Sertraline buddy required!!!

[Vml12345]

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

@Vml12345 I've not had a good day either in the end. I've had less intrusive thoughts but just feel on edge for no real reason. I don't know whether to just go up to 100. GP said I could cos my anxiety is severe and probably have ocd too but seeing as am also having good days am going to try to get through a bit longer and see if I can improve more consistently. This thread is so helpful. I put it on my gratitude journal on the Moodfit app!

Can someone please explain to me what an intrusive thought is as I don't know what is going on with me i keep getting urges to Google and I can't control it it's as if I am intentionally making myself worry

I get that too @irrationalrainbow that's what anxiety does and it makes you worry you'll never be rid of it. It's like it nourishes itself. Intrusive thoughts are when a thought of something really horrible, upsetting or disturbing comes in to your head and you can't stop it. As I said my GP also thinks I have OCD... I think it's pure OCD which means I force myself, I sort of feel compelled to think upsetting things and can't stop it. I don't do repetitive actions or anything. This website explains intrusive thoughts

www.itsjustafeeling.co.uk/obsessive_thoughts

I do t think google is necessarily a bad thing btw. It used to be bad for me in that I used to google symptoms which would then tell me i had a terrible illness as I had/have health anxiety. Now I use it for reassuring myself eg I always put the rational explanation before the symptom in the search eg 'anxiety palpitations' or 'perimenopause brain fog'. If you're anxious about nuclear weapons you could google 'anxiety about nuclear war'. I did that for you and got this

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/lifehacker.com/how-to-deal-with-your-apocalyptic-anxiety-1797843348/amp

It can be really useful to turn it round like that.

It really is awful I don't see how the sertraline is going to help stop me worrying about it though

I know what you mean and I'm not saying I'm better because I'm definitely not, but on my good days, it doesn't occur to me to worry or think about the things that I normally would. Or I start off thinking about then but then I just think 'yeah whatever can't be bothered with that thought' and move on. It's weird how it works but it does. I'm just not sure if I'm getting enough good days. There's always the chance this particular SSRI won't work and we'll have to try a different one though I guess.

How long have you been on them now hairydogmummy and what dosage? I can't remember the last time I had a good day this really is like a loving hell in my head

Anybody actually feeling better than they were before starting the medication?

I'm on 50 for 4 weeks today. I'm probably still having more bad days than good though. I'm going to give it a bit longer and go up to 100 I think. There's people on the 'today I took my first Sertraline' thread who've been on it longer and had success.

@irrationalrainbow I've been on it for about 3 months and starting to notice a proper difference now. Am having a mixture of really good days and not-so-great days, but compared to how I was at the start that's real progress for me. Even on the not-so-great days I'm able to be more accepting of difficult feelings and thoughts - intrusive thoughts still come in but I don't dwell on them as much and generally my self-talk is more optimistic and constructive. Saying that, I'm also using a CBT workbook called Mind Over Mood, which is helping me to think about the ways I think negatively, and stand back from negative thought patterns and start to change them. Most days I feel functional enough and some days much more than just functional. My anxiety has decreased, but I also notice my typical triggers and tell myself to relax and think of alternative thoughts to the usual scare stories I tell myself. It really helps. As for side effects, I'm almost up to two weeks on 100mg and have had headaches some days, tiredness, not sleeping great some nights, low appetite some days, not feeling like doing much some days. But overall I'm hopeful that things are changing for the better and I take the tablets regularly and most days set myself small tasks to achieve something (even if sometimes that's just keeping my flat tidy and preparing food, brushing my teeth, doing some reading).

Could someone please assist me on this symptom I keep shocking people when I touch them has this anything to do with sertraline?

@irrationalrainbow

I've looked at the list of side effects of sertraline and that's not on it. Some people complain of brain zaps when coming off it, but not what you describe. How are you feeling today?

No electric shocking today but still no better went and seen my pharmacist as couldn't get an appointment and he said to ask the doctor about buscipone ( don't know if that's how to spell it) he said I could take along side sertraline untill it works but I'm not so sure I googled it and it takes 4 weeks to work x

Update after 4 weeks review at the GP's. He reassured me about the med working on anxiety faster than depression. So my feeling of less effect on mood lifting is normal. Up my dosage from 50mg to 100mg.
The weird thing is I couldn't get to sleep till 2am last night and even then woke up a couple of times till 6am. Physically, I am tired but mentally I am more clear headed than anytime in the past 4weeks.

That's good to hear meds might be starting to kick in for you now. 🤞

Have you started on 100 @jellybeanpeach xx

I was told to either take 75mg or take 100mg and 50mg alternately for a couple of weeks then 100mg if feeling ok. The GP was slightly cautious as side effect were quite severe when I first started the med.
I slept till 6am this morning, which is again first time in the past month. So everything seems to be improving.
Hope you'll all see the effect soon.

I’m seeing GP tomorrow but I’m going to stay at 50 as I’ve seen that for some it can take up to 12 weeks to see any improvement. I also had severe side effects in the beginning and I can’t face that again just yet so keeping my finger crossed xxx

I am on day 8 and although I had a real lift in mood initially and at the start of the week today has been exhausting. I have felt so anxious as as if I have had too much coffee - my thoughts are going at a million miles an hour and I’m suspicious of people’s motives. My doctor said that initially the medication can amplify the way you’re feeling I guess it must be that? I’m so tense! I have jaw ache from clenching my jaw but I don’t notice until it’s a bit sore.

I hope others are having a good day xx

I think I'm going to go up to 100 on Saturday as I'm still having some really bad days. I don't feel like it's a slight improvement I feel like some days are much improved and others just as bad. I just want to leave it till the weekend in case I get side effects. Though I didn't really when I went on them only the anxiety symptoms I was already getting.

Dr wants me to go up to 100 but I want to wIt until after Christmas! I’ve felt exhausted the last few day wonder if that’s a side effect? Xxx

Monday I have a medication review and I'll have to tell the doc I stopped taking it, I hope I don't get told off! I didn't feel any less anxious after 6-7 weeks and I had tiredness and terrible jitters - just made me feel awful if I'm honest but now I'm unsure if I start a different anti anxiety medication or just hope the CBT helps, which btw has also not been that helpful! The woman even said to me I'm not sure if it will work... great!

It's only health anxiety I have no other anxieties but medication is a difficult one because it can cause the side effects that create a vicious circle!

@Mumma1984 I’m on week six and feel no better. I’m exhausted and still got health anxiety! I’ve lost weight and convinced I’m ill with something bad. Dr wanted to put me up to 100 but I can’t face feeling the horrible start up effects! I was so hopeful this would work... I’ll stick it out though as it took me a year to pluck up the courage to take the drug in the first place so got to carry on. Anyone else take longer than six weeks to feel the benefits xxxxx

@Vml12345 it made me lose some weight too, actually the only perk I got! The jittery feeling was the worst bit for me it was like an internal shaking - but it stopped as soon as I stopped taking it!

Don't give up @Vml12345 ! Let's take 100 together! I know it's easy for me to say cos I didn't get bad side effects but doesn't mean I won't when I go up. 50 is a low dose. I don't think that many people manage to stay on 50 especially with severe anxiety. Are you using self help as well? I use Calm and Moodfit apps and a workbook. I used a really good health anxiety one when mine was bad it was called 'overcoming health anxiety'. Why not resolve to take 100 tomorrow and order a book from amazon and download an app? I've gone a little downhill today from where I was yesterday and am not convinced 50 is doing anything for me as I'm almost 5 weeks in now. I've lost weight too and my hair is really thin. We're here for each other on this thread and if Sertraline doesn't work for us, I'll start the 'Citalopram buddy' thread, then we'll do 'Fluoxetine buddy' until we're all better!!