Sertraline bl**dy hell..!

[AmusedOpalShaker]

Evening everyone,

I am currently sitting at day 5 of 50mg Sertraline for OCD and horrific, horrific intrusive thoughts.

My lord - the side effects are horrendous?!

The sheer uptake in my anxiety, intrusive thoughts, urges, shaking, sickness and lethargy has been awful to try to navigate. I’m so incredibly fortunate that I have supportive family around to look after my DD during this.

i have been on Sertraline before, but like a complete moronhead I stopped taking it, I don’t remember ever having such severe side effects before, though.

Any experiences? I’m looking for horror turned success stories, or just some reassurance really, anything to stop me from chucking them away.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read, have a wonderful evening all xxx

Hi op. Just checked in to see how you are doing - so glad you seem to be over the worst, things are defo on the up now. Take care of yourself x

I'm happy for you too @AmusedOpalShaker

Yeah, I spoke too soon.

Well, no, I have had a lovely time and I am still here with all my family, staying over again tonight with my DD.

Earlier I had to pop to the shops (on the bus) by myself to get something for a family member - this has never been an issue for me, I’m always out and about (I was at the strictly tour at the O2 literally 2 weeks ago), but anxiety hit MASSIVELY. That triggered the intrusive thoughts ten fold and I had a full blown panic, did not feel in control of the OCD at all.

Luckily I was able to get the bus back (while mentally having a complete f**king breakdown), get back and immediately just take myself upstairs and try to ground myself, it’s a few hours post and I’m still feeling jittery.

I’ve still not actually taken a Propranolol yet since the GP prescribed them the other week, I just try to ride through it all.

So feeling a bit defeated all over again, I suppose small victory that I completed the mission earlier and I’m still here and haven’t legged it back to mine (yet!). Just wish this was more straightforward.

Xx

@AmusedOpalShaker i think youre doing terrific. Youre putting yourself out there and lets face it, the recovery time is quicker and you've even recovered outside your home. Don't compare yourself to former you, uts not.helpful. you will get back to that place but yoi have to pace yourself. The changing of a season is not straighforward, winter turns into spring gradually. Days do become warmer but are interspersed with cold days, sometimes shockingly so, but Spring does come, as does Summer.

Keep going 💪

Are you allowed to share who you’re booked with? Hope the meds continue to work for you. I’ve been there too. It does get better!!

Hello my sweet!

Yes I’ve booked in with India from OCD Excellence. They’re super highly rated and apparently leading with OCD research and practices.

It was £150 for an assessment (3rd March) which will be via Zoom and then I guess they work out what you need going forward. I noticed that they also do support courses for families as well / offer crisis support.

I’m yet to start as I say, but just reading the reviews of the place has me feeling optimistic. They’re based in Kensington, check them out ☺️

xx

I love this, thank you so much. This really helped me feel a lot better last night when I was feeling rubbish.

xx

Thank you so much. That’s much appreciated. I’ll have a look for sure. I’m on 100mg of Sertraline for nearly 4 years now and whilst it definitely helps the ocd is still there. Sometimes more sometimes less. Currently feeling stable but I’m at a point where I’m not sure if I should taper or increase the dose since I’ve read somewhere 200mg is more useful for OCD.

Hi all 👋

I hope you’re all doing amazing.

I thought I’d just pop along and say hi. I had a rough few weeks - BUT amongst it all there was still progress.

Instead of hermitting away, I moved in with my Grandparents so I wasn’t on my own for a couple of weeks. Yes, they drove me mad (thank Jesus for loop earplugs!), but at least I managed the company, which was progress in itself.

I managed days out with my Daughter and was able to celebrate getting our first choice of high school! I even managed to ‘ignore’ the thoughts to be able to take her to a school play being held at her new high school, it was so much fun, even though internally I felt like I was having a breakdown, I sat my backside down in the audience, smiled and didn’t leg it.

I’m on day, god 31 or so? Still on 50mg, but now flirting with the idea of a small 12.5mg increase for a while maybe, we shall see.

Still good and bad days, but the bad days don’t feel as bad as before. I had my assessment with the OCD therapists yesterday evening (it got pushed back).

It was 50 minutes of me pouring my heart out and she agreed that she believes I’m in a OCD crisis at the moment and apparently I’m massively ticking boxes for a few types (Responsibility OCD, Harm OCD, Suicidal OCD - although I’m not suicidal but apparently that explains the ‘out of control’ feeling that the thoughts cause).

She is quite a head honcho when it comes to OCD and has suffered herself since she was 8, I was laughing at one point because I said although she’s made me feel competently mental I also feel quite reassured seeing someone on the other side of it, if that makes any sense..! Anyway she assured me that every awful thing I was telling her she had once gone through, so it gave me hope.

She wants me to do an intensive week long course with her, 4 in person sessions per day over 5 days - I believe a combo of CBT and exposure therapy, then individual and group work. You can then access help from them at any point in the future for free, attend classes, reach out for support etc.

Pricy at 3 grand, but I mean, can you really put a price on stability and peace of mind?

She did say that everything I told her could be completely changed / resolved after an intensive course and that we could maybe work out some sort of payment plan if it makes it a bit easier on me. Anyhoo her next free time for that would be April 14th, so I’ve got time to work something out. I hope it works.

I hope you’re all well and have had a good last few weeks - and thank you for being there for me from Day 1, you all helped me when I was honest to God at a very low point, I know people can just write a message and think no more of it, but please be aware that it all helped me no end, and still does ❤️

Xx

So glad to see you’re getting better!!!

and thanks a mill for updating on your meeting with the ocd therapist. I was the one asking for her name so really appreciate you coming back on that. The intensive course, is that in person?

No worries, I remember you had asked about it. So apparently the intensive course can also be done at home (except if it’s contamination OCD, they’d need you to go in for that exposure therapy I believe).

She offered to come to me, but seeing as I’m in London and they have 3 London sites (High Street Ken, Fulham and sorry I can’t remember the other one), it’s doable for me to venture to them.

It does sound like it will be an incredibly hard week, but it’s pretty gold standard treatment, and like I said before, I don’t think you can really put a price on getting yourself stable, you know?

xx

Really nice to hear your update @AmusedOpalShaker 🙂

@Hadenough2022 I hope you don’t mind me asking after your Daughter? I hope she’s in a better place now x

Great to hear your update glad things are moving forward for you. Things are still not great for her she was on sertraline for 5 weeks and the GP said not enough improvement. As she was still struggling to sleep they suggested she be moved over to Mirtzapine she has had a week of tapering and first full dose yesterday. It’s been very up and down. Thanks for asking

Hi all 👋 and thanks to @AmusedOpalShaker for the encouraging update. The OCD lady sounds amazing, I'll keep her in mind. I have been checking the taps and the oven are off since primary school (involves waving my hands under the taps and tapping the hobs 😂) even before the health checking and I can't imagine not doing that!

It sounds so promising @AmusedOpalShaker you have so much willpower and my hope is that you find yourself increasingly relaxed and not having to fight through each and every day.

@Hadenough2022 hope your daughter has a better week.

Thank you! Getting there, snails pace some days, but I’ll take it! X

Hi, I deregistered after photogate but haven’t been able to stay away as a lurker and really wanted to post on this thread so have set up a new account.

I know this thread has moved on since the first couple of weeks but I wanted to share this for anyone adjusting to new medication related to mental health.

My dm has, we think, been a kind of guinea pig for all sorts of anti-psychotics/anti-anxiety medication/anti-depressants since the 60s. In my memory as a child, back in the 80s and 90s, any change in meds for her was accompanied by a 2-3 week stay in hospital so she could deal with the horrible initial side effects, and also so she could be monitored by professionals as to their effectiveness.

I can only imagine that the reason this isn’t standard anymore is because of budget cuts. So please know, that simply to get through the first few weeks of new meds while still keeping a house, with possibly kids and work thrown into the mix is really no mean feat. My dm struggled enough, and that was with a residential stay with meals cooked etc plus no one to look after.

What you have managed, @AmusedOpalShaker , and others on this thread, is nothing short of amazing, and you’re still going. Please keep at it and know you’re stronger than you think simply from the fact you’ve ridden this out with comparatively very little support

Ah I see, bless her (and you!, it’s never straight forward eh. Gosh antidepressants are such an individual thing, aren’t they? I so hope she gets some relief on the new meds, fingers crossed for you x

Oh god, the checking! Honestly the more things she asked me, I was like ‘yep I do that…yes I do that, yep that as well..yeah and that’ I had to laugh.

I check all the plugs, and then will ruminate constantly that I’m going to burn the block of flats down because of one plug I’d forgotten about. I need to push the front door (any front door) that I go through. If I forget to do it I will turn around and go and do it because it makes me so uncomfortable.

Numbers are a biggie - I have a thing about the number 4 and multiples of it, so for example if I’m drinking water I will try to do it in 3 gulps or 5 gulps, or if I lose track and think it might be near 8 I will chug it until number 10 😂 GOD I FEEL MAD. I was also telling her about taking tablets, it can’t be taken at any time that is a multiple of 4 either (so for example 18:27 rather than 18:24/28)

There was so many other things that she mentioned and it was like, oh Christ yeah that’s me - so OCD is having its way with me in multiple ways clearly, all culminating in those horrific intrusive thoughts, yeah it’s been a lot to say the least! Still is, still bad with it, but talking to her has got me feeling more positive than I have for a while, I just need to somehow rustle up 3 grand out of thin air now! The joy..!

xx

Honestly, it's such a self sabotaging, self imprisoning and guilt inducing act. Why on earth do we capitulate for a moment's peace?! And the OCD has a voracious appetite, it is never enough. I'd love to understand the type of relationship with self that OCD springs from.

I know I'm also an overthinker generally and I love a good old analysis whether it's the state of the world or this mornings poop, I'm on it!

DH is the most unfazed person, to the point he does leave the hob on!!

I can't take SSRIs for this reason. They have a soporific effect on me and turn me practically into a zombie. I can't function without a 2 hour nap in the afternoon - and who has the time for that?

I was a shell of myself by the time I came off Citalopram. I had thought it was the very severe depression I was suffering that had made me so ill. It wasn't until I was prescribed them some years later and was back to the same state within three days that I realised the problem was the drug.

Sertraline had a similar effect - not quite so much as Citalopram, but did seem to cause more intrusive thoughts.

I will never take this 'family' of drugs again. OP, I'd recommend you talk to your GP. It may be that this isn't working for you and trial and error will be necessary until you find one that suits.

Wow, thank you for this! How interesting. How is your DM now? I hope happy and stable.

Thank you for coming back and commenting, and thank you for your lovely words also! Have a beautiful day ☺️ x

Happily single here! I wouldn’t be able to cope with someone else getting in the way, being all unfazed 😂😬 The 10 year old is hard enough..! (Bless her)

x

Hi all!

I hope you’re all well! I’ve been meaning to come along and post an update - if anyone even cares anymore 😂

So! I had my intensive therapy (I’m still in the 6 week follow up period), and it has honestly been life changing, and I really do not say that lightly, at all.

The ERP completely clicked for me and I’m managing things a lot better (well, not 100% but I am a lot better than I was!)

I’ve increased to 75mg of Sertraline last week and planning to stay put for a couple of weeks and then up to 100, where fingers crossed I shall stay..! So the most exciting news…

After my intensive therapy and really throwing myself into it all (and reading books upon books about Neuro linguistics) - the Therapist asked me to get my CBT accreditation as they would love to train me up as an OCD therapist..! (I’m a registered Nurse, but not working at present)

I guess I still managed to come across well even though I felt entirely on the edge the entire time.

I’ve also felt SO empowered after completing the intensive therapy that I have also just been approved to become a volunteer on the OCD Action telephone helpline.

Life can really change in the matter of a few weeks, can’t it. I really feel that maybe the Universe has put me exactly where I need(ed) to be, in the end.

I so hope you’re all well and would love to hear your updates ☺️

Xx