Sertraline buddies - support for anybody taking Sertraline

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I eventually went to docs yesterday, been really suffering with depression. Is it possible the medication can result in side effects straight away? I'm feeling sick and no appetite today, however feeling better, clearer... I'm on 50 mg the lowest dose.. Anyone else share their experience please?

I am really starting to believe it will sole . If nothing else, a month with no PMT is nothing short of a miracle

Yes I've been on them for seven weeks tomorrow - one week of 25mg, six of 50.

Sole, they're the vitamin d pills i take too.

Hi everyone I'm a bit up and down at the moment. Mostly calmer, but the odd health worry sends me over the edge again I have a gp appointment tomorrow, so may be a little wiser after that.

I'm craving sugary stuff at the moment and cross that I'm putting on weight again, but can't seem to stop.

What sort of fish do you have sole? I used to keep tropical fish, they were so peaceful to watch.

I'm fine and dandy, I'm not taking extra vitamins, my doctor prescribed weekly canal walks so I've been doing that he didn't prescribe the sunburn I now have

I'm itching to do a bit of DIY but the other doctor forbade me from doing painting and decorating until I have the stitches on my elbow out (had a little lump removed)

And, not only have I not had PMT, my period seems to almost over days early/ lighter than usual.

Can I stay on these, like forever?

Yayy chuff amaing x

kazza snap :)

It'll get better kazza you might need to up the dose...

I bought two goldfish for my big tank. Filter bubbles look nice :)

Have you told anybody in RL about Setraline, Kazza and chuff*?

I'm not telling anybody, ever!

Too many judgers out there.

I will hide the meds if I get a visitor etc lol

Hey Dwerf canal walks sound good :)

I'm scared of walking around alone by the Birmingham canals, my anxiety over this might ease.

Do you tell people in RL Dwerf?

I hope we can can stay on these forever too :)

Or maybe our bodies will become used to the Setraline and we'll need something else. Great question, I'll Google. brb

Oh yes. Once I'd been to the doctors and been prescribed something it was like a validation that actually I needed more help than to tell myself to 'man up'. Most of my immediate family know what I'm taking - to be fair it was easier to tell them the other week than make up an explantion for being completely spaced out. Even my kids know, my youngest commented that I was much less moody now.

I'm not walking on my own, one walk I went with my best mate (who knows) and the other two with my mum. We get to spend time together, we both get some exercise. Job's a good'un.

I'm fighting a long-term war against my defective and rebellious brain. I need my troops to rally round me.

I haven't told anyone except dh. No one needs to know and my mother would drive me mad.

I don't know if I could face increasing the dose if it means side effects again.

I'm very selective about who I tell in RL sole...

I have a close friend who I've confided in - she's been on ADs herself for a while now so I knew she wouldn't be 'judgey'. DH also knows. But other than that - nobody, and I'll probably keep it that way. I get on with my (birth) family fine, but we don't have the sort of relationships where we ever have heart to hearts and confide in each other - which is sad in a way but thats the way it's always been . And I do think they'd be judgey, sadly.

kazza sorry to hear you're still having ups and downs. Have you made another GP appt especially then? Mine said to make another appt after two months.

No, I'm seeing my gp tomorrow about something else. I'm due back to review ADs after about 2 months too. I might mention to her tomorrow though that I'm not feeling too great - but am panicking she'll take me off them then!

I've realised I have lots of "issues" that I should probably discuss, but not sure how to go about sorting that out. Given what I've read about CBT on the NHS, I might wait until I can afford to pay for it myself, but could be waiting a long time.

Definitely tell your GP kazza :) x

kazza I doubt she would take you off them - maybe she might want to up your dose a bit, or just give it a bit longer? Also, re CBT, have you had a look at 'mood gym' on the web? It's a kind of DIY CBT course - I've started it and just do a little bit whenever I think of it - it could help while you're waiting to get seen in RL? Also I've heard there's an NHS CBT course online that your GP can refer you for, it's a bit more personalised than mood gym because (I think) there are actual CBT counsellors on the site giving you feedback. There's no waiting list because your GP just has to give you a referral code you sign into the site with. Can't remember what it's called but will google.....

kazza it's called 'beating the blues' - www.beatingtheblues.co.uk

Thanks Chuff, I'll mention that to her. I'm not good at asking for help and struggle to tell anyone that I'm not coping.

I'm not either Kazza, it's taken me months to admit that I needed to see a doctor. I suspect now that people have been worried about me recently, but whenever they've asked, they've gotten 'oh, I'm fine, just tired'.

I haven't had any judgy responses, just understanding and support.

That's good Dwerf - it could well be that my family would be much nicer about it all than I imagine - I tend to expect the worst of people unfortunately! But once it's out there, it's out there and I could end up wishing id kept it all to myself...

kazza I know what you mean about not wanting to ask for help - that's why it took me about two years to get to the doctors in the first place

And I feel like a fraud, like they're looking at me and thinking there' s nothing wrong with me. I over analyse the whole thing and don't know what to say. I hate crying in front of others too

Online cbt sounds interesting, but again what will the gp think if I go in there, asking for this and that, as if I'm telling her how to do her job.

Nobody worries about me, I have only a couple of friends, one tells me constantly she is depressed, I'm lucky! I'm distancing myself from her a little at the moment, as I find it difficult to be around her, she drags me down. My other friend I barely see, maybe twice a year. Dh has his own problems with unemployment and now a rubbish job. Family .. I'm an only child and my mum would drive me nuts, she wants everything fixed, quickly, so I would feel pressure to pretend I'm ok.

Kazza, your GP will probably be glad you are being proactive, it's a positive thing. Is it any different to telling the midwife you'd quite like to try a waterbirth because you've heard good things about it, or requesting acupuncture because you feel it may be beneficial for back pain?

These are your ammo against MH demons. And no army refused to use ammo in case it made them look weak. Not that I'm calling any of you weak, you've already had the strength to go to GP to get a diagnosis, it's no small thing mustering that courage. It's a fight though.

I guess so. It's just brought home to me how bad I am at asking for help or admitting my feelings/problems at all.

(And I wouldn't dare ask for acupuncture for anything either ...!)

Kazza I understand how you feel - my family are a bit like that too - quite 'stiff upper lip' and 'just get on with it'.

But honestly, do mention it to your GP - as sole says - it can only be a good thing that you want to be proactive about getting better. Hope it goes well today

Took me years to ask for help. Therapist insisted i was not depressed just low. Over the last two years i had depression, therapy did it i think..
I bottled out when the going got tough.

With zero support i have had to be very strong all of my life, i cant even pretend i have a life anymore, nobody to share it with even if he or she is a cunt.

hi all

yes sunshine is best - pharmacist told me, we don't absorb well - however our latitude and weather is crap (esp where I am in the north). and sun is only good around midday. the vitamin d council website explains more. to do with ozone layer and oblique angles of rays at diff times of the day etc.

I think as time wore on on the sertraline the floaty wooness reduced but I still felt nicely balanced. the noisy fuss of panic and worry, gloom and anger in my head just wasnt there. and when I went to 100 form 50 I had barely any side effects that time. at the time though I thought it dulled me too much nut now I'm suspecting cognitive affects of low vit d. (point to note is that I'm still bf so will be using up more via d, plus I was back at work in Sept so barely any sun.)

I'm very much hoping that once I know I'm ok vit d wise, as well my thyroid dose, I can wean off the sert, but it can take a good 6 months to feel ok apparently after starting vit d treatment.

I think my advice would be to ask for a proper test via dr. and also probably ask for a thyroid test too if you haven't as that causes depression too.

Up & down today, my weight causes my anxiety :(