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10 days sertraline. Help!!

Posted , 10 users are following.

Lotty30
Lotty30

I have tried citalopram & fluxoetine both to no avail, I am now trying sertraline to treat depression, anxiety & intrusive thoughts.

I am on day 10 50mg & only starting to get heightened anxiety & very tearful. I've felt like this from Sept & forget what it is like to feel happy & content. Getting desperate for answers & wanting to know if this is normal?!! How long until I feel a little better? Having thoughts of ending it all but couldn't do that to my husband & family, just need to see a light at the end of the tunnel!!!!!

0 likes, 28 replies

28 Replies

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  • irma42761
    irma42761 Lotty30

    Posted

    Hi Lotty30,

    Sorry to hear how you are feeling. Believe that you get better soon, try to love yourself, read some self help books and be exceptionally kind to yourself.

    I have been on sertraline for a month- I only had 2 bad days as after reading this forum decided to have a half a tablet in a morning and half a tablet at 4pm. I never looked back since.

    Hope things will improve for you shortly.

    Irma

  • nicola32634
    nicola32634 Lotty30

    Posted

    Lotty you are not alone i how you are feeling i promise you! I've been on 50mg for 15 days and upped it to 75mg last night. I have continuous panic attacks from when i wake till early evening and the anxiety is crippling. It is VERY normal to feel how you're feeling and 10 days is so early in you need to give it a bit more time for it to work. I felt like giving up to but there are so many positive stories to this drug that we have to stick with it x have you got anytjing other than the Sertraline to take? Im here whenever you need to chat xx

  • ann55375
    ann55375 Lotty30

    Posted

    Hi Lotty, Nicola and I are i the same boat and we both have the side effects which are normal on this med. the advice from everyone is to keep going, dont give up at the first hurdle, many people have been there and it does get a bit worse before better, once you can deal with that you will feel its worth continuing, remember we are doing this to get a positive outcome. We are all here to listen tomyou anytime, i have found this site helpful.
  • Samrock
    Samrock Lotty30

    Posted

    Hey Lotty!

    I fully understand how you're feeling. I know that sense of hopelessness and just thinking of giving up, but please be persistent. Anti-depressants have a long activation time, meaning they need to build up and reinforce in your brain before they become effective.

    This is determined on the dose you're on and the conditions you have. 50mg is a fairly weak dose that you're on, and I'd consider upping your dose, with guidance from your doctor of course.

    Talk with your doctor and ask him if it's ok to updose. Some go up by 25mg's, others by 50mg's. Just last night I went from 50mg to 75mg and I feel just a tiny bit better today. The dose you're on just might not be effective enough.

    Try and think of what you're going through as beneficial for the future. Know that you went through hell and came out the other side. You can use this as a benchmark to know you can do ANYTHING else in life once you get through this, because dire mental conditions don't get much worse when it comes to painful human situations.

    You can look at future challenges and say "This doesn't come close to the hell I went through when I was on Anti-depressants, I've got this".

    I hope this has helped smile

    • Lotty30
      Lotty30 Samrock

      Posted

      Samrock,

      Thank you! I might wait until the two week mark & see if an increase is necessary. I just feel so hopeless.

      I just can't imagine feeling any better as the last 4 months has been a living hell.

      Thanks again.

  • katie58615
    katie58615 Lotty30

    Posted

    Hi

    When was you takin cit and flu?? Have you tried one after another or had a break inbetween?

    K

  • michelle71710
    michelle71710 Lotty30

    Posted

    Hi lotty, sorry your not feeling good. It's awful to go through I know but you will start to feel better soon. My dr said it'll get worse before it gets better so you just have to ride with whatever side effects you may get in the process but there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

    I don't usually post on forums but this site has been a life saver for me, the people are lovely and very understanding and you are not alone as we are all going through this together. If you ever want to chat I'm here xx

    • Lotty30
      Lotty30 michelle71710

      Posted

      Michelle,

      Thank you so much. I just feel numb & have forgotten how to smile😰😰.

      I hope to get through this.

      Appreciate your time xx

    • michelle71710
      michelle71710 Lotty30

      Posted

      Anytime lotty, your not alone. I'm on day18 and I've had a few better days but know got along way to go yet. Stay positive.

      I know what you mean by feeling numb but it's still early days.

      Take care and always here if need to chat xx

  • GodsServant
    GodsServant Lotty30

    Posted

    Hi Lotty, this is all normal side effects. I have been on and off sert for 20 years so this drugs works! So you will see light at the end of the tunnel. But please hang in there and give it time, up to 2 months. Things to watch for - appetite will increase at about 6 weeks or so, anxiety and panic attacks will decrease, intrusive thought will be reduced or disappear but you may feel depersonalization like numb for a bit, and the depression sets in...depression is always last to go for me. I think it's also cuz I am also truly sad and disappointed in myself for seeing the triggers and not taking care of myself and getting another attack this severe.

    A month ago at this time I thought about hanging myself but, like you, I couldn't do that to husband and family. I even prayed for God to just take me home painlessly in my sleep, that was how bad it was. And now I am writing to you that I don't feel myself going mad and I am healing. So please hang in there. Muster all your strength but also be gentle with yourself, I had days that I didn't want to even take a shower, and I am here to tell you, little by little it will get better.

     

    Quite frankly, I don't know how people can go thru this illness without God. I couldn't. If it weren't for Him...I always pray for everyone going thru the throes of it on this forum. 

    Xx, servant of God

    • Lotty30
      Lotty30 GodsServant

      Posted

      Gods servant,

      Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Your kind words mean so much.

      I will def hang in there, your prayer has helped me! I woke this morning not feeling as desperate as I was yesterday so thank you.

      I am glad you are feeling better.

      Lotty xx

    • katie58615
      katie58615 Lotty30

      Posted

      Hi Lotty

      Have you spent the last 4months tryin different medications?? If so how has that been?? I can imagine its been the worst time ever, how did you feel coming off one onto another??

      I was on fluoxetine for 9 weeks now just started sertraline 4days ago i am feeling worried incase i never get back to myself.

      K

    • ann55375
      ann55375 katie58615

      Posted

      Hi there, i am another one of those who have tried several ADs without success.

      Trying sertraline just now, cant say its marvellous but trying to et past the side effects first. I too feel that i will never be back to normal if i cant get something suitable.  Its a nightmare and i wonder if serotonin is actually making me worse.

    • nicola32634
      nicola32634 ann55375

      Posted

      Hey Ann the serotonin wont make you worse, honest. We feel like this as we don't have enough, and the Sertraline will increase our levels so we will feel better. I have some positive news, i still haven't had a panic attack and i am just going to go for a walk down the beach 😊 that's after two days on 75mg after 15 days on 50mg x so i do see some improvement x stick with it hun xxx

    • ann55375
      ann55375 nicola32634

      Posted

      Have you had sertraline in the past Nicola? You are making such good strides and almost a week ahead of me, sounds great.   Did you feel extra anxiety all the way through the first two weeks, mine is getting stronger and i cant seem to control it.  Maybe 75 will help, or just time what do you think
    • nicola32634
      nicola32634 ann55375

      Posted

      I cant explain to you how bad my anxiety was Ann, i thought about ending my life because i honestly felt so bad day after day. The Sertraline DEFINITELY made it worse but that is normal, it is just a side effect of the job its doing. No I've never taken it before hun. I honestly do think that upping it has worked for me. But rember i had two weeks on the 50 first. How long exactly have you been on the 50 for? Xx

    • ann55375
      ann55375 nicola32634

      Posted

      It will be two weeks on tuesday, i just cant believe its possible to become so much more anxious on this med and wonder if its worth the fight. I am petrified upping to 75 will make the anxiety and nausea worse. At what point did your anxiety start to lower
    • nicola32634
      nicola32634 ann55375

      Posted

      I felt exactly the same! But my anxiety got better the yesterday after i took the 75mg. My doctor said to me that not having a high enough dose can make you feel worse so i upped it. Im going to up it again to 100 in a few days as that seems to be where most people settle. I really don't want you to be frightened to up it, i feel sooooo much better for upping!! Xx

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