Sertraline buddy required!!!

[Vml12345]

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

@trysleepingWithABrokenHeart I'm sorry You felt so bad this morning.. it is awful just horrible I never experienced anything like that before.. unbelievable what our mind can do to us!
I will tell you how I get on tomorrow
Wish u all the best

@Mimimi1029 so sorry you're going through such a horrible time. Sounds like you should def try something else. My SIL and niece are both on Escitalopram and really like it. @Vml12345 I think you need to give it more time...they do say takes longer for anxiety than depression. I'm also taking turmeric which is meant to be fantastic for lots of things including anxiety. I'm wondering if it's helped me avoid side effects for the most part? Still feeling anxious though. Today's not been great if I'm honest but I think I'm pre menstrual which might explain it. Also DH was quite hard on me last night over something and it was my first full day of teaching for ages yesterday. I'm starting to worry it's not working even though it's only been 10 days! Convinced myself I had breast cancer this morning so clearly the health anxiety is waiting in the wings!!

I talked to a few pharmacists and docs I know and almost all of them suggested taking a low dose of amitriptyline (or another SSNRI) either on it's own or along with the SSRI (sertraline, fluoxetine etc) to ease the side effects .. obviously I haven't tried it myself so can't speak from experience but it might be worth considering if you are struggling 2 much!
I know it's not great to try millions of things as no one really knows the effects but when you are so hopeless and desperate for help I think it is worth a try...
Seeing my GP tomorrow.. will let u know how it goes

Hi I was on sertraline 200mg for 3 years for extreme anxiety it saved me. Felt better through the summer this year and felt I know longer needed it so weaned myself off. Now 3 months later I'm as worse as ever have a complete feeling off dread keep imaging some sort of disaster is going to happen and we won't see Christmas. Doctor put me back on sertraline just 50mg I really hope I can get over this can't sleep or eat.

@Mimimi1029 I’ve been on sertraline 14 days and it’s been a roller coaster to say the least! First week the side effects were horrible... nausea,headache, jaw clenching, no appetite and Terrible anxiety! The anxiety is still there but I believe it takes time so am trying to stay positive. My health anxiety And OCD seem to have ramped up but the key is to believe that things will get better and this is only a phase!!! Hope you get on ok with GP today xxx

Day 3 without Sertraline today.. feel a bit better thank God! But still anxious and worse than pre meds..
Waiting for the GP..
Will update

Ok been to the GP..
A bit disappointed.. she refused to give me amitriptyline and she didn't really give me amy advise she just asked me what I want. Well.. i don't know I want to get out of this misery that's what I want! She gave me Citalopram.. very hesitant to take it though

Oh no mimimi, that’s frustrating that she wasn’t more helpful.

Can you book in with a different GP at your surgery for a second opinion on things?

I think when starting AD’s you need to prepare yourself for a tough couple of weeks. Your brain needs to go through a process of adapting to the drugs. If I were you I would try them but it’s totally your call

Yes I think I will try them but I will have a good think about it for a few days and decide depending on how I feel..
Now I wanted to ask you all a question regarding the sertraline or probably even the depression / anxiety itself..
While on sertraline I started to have intrusive thoughts and I felt not myself I was very disoriented blurred vision and "spaced out" (depersonalisation) and I kniw a lot of people had that.
Now I stopped taking it but I still experience that and that makes it even worse.. as if the med completely messed my brain up..
I have intrusive thoughts specifically about going completely insane!! I picture myself locked up in psychiatry with schizophrenia or whatever menatl illness and my kids taken away from me.. I know it sounds absolutely insane but this is just my anxiety from taking the meds.
I just wanted to know if any of you feels similar.. I know it sounds absolutely crazy but I am so scared of the effects on my brain lol..
OMG just a few weeks ago I had an absolute normal and happy life loving motherhood traveling going out with friends and now I sound like some psycho from some Hollywood movie lol

I've been on Sertraline for 7 years now, at 100mg. The first 10 days were horrible, as is the first few days now if for whatever reason I don't take them for more than a couple of days (not on purpose, either ill, didn't realise I was at the end of a pack, left them at home by accident when going away etc. Life happens.) Heart racing and really loud and near the surface, absolute non-stop brain talk, twitchy, panicky. Seriously wanted to come off them, was frightened they were actually causing damage. But I'm so glad I stayed on them, after trying so many finding one that actually works well for me is amazing. Well worth sticking out the opening side effects, if you're struggling. Best wishes!

FWIW, tried citalopram (no side effects, but didn't help symptoms either) mirtazapine (was pretty good at regulating symptoms, but made me sleep 10 hours+ a day, no use in my job), fluvoxamine (absolute nightmare, rapid weight gain, constant nausea, constipation like I've never had before or since.)

Hi, I’m on my 5th week. 3 weeks at 50 and 2 weeks at 100. 3 weeks I felt nothing, if not worse. 2 weeks a little worse again and I think they may only be starting to level out now. How’s everyone else?

I've recently had to stop Sertraline after 2 weeks as I developed ringing in my ears which got progressively worse during the second week, kind of annoying as I just got through the awful bit and I think it was starting to work. Am now on Paroxetine (4 weeks in) which seems to be working for my anxiety.
Mimimi, it sounds like Sertraline really doesn't agree with you. The spaced out depersonalisation definitely sounds like a sound effect that will pass but it takes a while to get out of your system.

oops side effect not sound :-)

6 weeks on them today. Wasn't feeling much different so the gp upped them to 100mg on Tuesday. I think they might be starting to work now

The thing is I really feel like I need the AD's at least to get me through my PND.. but I am so scared! I never want to go through that hell again ever! But at the same time maybe citalopram works for me.. I just don't know what to do..
Anybody here tried different ones and did they habe similar side effects or was one better than the other?

@crisps75 did u have bad side effects in the beginning and how was it to switch?

I am sorry for the moaning lol I am just so new to that whole thing I never was depressed or really anxiois before amd certainly not on AD's and I had so much hooe when I started taking them (a bit naive too) and now all hope is gone and turned into fear

Don't apologise @Mimimi1029, I think a lot of us here have been in the same boat! No advice as such, just huge best wishes and positive vibes. Finding an AD that works for you can be an absolute minefield. Keep in close contact with your GP, don't let them fob you off and make sure they know what's going on with how you're getting on, but also make sure you listen to them, because they should know when the temporary side effects become a red line rather than something to power through. Good luck!

@Mimimi1029 I've had a lot of what you describe but not side effects, just from anxiety itself. Horrendous intrusive thoughts...the worst things my brain can think of to think, disorientation, feeling kind of confused, not quite there as well as physical symptoms...night sweats, insomnia, shakes, dizzy, numbness, palpitations clenching muscles all the usual stuff. Hopefully for you if you've not felt like this before it's hormones and will get better anyway? It's incredibly scary. I was very anxious after giving birth 16 years ago which is the last time I was this bad and am now early peri menopausal and I think part of my problem is hormones. Really hope for you that you'll be better when you're through the pnd. Just watch out for changes when you get older. I feel rubbish today. My period is due so that always makes me feel awful with or without Sertraline!

@hairydogmummy thank you for the support..
Yes I think a huge part of it are hormones but it is unbearable really I never ever felt like that never had anxiety or depression.. now it's horrible.. the sertraline had a really bad effect on me and even though I stopped taking them almost 5 days ago I still feel much worse than before..
Today I gave in amd took my first 10mg citalopram! I am so scared but there is nothing much to lose at that point..
Will see how it goes

I just want my 2 beautiful children to have their mummy back!

I can imagine @Mimimi1029 if I wasn't used to anxiety and went from zero to this all of a sudden I would be scared stiff too. When you've had it for years, it becomes the norm and then it gets worse, then that's the new norm and so on until you do something about it. Are you in therapy too? It does help, as do websites like anxiety uk and I posted a link to another one below. I use the Calm app on my phone and Moodfit app good too. Hopefully the Citalopram will work but if not there are others to try. It often takes a few goes and rubbish side effects unfortunately

How is everyone today?

I’ve made it to day 14 which feels like a bit of a milestone

Couldn't sleep at all.. nimb feeling in my left arm heart racing and shaky -.-

Just trying to wake myself up and force myself out of bed so I'm not late with the tablet. That's the problem with taking in the morning. I'd normally sleep in at the weekend...and I hate eating first thing. Day 13 for me. Not sure how I feel really! Okay I guess don't think I feel better or worse than I'd normally feel when I'm pre menstrual. Which is exhausted, anxious, jittery and like I'm coming down with something. Maybe I am though...DH not well so may be getting a bug.