25 mg of sertraline struggling
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi i know these meds can take a while to kick in but i feel worse than when i started last thurs been on 50 mg yrs ago an i cant remember it being this difficult i tried 50 mg for 2 days last wk and i was on the verge of pulling hair out was far to strong. Im only tiny abt the size of an 11 yr old. Please tell me theres light at the end of the tunnel b4 wks!
0 likes, 23 replies
joblond weenett
Posted
I've been on it 3 times before and just started it again 3 weeks ago. I've never felt this bad on it either. On 25 prob going up to 50 tomorrow and I'm scared. Side effects have been awful and physically I've felt like c*** hope there's somebody out there who can reassure it gets better!
weenett joblond
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joblond weenett
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What the side effects?? Much more increased anxiety ( taking it for depression and anxiety but started on 25 to ease it into my body supposedly!!) sickness, diarrhea, constant pacing, sweating so bad! Can't breathe, heart palpatations. Just feel so nervous. It's easing a bit after almost 3 weeks but worried about increasing. But to be honest I think all the other times I've been on it I went straight in at 50mg. And I'm sure I didn't feel this bad! Also the difference may have been that this time I had a really bad bout of anxiety before I started the meds and I was a complete mess, so I've been anxious about being anxious anyway if that makes sense?!
weenett joblond
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holly34337 joblond
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Oh my gosh me too. This is like my third or fourth time starting this med and I can't believe how awful I feel. I know it wasn't easy any of the start ups but this one is knocking me out of commission in a bad way. I am on day four and feel like death. Nausea and vomiting this time which I don't recall in the past. I am already thinking to myself that I can do this.....
sparrow01 weenett
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hi, early days on sertraline and other ssri meds suck unfortunately, the important thing is to keep going, dont increase your dose until you are used to the current dose u are taking, and once the sertraline is working (can take 8-12 weeks), stay on it, for years, because if you stop and then your depression.anxiety returns, then you have to go through all that again of starting over, and in may cases, the new episode you experience will be worse than previous episodes. so long story short, i really recommend staying on antidepressants if you are a long term depression/anxiety sufferer, and don;t let anyone tell you it's a big deal to do that, because it isn't
don67438 sparrow01
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You must work for a pharmaceutical company!
sparrow01 don67438
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ooh a psychotherapist... i love these guys
(hi)
actually, statistics show sertraline to be one of the better ssri meds available, assuming you can get through the often lengthy startup phase (which you couldn't).
lawsuits have been filed against every drug, including plain old aspirin (google it), but go ahead and spread fear and paranoia if it makes you feel better.
ssri meds can be difficult to get off of because, if you dont taper off slowly, you can get discontinuation ('withdrawal'
effects, and also, your depression/anxiety can return, because ssri meds treat the symptoms of depression/anxiety, not the cause. so it's no wonder a lot of people cant get off ssri meds, because when they try, their depression/anxiety comes back. what's the solution..? STAY ON THE MEDS! 
have a nice day
don67438 weenett
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weenett don67438
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don67438 weenett
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For me and meny others the side effects of this drug far well outweigh the bennifits.
Exercise and cbt work wonders
weenett don67438
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don67438 weenett
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sparrow01 don67438
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for me personally, i take sertraline 100mg a day, i eat a couple of bananas a day, i eat a small can of sardines in spring water a day (very high in EPA), and i get some exercise (at work)
weenett sparrow01
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Chick17418 weenett
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My anxiety is bad too, it stops me from doing so much. I've missed out on so much in my life.
sparrow01 Chick17418
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i find sertraline to be good for both anxiety and depression, but really annoyingly (and the last thing depression/anxiety sufferers need) is, the 'feeling worse before feeling better' which often happens in the earlier stages of treatment (of all ssri's). i was quite unlucky in this department, having to wait around 10-12 weeks for my anxiety and negative/intrusive thinking to be stopped, and during this time, my anxiety did get worse for a while (it was worse than when i wasn't taking sertraline, and that was very difficult to have to put up with).
you also have to find the right dose for you. too little and it wont tackle your depression/anxiety, but too much, and you might have increased/difficult side effects
in hindsight, i wish i had some benzo meds on hand when starting out with sertraline for the first month or two, just to take during the tougher times of getting used to the sertraline. one of these benzo meds: alprazolam (xanax), diazepam (valium), lorazepam (ativan), clonazepam (klonopin)
but if you dont really like taking meds and would rather not take additional ones such as benzo's if you can help it, it's just a case of trying to keep occupied as you wait for the sertraline to get working. try to do the usual things really, try to eat well, go for walks even if u dont feel like it, talk to people, dont isolate yourself, read other peoples stories on the internet and learn about depression and anxiety, and use the forums as talking helps, stuff like that really.
sparrow01 weenett
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with anxiety, what i did was explore all of the different ways that anxiety can be reduced, and then the stuff i found worked for me, i stuck with. so personally i have ended up taking sertraline each day which absolutely helps me the most, and then i do some other stuff which helps, such as improved my diet.
there's lots of things to try, such as meds, exercise, diet changes, vitamins, supplements, therapy, CBT, books, yoga, meditation, and so on. it's a case of trying lots of things and seeing which works for you. don't feel bad if you don't like the sound of most of the stuff on that list though, because for some people, the best thing for them and all the really need for starters is to simply get on a med which works. then, when you are feeling better, you can make further changes, such as diet changes, exercise, and so on
Chick17418 sparrow01
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Thank you Sparrow, that's such a big help. I feel I am getting better every day now, thank god. Xx
weenett Chick17418
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ger00232 sparrow01
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