Sertraline and any other ADs support thread

[hathorinareddress]

Following on from a suggestion by LittleWhiteMice on a thread I have going on here, I am starting a support thread for anyone taking Sertraline or any other AD.

I started taking it yesterday after eventually plucking up the courage to go to the doc on Thursday.

I feel a bit weird but not too bad.

Thanks for all your responses. I got confused as some websites I looked at said u should def switch before breast feeding but some said that even though it can pass through the milk it's still safe to stay on. So much conflicting info out there!

cats it's amazing what sleep can do!

Hi all, I went to counselling, ended up getting all emotional about not being able to fit in everything into the day. Feeling like a bit of a "nutter" now.
She must think I'm mad!

Wow Cats you went! Superb. Remember only a couple of weeks ago you couldn't face it? You got emotional? Good. That's a good thing, it shows you care, you want to get better. You're not a nutter; you are ill. You're taking medicine and having other treatment to cure your illness.

Just bear in mind this could take a while, so be patient, and don't worry if you seem to be making no progress.

Hi cats! Glad to hear you went, sorry to hear that you're feeling down about yourself for being ill. I get overwhelmed by trying to fit everything in, too even the lower levels of "everything" I'm doing now so don't feel like you're alone in that. You're putting energy into healing, so of COURSE there isn't going to be mental space/energy for lots of other things. If you can, become slovenly back off from the things that are difficult for a bit, and pick them up again/rearrange your life to fit them in when you can. considers taking her own advice

When's your next appointment?

hi loopy One step at a time. Sorry to hear you had/have a shite psych

I am quietly celebrating 1 week and 11 1/2 hours since the last time I self harmed. also happens to be the time I did the most damage/took the least care that it didn't "show" but ho hum I'm also feeling randomly down, but that's probably due to eating too much chocolate this afternoon

Hi muddy and Loopy, my next appointment is in about 2 weeks. I suspect she will say similar to what she has said all along though which is - break everything down into small steps. This is good advice but when you feel crap even small steps feel difficult to achieve!

I am fed up of feeling itchy! feel like giving up on the meds. I may need to go and see the doc again --though she will be fed up of me-- I am trying so hard to be positive but that in itself feels draining!

Small steps! small steps!
I was reading something about us having an "inner bully" and "perfectionist thinking - trying to doing it all" which apparently can be a cause or symptom of depression. Sorry, I might be rambling as it is too early in the morning!

Hello! I found this thread and had a skim of the first and last few pages - bit too big to read it all on my phone.

I started sertraline 25mg 8 days ago and at psych's direction upped the dose to 50mg after 5 days. I felt a lot less desperate after just a couple of days. My main symptoms (PND) are feelings of desperation, inability to cope with small tasks or make decisions, getting v. Angry and crying all the time including at night when trying to sleep. All of that got better in the first few days.

But... Now I feel this void. I have moments where I feel something but generally I'm just hollow.

My DS is sleeping badly (still) and I haven't slept through the night since he was born 7 months ago. He had started giving me 5 hour stretches here and there but is now back to waking up to feed 4 or 5 times a night. I think this is getting to me because I'm really lost as to what todo about it.

I have 3 DS and I'm 40 - I feel so old and worn out. I used to be fit and strong and I just feel broken. Sorry, this was meant to be a simple question but turned into a brain dump.

My question was - is this normal progress? Feel a bit better quickly then peter out? I'm feeling very despondent. The side effects were hard to deal with but I was happy to deal with headaches and spacyness if it meant getting better.

cats definately go back and get one that doesn't make you itchy :) Also: if your small steps are difficult, they are probably too big...

The inner bully and perfectionist thinking things sound way too familiar... wonders if I brought this on myself from reading that hyperbole and a half comic... though possibly not since I've been in similar places before

Hi Jnice "Feel better and then peter out" was certainly my experience, and more experienced people on here have said that was normal, so yours is probably normal, as well... I'm sure the more experienced types will wake up in a bit and chime in :)

Cats I echo what Muddy says. Do not stop your meds without advice. Like you said, baby steps. You're allowed a wibble you know.

Hello Jnice, glad you found us. Feeling hollow is normal at the beginning, these types of meds can take up to 6 weeks to kick in properly. Don't worry about ranting, we're used to it! :)

Muddy, you're only supposed to having the odd square of chocolate. Seriously, congrats on going over a week without self harming. You should be proud of yourself for that. Again, baby steps.

Loopy, great advice wrt breastfeeding. Your psych is a twat for telling you to stop BFing though. I believe you when you say it's the only thing keeping you alive.

I fully understand the 'inner bully/perfectionist' thing. I have my fair share of critics, none of whom is as harsh as I am. I think it's something you have to train yourself out of.

I am still taking them at present and won't just stop without talking to the doctor first as I know it can be dangerous (if that's the right word). I seem to be feeling less itchy today. I don't know if it is caused by the hot weather or if it is the meds or anxiety related. Sorry if I've already said that. The weather is rainy today so that is why I wonder if it's to do with it.

NT if they take 6 weeks to kick in I still have about 2 weeks to go so maybe I need to stick with it. If the itching comes back though maybe I will see the doc.

Hi Jnice I think I get where you are coming from age wise. I am 2 years away from 40 and find things tiring at times especially if I don't get enough sleep.

That's the spirit Cats. You will get the old you back. It just takes time and patience along with the meds and counselling. It helps if you have someone to open up to, who will listen and not criticise or tell you to buck your ideas up.

cats, I was going to suggest calamine lotion for the itches, but wasn't sure if that would help if it's the meds... if it's the heat/something in the air (allergies?) then calamine might help, or oatmeal baths. or if you're susceptable to the placebo effect, it'll help no matter what the cause :o Nothing wrong with changing meds because the side effects are too annoying.

I am a little worried about the "you get tired with age" thing: I'm already tired enough and I'm only 32!

Thank you all for the welcome and support. I'm glad to hear what I'm experiencing is not a concern. Have an appointment with my psych and therapist today so will also mention it to them.

Hi Jnice - what you're going through sucks and is horrible especially when you think you've found something that's going to help but it sends you up, down and sideways first. Having been on (i think) nearly all the SSRIs over the past 11 years or so and, without trying to sound blase about it, they all knock you around a bit for the first few weeks. But hang in there, they do help eventually. And (not wanting to sound negative, this is supposed to be more of a positive note, so hopefully it'll come out that way!) if these meds aren't for you then there will def be one that will help - they all just work slightly differently and you need to find the best one for you. Just stay in contact with you gp and psych, i also found it helpful to keep a bit of a mood/symptom diary when starting new meds so when feelings come back or get worse for a couple of days you can reassure yourself that things are getting better bit by bit. Hope this helps.

Loopy sorry, I try to keep up by refreshing TIO but I missed your update. Go and see your GP, explain exactly how you're feeling (write down, it works). Honest lovely, please get yourself seen. You deserve better.

Come off sertraline now. It's nice not to have the constant oppressive fatigue and the tremor - I went for a run for the first time in over a month, which I just couldn't manage before.

However, I'm back to my psychotic irrational fucked up self.

Cutting even more, even had a cigarette yesterday, when I haven't smoked for over ten years.

I'm totally spaced out, don't feel anything unless it's emptiness, rage or self loathing.

Meant to be starting cymbalta, but I want to have a full washout of sertraline. I want to know that the baseline fucked-upness is worth the on ADs fucked-upness.

Oh, and I can't stop crying. I'd forgotten how debilitating that is when you're trying to live a normal (on the face of it) life.

I'm so fed up to the back teeth of all of this.

loopy he might be able to hold your hand through this particular bad patch, and help you find a mechanism to manage any future ones. It's a run of 3 bad days in a row, so possibly getting further help would be good.

Arana :( how long of a "washout" are you taking before trying the next one?

You guys reckon the washout is a bad idea?

loopy am I right in thinking you sound a smidge better today? Isn't there an overeaters anon as well as AA, NA, etc?