Need advice on anti-depressants please can mumsnetters help

[Havingatoughtime]

I am a regular poster but name changed. I know thare is a lot afoot on mumsnet at the moment but could do with some advice
Been prescribed an AD sertraline and am breastfeeding.
Anyone had this drug or got experience of it?
Never had AD's before but am really quite poorly - my doctor ( and psychiatrist) say i really do need to take it while I wait (!) for psychologists to see me.
Just have a few silly questions really like can you drink ( I dont drink much just a little bit and want to know if i can still have the odd glass of wine/beer)
Any nasty side effects?
a million and one questions if any one can help
Sorry its long

Hello I'm new mumsnetter! Had baby in June, emergency section with not enough anaesthetic which led to attrocious pnd. My amazing doctor prescribed homeopathy - sepia. not sure dose but it was one tablet one day and the same the next day and it really helped.
Also I had Reiki which seriously helped and I still using tincture of St Johns Wort (anti depressant herb) and Dong quai (hormone ballancing herb)

I can't describe how god awful I felt I imagine you must know anyway, but these herbal remedies have helped me ENORMOUSLY.

Havingatoughtime - I can't imagine how you feel re abuse but my friend was abused and found Reiki really helped as did reading any book by Brian Weiss. Get one from library and see what you think - his books are extremely interesting and helpful.

hello again everyone its me incognito

Been taking the ad's now for 7-8 weeeks and can honestly say i have never in my life felt more depressed....surely this cannot be right. I feel sort of ..well i am coping and get up- look tidy- not stressed but i just feel miserable like i cannot be bothered - very blue.
dp says i need to go back to docs and tonight just said 'please stop those tablets now' I feel as though i am just very quiet and boring now.Living in a kind of parrallel universe.

sertraline /zoloft its an ssri - so can they actually make people feel worse because i do

maybe you need more not less?

think you should go back to the GP - it may be that you need a different type. There are lots of different ones and some suit some people and some others.

feel like i am getting worse every minute

call the doc - they may be able to fit you in tonight

sorry i must sound so self absorbed - i am not ...thanks for all your advice - going on monday.

you're not self absorbed, you're depressed and when that happens, you find yourself in a position where you overanalyse your own feelings all the time!

Don't worry - have faith in the GP. Be honest and they will help you to feel better. There are loads of other medicines you can try.

did not even feel depressed before ...honestly just suffereing from anxiety because of outing my issues.Now feel like crap
Thanks for all your help - i do try and excercise ( a tiny bit) and keep self busy.

I think the problem with anxiety is that when you feel very anxious over quite a long period of time, it totally wears you down (and no doubt, your stores of serotonin!). I'm sure this on its own can lead you to being depressed even if you aren't a typical case of depression iyswim.

I see you've seen a pyschiatrist. Might be worth asking GP to get another appointment with him.

anxiety is actually quite hard to treat - lots of the medications they dole out for it (like beta blockers, valium) all focus on relaxing the body - the theory (I think) being that a relaxed body will lead to a relaxed mind however, if you have been in an anxious state for a long time, it's really hard to get your mind to 'calm down'.

I agree with you Fio - counselling is v important for anxiety. Especially things like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy that try and get you to think in more positive circles rather than focusing on the negative.

i have been told that i am to have cbt ( cog behavioural therapy) but have to wait nine months. thing is i have had my 'issues' a llong time so whats nine months more. I DO suffer anxiety and just wish it would go away and i could be normal

wish i could post under mn name but people know me in real life.

I would find out who they are referring you to and ask how much it would cost privately. I don't know where you are (in the country) but it's often not as expensive as you think. Also CBT, is normally done in short bursts of say 6 or 12 sessions rather than being endless iyswim.

thankyou - i hope the cbt works for me - i do believe something may work but just not sure about these ad's

It really sounds like you are on the wrong type. Don't give up, whatever you do. Keep fighting till you start feeling better.

no counselling fio. doctors offered me counsellor 6 weeks only so was advised no to do it! see a cpn at the moment but no counselling as such