Why am I not feeling better?

[Bronte347]

Hi,
I'm currently on 150mg of sertraline and I've been increased twice to get to this.

All in all I've been on these tablets for over a year but I'm just not feeling any better. Does anyone have any advice please? Or is this how I'm going to feel forever? I'm fed up of feeling like I do and not knowing how to fix it.

I’m on 200mg of sertraline and having the same problem. I had an appointment with my GP 3 months ago, chased it up 4 times and still no one can get back to me re. A change of tablets or some form of help. I’m desperate now.

I’m sorry that I’m no help whatsoever, but you are definitely not alone.

XH had to try about four medications before he found one that helps. His surgery have direct appointments available with a MH nurse though, and that seemed faster than waiting for GP appointments

Sertraline didn't work for me. It made me completely numb and even less interested in life than I was when I was put on it (the crushing depression was somewhat lessened due to the numbness). There are other medications that work in different ways - SNRIs or some of the newer ADs that work on different pathways. They tend, in my experience, to not work as a stand-alone though. You need the therapy and support to get better, ADs are part of that but probably the smallest one.

Unfortunately accessing that help now seems to be restricted to those who can pay for it.

@UtterlyTerrified1 I'm sorry to hear you're struggling to. It seems crazy in a world where mental health has got worse there's not easier accessibility for people that need it.

@broccolibush if you don't mind me asking what are you on now and has it helped?

I'm on 50mg agomelatine and have been for yonks. It's hard to get it prescribed by a GP though so you may need to access specialist MH services to have it filtered back to them. It's OKish - no side effects - but it doesn't make me well. It does, however, make me slightly more able to function than not being on it so whenever we've looked at changing we've always ended up coming back to it.

Since November I've also been on 10mg vortioxetine and it has quite literally saved my life. I've gone from actively suicidal to almost functional. I'm not sure how easy it is to get hold of as it was suggested to me by a psychiatrist when I was on a drug trial (ketamine for treatment resistant depression) who told my GP to prescribe it. From what I remember it's fairly new and therefore fairly unheard of by most GPs. But it's a miracle drug. I know anecdote isn't data but I know one other person on it and she's experienced the same level of positive change I have.

I've tried most ADs at some time or another and most had no impact. The two above have had a positive change for me, mirtazipine (furious, exhausted, ate a jar of syrup with a spoon as I was so desperate for sugar) and wellbutrin (turned suicidal ideation up to 11 - nearly drove car off the motorway) affected me in a bad way so I'd be wary of those.