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?

Hi all, day 3 for me today, and I'm not loving it. I'm finding it pretty scary actually, I've never taken something that has made me feel so weird. Bad insomnia, nausea/voracious hunger, dizzy, horrid taste in my mouth, and my lips feel numb. But, and I presume this is placebo effect because it's too soon, but maybe slightly less hopeless and miserable. But gosh this drug must be really disturbing things in my brain. In a way I'm surprised they can prescribe something like this after a single gp appointment, its powerful stuff.

Hi everyone, welcome marava. Hope you all feel a bit better today.

Sorry about your side effects, Fish - from other threads on here I think some people have to try more than one AD before they settle on the right one for them - but prob worth keeping going for a bit longer - see if the side effects calm down?

I feel calmer and more able to say "No" to things which I know I don't have the energy for. I feel guilty and disappointed that I am reducing my activities, but I am just too exhausted. Don't know if it's the Sertraline or the depression which makes me so drained.

for everyone.

It's ok Fish, as we all say, stick with it ... I'm on around week 7 & only now has it settled somewhat. However, if it does get too much then of course go back to GP.

Happy weekend all - keep smiling x

Agree with the above, try and stick with it, but if it gets too much go back to your gp. I hope things improve soon.

Today I took my first 100mg tablet. Fingers crossed the side effects won't be too bad - hopefully not as I've increased gradually over the past week or so. I still have quite a bad headache every day though.

I think the drained is par for the course with depression carrot, combination of loss of motivation and trouble focusing makes normal things harder. But I think in a way it's good that you feel guilty, because that means even if you don't feel up to things you can see value in them iyswim. I think one of the things that made me know what I'm feeling is depression was seeing no point in all the things I used to enjoy. If there is a part of you that still wants to be doing things hopefully the rest will catch up soon. But no need to feel guilty about saying no, you're ill and doing your best.

Thanks for the support re. side effects everyone. Just took me a bit by surprise as I was prepared for extra anxiety but not so much all the physical stuff. Going to stop taking propranolol as I think it's probably adding to dizziness and numbness.

Good luck with 100mg kazza

Thanks Fish, trying hard to not feel guilty! Some of the things I cancelled I do enjoy (eg helping as a volunteer at kids' school) but I just couldn't physically manage it this week. I haven't told anyone else about my depression so I feel I have to create other excuses?

Hope your 100mg goes ok Kazza.

Can I tell you all a happy story which happened to me yesterday? It made me smile, which doesn't happen that often these days. I was going to collect my DD from school, and a girl was walking on the other pavement with her mum. She was playing with a helium balloon from a party and let go of the ribbon. It flew away and she burst into tears... But I ran down the road and caught it! Her mum was on crutches and couldn't run. Everyone grinned when I gave the balloon back to the little girl.

Well done for catching the balloon I bet that little girl was really happy.

I'm enjoying a lazy day after finishing work at lunchtime. Feeling more or less ok, bit of a dodgy tum.

I am really worried about work. I think I said before that my colleague is off sick for 6 weeks - another 4 weeks at least. In 2 weeks time my other colleague goes on holiday for 2 weeks and I will be alone with the manager to do the jobs of 3 people

The manager doesn't know how to do the job, he can't even use the computer. The colleague who is off sick handles a department on her own that I have never dealt with, no one else has. There are no instructions anywhere.

There is no one who can stand in, no point having a temp as it will take longer to explain than do the job myself.

I'm so scared. I've been there a year and a half and just don't have the experience to deal with this.

I want to throw in the towel. I don't want to work full time (normally I work 3.5 days). It means I'm not there for dd when she gets in from school and my dog is alone all day. I earn a pittance and work very hard.

What can I do?

Sorry for ranting, I just don't know what I can do.

Hi Kazza - sorry your work sounds really difficult. Only advice I have is to try to take things one step at a time. Do your best, and remember it's not your fault that one colleague is ill and the other is on holiday. Sorry about your boss, too. My last job was like that - boss didn't understand some of the computer systems, but would get very angry and negative if things weren't completed to arbitrary priorities and deadlines.

Don't know if it will help, but here are some suggestions:

• try not to worry about 2 weeks' time at the moment. Focus on one day at a time. Get through this morning, today and get home. Take deep breaths.

• you mentioned being full time instead of 3.5 days. Is that because of your colleague being ill, or during the holiday cover? Can they force you to come in full time?

• on AIBU someone had a thread about employment issues with a difficult boss. One piece of advice was to clarify instructions and project priorities by email, in writing. So, if you are going to be criticised for not completing tasks A, B and C - send an email with your suggestion and ask for their decision. "There is not enough time to complete A, B and C today. Task B is lower priority than A and C, so I suggest that I work on B tomorrow. Could you please let me know if you would prefer A or C to be moved to tomorrow instead?"

• make a list of things that need to be done and choose what to tackle first. This can be daunting if the list is long, but it helps me worry less about forgetting things.

I will be thinking about you today. You are obviously a hard-working employee who cares about doing a good job - that is why you feel stressed. Good luck.

Thank you Carrots.

Having an awful morning. Nearly hit a car on the way to work- clipped its wing mirror. Drove the rest of the way in floods of tears and cried at work too, embarrassed myself

Just want to crawl into bed.

Yes I am working fulltime due to covering for colleague. It is in my contract that I provide holiday and sickness cover so I have to do it.

My gp has offered to write me off sick twice but then i would let my colleague down and my boss and the company I can't just give up but i feel like cr*p The guy whose car I nearly hit called me incompetent and was really nasty.

Sorry Kazza, that sounds like a rough morning

Ok so you can't change the full time working - try to hold on to the fact that it is temporary?

I can see that you wouldn't want to be off sick when your colleague goes on holiday - but do you think you could maybe take your GPs advice and get a sick note at the moment? Just for a few days even? You could come back in on Friday - or next Monday if you felt able? Then you might have more strength to get through the two "holiday weeks".

You are determined and you will survive this. But do consider the sick note - maybe you do need a day (or more) in bed. Depression is exhausting, let alone your work stresses as well.

Try not to care about the car driver - they were maybe on their way to a job they hate, and took their anger out on you. Accidents happen. Be kind to yourself.

The car driver was (almost) right - he had right of way on the bridge, but I only saw him coming round the bend as I was already on the approach. I decided to carry on, thinking he would stop, but he carried on as well. I clipped his mirror and he stopped and reversed back to me to give me a mouthful. It reduced me to tears

I really don't think I can consider taking time off before my colleague goes on holiday. She has been really ill and I don't think I can leave her alone. Our boss does no work at all, won't sit in the front office and answer phones etc. If we ask him a question he doesn't know how to do things that our ill colleague did, as he never does anything!

I'm scared I won't know how to do things when I'm alone - my colleagues have 15 years experience and I have just 1.5 years here. Because they know what they're doing nothing is written up fully, it's all in their heads - but it's not in mine!!

I'm also scared if I take time off and go to bed I won't want to come back

So, so sorry for going on and thank you very much for listening.

Can I join too please?

Day 4 on 50mg, prescribed for pnd and anxiety. and feeling pretty shit, tired, a bit sick, foggy, no appetite, still low and anxious

Also keep waking up in the night last few nights (although was doing that before tbh!)

Hi! Little Spud ... welcome

Same reasons as me I see :) how old is your LO?

Day 4 I felt awful, the side effects are pretty shit but ..... I'm now 7 weeks in 100mg and I know I'm much better, everyone has noticed around me how much better I am.

I would of happily run away, given DS away ... you name it I thought it, the shame/guilt etc ... but I got help as you clearly have too.

It gets better, try and also "believe" the pills will work.

It is tough. PND is the last thing I thought I would get me tell you, but stay chatting on here. We are all in the same boat for various anxiety, panic, depression etc ....

If anything, it's nice to share just even if you want to rant!.

You'll be ok ... stick with the tablets. I took me 2 weeks to pluck up the courage to take the buggers!!!!

Oh Kazza .... Get this, I'm pushing the buggy outside Tesco with demanding Velcro Baby strapped to me .... (Screaming) so I'm walking fast to get in the car and I accidentally walked in front of bloke, you know one of those awkward who goes first scenarios and the Arsehole turns to me & says "most people would say thank you, you ignorant bitch"

I too howled with tears, baby crying, pushing empty buggy as baby won't go in the fucking buggy! So you know what some people are just bastards & have nothing to do in their own lives other than upset other peoples day.

Forget the car/bridge man ... you are safe, that is all that matters xxxx

Welcome littlespud - hope you start to feel better soon. I'm in week 4 and slowly improving How old is your little one? Well done for accessing help - PND is draining.

kazza - you are kind to your colleague for thinking of her - but do remember you have been / are ill too. You will have to do your best when she is on hols - and she has more years' experience. You could see it as the GP's decision, rather than yours, if that helps? Do you work on weekends? If you got signed off on Wed or Thurs, it could give you a long weekend? Sorry to suggest it again, as I know it's probably not possible. I just know that when I am having bad days I don't feel "worthy" of being helped. You are just as important as your colleagues, and deserve rest and good health as much as them.

Do you think your holiday colleague would consider giving you her phone number - in case of an emergency while she's away? Even if you don't use it, it might be comforting to know it is there? Stay strong .

How is everyone else? Journey?

Cross post with Journey - glad you are doing better. I'm wondering about asking to increase my dose, or if 50mg will be enough. Did your GP suggest 100mg, or did you ask to increase?

Hi LittleSpud Hopefully you'll start to feel better soon. When I first started taking sertraline the side effects wore off after the first few days, you should be nearing the end of them now hopefully.

Oh TheJourney, that's rotten. Some people don't think What do they gain from saying things like that?

Carrots, I work Saturdays til 1 pm, so no long weekend for me However my boss has suggested I take all day thursday off, as once my colleague is on holiday I'll have to be in the office Monday through to Saturday. If my colleague agrees I think I will, as I have a dentist appointment that day anyway (my bridge came loose last night) and also the schools are striking, so it would be nice to be at home with my dd.

The holiday colleague will be in Turkey on holiday, so it won't be practical to call her whilst she's away if I'm stuck. I have the mobile number for my ill colleague and will call/text her if I'm really stuck, but would rather not and hope I don't have to.

Today was all a bit much. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Hope everyone is feeling ok today. Pouring rain and thunder here! I feel ok but really tired.

Hi Carrots.

Feeling a bit brighter today, still not pleased with the work situation, but hoping I'll take Thursday off, which will give me a break.

Hi everyone, thanks for letting me join. My LO is 13 weeks old, she's a dream baby, happy, smily, doing well and has slept from 9pm till 6am for the past few weeks. I also have an 8 yo and a 5 yo

Although my doctor says it's PND, I think what's actually triggered it is I had a health scare recently, got the all clear a couple of weeks ago thankfully. but I went through weeks of hell waiting, it freaked me out so much, I just can't pull myself out of feeling low, fearful and anxious most of the time. Even though obviously I'm relieved and happy I'm ok, I keep thinking about death and illness

Sorry for depressing post

Hi LittleSpud - sorry about your health scare, that sounds stressful. It's understandable to be anxious. Hope the meds help. Are you going to get any talking therapy too?

Kazza hope you manage to get the day off tomorrow.

I have a day off today. Should be a chance to "get things done" at home but I know from experience it often turns into a depressed day when I am alone - too much time with the memories and thoughts in my head. Also have a phone assessment for CBT today, anxious about that. Fingers crossed, onwards and upwards as my FIL would say.

Sorry about your health scare, LittleSpud. I can understand that such a scare would be upsetting and not easily recovered from.

Carrots, I hope the CBT goes ok. Just remember, they do this every day, don't worry, just see it as a step in the right direction. Then kick back and do something you enjoy, like watching a favourite tv programme or reading or something

I am definitely having tomorrow off and really looking forward to it. I have managed to calm down again. I think what made things so bad on Monday was the guy in the car telling me I'm incompetent, and I realised that that's what I think too. I think I'm rubbish, not fit to drive, do my job, parent my children .. I don't know how to improve this. My gp thinks I'm just stressed because of dh's unemployment until recently and financial issues, but this is an ongoing thing and I think there are lots of issues with self confidence, self esteem ...

Anyway, tomorrow I'm going to have a good clean and then go to the dentist and after that sit and watch something trashy with my dd

Hi all!

GP upped me to 100mg as I was feeling no different after 4 weeks. Apparently with AD's it can be a matter of "playing about" with dose until they get it right as of course we all react different to medication.

It has made a difference for me upping the dose. 50mg clearly wasn't even touching the surface.

Now.... I don't mind facing the day with my demanding baby. Before I would dread the day ahead.

The thing is, any kind of PND, depression, anxiety there is no short term fix sadly, but from my own research sticking with meds & CBT can certainly make the road to recovery smoother xxx

Hi journey I'm glad increasing your dose has helped. I think I'm noticing the difference too.

Looking forward to my day off tomorrow