Sertraline and any other AD's Support Thread Part 2

[PackItInNow]

Just a continuation from the original thread, which is due to finish soon. Anyone and everyone needing some kind words, and hand-holding, are more than welcome .

Thanks for the welcome :)

Interesting vicar that it makes you sleepy, when I was on citalopram I felt like my sleep was quite disturbed, the psychiatrist said the transition period between the mirtazipine and sertraline would be when my sleep suffered the most. Hopefully I will be sleepy like you!

Well done to wheelbarrow and packitin - very impressed at your exam/essay efforts!

I had a huge cry to my husband tonight, he said he is finding it hard to see what has changed after a year of really intensive support because I am back feeling very suicidal. Hard to hear.

fluffy - I've just has a good cry too but instead of a supporting hubby it was on my pillow... I'm not having any suicidal thoughts but having all the feelings of not belonging... just feel crap & wanna switch off :(

packitin I get my results in January so fingers crossed, I think a change in career is going to be a good thing for me. I actually bought milk and biscuits after my exam because I was thinking of this thread
vicar have you tried beta blockers at all to ease the anxiety about work whilst waiting for the sertraline to kick in? I'm sorry too hear about your predicament. It's awful to have that stress.
fluffydressinggown welcome to the thread! I'm sorry you are feeling so down. Do you think that your husband was being honest because he wants to make sure you have the best recovery possible? Have you talked to your GP about these suicidal thoughts? I'm very concerned to hear you are having them. Please post back on the thread, I know everyone here is so supportive, it could be a help to you.

Just took my first 100mg dose of sertraline and WOW I know what you ladies are talking about the dry mouth now! I have a question however and hoping that you could help me out: does anyone have any experiences of mixing alcohol with sertraline? I am getting mixed responses researching it on the Internet.

painforlife I was where you were at the weekend, it was horrible. It does get better though (even if it only is for a few days). The worst this about depression is feeling so fucking worthless!

sorry you both are having a bad night. I find it very hard to cry. maybe crying is a good thing - release of pressure? its a good thing i think. (but im just jealous.)

hope you both feel better tomorrow.

Unmumsnetty {{hugs}} for painforlife and fluffydressinggown

im finding mixing alcohol with sertraline is no different but im on 50mg.....at first i felt drunk enough without a glass of wine, but as im adjusting im finding a glass or two of wine is fine.

I don't see my GP TacticalWheelbarrow my care is managed through the community mental health team, I have lots of support really. I see my CPN once a week and it was her who arranged the psychiatrist (it is hard to spell that word!) appointment, I also see a clinical psychologist once a week. I have been very unwell this year and have spent time as an in-patient so thankfully they are very responsive and supportive of my needs. I have told my CPN about my suicidal feelings and I have recently re-started self harming and she knows about that. She said I can ring any time or ring the crisis team who know me but it feels so pointless. This must be so depressing to read, but in summary - everyone knows and I have tons of help and support. I am just too crap to get better.

I have always drank on anti-depressants, I mean, not in an unhealthy way but a few glasses of wine has been fine! I think it can make you a bit more drunk so I try to drink soft drinks inbetween or have wine and soda type drinks. You def deserve some after your hard work :)

Hi everyone, is it okay if I join this thread? I started 50mg sertraline on Weds night. It totally knocked me out the first night! Not last night though. I have the most awful taste in my mouth all the time and just a spaced out/ lightheaded feeling. How long does it take for the side effects to ease off? I have taken lots of ADs but just can't remember how long the settling in period lasts.

I feel pretty despairing but am trying to plough through it. I had a terrible day on Tuesday and just broke down crying for an hour or two, it was awful. I've been in a bad way for months but just not admitted it to myself, and it all came out. I have been foul to live with, everything makes me stressed, I've felt so worthless and useless, been unable to make the simplest decisions.

My last GP (hardly see the same one twice) said as I was coping to try CBT without ADs- as ADs for me seem to become less effective the longer I take them. The CBT actually triggered a worse state for me, all those core beliefs that I don't feel I can change set me back. I had visions of self-harming and suicide, I've been snappy and short tempered with my kids, I've totally isolated myself so now I have no friends left and no social life which is a bit shit but I feel silly trying to make friends at my age!

New GP was lovely. I cried (of course) and she agreed I definitely need something to help me. I'm referred for more intensive CBT assessment in Jan, and starting sertraline. She told me to stop being so hard on myself which was nice. Also, in my area there is something called PALS which apparently I can be referred for and they will set me up an exercise programme and it is subsidised so I won't have to pay for a full gym membership. That's something I plan to sort out in January.

I think i am just rambling now! Sorry. You all seem lovely, I'm sorry that you are all suffering too.

Morning ladies (and gents if there are any on here) how are you all today?

Welcome to the thread Muddled have a and a to dunk . You're more than welcome to join in and have a moan . Got lots of on the go, so help yourself.

Gotta go do some shopping, as boring as it is, it has to be done. Will be back later though.

Your GP was right though Muddled. You ought to stop being so hard on yourself.

Well off I go and will catch you good folk later .

morning all,
so I managed to knock out last night after a whole week of not sleeping... maybe the crying did help after all... I feel no different but hey at least I slept. DD has been home this week as her nursery is shut for xmas. they have a whole 3 weeks off :( she decided to have an early start dis morning & I've already used up all my energy :|

Hope every1 has had a better start to the day then me :)

Hi Muddled it sounds like there are a lot of positive things planned to help you get better. Hopefully you can ride this wave of feeling rubbish and start to feel better soon. I think that the side effects normally calm down after a month or so?

PainForLife I hope your day has got better?

Well, not the best start for me, I forgot to take the sertraline this morning. I got some sleep though and have written some Christmas cards. My husband is off work at the moment and he is doing my head in, I just want to be alone.

hi fluffy I'm no better... really dizzy n nauseous feels like the side effects I had when I started taking sertraline a year ago! loss of appetite too dnt want to eat anything either. just been lying in bed all day only got up a few times to see to DDI but bless her I think she knows mummy is poorly as she's been lying quietly in bed with me. I know the feeling of wanting to be left alone!

muddled n fluffy ho.pe urge both feeling better now & tactical 《hugs》back & packitin hope shopping went well n u got all u need :)

tactical that was hugs (dnt know wot happened there)....

hi allmuddled

pain im experiencing the same side effects you are on the sertraline, but i will have been on it 2 weeks on monday - the nausea is better now than it was, it also knocks me out. Im glad you managed some sleep.

im feeling dreadfully anxious, someone from work is having to come out and visit me over the weekend, and i have no idea what to say to them. i dont look ill. im going to feel stupid and embarrassed. im dreading it and its been on my mind all day. Do i get dressed? i suppose i have to....what am i supposed to say though?

Vicar you don't have to look like anything to be unwell. Are they visiting you informally or formally?

Just be honest, you still feel that things are difficult and you have started some medication and the side effects have knocked you for six.

I hope it goes ok.

vicar not been in work for 2 years now bcos of my physical disability so can't really give much advise. just dnt put on a brave face when they come for their sake. u dnt want them thinking u will back to work sooner! be honest I would say but just dnt tell em ur bonkers , just kidding!

just thought a weekend visit??? ur work sending friendly spies before official visit!!!

it will be an official "welfare" visit. Im so anxious over it, i just feel it will put pressure on me to say "im fine and ill be back asap"....im praying something comes up and puts them off tbh. My acting sgt is lovely but i feel like im taking the piss, im going to be apologetic when i shouldnt be. i cant help it.

vicar oh sweety that would make any1 anxious. can u have some1 with you for support? u shudn't have to sit through it on ur own. pls dnt downplay it for ur own sake! u said ur "acting sgt is lovely" so just be honest with em. they will understand & they probably r coming over to see hw u r doing and what further support they can offer.

wish u the best of luck for it & were all here for u x

oh god i hate this. hate it.

they are being sent by inspector. i will be seen by now as a waste of money. If i could just afford to leave i would never go back.

Oh Vicar I have just posted a massive post on your other thread (it is the first time I have seen it).

Only 2 weeks ago I was absolutely livid and didn't know what the hell to do with myself.

Again, if it is a formal meeting, you have the right to have a union rep or work colleague with you.

Take care (hugs)

arghhhh wise awake even sertraline is not working :(

Thanks for the welcome everyone. How's everyone doing today?

Vicar your work sounds so stressful. Will you have someone with you for this meeting? I hope it goes as well as it can do, try not to let them bully you into hurrying back.

PackItIn thanks for the and , my favourite .

PainForLife How old is your DD? I have two DDs who are 4 and 5, the house is chaos when they are both at home in the school holidays! Hope you got some sleep last night? I went through a period of bad insomnia in the summer, it was awful. One thing that helped was distraction so I do that game where you go through the alphabet thinking of a country/ fruit or veg/ name for each letter. It's quite boring but I think that's why it helps me to get off to sleep.

Fluffy how are you? Yeah I have lots in place now to help me, I just need to help myself too by putting it all into practice!

Last night was weird, I'd taken my sertraline and gone to bed. I could feel that panicky feeling, my heart was starting to race, but I wasn't actually feeling the panic iyswim? I just felt a bit numb and 'oh my heart's racing' in a disinterested way. Was a bit surreal.

Does anyone else have the awful taste in their mouth? It's not dry, just an odd chemical taste that doesn't go. On the upside, my appetite has decreased a bit which is great as I'm very overweight (comfort eater).

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Muddled Ive bad phases of insomnia but lately i was sleeping very well until about a week ago. I finally did get some sleep and thankfully my mum took my DD (she is 2 years old) last night so I could have a lie in.

Dont know about u all but i've been very shaky past few days & dizzy plus a constant headache. At the nausea feeling ahs gone away. Loss of apetite is very welcome by me too as I need to lose at least 40 pounds to get my BMI to normal from obese (like you comfort eating is my sin) so even if i can manage 20 pounds it would be a miracle!

I know what you mean by the awful taste in mouth I'm the same but I'm also finding it very hard to swallow. it's weird its like ive lost the swallowing action (again not complaining as its making me eat less).

Vicar thinking of u sweety let us know how it goes (hugs)

Hope every1 is having a good weekend :)