Sertraline buddies?

[OnlyGodKnowsWhy]

I started sertraline 2 days ago and I am having a horrible time 🙁 I was hoping there might be others out there starting up too that would like to chat and support each other. I'm a lone parent and only have my mum.

Feeling a bit calmer. Dh sorting dc out. Don't think I can continue. I was prepared for side effects but not this bad. If I was advising a stranger I'd say stay on them and have actually given that advice before, but this was so bad!

Mushroomburger17 you can stay on them. Honestly, you can. You've been on them before and they helped you didn't they?

This is second time round for me and the first week was horrific. The anxiety was spiking so I was constantly breaking down, phoning anyone and everyone. I lost a lot of weight, wasn't sleeping and was convinced the tablets wouldn't work for me. I was a lone parent with the four kids and only had my mum for support, it was seriously rough. But I knew I had to stay on them as the alternative was giving up and staying in the miserable state I was in.

The side effects tail off relatively quick. I think you should speak to your gp and go to 25mg for the first week. 50mg is a lot to start with. You can do this and we are all about for support too.

Thank you but I don't think I can do it. I don't know which way to turn. Everything's a mess.

You can do it mushroom. First day I took mine I felt like that. It does get better quickly

Thank you but I'm not ready for this. Have a full day planned with the dc and am lying in bed feeling awful.

Can I join please, i started taking sertraline last year for post natal anxiety and OCD but came off it after 2 weeks because the side effects.

I was due to go back to work today after the end of my maternity leave but I ended up having a panic attack and couldn't leave the house.
I thought I was better but in reality I've just been staying in the house and avoiding doing anything that causes me anxiety.

So I'm back on 50mg and hoping the side effects are more manageable now I'm out of the post birth/ new born haze.

Hi back2workanxiety well done you for giving sertraline another go. The first two weeks were horrible for me but by the third, most side effects were gone and I was starting to feel benefits. I think it takes real bravery to push on with them as anxiety is just awful and to feel worse seems counter productive but the benefits are amazing when they kick in.

Mushroomlover17 how are you doing now? I always take sertraline literally before I fall asleep, so for me between 12am and 1am. I always rationalised that I would sleep through the worst during start up and I honestly think I did. When we are unwell, it is so important to put ourselves first, not easy when you are trying to run a family but without taking time out to help yourself, you can't help anyone else. Get as much support as you can and remember, many, many people are on sertraline and most of us have gone through some horrible start-ups. Yet here I am, back on another run of them. You can do this.

Thank you for the support. I'm feeling awful still. I suppose it's like a massive hangover. I read that a tablet is in the system for 24-36 hours and it's been 24 hours now. Just need a solid few hours sleep.

I just wanted to say that I don't want to deter anyone else from taking sertraline. I've taken it very successfully in the past and it worked very quickly and completely transformed my low mood after having the dc. I successfully came off them too, by tapering as slowly as possible. The only slight side effects whilst taking them were a slight feeling of nausea on waking that soon disappeared, a bit of restless leg and a few nightmares.

Good luck to everyone

Hope you are feeling better today @mushroomburger17

Yesterday wasn't too bad I took my first tablet about 2pm I then got a really bad headache and felt really drowsy, I ended up sleeping on the sofa for 2 hours.

So today I'm going to move my tablet to later in the evening.

Feeling like a bit of a failure as a mother and a woman at the moment.

Back2workanxiety the best mothers and women always feel they aren't good enough. It's the depression talking, negative thoughts over and over again. It takes a strong person to seek help and a strong person to take antidepressants. It takes a strong mother to do what needs to be done to be the best they can be for their child. Mental health is no different from physical health. Our brains are delicate organs and life can be very tough at times. Like all of us on this thread, you are unwell and taking medicine to make you better. That does not make you a failure.

I was jittery this morning and found it hard to leave my room but I did it. I actually found it a great distraction doing hair and make up etc. Got tight chest feeling back which is rubbish but am making myself cry which seems to ease it.

You're not a failure! You know that meme that says anxiety is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign that you've been strong for too long? I do feel guilty that I've not been interacting with dc these past few days but that's the way it is sometimes. I'm just approaching it that I'm not feeling well at the moment.

Evening all, how is everyone getting along?

I think I'm much recovered now but I'm going to hang around as long as people don't mind, just know what it's like for start ups etc and hate thinking of anyone struggling on their own.

Thank you for kind words

I'm now on day 3 today and so far it's been ok I seem to remember the worst side effects hitting about day 7 last time and i quit on day 10, dh is keeping more of an eye on me this time as well which is helping.

I've had 2 days at home alone while dd has been in nursery which has helped give me some head space.
Side effects so far drowsiness, headache, burning feet which I get anyway since pregnancy but is worse .

Back2workanxiety well done, 3 days closer to getting the benefits. It was the same for me, day 7-10 was the peak of side effects, i was such a mess the doctor prescribed me diazepam but I was too scared to take it. After day 10, things began to improve. If the side effects hit again, hang on in there, you can and will come out the other side. It's good your DH is keeping a close eye, reassuring. Each day is another day closer to feeling better.

Thanks @onlygodknowswhy that's what I keep telling myself, I've woken up to an increase in intrusive thoughts this morning, I also feel more anxious generally

Keep reminding myself that it will get better

I know it's hard but try to see the increase in anxiety as a sign that the tablets are actually doing something. The general idea is that if you experience side effects there is a high chance the tablets will work for you. Another day closer. I got lots of light puzzle apps on my phone to distract me in first week or so, puzzlerama is good. Anxiety cannot hurt you, it just doesn't feel nice.

Hi, I am just about to go back on sertraline (going to doctor today). I was on it last year but came off it earlier this year, but the feelings of anxiety and worry have come crashing back and I feel like I can't cope. I hate being like this and feel like it will never go away, I have lost all sense of perspective and am worrying so much especially about my job and no matter what anyone says to me I feel that they don't understand and that what I'm worrying about will definitely happen and I'm so upset that I'm back in this space again. I'm not eating or sleeping which doesn't help. Feel so low. I just wanted to get these thoughts out in a safe space where other people might understand them.

Sorry to hear you're having a bad time. What is it you're scared Of? Have you tried counselling too? Ads and counselling together is the best method. It sounds like you know what is triggering your anxiety.

Hongkong5 I remember those feelings so well, its a horrible place to be in. I was also heart broken when I relapsed. However, like you, I quickly saw the GP and went back on sertraline. Within 2 weeks I was feeling a bit better, by a month back to normal.

You won't feel this way for long, it's most definitely temporary.

Thank you for replying, I did try counselling but I stopped it recently as I didn't feel it was helping, I felt like it wasn't practical enough for me. I'm thinking I maybe need to try CBT? Work is definitely the worse trigger for my anxiety, sometimes I'm totally fine and then other times I find myself totally weighed down by worry and anxiety and it comes on so quickly. I don't know sometimes if it's really the job or me and I'd be like this no matter what job I'd have. Confused, am hoping going back on sertraline might help but I know it's not a permanent fix

That helps to know OnlyGodKnowsWhy (I don't know how to highlight user names!) that you started to feel better in a couple of weeks

I think CBT would be worth a try as it would be good to get to the root cause and get it sorted or try a different counsellor. The tablets Will give you a cushion in the meantime.

I know I need to do things to help myself but I just want to curl up in a ball until I feel better

I know! Its awful. I've been the same this week which is how I found this thread. I'm loving my bed and watching constant Netflix. I've been out these last few days but couldn't imagine that last week. Been having awful panic attacks. Just started with a new counsellor who has talked me through some work issues and we're now moving onto the biggie which is a bereavement. It's helping. It's bloody frightening feeling like this but it will pass.