a while without speaking to your doctor though. Do tell them how you feel - they can't help if they don't know the problem!

It gave me similar side effects and wreaked merry hell when the dose was hiked up too.

Have you tried fluoxetine? I had hideous side effects with sertraline and fluox was a breath of fresh air after it. Felt a bit sick for a week or so and then nothing untoward. Really helped.

You’re on the wrong antidepressant. Back to the doctors with you.
The same happened to me with citalopram. Changed to venlafaxine and much, much better.

How did you get on at the Drs, nervous?

I haven’t managed to get an appointment yet . Managed to go out today but still not feeling right at all . I’m on day of 11 of my period now and keep getting rigoring and coming over faint as well , I’m not sure if that’s because I’ve just stopped sertraline . Horrible feeling .