Sertraline Buddies #2

[Umbongo1]

For anyone starting out on this drug...

Hi all, haven’t posted in this section before but could use some advice.
I’ve been on 100mg of sertraline for quite some time For anxiety/ptsd and I’ve really struggled with excess sweating (I’m not usually a sweaty person but Its visibly dripping down my face at the slightest exertion, very noticeable and mortifying) I’ve also completely lost my previous healthy libido.
I moved house at the weekend and had run out of tablets, I was foggy and dizzy but I’ve been without them for 5 days now and although I can feel a bit of anxiety creeping back in, I’ve not been sweating even with all the heavy lifting and I actually have an interest in sex all of a sudden.
I’m wondering what to do next. I need to speak to my gp but would my withdrawal get much worse if I carried on with my accidental cold turkey? Would a slow transition from sertraline to citalopram be a more sensible move?
I’m returning to work at the weekend for the first time since March and will need to wear gloves, plastic apron, mask and visor and glasses all day. I could cry at the thought and it will be so embarrassing if I’m sweating like I have been.

Sounds like you have a ton of stuff going on @Shitonthebloodything - moving house and returning to work!
I think you need to talk to your GP about the issues you’re having, sounds really horrid. Good luck with work this weekend!

@Shitonthebloodything - I went cold turkey on sertraline when I forgot to take them on holiday with me last year. I went for 2 weeks and I felt fine...until I came home and I had some weird withdrawal symptoms. I had brain zaps and my vision would go a bit wobbly for a few seconds especially first thing in the morning. It lasted about 6 weeks but was manageable. GP suggested I restart and wean off but I'd gone without for 3 weeks at that point so persevered. I think the 2 weeks of no withdrawal was because I was happy and relaxed on a beach. Perhaps if I'd done it at home, maybe not so much.
But like you say, my libido came back with a vengeance much to my DH liking!
Have a chat with your GP.

How is everyone else doing? Terrible sleep last night but it's my second night without Zopliclone. I'm in a very light sleep and my eyes flick open all the time. I feel like I haven't slept and wondered if I actually had?? Also been having really awful dreams about being chased by evil. Had 3 in a row now.

Hi I'm 4 days in to 5 sertraline - am sweaty and not much appetite. The most distressing symptom is waking at 5 ultra anxious and then not able to go back to sleep. I feel v jittery and have a headache. I lie in bed listening to DH sleep and get v agitated that I'm awake!

I've taken sertraline before and after about a month this went and it worked well. But my brain is tricking me into thinking the side effects won't go and I'll feel like this for ever.

Would just be good to chat to those who have had similar experiences.

Thanks for the replies, I had a phone appt with a gp which wasn’t super helpful but she said if I’ve not taken them for 5 days then there’s no point restarting to wean off. She’s given me 10mg of citalopram with a view to increasing at some point so I’ve gone from 100mg of sertraline to 10mg of this. I’m guessing I’m in for a bumpy few weeks.
I’m very tired and doing things at snails pace. Feeling really anxious about going back to work tomorrow, it’s been almost 6 months since I’ve worked and I’m pretty sure I’ll have no idea what I’m doing then add on the ppe and lots of social interaction after being in my little bubble for so long and sorting the new house out. It’s all a bit overwhelming.
Going to need to sit in a dark room tomorrow night I think!

@Shitonthebloodything I went from 20mg citalopram to 50mg sertraline, had a very rough first two weeks! Every side effect goung! I’m at 8 weeks now on 75mg and starting to see some improvements eventually! I did hey Diazapam from my doctor to help through the increased anxiety good luck xx

Hey all, Had a massive anxiety episode again last night. I'm on 50mg and was doing well but I think it was triggered by the following:

1. away this weekend with friends and kids. My bedroom and hubby became my comfort for the last few weeks and couldn't bring either of them with me so had a melt down.

2. has the first stage of root canal on Tuesday and was in pain so was on 6 x 30mg of cocodamol for 3 days. Apparently that heightens anxiety.

3. I have this stupid sense of being responsible for everyone...even people who are very capable so somewhere in my stupid brain I felt the pressure of making this weekend away a fun one.

4. haven't slept properly for 3 nights as weaned off Zopliclone.

So I phoned the GP half way down the motorway and asked her for more diazepam and Zopliclone which she had sent to the local pharmacy where we're staying.

I have noticed that despite feeling better than I did before, I still can't take too much "busy" stuff.

Hi Sertraline buddies. I've been on this (50mg) since the end of October and I have to say my life has improved ten fold. I was in a horrible place with anxiety, rage and I've been so much happier and more rational since I started taking it.

Has anyone else noticed weight gain? I know it's a common side effect. I'm certain I've gained weight, I was 8 months post birth when I started taking it so I hadn't shifted all the weight as it was. But I feel like I'm really podgy at the moment. My diet hasn't been great, but I swear my metabolism has slowed down and I've put on much quicker than before.

Hi @tempnamechange98765

That's great feedback! How long was it before you started to feel great again?

I'm 7 weeks in and had a "blip" on Thursday followed by a jittery weekend. GP mentioned an increase in dose but I'll wait it out another couple of weeks and see how I go. Don't want to go through the side effects again from a dose increase. Plus I don't want to have too hard a withdrawal when I'm ready to come off. She did say the fact that I'm not sleeping well without sleeping pills is a sign that I'm still anxious so I may not have any choice. I can't take sleeping pills forever.

I haven't noticed weight gain. Quite the opposite in fact. My appetite has been completely suppressed and for me that's not a bad thing!

Mariposapink honestly I genuinely felt better after a couple of days. Very very quick.

@tempnamechange98765 - that's good to hear. Glad it worked so quickly for you.

Can I join in? I've been feeling really alone in my journey with this, DH is absolutely fantastic but he's never experienced anything like this.

I've been taking 50mg for a little over a week now, not really had much in the way of side effects thankfully, although I've had a few days of feeling more anxious than my usual. It's not as bad as I was at my absolute worst (I've had OCD, anxiety and depression for well over 10 years now) my anxiety had been more controlled than this for a while now.

Just starting to get over the disturbed sleep they gave me to start with.

Hi all

Do you mind if I join you? I’m not on setraline personally but my partner is, and I’d love some advice and to understand a bit more what he’s going through.

He’ll be on week 3 Tuesday. They seem to have stopped him being so manic now, and he’s hit the sleepy phase. Gone from no appetite to eating everything. Gone from being on the cross trainer everyday to not being fussed. His moods still very up and down, he seemed fine this morning then suddenly turned and went withdrawn again.

He’s off work at the minute as he panicked while driving a massive truck on a motorway and had to pull over. He was sent home the next day.

He’s only left the house 3 times since he came home 3 weeks ago (normally works away) every time he leaves the house he panics and breaks down in tears shaking.

It’s horrible to see him like this 😢 I hope the setraline helps soon. Doc suspects acute anxiety.

Hope you are all okay today ❤️ Although should I not say that, I don’t know what to say that won’t offend him 😢 when I say oh u seem to be a bit more like your normal self today maybe the tablets are starting to work, he’s not happy. He doesn’t talk much to me about it all 😢

@BumDiggyDiggyDiggyBumDiggyBum

Hi all

Do you mind if I join you? I’m not on setraline personally but my partner is, and I’d love some advice and to understand a bit more what he’s going through.

He’ll be on week 3 Tuesday. They seem to have stopped him being so manic now, and he’s hit the sleepy phase. Gone from no appetite to eating everything. Gone from being on the cross trainer everyday to not being fussed. His moods still very up and down, he seemed fine this morning then suddenly turned and went withdrawn again.

He’s off work at the minute as he panicked while driving a massive truck on a motorway and had to pull over. He was sent home the next day.

He’s only left the house 3 times since he came home 3 weeks ago (normally works away) every time he leaves the house he panics and breaks down in tears shaking.

It’s horrible to see him like this 😢 I hope the setraline helps soon. Doc suspects acute anxiety.

Hope you are all okay today ❤️ Although should I not say that, I don’t know what to say that won’t offend him 😢 when I say oh u seem to be a bit more like your normal self today maybe the tablets are starting to work, he’s not happy. He doesn’t talk much to me about it all 😢

It can't be easy to be the partner of someone going through this type of thing. My husband has been my carer for the last 4 years so has had a lot of experience with it all but he struggles sometimes.

These sorts of drugs take 4-6 weeks at least to start having an effect (other than side effects effects anyway!) it can be an awful lot of up and down before reaching stability, especially as they can increase anxiety to begin with. I think letting him lead the conversation on how he's feeling because often there's small things that makes us seem a little better on the outside but we're still in the grips of it.

I'm only just coming up on two weeks taking Sertraline myself so I'm a little behind your DP in that regard but I really do hope it's an effective treatment for the both of us. Has he increased the dose of medication yet? That can cause the same start up side effects to come back a little bit, or even different ones.

Thanks for replying @Mousey07

He’s on 50mg right now, the doc is calling him every 2 weeks to check how he is. She prescribed the zop sleeping tablets to help him sleep, but no propranolol yet. He has his parents, brothers and friends he talks to which is good, just hurts a bit that he won’t open up to me really. But whatever he needs to get better, I’m not going anywhere.

I have some health issues and have worked part time from home for a while now. I’ve told him he’s not to think he’s to rush back to work. If this is going to be long term he can have a turn at the easier job, and I’ll go back to work full time but he’s adamant he’s going back to his own. See what happens.

It helps to hear other partners struggle sometimes. I just want to make him feel better, I feel so helpless. And it’s very lonely. I worry about leaving him alone too much, and he’s stuck in his own head not talking most of the time.

Anyway, it’s him that matters right now. We’ll get there :)

Hi am bumping this thread in case anyone has recently started Sertraline like me...

Switched from Fluoxetine - halved that for a few days, then a few days with nothing, then 5 days on 25mg Sertraline and today first dose of 50mg.

First two days definitely affected my bowels but that calmed down. I've been taking it after breakfast.

Yesterday felt very irritable and slight headache. Today big headache. But there's also lots of stress in my life at the moment so impossible to know what's life and what's the Sertraline.

I really, really need this to work. Have ptsd, depression and major anxiety. And disabled ds, separated from bipolar ex dh.... etc etc ..

Hi, can I join?

I’m into my third week of sertraline 50mg. I feel so awful today, just so sad and tearful. Had my two week check in with the GP who said if I can handle the side effects to stick with it for another two weeks.

I just want to know that it’s going to get better and all this will be worth it. I just want to feel normal and not so broken. I feel like I’ve got all of the physical symptoms of anxiety without the thoughts.

Hiintheway sorry to hear you're feeling so sad today. Sounds really tough.

I totally get what you mean about not feeling broken - i have same thoughts much of the time.

I've generally been told the first 3 weeks are the worst. It def took me 3-4 before side effects of fluoxetine calmed down when i started it years ago, but it was worth it in the end.

Has your GP offered you any propanolol or diazepam to help with the anxiety in the short term - i know lots of people have found that useful for the first few weeks.

I'm only on day 2 of 50mg (took 25mg for 5 days). Feeling very low. But there's plenty of shit going on in my family to cause that so might not be Sertraline!

Take care.

Thanks @colouringindoors, everyone keeps telling me it gets better and it’s worth it, I hope they’re right.

Sorry you’ve got family stuff to contend with, if only we could take a day off from all that s**t.

Take good care of yourself. X

yeah i know, i remember and sometimes it's not much consolation! thanks x