To be scared to start Sertraline due to Health Anxiety

[CheesecakeOnTheLanai]

Hi all,
After struggling with health anxiety for years now, I finally plucked up the courage to speak to my GP and she has prescribed me some Sertraline alongside a referral for CBT.
I have been advised that I can start on 25mg or even 12.5mg and then gradually increase my dose, but unfortunately part of my HA is I have a complete fear of any medication.
I have made the mistake of googling people's experiences and I have really scared myself - I've had the box sitting in my medicine cupboard for two weeks now and I can't bring myself to take one.
Please can anyone who also has/had health anxiety share their experiences with this or other SSRI's.
I know I can't go on the way I currently am, it's taken over my life and I feel like a shadow of the person I was before, but I am so, so scared of getting worse or having side effects that will trigger my HA (palpitations is a major one).

Thank you.

Hi there. I have health anxiety too, and have often not taken prescribed medication due to fears about side effects. I was put on citalopram about
15 years ago for depression, and it has helped a lot with the health anxiety. Remember that people tend to comment online when they've got a problem, and don't bother when everything is fine, so there are thousands of people out there who have been helped by sertraline (I have a friend for whom it has been life changing from an anxiety perspective). Please give it a go. Xxx

I used sertraline for approximately one year before gradually stepping down and off it. The only side effect I got was the (common) jaw grinding which I got used to. It worked within 5 days for me and was just what I needed at the time, it levelled me up. I would be happy to ask my GP for it again if needed. I took it at night.

It's transformed my partner's mental health for the good along along with CBT. Your health anxiety will likely fade a lot. Good luck OP x

It was a life saver for me. However I did struggle to start it due to HA. What I found helped was starting with a quarter of a tablet and then building up. I also started on a Monday morning giving me plenty of time before the weekend to contact my gp if required.

Sertraline is prescribed for health anxiety, and you've been prescribed a very low dose.
I'm afraid that seeking other people's advice for whether or not you should take the meds that the GP prescribed you is part of your health anxiety, and isn't actually going to help you make a decision.

There's some useful advice on managing the symptoms of health anxiety on the NHS website. It should help tide you over until the CBT and meds start working.

www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/health-anxiety/

Hi. I have been on sertraline for a few years now. I came off it years ago but went back on after having my third child. For me, it was the first two weeks both times that was the toughest part…my anxiety increased and my mood plummeted…but…this is a common side effect, and because I knew that before I started taking them I could deal with it. After that initial period it was fine. It massively improves my metal health and my anxiety is almost non-existent now. I had huge health anxiety about taking them at first but my doctor said if I had a broken leg, they would operate or put a cast on. I have broken chemical levels so we fix that with medication. Made total sense.

My child was put on Sertraline at 9 years old for severe OCD and anxiety (OCD is due to anxiety). It really helped. He was able to sleep at night for the first time without waking up with anxiety and it reduced his OCD. I was reluctant at first to give him medication but he was suffering so much I really didn't have a choice. Sometimes you just have to trust that the health professionnals know what they are doing.

Hi @CheesecakeOnTheLanai so sorry to hear you’re suffering from health anxiety. I’ve had severe OCD which was on a health theme so I know how debilitating these conditions can be. Agree with previous posters that asking people for views could be a form of reassurance seeking, so making your anxiety worse. Also, reading up about people’s experiences online is unlikely to give you a representative sample of side effects. However, SSRIs like sertraline can have some serious side effects and can be difficult to come off, for some people. As I understand it, the research into this is not extensive so the evidence base on “how likely am I to get x,y, z side effect” is not there. For me, I decided to give an SSRI a go because the severity of my symptoms meant the (unknown) risks were worth it. Only you can know how debilitating your anxiety is. It might be that CBT alone could be enough to help you (although for more severe cases of OCD CBT plus medication is advised and I’m assuming it’s the same for health anxiety.) If the waiting list is long, is there any possibility you could pay for some private therapy? You could also make another GP appointment and check if they can advise you on side effects etc and if/why they think you need medication. Ultimately though you’ll need to be careful that any research/questioning is limited so it doesn’t fuel your anxiety. I really feel for you xx

P.s unless advised by a dr I wouldn’t taper on or off the tablets by cutting them into pieces. My psychiatrist advised this isn’t a great idea because the active ingredient and the fillers in the tablets aren’t necessarily evenly distributed so you could end up with a much bigger dose in one piece than another. I know some people do this in desperation trying to wean off the medication if they are struggling with withdrawal symptoms and need to come off slowly, but definitely not ideal.

i have been on Sertraline (100mg) for around 18 months due to horrendous anxiety a lot of it health related. It has been a game changer for me. I no longer suffer from the health fears I was plagued with and I feel like me again. I was lucky though and didn’t suffer any side effects. Good luck OP, health anxiety sucks.

First took Sertraline back in 2019 after complete burn out at work, stress & anxiety was so bad. It really helped pull me out of that hole I was in. I’m back on them now for the third time since then & they really do help calm anxiety & all those worries you have in your head. I’m not very good at managing my stress on a daily basis so when stress gets too much I get overwhelmed & completely fall apart. Sertraline has been a life saver for me on a few occasions & I would recommend it to anyone.

As far as side effects, upset stomach for about a week & a headache for a day or two. You can take paracetamol with these tablets if you need to. Though I would use pain killers in moderation if possible.

You may notice an increase in symptoms for the first couple of weeks, be strong & persist with it. After two weeks you should start to feel better. You won’t notice & massive difference, only that one day you feel less anxious. & this continues & builds over the weeks & months. Good luck.

You do you and see how it goes. Work in close collaboration with your GP and take counselling if it's offered. You have a long journey in front of you and things won't change overnight. A lot of the work has to come from you as meds are only a small part of the healing process. They may make you start to feel better and able to cope and make the changes you need. Don't bother with Dr Google you will send yourself crackers , Good luck and take care.

Yes this is me and when I pluck up thr

When I pluck up the courage to try something I get side effects. I had bad panic attacks, palpitations, sweats, feeling like I wasn't there, waking up in the night feeling hot and heart racing while taking those so absolutely not.

That sounds like a lot to deal with, but it matches an anxiety attack or panic disorder rather than side effects from Sertraline. Venlafaxine may be better if you have anxiety, but it doesn't suit everyone.

Thanks for the responses guys, I think I'm going to have to take them. I know I can't carry on as I am, it's impacting my family and friendships, plus I'd just like to feel like my old self again!
I'm also looking into paying for some CBT therapy as the NHS waiting list is apparently pretty long. Thanks so much.

I had two separate periods of taking Sertraline. Never had any side effects starting or coming off. I was on the standard dose. It’s the go to medication so lots of people starting every day and remaining on it. I am firm believer in ‘if it works for the masses, I trust it, and give it my best try.’ Beware after a period of time that you don’t fall into the ‘don’t know why I take these, I feel fine.’ … you feel fine because you’re taking the medication and it’s having the required impact. Hope it’s a good experience for you op.

I don’t have health anxiety but I didn’t start my sertraline for about two weeks after getting my prescription as I had just read so much about the side effects and it really freaked me out as I was worried I was going to feel worse. I had very minimal side effects in the end, nothing like what I had read about, and they have helped with my general anxiety so much. Go for it xx

I've just been put back on sertraline. It's about the only antidepressant I can tolerate without tons of unwanted symptoms although I do remember from last time for about the first 4 weeks I felt worse not better until it finally stabilised my mood. However this time due to suicidal thoughts I've also been given the number for the crisis team should I need them and I'll be in for a review again after 4 weeks

I was in the same boat, I started on 25mg, I decided to take it at night time which worked better for me, I didn’t feel any negative side effects at all, I stopped taking it as I suffer from migraines and you aren’t supposed to take ibuprofen with Sertraline so I decided to stop the Sertraline to medicate the migraines. I stopped cold turkey, didn’t feel any withdrawals as it was a low dose.

25mg is not a high dose at all, it will help calm the noise, take it x

I started sertraline 50mg and it made me feel worse (head fog, high like ecstacy). I got signed off for a month and came off it.

Since then I've been scared of antidepressants so start on half the dose and gradually go up and have been fine. But I prefer citalopram.

Ps. I also have adhd though and been told sertraline can make it worse.