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.

Hi
I hope no one minds me jumping in on this thread. I've been following it for a while now well lurking like a great big lurker and trying to pluck up the courage to post but here I am anyway hoping it's ok.

I've been on my meds about a year now. A couple of different ones and most recently sertraline 150mg. What I'm wondering is, how am I meant to feel? I'm so up and down. Literally every day I'm running on autopilot, doing the usual household stuff, looking after the kids, going to work etc etc but almost always counting down the hours til bedtime. I'm not enjoying the kids like I should be, feels like I'm constantly screaming like a banshee shouting at them, or getting annoyed at them, and in all honesty, they don't have to particularly do anything to set me off.
I'm crap at work, a complete mess when I'm on my own and don't know how long I can keep putting a brave face on it all.

It scares me to death because I don't know what's real and what's not. I don't understand whats normal to feel anymore. I don't know if I'm feeling normal and just making the rest of it up. I don't even know if I'm making any sense or I'm just rambling like a bit of a loon

So anyway, if nobody minds then I'd kinda like to be on here just for a little bit of support, I think I need it. And if it's not too much, then just somewhere to come where I can be completely honest and not have to worry about what I say.

I'm lost

hello uptothestars :) am new to this thread too. do you have support/ friends/ family around you?

Hi.
Yes, yes and yes. But the latter two have no idea how bad it is. And I guess GP/HV don't know the full extent of it either.

do you feel at any point that you could reach out to somebody that you trust and actually tell them how bad it is? it could help you hugely?

I honestly don't know

Welcome stars

I am going to up my dose to 75mg tomorrow I think.

hi uptothestars if you are strong enough to keep it together so that family and friends don't know how bad it is then you are obviously doing pretty well no matter how you feel inside.

It sounds to me like you need a therapist - i hope we can say things like that on this thread without people taking it the wrong way - I would have one if i could afford one. Someone just for you who can create a safe, reliable place for you to sort through your feelings and thoughts. therapists really do work, they really do know stuff that can solve problems. I had one for four years and it changed my life (long story).

I'm doing meditation at the mo - have you tried it?

now the fluoxetine has started wearing off in earnest (had to stop cause i'm pg (vv early)) i am starting to go a bit bonkers. i don't feel unhappy but i have been like a dog with anger issues this weekend. storming around. everywhere i look my family is raising palms at me. they can put up with it for 9 months but i'm really worried about work as work is the most stressful thing in my life.

xxxx

Managed half a piece of toast for breakfast and was promptly sick :(

Terrible anxiety sat morning and anxiety yesterday and this morning.

Am back at GP as I really need some help.

Hello. I am on day four of 20mg Citalopram. I feel a bit zombified. And nauseous. Normal?

Hairytale, hope you get the help you need x

Hi guys.
I'm away for a few days and phone signal is crap round here!

I've done counselling and cbt. Think if I could afford to I'd pay to have more counselling. It helped a lot. But as money is a bit of an issue it's not going to happen.

I keep it together really for the kids. And with it being holidays I'm quite busy. It's when they're not around I struggle. But also I have some kind of issue with opening up to friends etc. Plus I dont want anyone thinking I'm doing something wrong.
Work is also my main stress, I find it very hard to cope with.

Congrats on pregnancy and thanks all for replies.

Meditation?? No not tried it before. Is it easy to do?

uptothestars i've got some apps on my iphone - they're only about 2 pounds and i have been listening to them in bed before i go to sleep.

meditation is easy in the sense that there's no 'good or bad' way to do it. if your mind wanders, that's fine. there are lots of classes up and down the country.

shrinkingnora yes the zombified phase is normal and it will pass

xx

Thank you. I still haven't got myself or the DC dressed!

hello - anyone out there?

feeling really grumpy and ruminating about things. can't work. am meditating - think it's helping. I'm not feeling terrible, but i know that something rough, like negative feedback from a client (im a freelancer) could totally broadside me.

Even getting sucked in to mumsnet angst!

What I mean by this is that I am feeling i don't belong on a pregnancy thread, because i'm only 6 weeks and could miscarry (being 40). Feel I don't belong on the TTC thread either cause I'm pregnant, and it's all come to me too easily and I haven't suffered like the others on there.

I don't like being pregnant, but I don't hate it as much as this other woman I found on mumsnet who I feel real sympathy for. But much as I feel for her, we can't totally connect. She's not really in a connecting mood.

Angsty about mumsnet? whether i fit in? I'm losing it! This is really stupid and is a sign of my sinking state of mind.

this is one of the reasons why being pregnant is such a nightmare for me. there isn't a good strong thread about ante-natal mental-ness.

(not being able to walk, as happened last time, was also bloody awful.)

I don't yet feel bad enough to justify going back on my meds.

i just feel a bit nowhere. and while all of this may sound a bit trivial, if I can't work that's serious. That's the bit of stress I can't avoid.

sorry for the moan.

somewhere I just want to say hi and sorry you're having a tough time. The 40+ thread in conception is a good thread with some lovely people in it - all in different circumstances - I'm sure you'd find some people to talk to in there.

Can you see this as a bad day as just try to get through it til you feel better tomorrow?

Do you have chance to go for a short walk and do some breathing?

Hope you feel better soon.

In my news, I think my meds have started to work - I haven't had a panic for three mornings running and I feel a lot more like my real self.

Hi hairytale well i've hardly been able to work for days now. I think i might have a virus - dunno. I did go for a walk with the DS and it helped. I've downloaded a hypnosis app - who knows.

If I didn't have to work i'd be fine i think.

Really pleased your meds are working. when they work, they really do work and it's lovely what becomes possible. hope everything is going smoothly for you xxx

Hi guys heres my story
was on paroxetine for 12 years for anxiety/panic attacks, started to taper got down to 10mg and couldnt function so was put onto fluoxetine. Really struggled with the w/d from paroxetine and the start up from fluoxetine. This was 10 weeks ago and still suffering from really bad anxiety/panic attacks. Saw the dr today in a bit of a state and he has said to cut down from 40mg to 20mg fluoxetine for a week then do the swap to sertraline.

To say im crapping myself about this would be a huge understatment!

Hi gruffalo its tough being at the mercy of the meds.
why did you have to stop taking paroxetine?

I had been on them for 12 yrs and besides when Im pregnant I had my anxiety/panic attacks under control so thought it was time to get back to the "real me" but the withdraw bought all my anxiety back x100

oh blimey. that's a bit like me. I am just off fluoxetine cause PG and its going better than I expected but am having flashes of anger and raw emotion. I have just downloaded a hypnosis app for anxiety - and it really helped. Anxiety doesn't seem to be too bad maybe that's why. But there are other ways I am feeling it. I would be straight back on my meds if I could.

You are brave to try. Maybe now is not the right time. How important to you is it to get off them?

at the moment i just want to staberlise on something, anything. Paroxetine isnt an option for me anymore, I have too many negative associations with it. Fluoxetine has done bugger all for my anxiety so sertraline is the next option

How's everyone doinh? I feel like the tablets are starting to do their job, thank goodness.

Not so good right now. Kids are away with my ex for a week. They've been gone about 2 hours and already I'm sinking. I can't be on my own

Glad your meds have started to work though. That's brilliant

Hi hairy doing ok. I just want to achieve one productive day tomorrow. Going to go swimming first thing as that seems to help settle me. The flesh is weak so I am really gritting my teeth that i will go - otherwise it could just be another wasted day.
great that your meds are working.
uptothestars so sorry you feel like that. I hope you can find a way to treat yourself kindly during this break and maybe do something nice for yourself.

xxx

stars really hope things improve for you soon.

Good for you somewhere sometimes I think we have to really force ourselves to do stuff we don't feel like doing, knowing we'll feel better for it.