Setraline HELP PLEASE side effects after stopping

[Marshmallow22]

I am hoping somebody may have been in the same boat as me. I am going out of my mind at the moment.

Prescrb setraline after going a&e with a panic attack, first one I ever had a lnd thought I was going to die. Not really mich of an anxious person but sometimes overthink health issues.

so I took 4 days of 50mg setraline and the side effects where awful, panic attacks, rapid heart, shakes all sorts, could not function. Felt if I went up the stairs my heart was going to burst through my chest.

its now been 11 days since the last I took and I keep feeling so panicky and shakey, sickness, worrying and even feel afraid of the dark. I feel like if I get stressed I will have a heart attck.
had a panic attack on Sunday at my dd friends birthday party. Then again at my dads house I started having an anxiety attack.
Rushed home and monday morning was still shaking with fear couldn’t work.

Tuesday still the same but eased off by the afternoon. Today when in work it came again and I was just panicking that I was going to die or collapse whilst cleaning a clients home.
i have been bawling my eyes this afternoon with exhaustion from this feeling.

This is so out of character for me and just an emotional wreck at the moment. I wish I never took them as I don’t even feel I needed them after just one panic attack. I am desperate and Need to know when this feeling will leave :(

You need to speak to your GP.

Are you sure it’s still side effects from the sertraline? Or just really bad anxiety?

I have never had really bad anxiety before taking them. This is why I am so upset. Never had these thoughts pr physical symptoms before taking them so I can only put it down to being side effects still

But I guess something caused the panic attack and whatever triggered that could also be causing these (also panic related) symptoms?

It could be that the drug will take a little longer to get out of your system but definitely worth speaking to the GP in case they can offer something a bit quicker acting for an acute panic disorder.

4 days of sertraline wouldn't have built up enough to cause any side effects. It sounds like an ongoing anxiety attack as you say it started with a panic attack before the sertraline was started.
Are you having any other treatment?
I say this as someone who has been on sertraline for many years and am unable to come off it due to withdrawal.

Possibly but I had that initial panic attack on a Friday night, was absolutely fine afterwards, no fear of it happening again or any other worries.

went to the doctor and got the sertraline on Wednesday and started on the Thursday night everything going wrong

they did give me diazepan on friday to help with the side effects but I have 3 kids and work and can’t cope with the effects of not driving etc on them

Doctors said after day two it was side effects and I would get worse. Not the nicest of doctors to be honest.

there was a few days before taking the sertraline after the initial panic attack and I was fine in that time until starting them

Hi
I'm in a similar (but not identical) situation. I knew things would get worse before getting better and yes they do, mentally, but I've got other physical side effects that aren't budging after 6 weeks and I'm a bit fed up.

I don't want to stop taking them because they help the anxiety, but I do want the physical side effects to buzz off!

It's a dilemma for sure. All the best...

Sertraline can cause side effects from day one. I certainly suffered from severe nausea, vomiting and insomnia from the first dose. When I say insomnia I mean not sleeping at all for a few days. I also felt slightly more anxious (i took them for anxiety). After a few days things improved and from about 10 days / two weeks of starting i was back to sleeping and eating normally and feeling much calmer. I took them for years and have given them up successfully twice.

So yes for some people when going on sertraline things get worse before they get better. But you are suffering so much OP in your shoes I would go to your gp and explain what you have said on this thread.

It was definitely side effects from the start.

i know it was because I never read any of the side effects because I didn’t want to place them in my head to happen if that makes sense.

but day 2 everything went crazy and then when I looked at the side effects it was all there. I just don’t know now if I am still having side effects or if it’s just me. But its so out of character for me to feel this way, plus I have suddenly got spots which I never have had like this before

From everything you say it does sound like side effects and that the drug hasn't left your body completely.

I'd try to eat well and drink plenty. Get some some exercise and take it easy. Try to do/ watch/read things you find comforting and calming. I'm sure you will right yourself in a few more days.

Thank you, I will just try and take it easy for a little while and see how I go

It's not the Sertraline. 4 days is no where near enough to cause those side effects, believe me, I've been on and off every antidepressant going for decades. Sertraline only has a half life of 32 hours max and you weren't on it long enough to develop a dependence. There is no way they are still affecting you 11 days later.

They cannot stay in the body that long unless you have advanced liver or kidney disease preventing them from being metabolised and removed from your body. Its not physically possible.

Something else is going on here. I'd lay money on it being anxiety disorder with panic attacks. People think anxiety is literally just feeling anxious. It isn't. What you're describing is textbook acute onset anxiety or simply put, panic attacks. Pretty sure I wasn't the only one nodding along to every word like Yep. Welcome to my life.

Go back to the GP if your symptoms don't resolve by themselves. If it is panic attacks you can interrupt them with a sudden strong sensation such as very strong flavoured chewing gum or very cold fizzy drink or by snapping a rubber band hard against your skin (this does leave a mark for a few weeks) or a cold shower. 0 out of 10, do not recommend this one.

Patting technique also works if you can hear your heartbeat in your ears. Place hand just below collarbone and pat firmly in rhythm with your heartbeat. Then slow the patting gradually down and your heart rate slows with it.