Sertraline Buddies - Part 2! Support for all on AD's...

[Chuffchuff]

New thread for when the first one gets full - welcome everyone

Ah bobbi we'll if it helps at all, yours sounds like my usual reaction to spiders . Re the tablets, what about breaking the tablets in half and taking half a dose for the next few days? It won't feel like such a big deal then and will also help lessen the side effects.

Hi carrie

I never really thought of that but tbh in my brain that opens up a whole new range of things to stress about haha. I usually just squish them unless they right by front door then I get sweeping brush a flick them out of door lol. I am very anti spider but someone forgot to tell my house that lol x

Well I've been off sertraline a week now and the withdrawal has definitely kicked in. I was fine until I came off it completely but now I feel very weepy and a bit pathetic. The anxiety's coming back a bit too. I got told earlier my dentist appointment may have to be changed and I nearly burst into tears! What the hell? Slight overreaction. I've got insomnia as well, it's not horrendous but I'm struggling to get to sleep, even with mirtazapine which is notorious for making people drowsy, and I wake up a few times. Plus I've been having extremely vivid dreams, which isn't unusual for me anyway but I keep waking up from them. Last week I felt happy and ready to take on the world but now I just feel like hiding away. I'm hoping this will go away soon and that the effects of the mirtazapine will take over. I've only been taking it for 2 weeks so I expect I've got about another month to go before I feel the full effects from it.

On the plus side I've only got 2 tiny bruises, the big ones have all gone now. So I guess that coupled with the insomnia and feeling low is a sign that the sertraline is leaving my body but it is unbelievably crap the way it's making me feel.

Hi New to mumsnet. I have just been perscribed Sertraline after months of 'oh theres nothing wtong' and 'its just PMT' (from myself that is no one being judgy. First day of taking it today and feeling te woozy sickness as well. Thought i was very aone in feeling so down, big well done to all making step to get better! have read all thethread and can honestly say it has given me so much hope! Thanks

Hi allthetime

Glad to hear the thread is helping you already & we'll done to you too for starting the medication

I felt horrible the first day I started, really sick & woozy, but if gradually started to go off and after the first week it was much more bearable. I treated it like morning sickness because it was the same kind if feeling and that helped me, ie eating small amounts and often, even if you don't feel like it - an empty stomach made me feel worse.

I was thinking the same about morning sickness! Little apprehensive about the getting worse before it gets better-but can't be worse that usual! Thanks chuff chuff

You're welcome!

Hi all. I started sertraline 2 weeks ago and would love to join your thread. I'm feeling bit rubbish right now but holding on to thought of feeling better soon.

Hi Will - welcome to the thread. How are you doing? Hopefully if you're two weeks in you're over the worst of the side effects (if you had them)...

Hi chuff chuff thankyou for asking. Yes I think the worst of the side effects are over. It was prescribed for anxiety which feels a little better but I feel more low since being on it and wondered if that was usual?

Welcome to everyone new :)))
Will, I definitely felt lower for a while when I first started on sertraline too. It gets better. Sertraline exaggerates symptoms.
I've been away from this tread for a while, started counselling and busy with work, kids etc. hope everyone is well. How's it all going pandora these past few days? Hope you're feeling better, less weepy.
Was wondering if anyone had any advice for me please. Been on sertraline for 12 weeks now and was wondering if it was normal to have ups and downs still with anxiety. It seemed to have levelled off and over the past week and a bit is there in the backround. Worse at different times though. It's getting me down today.

Will I think that's quite normal, I felt more low the first few weeks then I started to see an improvement after about 6 weeks on it. I'm actually a bit gutted that I've had to stop as my mood was so much better, even other people noticed and were commenting on it. Hang on in there.

I'm okay thanks Mouse, still feel a bit down but not quite as bad. I missed my dose last night as I fell asleep (am supposed to take it before bed), I've done that a few times now so I've got to try and stop it. I had a bit of sleep paralysis last week which was strange, I could see my door being opened and banged shut several times, I started asking them to stop then realised I was in the house on my own. Rather eerie but I was kind of aware that I was asleep at the same time. I've found that the mirtazapine makes me feel really drowsy about an hour after taking it but I still struggle to get to sleep, which is frustrating. My appetite has definitely increased and I've gained a bit of weight but other than that I'm doing okay re side effects. No nausea or anything thank goodness.

I'm struggling a bit this week, as we have a visitor, so I'm not having peace and quiet as usual. I feel like I want to hide away.

I'm not due to go back to see my gp for 6 weeks, however, I feel really low, despite now being on an increased dose of 150mg. My gp mentioned lowering my dose soon. Is it possible that ads aren't going to work for me? I really don't want to change to another sort and go through all the side effects again I like the fact that sertraline has helped with my anxiety.

The situation at home is awful, maybe that is the sole reason for my depression and no tablets will help. However, I really dislike myself too. I've not been offered any therapy and can't bring myself to ask. My gp seems to think all is fine - whilst my gp was on holiday I saw a different gp and she suggested changing to a different ad, when I went back to her I said I maybe felt a bit better so she wouldn't prescribe something different I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm so stupid.

on top of all that my dh is driving me mad and I'm questioning my marriage, my children are being fairly awful and I don't know how I'll pay next month's bills I just want to hide away

Hi carrie - really sorry to hear you're feeling so crappy .

I don't know what to suggest - although I agree that if you're not happy with your home life, no tablet is going to 'cure' those feelings until the situation changes, although the tablets should still help take the edge off things and help with your anxious feelings, I would have thought. Do you think you're still feeling better than you were before you were taking the tablets at all?

I would forget about reducing the meds for now, or maybe make an appointment with the different GP again and talk about if the one your on is really working for you - I would have thought that 150mg is a big dose to still not be working properly? And if you don't feel able to ask the GP about therapy, have you tried any online? There were some links for some good online (free) CBT on the old thread, I will have a look for them.

I still just take 50mg; maybe sometimes I do feel I could do with more, but I still have side effects and feel quite zoned out sometimes, I don't want to feel any more out of it than I do already! My GP mentioned reducing after six months, but I don't feel at all ready to do that yet - I still feel a bit up and down, although generally I do feel better than I did at the start so I cling onto that thought!

And I know it's easy for me to say from the outside, but its really hard to be objective about things like relationships, your marriage, etc, when you're feeling crap anyway. So I think you really have to try and put thoughts like that on the backburner for now and tell yourself you'll see how you feel about those things when you are feeling better in yourself.

Hope you start to feel better soon

ChuffChuff, I know you're right about not viewing things objectively at the moment. It's just difficult to sit there, feeling so miserable.

I don't know if I feel better than before taking the tablets. I think I feel less anxious, but I'm still very down and our situation is worsening, not improving, due to our very low income and mortgage arrears we now have.

Yes, free online self help would be useful.

Thanku for the reassurance Pandora and mouse.
Pandora I hope you are sleeping better and remembering to take your tablet. Would an alarm set on your phone help?

Mouse I was on an ad 6 years ago not sertraline though. I do remember still having ups and downs a few months in especially if stressful things going on. It is all part of recovery process and does take time.

Chuff chuff how are u generally now as u have been on it a few months now Havnt u? I guess it all depends how bad things get before we started the ad and what's going on in our lives.

6 years ago I was much worse but this time I think I caught it before spiralling too bad.

Sorry I somehow managed to miss the last few posts chuff and Carrie and didn't read ur messages til I posted.

I agree chuff chuff. Although we can't always control the difficult things that might be going on in our lives the ads can help give u strength to face them and try deal with things in a more healthy way. Tackling the small things when we feel up to it can help.

Also chuff chuff u will know yourself when u r ready to come off ads and gp's recommend 6 months at a minimum so Im sure there won't be any pressure on u to come off them then especially if u don't feel ready.

Thanks will, having a bad day so need to hear its normal (ish) in this situation. Hope you are feeling a bit better today , well done for recognising how you were feeling and doing something about it

Thinking I may need to visit GP and discuss if I need to increase my dose. Apparently 50mg isn't considered a therapeutic dose but I have up until this week felt ok. Really confused and unsure what to do

Sorry to hear you are having a rough time carrie

carrie a couple of good ones for cbt online are moodgym and livinglifetothefull ( not sure if they're .com or whatever bug if you google them it gives you a link).

will yes I've been taking sertraline for six months now. Generally my anxiety is better, sometimes non existent. And my hideous, miserable pmt has all but disappeared, which is pretty amazing after years of it! Six months ago I was in a bad way, didn't want to go out unless I had to and a complete bag of nerves. Now I would say I feel like my old self 80% of the time with the odd bad day here and there. I am only taking 50mg and a, in in hurry to stop - my go has suggested I continue taking it long term anyway, even when I feel 100% better, but maybe just a half dose! to keep my pmt at bay.

mouse what was it you were told about 50mg not being a therapeutic dose? I've not heard that before.

Bloody crap typing - I meant I am in no hurry to stop....

Carrie how r u, hope u feeling a little better?
Chuff chuff sounds like the meds are doing well for u on the whole so that's encouraging.
I am struggling today as having some minor surgery for a melanoma on my back this pm. This is second lot of surgery and they have said I will be cured following this. I will have about 12 stitches and won't be able to pick my daughter up etc for couple weeks. Anxious to get house all sorted beforehand. Better get on with it and ignore anxiety if I can!

Oh will - to be fair, I think anybody would be stressed out by that...

Think ahead to this evening when you're sitting at home with a cuppa feeling all relieved that it's over

Afternoon, good luck with this afternoon will. Have wine/chocolate on standby this evening to celebrate been over and done with.

Chuff, I was on another thread yesterday chatting about my woes and someone mentioned that 50mg was considered a starter dose and her CPN confirmed this. However, I was on it 2 years ago for 18 months and it worked wonders for me then. Hence, why I'm now wondering what's going on this time. Felt hugely worse 2 years ago so confused. Clearly you are doing ever do well on 50mg so that's wonderful

Thanks Chuff Chuff and Mouse.
Mouse perhaps it's worth another visit to ur gp if u feel they are not working so well this time. How long have u been on 50mgs? It may just be a blip but if u feel it's going on too long then I would discuss it with gp.
I'm back home now and no pain yet from surgery yet as numbness not worn off yet. Feeling low though but it's early days for me I guess and to be expected after today.