Sertraline buddy required!!!

[Vml12345]

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

I'm not too bad...@Vml12345 thank God I'm on the tablets though. I've some anxiety over it but I think only the same as everyone else!

Hi everyone! How are you all coping! I’m not coping well. My anxiety is through the roof and I’ve got a slight temperature so worried sick I’m coming down with the virus ☹️Xx

Oh no! A lady I know from school has it she’s okay tho. You may not have and will probably be fine. I’m okay...glad I’m on the meds but I now have new worrying side effect...easy bruising, more nosebleeds than normal and the medication I take for my heavy period has stopped working. Doctor really dismissive as I’m ‘an anxious’ patient. I am now! It’s a known side effect of SSRIs but he wasn’t having any of it and they aren’t doing blood tests atm. I’m more worried about developing something else which might land me in hospital at the moment than the corona itself but then if I developed symptoms I would be just like you....worried sick especially after latest news on Boris tonight!

I know, poor poor Boris.. can you not get your gp to request a full blood count to look at your platelet levels? Sounds like thrombocytopenia which is a side effect of ADs. This is the problem at the moment with GPs, they are not as accessible due to virus. People still have other issues which need action. Hope you get it sorted xx

I’ve rung them again this morning and spoke to another GP. As usual all up to me to decide...do I want to risk a blood test at the hospital? Do I want to switch to a new tablet? Do I want to lower my dose? Do I want to take hormones? I’ve opted to try the lower dose...

Has anyone experienced tinnitus as a side effect? Apparently it's rare, but I've just upped my dose to 100mg and I've had this constant ringing in my ear ever since. Will it go away or is this my background noise indefinitely?

Hi, can I join? I'm desperately trying to get some help and advice.
Been on sertraline since mid November starting at 50mgs for 4 weeks and although I definitely felt some improvement I felt I could be better so GP upped me to 100mgs. Stayed on that 8 weeks and still could be better although definitely calmer a lot of the time. Upped to 150mgs after 2 weeks on 125mgs.
6 weeks now on 150mgs and definitely much calmer with more energy, but still a bit of anxiety, negative thoughts and a flat feeling. I keep hearing that once you get on the right dose you have to judge efficacy from there and it could be up to 12 weeks before I get complete recovery. Anyone else got a similar story and can give me reassurance? Thanks

@Eilidh2203 I started on Sertraline same time as you before swapping to escitalopram but same type of medication. I still get relapses especially at time of the month when my hormones are low and I'm still more than capable of anxious and negative thoughts....what I would call residual anxiety. I think it's normal. You're never going to get a complete cure and especially at this time, us anxiety sufferers will be more prone to it. There's a useful section on relapse on 'it's just a feeling' website. If you aren't already, try self help strategies like mindfulness apps and anxiety workbook type books. If you're feeling a definite and considerable improvement I'd say it's worked as much as it's going to? If you still feel bad though you could ask to swap to a different SSRI.

@Hairydogmummy thanks so much for that. I’m trying to persevere as I’ve invested so much over the last few months on the drug. We’re you also titrated to 150mgs? After how long did you swap to Citalopram? I think I’ll give it another 4/6 weeks as I have read a few reviews on drugs.com that say can take months not weeks if you need to try different doses. You’re right though, maybe this is as good as it gets! It’s just when you read these reviews saying how amazing they feel, confident and happy, I want to be back there.. so I’ll keep going and see. I’ll let you know if I see any significant difference. Thanks again xx

I went up to 100 on the Sertraline for 7-8 weeks but it gave me terrible diarrhoea. Now on 10mg Escitalopram which is the equivalent dose. My anxiety was very severe with lots of physical symptoms, not all of which have gone away. I have also hit it with self help stuff too and I do think both are important. Try not to pay too much attention to reviews. There have been times when I could have written that sort of stuff and times when I've thought it's not worked. I think everyone's different and it's such extraordinary times just now. Even people who have never had MH probs will be developing them now!

@Hairydogmummy thanks. Yes I know what you mean about reviews and I did exactly that! I've probably written 4 reviews over the last 5 months when I was feeling amazing.

Hi all,

I have posted on this thread before but under a different user name. I've just come on to check in as I'm having a really horrible relapse of anxiety and it's awful. I'm going to have a look at the "it's just a feeling" website but yeah. It's awful at the moment.

I'm premenstrual, I guess that's not helping, and I think this pandemic/lockdown is giving me far too much time to think awful stuff. It's worrying because I was feeling absolutely in control of it and now it feels like it is back in the driving seat. So fed up!

@SubtleInnuendo yeah it's awful isn't it? I have terrible PMS at the moment too. In fact being off is definitely giving me more of an insight into how my hormones affect my anxiety. Are you still on Sertraline?

I totally know where you’re coming from. Aside from what’s happening just now with the virus, it’s very much a case of two steps forward and one back. How long have you been on it and what dose? I had terrible relapses along the way during the first few months but so many reviews say this is normal and persevere as it gets better. That’s what’s happened to me. I’d a couple of spectacular meltdowns after I was titrated up, but it’s temporary. I’m 6 months on now and have gradually gone up to 150mgs. You need to keep going until you find the right dose. I am so much better now I feel fabulous and bizarrely I have no anxiety round the virus which is not like me! The sertraline journey can be a challenging one, then you start to feel better and better. I would speak to your GP and see if they’ll give you a little diazepam? And/or propanolol? I’ve had to use both of these over the last few months. I really feel for you but reach out to your GP, they’re seeing more people with anxiety now than anything. Hang in there and keep your chin up xx

@Hairydogmummy @Eilidh2203
Hi both. Yeah I’m still on sertraline and I’m on 50mg. I’ve been on them since November. I feel really down today and have only woken up half an hour ago which for me is a classic sign of depression. I always have this cycle of days of (health) anxiety followed by days of depression. But like I said earlier, I have PMT and we’re in lockdown with my employers making noises about going back (which is far too soon imo and is also giving me anxiety.)

I am going to see how I am after my period and if it’s still bad I’ll speak to my GP.
I don’t have major anxiety around the virus - no more than anyone really but only because I’m home. If I go back to work I won’t be able to cope I don’t think.
Thank you both for your replies x

Hi, I would definitely ask to be titrated up to 100mgs as you’re still symptomatic. 50mgs is a low dose, sure 100mgs will be a lot better. Xx

Hello. Just wanted to say I've got an appointment to speak to the GP tomorrow as the anxiety has definitely worsened. I'm having really bad physical symptoms now as well - palpitations and ectopic beats, which I've had checked out and nobody seems concerned but when it's your heart how can you not be concerned?!
So I am definitely going to ask about a dosage increase. This is probably stupid but does anyone else have different brands dispensed? I have Lustral and Milpharm and this big dip has happened whilst on the Lustral ones. Do you think they're different? Probably not but it just feels weird.

Hi, that’s rubbish for you. I had horrible feeling of palpitations and GP prescribed small dose propanolol which really helped so ask for that. There shouldn’t be any difference in the drugs tbh. Lustral is the branded name and sertraline is the generic version, same drug just not branded, and it’s made by various companies ie Milpharm. They have to go through strict quality control. What dose are you on and for how long?

I’m still on 50mg and have been since November. They worked at that dose for a bit but honestly feel so anxious and low. I feel utterly trapped in my head. Just did an online test and my anxiety is ranked as severe on that so definitely need something to change. Can’t wait for this appointment but also anxious about that! Arrrgh so fed up of it all!

Suffering too here, severe anxiety for the last couple of weeks.

I'm not on medication was on sertraline for a while but came off it last year.

If it's any comfort you are not alone. This mad situation globally is having a stress impact on us that we cannot see and sometimes it takes a while to build to a point where it breaks out as anxiety.

I'm going to give it a while longer before I think about restarting medication and try and get some good sleep, exercise and decent food, it takes a while but it does work.

Also consciously stoping yourself from the 'inward' thoughts and getting the thoughts to turn 'outwards' seems to stop the spiral, easier said than done I know xx

Why is your GP not titrating you up? I’ve gone from 50 100 now 150. 50 is the lowest therapeutic dose. Don’t let GP away with not upping your dose. Good luck xx

Well tbh this is the first time I will ask to actually increase the dosage as I’ve been fine. I’ve also started thyroxine so that was another thing we were waiting to see if it would affect my mood. So I’m sure she’ll be happy to increase but I suspect she might want to get the ectopics looked into as well.
Also thanks Umbongo1 it does help to know there are others out there struggling. Oddly I’m not too worried about Covid particularly. It’s there but it’s more the chaos of the situation that’s affecting me. Bit sick of “until further notice” as it’s still the unknown!

Ok. Thyroxine could be causing your ectopic bests.. that’s more likely, do they tie in with when you started it?

No, the first time I had them was new year which was before I was on them. But they are worse now.

Ok, well try propanolol10/20mgs . It’s a tiny dose but effective. Your GP should give you them unless you’re asthmatic xx