4 weeks on sertraline feeling worse

thank you that is definately helps because there are so many saying 4-6 weeks but jve also seen a few saying 8-13 weeks so my 4 weeks now feels like quite early days, my doctor has given me diazepam but when the panic gets that bad it doesnt even take the edge off, did you feel worse at first before better? and also what dose are you on? thank you

Hi. whoever said four weeks, well all i will say is, lucky them. It took me around 12 weeks for me and all side effects to go... I still had days but the gaps got longer and longer. Then when i upped my level each time I got every symptom again, but then I am a "side effect magnet" - lol.

Some days it felt like taking two steps forward and ten back, you think you will never get back to normal (whatever that is!!) so I regret to say we've all been there and the only good news is, you WILL get there. any questions at anytime contact me or anyone on here as they are the best bunch of people who have got me through so many bad days. keep at it x

I felt SO much worse when I started Sertraline , that (I am ashamed to say) I took 10 mg of diazepam. I needed it. Once I got up at 3:00 am to use the bathroom, and the anxiety was so bad that I felt like it was an electric current running through my whole body. Intrusive thoughts were almost overwhelming. It was horrendous. The higher dose of Valium definitely helped. I don't regret taking it. At that time I needed it, and it was medicine that counter-attacked the anxiety. I don't need it now.

This process takes patience. Adjusting to Sertraline takes patience and faith. Prayer helped me enormously, and it still does. I am on 35 mg Sertraline now, and started with 6 mg of Sertraline. I am very sensitive to any medications, and I use caution no matter what I take. I take this for panic attacks. There are different dosages for different disorders. Fifty mg seems to be the target for panic, whereas depression seems to be 100-200 mg. Keep in close contact with your doctor, as he/she will be able to guide you through. God bless you and I am sending positive thoughts and prayers to you.

thank you so much! they have given me 5mg of diazepam for on a morning when its at its worst and an extra 10mg to be spread in 2mg throughout the day if needed and thank god for that as it has at times helped however when im in a major depressive episode (out of control feeling like painful adrenaline rushing through my body then i am going to take 10mg tablet just to get through it, mine is post natal depression and anxiety disorder so i may have to up to 150mg eventually but its those awful side effects i cant wait to look back on this awful time! so glad you are feeling better now 😃 thank you so much!

thank you so much for taking the time to reply jean, i feel exactly the same as you felt total sensitive to any kind of medication etc i had 2 good days at the weekend but ever since i feel like im back to square on again, i dont care if it takes another 8 weeks as long as theres a light at the end of the tunnel, very lucky people that find it works after 4 weeks! i keep saying "im never going to get better" but youre right im sure i will! thank you 😃

How are you doing? It is good that you are using the diazepam to counteract the anxiety. Keep track of when you take it, and your anxiety symptoms to share with your doctor, This gives you some control over your side effects. Remember, diazepam is temporary, and soon you won't need it. I have been where you are, (many of us have), and when you are suffering it is hard to believe that you are getting better. But you ARE, and you WILL get better. God bless you.

hi

i read you take diaz or used to

i been taking daizapam to help my anxiety as it was crippling

i switched from sert to citrapram

i am also i feel going through the change too ontop of it all

i was wondering re diaz as i take it everyday

2mg

is this safe or will i get addicted

kind regards

x

I also suffer from crippling anxiety. I have learned that diazepam is a powerful drug, despite its "benevalent" ability to calm anxiety. I will ONLY take it for panic attacks. I don't use it to sleep. I don't use it to quiet background anxiety. If overwhelming intrusive thoughts descend, then I take it. My goal is for Sertraline to manage my anxiety, and never to need Valium again. How long have you been taking it?

No one with horrible anxiety can tell another sufferer how to manage their own anxiety. I have the deepest compassion for anyone who takes any medicine that helps dispel anxiety. Stay in close contact with your doctor, and ask her about your concerns. You are right to be cautious with diazepam.

thank you hun! been 2 weeks and 2 days since the increase up to 100mg and 4.5 weeks since i started it in total, still have so many moments where i just want to come off them but something is telling me i need to stick with it, how long did it take you to feel better? i only use the diazepam when its at its highest on a morning when the intrusive thoughts get overwhelming i feel the sertraline has heightened those at the moment do you think thats normal for this stage? thank you

I, too, feel anxiety at its worst in the morning. I absolutely had increased anxiety whenever I increased my dose. Sertraline takes several weeks to stabilize in your body, You are very strong to increase your dose so rapidly. I couldn't have done it. Truly I did not function at all until about week 10. That's when I had tiny bits of time where I felt okay. I would think, "I'm better!" and the next day I felt bad again. I just hung on and waited. It was grueling. At week 12 the "feeling better" times got longer and longer. Definitely use the diazepam at the times of overwhelming anxiety and intrusive thoughts. That's what it was actually designed for. Once you find your "right" dose of Sertraline the diazepam will not be necessary. That has been my experience. Just don't give up. There HAS to be a better way to live than coping with crippling anxiety. I think everything you are going through now is "normal."

its awful isnt it its as if it all builds up in our bodies whilst we sleep and then bam the second you wake up it hits you! im literally wishing the days to go by i love bedtime as its then another day closer to recovery, just bought a planner to fill in my days so im not sitting panicking thinking about what i can do to fill in time, i am hoping and preying that my 100mg dose is the right one for me as i dont think i could cope with the side effects of increasing again! also can i just ask what did you do in those first 10 weeks to fill in your time to get through it? thank you x

how long did your side effects lasts? ive been taking 25mg for 2 weeks 2 days and my panic is so bad i feel to give up. will i wale up one day and feel ok? its effecting my life so much I don't know whether I should give up taking them or not

yeah i seemed to have gotten worse this week week 4 (week 2 of increased dose) heightened anxiety and intrusive thoughts etc how long did you have to take the valium for? i also have to take it everyday too on a morning to get through the day! the fact you said 10 weeks has definately given me reassurance that there is still time yet 😃 x

hi chelsea, i only took the valium when i really needed which u fortunately was most days for the 10 weeks. But i had no trouble stopping. No withdrawal symptons whatsoever. I carry a few valium whereever I go like a security blanket but havent needed to take one for months. But truly I wanted to and nearly gave up SO many times but glad I didnt. I have just got back from yet another housesit in New Zealand. Something I thought I would never ever do again. Its a long hard journey Chelsea and you'll wonder if you're ever gonna make it but you will.

ive taken it most days now for the past 3-4 weeks too and i was panicking about potential withdrawal symptoms eventually but most days i try to only stick to 5mg most 9mg if its a really bad day but the valium is definately keeping me just half calmer there is no way i would have coped without it, its implanted in our minds when we are at rock bottom that the sertraline is never going to work especially when even the doctors are saying oh you should have seen some improvenent after 2-3 weeks it then panics me but after being on here soooo so many dont see improvements until 8-12 weeks so this is what is keeping me going! thank you for the positivity x

im exact same only thing thats keeping me going is this forum.people saying its 8-12 weeks,im on week 3 and havent seen any inprovement at all,i still feel so sick and stomach aches as soon as i wale up in the morning and continues all day until evening time where it stops abit

Can i ask if you are now feeling better 2 months on?

i am week 8 and one week in of the sertraline increase to 100mg

Feeling all the side effects again

had three horrid days in a row

want to feel mysrlf again

tx