Sertraline buddy required!!!

[Vml12345]

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

@IdiotInDisguise I was thinking of trying that....was it expensive? Or maybe hypnosis?

I don't know how I'm feeling really. Not too bad I guess. Far fewer intrusive thoughts but still getting the odd really horrible one and it's still bothering me.

Sorry to hear that @TrySleepingWithABrokenHeart I had similar at the occupational health. It's really unfair. I'd definitely consider going up to 100. I've done a week now. The tiredness is quite bad but that will hopefully pass.

I think they are £50-£70 depending on the area but I took advantage of an employee savings scheme and paid far less than that.

Not sure about hypnosis, I understand it is not advised if you are suffering even mild depression. I had a course of NLP years ago when I was getting very nervous at interviews, worked a treat. Tried again a few years later and came out feeling an anxious mess, worst part of it is that the feeling stayed with me for months even when I was feeling ok before the session.

Just found this in the BBC website, leaving the link here in case anyone finds some use in it www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/Bpz8L9TdMP8sY0BYN11BWT/top-tips-for-overcoming-insomnia-and-anxiety

Hi everyone, just took my first sertraline last night. First time for taking meds for my anxiety, OCD.
I took it right before bed as I hadn't slept the night before, due to huge fight with DH, I'd hoped I would sleep through some of the side effects.
Had a hard time waking up, hope it was just the lack of sleep. Now I'm up I feel a bit odd, like not quite in my body.

I've never had side effects from anything before, do they last all day or do some only occur soon after taking the med?

Hi @M4shy welcome! You might find side effects last up to a couple of weeks...but might not as well! Everyone is different so far as I can gather!

I'm having a real dip today. Not been able to go to work. Feeling really anxious last night and this morning. Now I just feel really down and fed up with worries coming in and out. It's 6 weeks today and 11 of those days on 100mg. Worried that Sertraline isn't going to work for me after all and I'll have to start all over again with something else.

@Hairydogmummy that's how I felt hun - I went to see my doc expecting her to try and up my dosage of switch brands and she just said they don't work for everyone and stop taking them so I'm taking nothing now!

I’m still on 50 and doing ok apart from the diarrhoea! Waiting until after Christmas to think about going up to 100 xx

I did speak to a pharmacist today who said it can take three mo the to settle into sertraline so 6 weeks is not that long @Hairydogmummy.. hang in there and hope you feel a bit better tomorrow xx

Thanks @Vml12345 I was feeling really upset before so that's reassuring. It's probably a combo of PMS and not being on the higher dose v long yet. Really hope so. I still have the diarrhoea too.

@Mumma1984 I don't think I'd manage with nothing at all so hoping they put me on something else if worse comes to worst.

I think they would if you said you wanted to keep trying for sure - my doc was led by me in a way im the person who refuses to take a paracetamol when I have a headache - health's anxiety thing I guess - but I'll tell u I was on fluxotine for a very short time a few years ago and that was better than Setraline for me!

So I've made it to day 6 and obviously seeing that it is 4am and been awake since 2:30 the insomnia is in full swing...although it could just be the good old anxiety...my mind is racing!
I'm due at work today (I'm only part time but I'm constantly battling in my head whether to go in or not. My GP offered me a note to reduce my hours when I started the tablets but I said no I'll be fine...now I feel my anxiety spiralling as I'll have to call in sick, I know that as I'm pregnant my sickness doesn't count but I still worry
Other than now being exhausted, I've had a bit of nausea and feel like I'm forgetting my words/train of thought sometimes, it's been okay. Can't say I'm thrilled at the thought of increasing the dose next week though!
Hope you're all hanging in there and not awake at this awful hour!

Hi everyone, I’m still suffering with bad diarrhoea, gp has told me to stop the sertraline! I’ve been on 50 for seven weeks and he said just stop no need to ween off but I’m now worried about withdrawal! Anyone got any experience of this and is it bad 😕xx

@Mumma1984 how was it for you when you stopped the sertraline? Xx

@Vml12345 no symptoms at all stopping for me! Just symptoms when I was on it, if your worried could u do half a tablet a day for a couple days?

I've set myself of worrying about reading a thread called 'terrified of MS' on the general health section - had two gins to try and calm me down - so sick of worrying about that stupid illness with nothing helping!

I’m convinced I’ve got bowel cancer because of this two weeks of watery diarrhoea! I’ve spent the day googling so. The sertraline is doing nothing for my health anxiety!! @Mumma1984 was dose and how long were you taking it!! I think I’d be better coming off as I’m certainly no better on it x

@Mumma1984 health anxiety certainly sucks doesn’t it! Enjoy your g and t and hope you’re feeling ok x

@Vml12345 yep I was certainly no better on it! Oh I had a bowel cancer few weeks last year, turned out it was sodding piles after birth. STUPID HEALTH ANXIETY! I was on 50 and for 7 ish weeks :)

@Vml12345 hope you are too, did you have a Trigger for your HA?
I had a GP app where she was so nice to me, she recommended a book and chatted and said the pills don't work for everyone and said my symptoms do not follow MS clinically and if I didn't have anxiety she would do the same ( she is prob also reassured I have already had a clear mri 6 years ago and that's when symptoms were at the worst!

@Mumma1984 I’m not sure what triggered it to be honest. Always been a bit anxious but got far worse after I had children! I spend hours googling symptoms looking for reassurance! It’s horrendous. I don’t feel the sertraline has helped and has just exacerbated the anxiety as I have terrible diarrhoea now! I just hope that stops when I stop the sertraline! Did you just stop or half a tablet? Xx

@Vml12345 I just stopped - tbh I kept bloody forgetting to take them! Yeh I'm not sure if I'm worse after birth, but I've been through HIV worry for no bloody reason, herpes, cancers breast and bowel and then MS has just been a constant after seeing someone die from it ... just horrible and every few years or less I get a overwhelming period of symptoms and worry and every time the doc says it anxiety!

@Mumma1984 I could have written that I’m exactly the same with the health worries, I’ve had anxiety for years about hiv until I got pregnant and they test you! I’ve had breast, cervical, bowel, brain lymphoma, MS you name it! It’s feel so awful worrying about these diseases when there are so many living with them who seem so strong! I’m embarrassed of my health anxiety and feel like a fraud but it totally consumes me! Tomorrow no more sertraline, I think I will try something else as I really need to get a grip of this for the sake of my family xx

@Vml12345 yeh I agree it's so hard isn't it! I feel better knowing others think the same and at some point I have to listen to doctors because what is the alternative! I'm doing CBT but I don't find that helpful yet ... don't know what else to try I guess! I had a fibroadenoma in pregnancy that's what started me on the breast cancer worry but I'm so preoccupied with ms now I'm not worrying about that ! I find some things trigger as well like stories of ppl being diagnosed etc

Guess we have to try and get over it for our kids :( I want another next year and I hope they never get my anxiety! I'm very careful not to over fuss when it comes to my kids health!

I tried CBT but it didn’t work at all! I understood the principles but couldn’t put them into practice! I also hope my boys don’t get my anxiety hopefully they will take after my husband who is the complete opposite to me 😊 and nothing fazes him x

@Vml12345 omg mine is so the same - he's like well - just worry about something when it actually happens - he reckons he gets aches / pains / tingles / headache blah blah and doesn't worry about them unless they persist etc tells me just to listen to the doctors etc - I wish I was a non worrier!

I know it sounds so selfish but I don't worry about anyone else's health the way I worry about mine!