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Original poster

Sertraline for anxiety?

119 replies

ItchySeveredFoot · 24/03/2020 17:21

Has anyone else used it for anxiety? I've suffered my whole life with extreme feelings of anxiety and feeling really down. I've managed it by not doing anything. I avoid doing lots of things and didn't really finish school and don't work. I've annoyingly been too anxious to seek help.
Today after having a panic attack last night i finally reached out and am feeling quite proud. I told the doctor how I'm feeling and she suggested antidepressants. They're coming in the post as we're quarantined at the moment. I'm just really nervous as I've never taken anything before. But totally desperate for something to work. I feel like I'm wasting my life. Has anyone had positive results?

OP posts:
babasaclover · 01/04/2020 17:51

@lottieloop does the melatonin help you sleep? Did you struggle before you took the setraline to sleep?

katmarie · 01/04/2020 18:07

I'm on 100mg sertraline for pnd and it's done wonders for my anxiety. When I first started taking it my anxiety symptoms did ramp up for a few days, I felt really wired, on edge and slightly nauseous. But that passed within less than a week, and for me the insomnia only happened the first night. You need to give antidepressants 4-6 weeks to really take effect, and for the side effects to ease off, although as I said, I was fine within a few days. I dont feel groggy or dopey or detached or anything like that, just a calmer, more positive, more evenly emotioned version of me. If you can ride out the first week or two, you should hopefully start to feel better.

If you're really struggling with the side effects, you can start with half a tablet a day and build up. You dont need to go for the full dose straight away.

lottieloop · 01/04/2020 19:13

@babasaclover yes the melatonin does help assist sleep - hugely for me.

I struggle to sleep on a non school night, it's as though my mind & body needs a good day of being active otherwise I struggle to shut off. I have always struggled to sleep on a weekend but no issues dropping off when I'm working mon - fri full time & it's been like that before & after the sertraline for me.

If you was considering the melatonin I would look at 5mg dissolvable in the mouth & you can snap them in half to provide 2.5 mg if you find you don't need the 5mg. I don't get any kind of groggy head the day after either.

babasaclover · 01/04/2020 21:39

@lottieloop thanks so much for the advice. Where do you get them from please? I have telephone appointment with GP Monday to see how I'm going if I need it prescribed but would love to be able to buy some now if poss

lottieloop · 02/04/2020 08:03

@babasaclover as far as I can remember I've never bought them from the UK. I buy mine from health stores in the US from Ebay. Also I've asked my doctor for them & they was reluctant to prescribe as they are only prescribed in exceptional circumstances - something to do with them not being fully medically studied or something. But a lot
of people do use them & the US has different medical laws & they can be purchased freely over there. When I was seeing a therapist for my anxiety he shared with me that he took them too. I found that the doctors here will try to steer you towards meditation & doing wind down activities before bed instead & would avoid trying to prescribe it & discussing it as a possible solution. So I took it upon myself to buy my own as my anxiety spirals when I'm tired.
I will post a picture of the ones I take. I go through stages where I will just sometimes take them on a Sunday eve ( as I always struggle to sleep after the weekend & before the start of working week ) with the current situation ( corona ) my anxiety has spiralled so I'm taking the melatonin every night now ..... so it can be taken with sertraline as I've never had any issues with taking both.

lottieloop · 02/04/2020 08:08

These are the ones I take @babasaclover

But if you do a google search you will find other companies outside the UK that sell them such as

www.biovea.com/uk/product/detail/21518/dhea-50mg-180-capsules--melatonin-3mg-180-capsules-value-pack/?deptid=1&cid=22596&mid=0&kw=

This store also sells the Natrol ones I buy from the US

Happy to help @babasaclover x

Sertraline for anxiety?
lottieloop · 02/04/2020 08:09

OP how are you doing today?

Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 02/04/2020 09:33

I'm feeling a lot better. Still slightly spacey but felt well enough to join my daughter for p.e. again. I'm hoping to take the kids for a short walk later. I haven't left the house since the 22nd of March. I really appreciate the support on this thread. It's really helping.

OP posts:
katmarie · 02/04/2020 10:13

That's brilliant op, I'm really glad. The exercise and fresh air will only make you feel even better too.

Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 02/04/2020 11:49

Well it wasn't a very relaxing walk. A few people weren't bothered about keeping their distance and my 3yo whined all the way home. I felt quite anxious I think partly because I'm feeling a bit spacey on the tablets.

OP posts:
Wimpeyspread · 02/04/2020 11:59

I have been taking this about a year - I would say it took about a month to settle down with it, I had to take it in the evening at first as it sent me to sleep! I now take it in the morning with my other meds, and no side effects at all. Do persevere - it takes a couple of weeks to have effect, and a few weeks to settle down with you, but for me it works well now

Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 02/04/2020 14:04

My mood is very up and down today. Hard to have quiet time with the kids always home.

OP posts:
TwoCatsSleeping · 02/04/2020 18:05

I'm feeling very tired since I upped my dose. Thought I'd give it one last try today but I almost fainted in the post office. I feel a bit scared because I've gone so tired that I feel I won't wake up if I go to sleep, it's hard to explain but I don't like it.
Going to go back down to my low dose tomorrow. Feel like I've been wasted a week trying to increase it, side effects have been awful.

Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 02/04/2020 19:10

That sounds awful TwoCats. Hopefully dropping the dose will help.

OP posts:
91BlackCat · 03/04/2020 01:40

Sertraline did not suit me at all. I hung in for 6 weeks but my GP suggested trying another one as the side effects were awful.

lottieloop · 03/04/2020 07:42

Oh @TwoCatsSleeping that sounds awful x

Maybe you increased in too high of a jump, say increasing from 50mg to 100mg for example - I would have increased to 75mg for a few weeks ( by cutting the 50mg in half ) then increasing to the 100 mg. you have my sympathies as I know how horrendous the side effects were when I first started Thanks

OP how are you holding up?

IamDisappeared · 03/04/2020 10:25

@ItchySeveredFoot keep going! It's worth it in the end! Cake

Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 03/04/2020 10:59

Didn't really sleep again last night. Slightly dodgy stomach as well. But I'm feeling quite positive today so maybe it's working.

OP posts:
Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 05/04/2020 19:27

Struggling a little. I feel good in the morning and then afternoon hits and I'm just exhausted. Do you think this will go away?

OP posts:
Spied · 05/04/2020 19:44

Following your thread.
I have had health anxiety 3/4 years.
Was prescribed Sertraline a few years ago but refused to take them as I was worried about side effects. Managed to get through with CBT and was feeling much better until this virus hit us and now I'm back to feeling like I'm on the edge of panic constantly.
Am going to ring GP and ask about Sertraline again.
Thanks for sharing your experiences of taking them.
Wishing you well.

IamDisappeared · 05/04/2020 20:42

@ItchySeveredFoot keep going! sounds like you are starting to emerge from the worst of it.

IamDisappeared · 05/04/2020 20:45

Apart from the tiredness etc. How is your anxiety?

Original poster
ItchySeveredFoot · 05/04/2020 22:28

The anxiety has definitely calmed down a little. My dp says I seem calmer. Although I did have quite a panicky moment during dinner. It's just the thought of what are we gonna do tomorrow and it's just the same thing every day.

OP posts:
katmarie · 05/04/2020 22:46

OP I have had that same panic and I find it very hard to deal with, with a 2 year old and a 5 months at home all day every day. So I've treated it like a project, and made a mini plan for every day we're in lockdown. It's not a rigid plan but each week centres around a letter from the alphabet, and I've searched pinterest and other stuff online for ideas of what to do. This week we're up to letter C, so on my list of activities I have among other things, cake making and decorating, cooking, colouring, making crocodiles, cleaning (trying to teach ds some basic life skills as we go along!) I've researched lots of activities and mixed up new stuff with stuff I know they already like. Basically I'm dipping into my list each week so I know monday will be cakes, Tuesday will be cleaning etc. It means I dont go to bed thinking oh god what will we do tomorrow, or have ds parked in front of the tv all day. I have a kit of things to choose from and I'm adjusting as I go along with what works and what doesn't. If I dont have a plan the anxiety would probably overwhelm me, so this works pretty well for me.

IamDisappeared · 08/04/2020 14:05

How's it going OP?