Just contacted GP and so proud

[LindaEllen]

I've suffered with anxiety (and depression that I think stems from the anxiety) since I was about 18 and I'm now 30. It's never been debilitating but it certainly limits the way I live my life.

For goodness knows what reason (as I'm not actually feeling too bad at the moment!) tonight I finally got the courage to send an online consultation form to the GP.

They're not doing face to face at the moment so I guess I'll either get an email reply or possibly a phone call.

But either way I'm really proud of myself.

I think one of the reasons I've not done it so far is that I'm scared whatever they suggest won't make me feel better - and then I have no options left.

Does anyone have any success stories of finally telling the GP and then getting treatment that really helped them improve their lives?

Hopefully this time next year I'll be able to say happy Christmas and really mean it!

@Perry114a

Hi there - Ive just posted about my positive experience :)

Thank you so much! I've just had a read and I'm so glad it's working for you. Have you stayed on the same dose? I'm on 50mg as well but the GP did talk about maybe raising it, but I don't know whether we'll wait and see if 50 works or if we'll just raise it anyway.

@LindaEllen To be honest, I feel that I don't need my dose increasing and Im happy to stay on 50mg . Alot of people post that it does take around 4-6 weeks to feel the effects. Only do what youre comfortable doing :)

For anyone following and concerned about potential side effects - period started this evening so can't blame the sertraline for anything I've experienced today! (And possibly yesterday too!)

I mean, maybe the slightest bit of nausea at times. But I'm still sure that's psychological 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Hi op,
So glad to see this thread pop up in active threads.
Was driving to town on monday evening and thought of you. When i got hone the thread had disappeared from my 'im on' section and i had a look around but couldnt see it.
Glad the gp appt went well and you have started on your meds.

@Thesagacontinues

Hi op, So glad to see this thread pop up in active threads. Was driving to town on monday evening and thought of you. When i got hone the thread had disappeared from my 'im on' section and i had a look around but couldnt see it. Glad the gp appt went well and you have started on your meds.

Aw thank you so much! I'm happy I did it, & while I have a long way to go, I'm closer to being better than I was this time last week!

Much better sleep for me last night. I went to sleep at midnight (that's early for me!) and woke up at 7.30. Stayed in bed for a little while but didn't go back to sleep, and got up much earlier than normal. I have been known to stay in bed until lunchtime, spending almost 12hrs in bed (largely in lockdown as there's not much else to do!) and I'm starting to realise how bad that actually was. I'm not sure if it can possibly be the effects of the tablets yet, but my sleep overall seems better, and I'm more awake in the day.

Not why I'm taking them, but a nice enough side effect for now.

Feeling a bit grotty but that's due to time of the month, not sertraline!

Just taken 4th tablet.

I noticed my heart started beating faster as soon as I took it, which made me suspect any symptoms I've experienced have been psychological as obviously no tablet can do anything before it's even hit your stomach haha.

I think taking these is such a big thing for me as I've struggled with my anxiety for so long, and sometimes the enormity of the situation hits me.

If these can improve my life and allow me to function properly it will honestly change my whole existence - in ways I probably don't fully appreciate yet, given I haven't felt normal at all in my adult life!!

Have been wondering how you're getting on. Stick at it! You're doing brilliantly.

Good to hear it's going well OP.

I'm the opposite - day six on Fluoxetine and I'm waking up at 3/4am and unable to drop back off until 6. Then my alarm goes off at 7!

@middleager

Good to hear it's going well OP.

I'm the opposite - day six on Fluoxetine and I'm waking up at 3/4am and unable to drop back off until 6. Then my alarm goes off at 7!

I don't think we truly realise how important our sleep is to us until our routines are disrupted! I hope yours settles. I guess it will when you've been on it a little while longer.

I'm feeling a bit 'meh' today. Headache, tired, anxious. Keep reminding myself that it will pass and it could quite obviously be sooo much worse.

Trying to keep myself busy and drink lots and lots of water. Would go out for a walk but we've got a delivery coming 'before 10pm' so I'll go if it shows up any time soon!

Pleased to hear you're hanging on in there @LindaEllen

I'm two weeks in now (I think) and today has been my best day so far. My head hasn't hurt for a few days, not feeling sick or too anxious and I've managed to do things I've been hopeless at over the last month or so. I know it might not last. But it's a nice reminder of how it can be. My problem is overdoing it when I have a moment of feeling well... So going to lounge for the rest of the afternoon. Everyone else can fend for themselves!

Have a good weekend everyone x

@mrsdiddlydoo

Pleased to hear you're hanging on in there *@LindaEllen*

I'm two weeks in now (I think) and today has been my best day so far. My head hasn't hurt for a few days, not feeling sick or too anxious and I've managed to do things I've been hopeless at over the last month or so. I know it might not last. But it's a nice reminder of how it can be. My problem is overdoing it when I have a moment of feeling well... So going to lounge for the rest of the afternoon. Everyone else can fend for themselves!

Have a good weekend everyone x

Really glad you've had a good day! Fingers crossed it's the start of them really kicking in for you.

I'm not too bad but had to go to bed yesterday as my head was absolutely banging. It's okay this morning! No idea if it's the tablets as I do get headaches anyway. But that was a bad one!

I seem to be feeling better than I was. My side effects haven't (so far) been bad, but I had lost my appetite a little, felt a bit sick, struggled sleeping, and felt a bit more anxious. I'm tired today but feel okay.

I have noticed that sometimes when I go for a wee, I get a sort of pressure when I've finished. I can't explain it. It's not pain, just pressure. As if I'm desperate to go, but I've just gone. It's not every time, mostly at night. I'm drinking plenty (purposefully, so weeing frequently) and there's no tummy/back pain etc. I've had it before and it went away on its own so I'm hoping it's just a coincidence that I'm having it now while on these tablets - as it'd be a shame if I had to stop them, as I seem to be tolerating them well. I've had a bit of a search on Google and it said they can cause urinary retention and a couple of other things - but all of those include abdominal pain/burning/weak flow etc which I don't have. I'll mention it at my appointment next week if it carries on, but hopefully it won't.

Just wanted to check in (as I hate threads where you don't find out what happens haha) to let you know I'm fine :).

I felt a bit grotty for a while but that seems to have gone.

I sort of think I feel a bit calmer but I know it's very early days.

Appointment on Tuesday to see how I'm doing. So I can report good things! Hopefully she doesn't ask me to increase the dose. I'd like to see if I get any benefit from this dose before going up. We'll see :).

I hope everyone else who posted in here is okay!

Hi @LindaEllen Was just trying to find your thread. I don't know about the pressure/wee pain but I do wee more at night at the moment.

Glad you aren't feeling grotty anymore. I'm shattered. Had a really bad week's sleep. Think it must be the sertraline.. .. But could be the stress of lockdown with work and homeschooling... Other than the sleep I'm not feeling any side effects at the moment. I'm feeling more settled than I was before starting the medication and I don't know how I would have got through this week without them, but I still have a way to go to feeling better. Some decent sleep would help!

Hope your appointment goes well on Tuesday. And the improvements keep on coming!

@mrsdiddlydoo

Hi *@LindaEllen* Was just trying to find your thread. I don't know about the pressure/wee pain but I do wee more at night at the moment.

Glad you aren't feeling grotty anymore. I'm shattered. Had a really bad week's sleep. Think it must be the sertraline.. .. But could be the stress of lockdown with work and homeschooling... Other than the sleep I'm not feeling any side effects at the moment. I'm feeling more settled than I was before starting the medication and I don't know how I would have got through this week without them, but I still have a way to go to feeling better. Some decent sleep would help!

Hope your appointment goes well on Tuesday. And the improvements keep on coming!

The weird wee feeling (I'm trademarking that description haha) seems to have gone now, goodness knows what it was. I'm just kind of assuming that anything odd I've felt recently has been the sertraline haha.

Sorry you're not sleeping well :(. It's good you're feeling more settled, but rubbish sleep is horrible to deal with. I hate not being able to sleep properly. I hope it is just one of the side effects that wears off!!

I have my appointment with the GP tomorrow to discuss how things are going.

The side effects have gone now, and it's too early to really see any improvement, so I'm not sure what I can say.

I am a little concerned that she might suggest upping it. I'd rather wait and see if this dose can be effective first so I might ask for another few weeks - as I've read that lots of people do see a big improvement on 50mg!

I say it's too early to see an improvement, but the thought of chatting to the GP isn't making me anxious at all. I suppose it is an easier call than the first one - I don't have to talk about my anxiety and how I've felt for all these years - just how I'm doing with the tablets. So I suppose it stands to reason that I wouldn't be as worried anyway.

But for me to be heading towards a medical appointment with no anxiety isn't normal.

I'll probably be nervous in the morning, but the fact I'm not now is great.

Hope your appointment goes well with your gp. Let us know how it goes!

I'm struggling. Feeling super anxious. I'm putting it down to things can get worse before they get better. My sleep's a little better but I feel I need more to help me get through the busy days. Keep wondering if I might need a higher dose this time but I feel its still early days so I'll wait to see what my gp says next week.

@mrsdiddlydoo

Hope your appointment goes well with your gp. Let us know how it goes!

I'm struggling. Feeling super anxious. I'm putting it down to things can get worse before they get better. My sleep's a little better but I feel I need more to help me get through the busy days. Keep wondering if I might need a higher dose this time but I feel its still early days so I'll wait to see what my gp says next week.

It went well :). It was only a check so not much happened other than she said she would check on me again in 3 months but I should contact her in 4 weeks if I didn't feel enough improvement and we could increase the dose.

Sorry you're feeling anxious :(. I definitely felt more anxious in the first week but it wore off. I hope it will for you too! When are you next speaking to your GP? I know not all meds suit everyone but I don't know at what point they make the decision to change!

Sorry I see you're speaking to them next week, I missed that bit! At least it's not too long to wait :).

Just thought I'd check in, in case anyone ever sees this and wants an update.

I'm doing okay. Picked up second prescription today, been on it just over three weeks now.

Side effects have all gone, bar perhaps a little tiredness.

I can't say i feel much benefit yet, but I know these can take up to 6 weeks to kick in fully so I'm not too concerned yet.

I feel like I might be dealing with certain situations better than I would have done in the past, but there's still massive room for improvement.

I've decided I'll take what I've got and chat to GP about upping the dose if I don't feel better next time I'm due to collect tablets. But I'm not worrying about that for now :).

@LindaEllen
This is great news I started my tablets on Monday and feeling positive good luck with the next few weeks x

@LindaEllen glad you feel okay. Last week was rubbish for me but (touch wood) I'm feeling a bit better this week. Spoke to my gp earlier this week and he signed me off for a few weeks and that's helping.

Do think about a higher dose if you think it might help in a few weeks time. I've started CBT again and the last session was actually helpful so I think the combined small improvement in myself coupled with that and just taking it easier will get me back on track. Also helps the evenings getting lighter.

Two silly things that make me think perhaps something is improving even if it might not feel like it.

On Friday DP came home from work and I heard him talking to our next door neighbour. I went outside to say hello to her. That's not me. I don't voluntarily say hello to anyone! I'm as antisocial as they come.

This morning I got up and made myself bacon on toast. I'm normally useless in the mornings and it's as much as I can manage to make some toast or pour some cereal in a bowl. Frying bacon would never cross my mind. If I wanted bacon on toast it'd have to be later in the day when I feel more motivated. But no. I got up and did it this morning.

It's odd as I don't feel any better. But yet there keep being these little things that I do that I wouldn't normally have done. They're tiny, but they're there.

Almost 4 weeks in and they do say you might not feel the full benefit until 6 weeks, so I'll take this as a positive sign I think.

So if I never get any other benefits, at least I can talk to the neighbours and make a bacon buttie 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️😂

😂 Maybe you could work towards making your neighbours bacon sandwiches!

Jokes aside. Sounds like steps in the right direction. I hope more follow. It's really good - well done!

I am finding my patience is growing which sounds weird, but an example would be my dh is pretty stressed with work atm and yesterday I was able to support him. Give some perspective. Not take on his worries myself. Point out that a lot of it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. I had energy to engage and try to help. And be calm not short with him.

My dreams are mad at the moment. But at least I'm sleeping better than I was. Here's hoping for a steady week ahead!

@mrsdiddlydoo

😂 Maybe you could work towards making your neighbours bacon sandwiches!

Jokes aside. Sounds like steps in the right direction. I hope more follow. It's really good - well done!

I am finding my patience is growing which sounds weird, but an example would be my dh is pretty stressed with work atm and yesterday I was able to support him. Give some perspective. Not take on his worries myself. Point out that a lot of it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things. I had energy to engage and try to help. And be calm not short with him.

My dreams are mad at the moment. But at least I'm sleeping better than I was. Here's hoping for a steady week ahead!

Well I've never been keen on sharing my bacon whatever my mental health is like so I'm happy for that not to change 😂 it's miiine!

I'm glad you're seeing positive changes! I've always been one to take on other peoples stress and struggle with just giving advice so I think it's great you can do that! Hopefully it'll get better for me. It's weird because I've never really linked that with my anxiety but now you mention it of course it is. this has been my life for so many years I can't remember what I was like without it 😂.

I've actually had a few weird dreams too. Incredibly vivid. Some bad dreams, some good. Bad dreams aren't great and I'm sometimes upset when I wake up but it's over and I'm back asleep within 10 minutes so I can handle it!