Anxiety, Sertraline, Lustral experiences?

[Angeldelight21]

Ladies, my Gp prescribed me Sertraline (Lustral) for my anxiety but I'm so hesitant to start taking it. I'm not sure if this can be taken while ttc and fertility treatments?

I have tried councelling, breathing techniques etc but it doesn't seem to be helping any more. I'm also dealing with severe insomnia on the top of anxiety.

Can you please share your thoughts and experience taking it? Has your clinic approved it?

Thank you X

Hey I’m sorry I’ve decided against taking any medication because everything seems to have a risk of some sort to the baby .
I also have severe anxiety . I use melatonin to support sleep ( also can supposedly help fertility too) I find with an ok sleep the anxiety is less . I also started doing cbt - I have used cbt for dummies to understand my thoughts and try to retrain . I self referred to the local nhs mental health support team who have offered further cbt via a therapist but it’s a three month plus wait . You can go via your gp or I can dig out the link if it’s of interest .
I’ve also tried hypnotherapy relaxation apps like Glenn Harold . I take a daily 45 min walk and try to deep breathe then .
I find my anxiety is worse the week before my period and when I’m due to start ivf so having an awareness it’s hormones helps a little ( and knowing the worst will pass ) I’m also taking evening primrose oil and b- vitamin complex as that’s supposed to help pms .
I’m sure many women do take medication but it’s just my personal choice to suffer the anxiety and try and minimise as much as I can naturally . It’s so so hard though , especially in this covid environment. Keep strong x

Hey, I take fluoxetine for ocd so really feel you with the anxiety symptoms. It’s also an SSRI like sertraline. I stopped taking it when starting to TTC however after 18 months of nothing I made the decision to go back on its. I was struggling so much with the infertility, lockdown and ocd that something was going to give. The ivf clinic were so supportive and my consultant said she is of the opinion that it’s best for the mother to be healthy versus the tiny risk it would have on a baby so she is happy for me to stay on it. Anti depressants have been one of the best decisions I have ever made. You need to do what’s best for you but I can understand the worry about potential risking the health of your future baby (I was really worried about this too). For me, the risk of my mental health slipping was too high, and I decided that I wanted to take the medicine so that I could be mental healthy when it came to IVF and motherhood.

Of all the SSRI medications available, sertraline is considered the safest in pregnancy and for breastfeeding. You could also ask if your GP could check with the local Perinatal Mental Health Service for reassurance.