Sertraline buddy required!!!

[Vml12345]

I’m in day 2 of taking sertraline and could really do with some support as feel horrible 😕

Morning everyone, day 17 for me and still feel the same as before I started! No better no worse really! I’m still getting these muscle twitches but GP isn’t concerned, said either anxiety or sertraline related and not MS which is what my health anxiety suggests!! I’m the same, can’t be bothered to do much and feel low. Disappointing as really thought I would start to feel some effect by now! I appreciate it’s early days, GP said to give it three more weeks rather than up the dose yet so fingers crossed! Xxxx

@Mimimi1029 I hope you are able to have some rest today

@Hairydogmummy your post has made me wonder, should we be taking the tablet at exactly the same time? I have been aiming for 6 but a few days have ended up taking it as late as 8.30. Do you think that will have a negative effect? Maybe I need to set a reminder on my phone.

@Vml12345 I totally understand you feeling disheartened. Hopefully you’ll start seeing results soon though and if not, have the dosage adjusted in a few weeks.

I’m okay today. Mega tired again and I do think the tiredness is easing my anxiety a little.

Day 12. Haven't updated in the last several days as my business got flooded and have been dealing with that. Luckily I have manager and team onsite so can do most of things thru phone and email. As I am on my own with two kids and def cannot take them to a containminated site.
Therefore you can imagine I had several melt downs, between phone calls and meetings. Feeling like the world is against me.
As for the med. I have been manage to sleep till 4-5am, so have to say it is either the side effect easy or Diazepam working. The morning panic feeling is shortened than before, but still having horrible thoughts during it.
I've switched med time from evening to morning three days ago to avoid sleeping problem.
I generally feeling worse than before med. But they do say when take AD you will get worse before better.
Physical side, racing heart, shaky, fatigue, clenchy jaws, not much improvement.
Hope you all are keeping well. Although I know it is difficult. xx

@Vml12345 I incline to stick with it for a bit longer as it does say might take 2-6 weeks to see the effect. I guess we are just not the lucky ones see the effect fast.
@TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart I don't stick with the time that accurately. Normally is just after breakfast. I don't think a couple of hours difference would have big impact on the effect.
@Mimimi1029 I can feel your pain as I too have two kids, although a bit older, but I have no family close by and my husband works overseas. Most of what you describe is similar to my experience. The anxiety and depression that used to be kept under a self-control lid, seems to be overflowing now after med. Talk to your GP as mine gave me Diazepam to counter the reaction and I think it might be working at least at some level. I have clear minded time now comparing to when first started. So although feeling awful I am think of stick with it for a bit longer. Come to talk here helped so much and I hope we can support each other thru this.

The other thing is my body is craving food but I just can't get myself to eat I literally have to force myself which is kinda sad because that means I can't enjoy lunch/dinner with my family..

• I came down with a bad cold.. So sad.. I can cry at a touch of a button

@jellybeanpeach sounds hard but we are all in this together you are not alone! I am struggling 2..
I hope we all feel better soon..
I am quite young and I can't live like that for the rest of my life so I will fight it with whatever is necessary and be happy again

I'm on day 12 and have had a bad couple of days. I think it's been because of having to drive to visit a friend. The driving made me very anxious and stressed, it doesn't normally but it has started to feel like a risk somehow. But now I'm home I feel better. I just want to feel normal again, anxiety is bloody exhausting.

@TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart I read that it has a half life of 22-24 hrs so it's already at 50% max strength in your blood stream then if you wait even longer it drops significantly. I felt awful last weekend after delaying it 1 hour but that could be coincidence. I imagine the longer you take it the less it matters but don't know.

@mimi1029 My GP said to just stop the Sertraline and start on the Paroxetine the next day. The switch went ok and Paroxetine seems to suit me better. The only annoying part is I haven't had Sertraline for 4 weeks but still have the ringing in my ears

Previously I was on Citalopram 20mg for 17 years (for depression) and worked well without any of the horrible side effects I had with Sertraline. Unfortunately it didn't really work on the anxiety I developed when I was made redundant so I switched but I was happy on it for a long time.

Sounds like ppl have similar symptoms to me on here so I should join, anyone had ok periods for even years then back at square 1?!

@IdClimbHimLikeATree I totally empathise with the driving thing. I was so daunted by driving an hour and a half fora day trip with DS that I had to get my dad to drive us. The thought of doing the drive, the day on my own and back wasn't something I thought I could do yesterday. Wasn't a good day. Today I feel better though!

Yes@Mumma1984 I've been like that ever since I was a teenager. The okay bits have got fewer and further between as I've got older though!

@jellybeanpeach so sorry to hear about the flood! You're being so brave soldiering on like that. I think I'd fall to bits if I faced any challenges at all at the moment. Good on you

@Hairydogmummy Yeah it was making me really shaky and stressd. It was the distance I think as I'm fine doing my shopping and stuff.

I feel sort of OK today. I was thinking that the sertraline can't really turn off the actual thoughts that pop up in my head though. They are the main things I want rid of.

@jellybeanpeach I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been affected by the floods. How unfortunate. I hope you’re feeling a little better and that it’s not going to be too costly to resolve it all.

@IdClimbHimLikeATree I hope you’re feeling a little better. I’m quite an anxious driver anyway so completely understand you on that one.

I just wanted to let you all know that I’m on day 15 and I’m feeling quite good today. I genuinely feel like some of the fog has lifted. I don’t want to jinx it by speaking too soon but things just feel a little better somehow. I’m hoping that in the next few weeks I will experience more of this feeling and I hope you all do too.

How is everyone getting on?

I have to say I'm on week 5 or 6 now ... I haven't noticed any difference as yet, is that normal?

@Mumma1984 - just in case you're worrying like I did, week 5 was the worst week for me out of them all! It's as if I hit some sort of wall and felt like nothing was working/I was going to get better. I've seen a lot of posts where others have said the same thing. Am three months in now and feel much better x

It's funny ( not funny haha though unfortunately) because I posted that I was feeling ok this morning, then this afternoon my heart was thudding away, I was sweating, googling symptoms again over and over and really having a dip. I feel a bit better again now. It's just exhausting.

I was feeling okay most of yesterday, quite good even, then I woke in the night in a sweat and couldn't sleep the rest of the night! Had intrusive thoughts quite a bit today. I'm hoping it will stop the thoughts @IdClimbHimLikeATree I believe it does in a way? I've certainly had days where I've not had any tendency to have the thoughts until it's occurred to me that I've not had any and then they pop up...

Hi how are you all doing so far? I am not feeling great but the worst effects of the sertraline are gone.
Just wanted to share something with you if you are interested check out DOUGLAS BLOCH on YouTube.. very informative and helpful from what I habe seen so far..
He had the same experience as me with an SSRI amd he gives useful tips to cope with depression / anxiety

He had akathisia (shaking restlessness panick brain talk intrusive thoughts etc.)after taking prozac followed by a deep dark crippling suicidal depression and he came out of it without the help of drugs..
This is exactly what happened to me and it's not fun, take your meds with caution..
He also suggested to avoid this from happening get a pill cutter and increase your dose VERY slowly just as you would when tapering off..
Just wanted to share that with you

I am in day 3 citalopram by the way.. side effects not fun very fatigued but can't sleep heart racing and just kind of zoned out zombie feeling.. hope it gets better

It is not the drug for everyone though.

Week 5 here and last week I was very up and down , been a lot better this week but my sleep is shocking !

@speakout
Yes I know I am aware of that.. but everyone can benefit from these things no matter if it's related to the drug or not

I've changed the med time to morning now but it is still affecting my sleep badly. I went to bed 9.30 last night and woke up mid-night and never got back to sleep. I can't even tell now my depression and anxiety is because of the side effect or extreme lack of sleep.