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.

[susiedaisy]

vicar I'm on 50mg, the nausea and tiredness are the biggest side effects I found the nausea had virtually gone but the fatigue is still a bit of a problem, I am off work at the moment but am managing to drive and do a bit of housework, I feel a bit better in my mood than I did two weeks ago but have been told by several people that it takes six weeks for a person to really feel the full benefits. The panic attacks have subsided which I am so grateful for as they were hideous and I had some very dark thoughts with them

pack I am feeling a bit better than when I first posted, thank you for asking hope you have a good day

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

righto, thank you for that susiedaisy im also finding aswell as fatigue and nausea im getting palpitations and the shakes aswell as almost involuntary muscle twitches, especially my jaw, and yawning/sighing an awful lot.....its so odd. i just feel really really odd. It is good to be able to speak to others on the same though, its reassuring. i dont want to feel like this, but i dont want to feel how i was either.

[PackItInNow]

Evening ladies (and gents if there are any on the thread). How have you all been today? Hope you've all been behaving yourselves or have you all been running riot on MN .

Aww, that's not good to hear that you are feeling sluggish. The things is Vicar, everyone's different and so what AD may have no side effects for one person, may have loads for another. It's the same with the amount of time it takes for the side effects to wear off. It may take one person a few days to get over the side effects and another may take a couple of months to feel back to normal.

Maybe you should see your GP as it's better to be safe. I just don't like the sound of the palpitations, so maybe the AD just isn't quite the right one for you, but see your GP anyway just to check.

Just been for a facial tonight and I loved every second of it. Can't complain since I'm almost 35 (birthday's next Sat) and have NEVER set foot in a beauty salon until last Wednesday, when I had a back massage. WHAT THE FLIP HAVE I BEEN MISSING OUT ON FOR ALL THESE YEARS AND WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE TELL ME THEY WERE SO RELAXING??? I didn't want to get up off the bed thing. Cost me £10 but it was in the college I study at, but the unfortunate thing is that they're booked up until after Christmas .

[PackItInNow]

Evening Susie. Good to hear you're feeling a bit better. Lets hope you continue that way.

Sorry I can't stop and chat, but I'm feeling very drowsy so need to go to bed. I will check in briefly tomorrow morning though.

Anyway, good night folk and I hope you all get a good noght's sleep tonight .

[PackItInNow]

Duh, that was meant to be folks. Hopefully I'll be able to spell better tomorrow morning.

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

thanks packitinnow - ive got to go back in 2 weeks anyway - ive braved a read of the leaflet and it seems everything im experiencing is mentioned - im just going to plough on for a bit and see. The palpitations arent horrendous - just feels like an adrenalin rush for some reason.

well done on the facial - i try to have one every 4 - 6 weeks or so - it just forces you to lay down for an hour!

have a good sleep.

[trinn]

I've now been on this for 8 days and the tiredness is becoming a problem I am on 50mg and take it in the evening, I have found I am falling asleep from 7pm and have to really fight as I am now to stay awake is this normal and if so how long does this last? All I want is me back not this woman who is in bed for 9pm

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

oh trinn are you feeling more tired after 8 days, or less?

im meant to be going back to work after the weekend straight onto a night shift...that will really mess up when i take the tablet and im wondering if i will manage to stay awake if i go back...

[ShakySingsMerryXmasEveryone]

I think I may. be calm enough to have my rant now!

I will try to be as succinct as possible, although it will be long. I apologise in advance.

Ok here goes,

I have been suffering a bad bout of depression again, I went off sick In the summer and started fluoxetine . After 8 weeks I was feeling better and went to occ health to discuss my return to work. We had a plan,whereby, I would do office work for 2 weeks in (M) office working shorter hours and with no clinical duties or patient contact. The rational behind this was, to get me used to setting the alarm, getting organised and actually being out of the house for 8 hours. At the moment it is a big deal going to buy a pint of milk.

Anyway, my boss totally disregarded this part of the plan as she could not see the benefit of me sitting in an office for 2 weeks, even though this had been stipulated by my GP and occ health nurse. I begged her to adhere to the plan and speak to occ health. A week later (after much anxiety) my boss contacted me. She said she had spoken to my big boss, (M) who I was going to work with and occ health and said that the new plan was to come straight back out to clinic but working along someone. She IMPLIED that this plan was endorsed by occ health.

I agreed to it but found going back to work exhausting as I had to go straight back into clinical duties. I had to wear my mask of "you will never know I have a mental health problem" when dealing with patients.
On my last day of the second week I became a bit tearful due to the emotional strain and physical exhaustion. My boss phoned and asked to see me. She basically said that she did not think that I was well enough to be back in work, told me to take more time off and adjust my medication! However, during those 2 weeks she hardly saw me!

I did go back to my gp, doubled my meds, felt like shit for 4 weeks. I went back to occ health last Wednesday. The nurse told me that I should have been office based for first 2 weeks back to avoid patient contact and just get used to being out of the house all day. I am beyond livid that my boss has misinterpreted what occ health have said and forced me into an unworkable situation. I have never been told to go off sick before, and I really believe that if I had been allowed to follow the original plan, I would not be off sick now.
I have been referred to the occ health consultant, as the nurse said, they may well take more notice of what a doctor says.

My boss has been phoning me everyday this week, I was avoiding her calls but I actually spoke to her today. She wants to have a face to face meeting on Friday!
I don't know how I am going to be rational, calm and professional.i have dug out a little notebook an written what my feelings are and my reasons for feeling as I do, but I fear it may make me look more unhinged than I actually am!

What the hell do I do now? How on earth do I refrain from calling her all the names that I want to?

I need to be calm and rational, PLEASE help me!

Again I apologise for the enormous post and the huge amount of typos I haven't spotted yet!

[ShakySingsMerryXmasEveryone]

Oh Vicar don't even think of going back yet, especially onto nights.
If you saw your occ health team, you probably wouldn't need to do nights again.

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

oh shaky that is absolutely shit and this is why i am worrying about telling anyone.....however irrational that sounds.

is there anyone who could advocate for you at this meeting? anyone from OH?

i would also be beyond livid - OH have advised a course of action and your idiot boss has completely disregarded it and set you back - you have every right to be angry about that.

how to remain calm and rational though....im probably not in a position to advise on that score.

[ShakySingsMerryXmasEveryone]

And this is me calmer, you should have seen me a couple of days ago! I was unhinged, I tell you!

[ShakySingsMerryXmasEveryone]

I have emailed my union rep and I'm hoping for a reply soon. I am pretty sure she will agree with my point of view.

I have to keep playing imaginary AIBU in my head to see if I am really being bonkers or not!

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

well have an imaginary YANBU from me then. Hope you get a response soon - ask if anyone can accompany you to the meeting.

i have just been brave and told my acting supervisor. Now he probably thinks im a flaky idiot. he phoned and said he was confused....and asked why i was telling him?



could have saved my breath i think. i feel more of an idiot now than i did before.

[PackItInNow]

Good afternoon ladies (and gents), have missed chatting to you all today, but I'm back on now for a bit before dinner.

Shakey, I am astounded at the way you were treated by your boss. I'm not in the least bit surprised you were livid.

Whenever you go in on Friday, just tell her straight that had she agreed to you being in the office with no patient/client contact, then you'd still be at work. The other thing you should inform her of is that because of her misinterpretation, of OH recommendations for your return to work, you will now be off sick for longer. Had your boss asked for the recommendations to be clarified, you would probably still be at work.

This is not your fault. If your boss can't follow simple actions to get you back at work, then she's a complete fool. I would actually fear for the MH of other workers who are struggling emotionally.

Well, have togo for dinner now but will be back soon.

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

evening packitinnow enjoy your dinner.

im finding my appetite has gone, which probably isnt a bad thing....

[PackItInNow]

Thanks Vicar it was chicken and broccoli pie with charlotte spuds. Was just something different for a change, instead of the same old same old, week in week out.

I said that I missed chatting to you all because in reality, I don't feel like I fit in on the Access course I'm doing. Today I just wanted to be left alone in class. TBH, I was anxious about going in today, but I don't want to take any more time off as I've already had 2 days off with my back and another 1.5 days off with a nasty headache. I'm flippin' annoyed with myself for having so much time off since Sept. I am almost dreading Monday. Instead of taking things day by day, it's at the point where I'm taking it class by class.

Today wasn't so bad as I could plug myself into my MP3 and work away with the music going, but not all classes are like that. I also hate speaking up in class and prefer to keep myself to myself. The unfortunate thing is that I had the intention of inviting a couple of classmates to my birthday drinks and movie night, but I'm now feeling very anxious about having anyone round.

[PackItInNow]

Flippin' Nora, that's a bit of an essay .....

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

I wonder if thats just a symptom packitinnow because i can truly relate to how you are feeling - i feel very isolated at work and tend to find myself eating alone etc. i dont seem to be "in the loop" of whats going on within the group, and im sure my absence is probably causing resentments by now.

in your position i would say dont put any pressure on yourself - go with what you feel you want to do.

ive stopped trying so hard actually with colleagues, i was making effort to go to bbqs and parties even though i feel awkward and out of place, and have to travel a long long way as i dont live anywhere near them - ive stopped now and i feel better about it. i arent going to the xmas do, and felt fine about saying no.

i sound such a misery dont i?

but im letting myself off with that - while i feel like this i decided life is too short to stick a fake smile on and pretend. it doesnt help me or do me good. so im doing what i feel i need to do.

Which ADs are you on and how long have you had them? forgive me as i have skimmed the whole thread but not read every post....i hope we are going to have another support thread when this one is full.....im finding it a godsend and very reassuring.

[PackItInNow]

Hello Trinn, good to have you here on the thread. You're welcome to natter away with us all. The tiredness shouldn't be getting worse so maybe you should see your GP again and see what they can do for you.

Saying that everyone's individual and so the side effects from drugs are unique to each person. Some will have few/most/all side effects and some people may not have any. There may also be some who experience a side effect that hasn't been put on the leaflet, so it would be worth while letting your GP know so they can let the drug maker know as well.

[PackItInNow]

Hi Vicar, thanks for replying. I'm on 25mg amitriptyline every night and have been for almost 3wks now. I've decided that I'm going to apologise and cancel with the invited classmate and say I'm shattered. I will be anyway as I take the AD at teatime and am very sleepy by 8pm. If you're not sure, just look at some of my posts and some of the spelling in those posts. Trust me, a psychotic chimp could spell better than me at times .

The thing is Vicar I've been feeling quite down. I was ready for sobbing in my last class of the week and my eyes welled up, but I managed to escape the dreaded questions and yawned and made out that I was trying to keep awake. I also sat at the only table where no one else could sit if they wanted a computer as there was only 1 where I was sitting. I just wanted to be on my own but knew it wasn't possible.

I'm determined to press through this and go on to become a Psychologist of all things . I'll still be posting here though because if I can help someone on here see life from a different angle, that doesn't seem so bad, then I must be doing the job right .

Anyway, I'm off to bed as I'm shattered from the low mood and AD too, so take care of yourselves ladies and I will chat tomorrow (my day off).

[ShakySingsMerryXmasEveryone]

PackItIn I know how it feels to want to try to just shut out the rest of the world. I do the same thing, some days the TV doesn't even get turned on.

I did ask my boss to speak to occ health regarding the plan. She said that she had spoken to them and then presented me with her version of the plan. She IMPLIED that occ health had agreed to this, when in fact they had said that I should still be office based for the first 2 weeks. The nurse showed me the record of the advice she gave that is documented in my notes. My boss actually told me a bare faced lie and that is why I am overcome with rage. I really wish that I had contacted occ health myself to check what they had said to her, I just took her bloody word for it.

I need to calm down again.

[trinn]

Hi packitin what access course are you doing? I was supposed to go on access to nursing this year but it was to uni based and bloody expensive so got a job instead well I have a job just waiting on the crb check to come back.

The tiredness is when I take the tablet normally I go to bed about 1am (before anti d' s) and wake up late and knackered now I take my tablet in the evening and I am falling asleep by now, tonight I am late taking it so still awake.

Has anyone else noticed their confidence returning? or is that just me?

[VicarInaTutuDrankSantasSherry]

trinn that gives me some hope.....i could do with my confidence to come back.

its day 4 for me. still feeling icky.

[trinn]

I'm on day 9 acting like sleepers for me but I feel amazing in the morning not knackered and I wake up on time well kind of, I can answer my mobile when it rings now without being a complete mess before I would let it ring and leave it now though I can answer it and be confident, it's not a quick fix though I wish it was but day by day with baby steps we will get there.