Given up - some tips and advice please

[Isabelle728]

Hi everyone,

I am new to Mumsnet and recently posted a few threads about Sertraline. I am on day 3 and have decided to stop taking these despite others telling me how this medication changed their lives for the better, I'm just not strong enough to go through with it :(
Last night was awful, I suffer with panic disorder and anxiety and have done for the past 3 years since becoming pregnant in 2021, I can honestly say the past 2 days have been hell and last night was the worst I have ever experienced. On top of the usual panic attack symptoms, I was also experiencing more mental symptoms, I felt like I was going crazy, I felt like needed to be taken to a psychiatric home and strapped down. I felt like going absolutely crazy, I can't even describe it. I was having strange vision, felt a bit like I was seeing things, I felt really cold yet sweaty and clammy, I felt itchy, it very much felt like I was on a really strong drug and then having a really bad comedown.
I don't think this is the right option for me, I don't think I can cope with the symptoms. It probably doesn't help I am going through the most stressful time in my life at the moment.

I have already tried meditation, therapy (CBT), reading books and being part of groups that talk about mental health but these haven't worked.

Are there any other tips, tricks or advice anyone can give me here please. I need to get better for my son, I want to have another baby eventually as well and I want my old self back! Thank you in advance x

Hey OP, it does take a few weeks, sometimes up to 6 weeks to feel any benefit from medication, trust me I've been there and I am still there. Do you have support in place?

@hk1993x I do have my partner and my mum, however we are in a really difficult situation at the minute which is making it very difficult for them to support me. My partner works long hours, I work from home and I cannot rely on my mum all the time to take care of my son. I really don't think I can last 6 weeks, it seems a very long time to get no sleep when I have to work and be a mum :(

OP, I'd get a pill cutter and half your tablets. ( Amazon's sells them)

Doctors are so useless sometimes. Some people are so sensitive the initial 6 weeks are too much.
Try again maybe half dose. You could then increase if you can manage the side effects.

You really need to go back to your GP to discuss the symptoms you are experiencing. I took Setraline for a while & experienced terrible suicidal thoughts. A different medication could suit you better.

@Crumbpillow I am just so scared to even try anything else now due to the same thing happening. It was honestly the worst thing I have ever experienced that I would rather not risk it. There must be other natural alternatives that I will try

St John's Wort is prescribed in some countries instead of anti depressants.

I also recommend a good multivitamin, Vitamin D, magnesium, yoga, fresh air and mindfulness. Have you tried the Headspace app or similar for meditation? Try to eat lots of good nutritious food.

There are different types of anti depressants, please don’t be afraid to try a different one if your GP suggests it. I have taken anti depressants for many years on & off, they have helped me cope with life, but I still live with depression on a daily basis.

@poppyzbrite4 before I took Sertraline I actually took magnesium, probiotics, vitamin C, lions mane and also flic minerals in water... also had a bad reaction which put me off completely. Gave me a really upset stomach and diarrhoea :( I am 100% going to be going for long walks, I am moving to the countryside very soon so will be in a much better location for long fresh air walks (currently living outskirts of London)

@Crumbpillow can I ask which ones you have taken that haven't caused you any awful side effects. I know it's different for others but I don't even know what other options there are. A bit of research into them might help me

Sorry you're feeling so bad OP.

The best thing I ever did when I was suicidal and terrified was to go to a Buddhist retreat centre.

Please DM for exact details.I have several recommendations

I take Venlafaxine,which works in a different way to Sertraline. You can find information about the different types on the NHS website.

Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhism. There are many schools of Buddhism around. The one I follow is based on the Lotus Sutra. I chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo at least twice at day to put myself in harmony with the Universe. It's a good breathing exercise if anything else. There are a lot of practicing Buddhists in and around London. We meet regularly in each other houses for peer support. I always feel better after a meeting. You can find more on our website SGI-UK, link to follow

https://sgi-uk.org/

Further to the above- practicing Nichiren Buddhism is free and you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Many people swear by results including Tina Turner. I read a book a Buddha in Your Mirror (available from Amazon) 13 yearsago. I started with 20 minutes of chanting a day, never looked back.

I can tell you what helped me - can’t say it’ll work for you. I started with post natal depression, struggling to cope with a baby, which then led to panic attacks and anxiety disorder. I tried therapy, drugs, you name it. Nothing worked.

The only thing that really made a difference was finding something constructive to do which took up a lot of time, and getting my child looked after so I could go and do it. Basically I don’t enjoy parenting, it’s boring and my unoccupied mind starts to race and worry. Once I was occupied with something sufficiently taxing and time consuming, the panic symptoms stopped.

Also, meditation. Not the chanting religious bollocks. Just basic mindfulness and learning how to control your mind so it doesn’t run away with you.

I have been on lots of different medications, it really is trial and error hun, you need to go back to your GP and see what they can do for you dlxx