Too anxious to start setraline..please help

[minkypop]

I've just spoken to my gp about ongoing anxiety which is now morphing into ocd.
She's recommended starting setraline while I wait for counseling but I'm too scared to.
We go on holiday in 6 days and our last holiday two family members died. I also have a toddler. I'm so anxious about ruining the holiday and have read lots of posts on here with awful side effects and people feeling more anxious.
Do I wait til after my hol? Gp said not to but we have saved for this holiday for years and I don't want to spoil it for my family.

Hmm.

What dose? I always felt quite nauseous and extremely tired when I've started (or restarted) antidepressants but it does only last a week or so so.i think I would start them today.

They really do help once you find the right pill/dose for you.

I felt fine when I started it, no awful side effects.

50 but she said to cut in half.

Thank you

Big hugs, OP. I’ve been where you are before now, and it’s tough.

Just to reassure you, I started Sertraline and had no side effects whatsoever. In fact, I felt better straight away (but I know this was likely to be mind over matter). I’m still on it now, 16yrs later. I appreciate everyone is different, but you won’t know until you try it.

Look after yourself, OP. The brighter days will soon be here for you.

I am a very very anxious person. I didn't have any side effects. The way it changed how I was feeling was very very gradual too. For me it helped that I intentionally tried to forget I was on it so I wasn't obsessing over tiny details of how I was feeling (that's what I can be like when I'm feeling very anxious about my health)

Thank you. I just spoke to a work colleague and she said week two she was very anxious and unwell which has put me off!

Did you start on a low dose? I'm wondering whether to build it up slowly so I don't freak out

I didn't have many side effects for the first couple of weeks apart from sweating. I have since come off it though as it made my anxiety worse. But please don't let that put you off, it's all trial and error with antidepressants and they can be such a great help when you need them

Sorry to report, like your colleague I suffer with anxiety already and each time setraline has ramped it up day 5-7 for approx 10-12 days

When I only suffered with depression it never ever happened. Only now I have anxiety it happens

But I don't want to put you off, all medicines will come with side effects
Like pp said, antidepressants are a trial and error for every individual. They don't help me anymore, but they used to and they might help you xx

You’re already not feeling good, so I would start straightaway. First week or two is tough but there is some relief from knowing you have taken action. Good luck

Yes, it was 25mg. It also worked well enough that they never needed to increase the dose. I was having CBT at the same time though so maybe the two together helped.

I'm so sorry OP - I was in exactly the same situation as you. I have OCD which is hell and I started sertraline in January - I was prescribed it mid-December but I had read about really unpleasant side effects and was terrified about starting it in case it ruined Christmas. My parents kept pressuring me to start it because I had been told it could take up to 6 weeks to feel the effects and so wanted me to start them as soon as possible. In the end, I started them on New Years Day - so Christmas was out the way but I had a chance to get use to them before going back to work. I had very few side effects though I was really scared and sensitive to every little feeling - I woke up in the middle of night having a really bad panic attack and thought I'd need an ambulance but it was very brief and then I felt okay. I did have headaches for a few days - and yawned a lot! It also made my derealisation worse for quite a while but if I had taken it before Christmas it wouldn't have ruined it. I've now been on sertraline for 8 months and have upped my dose from 50 to 100mg in that time - it's made me happier in general but it hasn't hugely helped my OCD and intrusive thoughts. But everyone's different and I know it does help a lot of people. If I were you I'd probably wait until after the holiday to start taking it - if that's what you're more comfortable doing. You know your anxiety and how bad it might be during the holiday, but you can't be sure of how you'll respond to the medication. I hope this helps and I hope the medication helps you in the long run.

Best thing I ever did was start my meds. I took half a tablet and felt a little more anxious when things went wrong but when things were good I felt normal. It’s been 9 weeks and the best thing I ever did was start. It took me 11 weeks to start them and I’m gutted I wasted that 11 weeks feeling rubbish. I never felt nauseous. I still get sweaty but I don’t mind that for the freedom it’s given me. I even went on holiday alone with my children a few weeks back

I would recommend starting it now, but cutting the tablets into halves or quarters so you start on the smallest dose possible. Then increase it very slowly. That way you get the medicine into your system as soon as possible, but hopefully you will then avoid possible side effects from starting up. (Just based on my own experience of starting an SSRI.)

50mg is the lowest clinically effective dose. It’s not a big hefty dose you’re taking anyway.
I would start with 25mg tomorrow morning and then up to 50mg after 4 days.

How long is your holiday?

DD started Sertraline 2 weeks ago for anxiety and depression, 25mg then 50mg a week later. She felt nauseous for the first few days, then again for about a day after increasing the dose but there are no side effects now. It hasn’t made any difference to how she feels yet but that’s to be expected, it takes a while to start working. It hasn’t made anything worse.

I would start taking the 25 mg and see how you get on . I haven’t really suffered with many side effects apart from some increased anxiety but not that much worse than I was already feeling .

Thanks all for replying. The holiday is a week, just after the shit show that was the last one I don't want to ruin this one.
I feel a million times better away from home

I think you’ve answered yourself there OP, you feel a million times better when you’re away from home so that in itself will help you start the meds. In my personal opinion I say start right now, no time like the present especially when you’re struggling. I put off starting sertraline and finally took the first tablet when I just could not cope with anything. The side effects weren’t that bad and literally passed within a few days. Sertraline saved my life! You will be fine I promise x

I struggled for about a week, but it was absolutely worth it. Life changing.