I’ve been on sertraline for a few years on and off for depression, childhood trauma which then led into multiple adult traumas through no self esteem etc, and it’s saved me. I have complex PTSD from those things which isn’t surprising.
A year ago I suffered a highly traumatic freak accident that resulted in a long stay in hospital, major surgery, blood transfusions etc. I then had several months of rehabilitation to learn to walk again all around a very busy life that I couldn’t engage in because my body was stuffed for ages and I was disabled for several months. I’m largely normal now albeit with a few lingering issues. For reasons only known to my brain I came off sertraline in the summer believing I was ok, and it ‘wasn’t really working anymore’. I was very, very wrong and for the last 3 months I’ve been in full blown PTSD but I didn’t realise. I should have increased my dose, not come off it. It started slowly with depression, no self esteem, constant feelings of worthlessness etc but then became full blown anxiety hell throwing up in the morning and spending all day in a massive state of intense stress. Sweating, pins and needles all over, constant intrusive thoughts - and I mean constant - telling me I’m rubbish, should commit suicide etc. Trying to parent and run my business has been utter hell. This week someone close to me when I confided suggested meds and as I still had my meds, and never discussed coming off them with the GP anyway as my surgery is impossible to contact, I put myself back on 50mg of sertraline. The relief was instant and within hours I was able to recognise that I was suffering PTSD which just hadn’t dawned on me because I’m stupid and nobody else picked up on it either even though after what I’d been through it’s so obvious I’m traumatised and I could slap myself.
I have been on 50mg for 6 days now. I still get the horrible morning anxiety. I wake up and my heart starts pounding, body sweats, tingling all over, clammy etc. Ive been on 100mg previously with no issues, in fact it was lovely, but that was for depression not this PTSD hellish anxiety. I know from the leaflet etc I can increase it after a week but I’m wondering if I should or should I wait a few weeks and hope it levels out.
I know you’re not my health professionals but getting through to mine is basically impossible, the e-forms are closed every day and the phone lines take a good hour to answer so I’m not even going to bother this week over Christmas. It’s impossible even on a normal week.
I’m just thinking should I increase it in a couple of days or will that give me terrible symptoms, and also does anyone out there know what I’m going through and have advice for me. I’m really upset at how bad it had got, how bad I’ve been feeling, how suicidal I’d become and how I just didn’t see it. It’s scared me and I don’t trust my own judgement anymore as I missed something so obvious.
I take my sertraline at 6am when my body wakes me up sweating and pounding and take travel sickness tablets at the same time as this stops the awful nausea in its tracks.