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After ten years of fighting anxiety alone, can Sertraline really help me?

Posted , 4 users are following.

MrsTiggyWinkle
MrsTiggyWinkle

Hi everyone,

I have suffered with random bouts of anxiety and panic attacks for the last ten years. At first, I would have two episodes a year, now I am having 5. Due to the fact I always manage to pull myself out of an episode after a few weeks of hell, I have always declined pills. However, I have finally accepted the doctor's advice and tried Sertraline. I am only a week into the course but I feel terrible. Spaced out, not really here, so tired, no appetite, nauseous, diarrhoea etc. Should I stick with them?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • trishtrash80
    trishtrash80 MrsTiggyWinkle

    Posted

    yessss i does trust me

    ****1. > ****************i was like you but 2 years ago i had a brain tumour removed and that set my anxiety off x10000

    HOWEVER THE FIRST 6 weeks are the worst just keep resding all the success stories to get you from day to day and my advise is stay low dose just to take edge off i think the doctors are to quick to bump the dose up!!

    good luck your not alone with this terrible thing we need to live with

    • MrsTiggyWinkle
      MrsTiggyWinkle trishtrash80

      Posted

      Thank you so much for your reply. I had started to believe I was beyond help. I've fought against medication for so long, but I'm finally accepting that I can't do this on my own.

  • lorna811
    lorna811 MrsTiggyWinkle

    Posted

    Hi. i was just like you, resisted medication for years, decades in my case. sertraline definitely helped with my anxiety. the first weeks were fairly bad, i was spaced out, clumsy etc. but it did get better.

    However, after two years on it i decided i couldnt take the side effects anymore, the sexual side effects were tough on my husband and i didnt like feeling cotton wooly (not exactly a medical term!) and i tapered off very very slowly, took me 6 months and each time i cut the dose i had a few bad days. sadly my anxiety is back but it wasnt quite so bad for a while at least.

    overall it was worth taking it to get a break from the constant anxiety but by itself it isnt a long term cure.

    persevere and the side effects you mention do improve. good luck.

  • Potatoghost
    Potatoghost MrsTiggyWinkle

    Posted

    hi hope you are doing ok. I was on citalopram for years and it done wonders for my anxiety and depression. I'm to start taking sertraline next week because the citalopram doesn't seem to be working for me anymore.

    what you are experiencing is completely normal side effects from most SSRIs

    one week is still really early days so stick with it.

    it would be a shame to give up this early If it could really help you in the long run x

  • MrsTiggyWinkle
    MrsTiggyWinkle

    Posted

    Thank you, everyone. I'm really hoping these work for me. Living in constant fear of anxiety and panic has taken so many years away from me. I don't want it to control my future as well as my past.

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost MrsTiggyWinkle

      Posted

      I know exactly how you feel!

      the side effects should subside in a few weeks so hopefully you'll start feeling better then x

      have you been given anything to help with the side effects?

    • MrsTiggyWinkle
      MrsTiggyWinkle Potatoghost

      Posted

      I was offered Propanalol but I am concerned that it would just make me more fatigued and even more drugged. I am on day 9 and I am feeling slightly better. I've still woken up with an upset stomach, but I have a sense of calm.

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost MrsTiggyWinkle

      Posted

      that's really good that you have a sense of calm. it must be a bit of a relief?

      higher doses of propranolol will make you feel tired. at a lower dose the first few times you take it you will feel tired but itll settle down.

      it doesn't help the thoughts or mental side of things it just stops the physical side effects of anxiety like, shaking, fast heart rate and palpitations.just takes the edge of slightly.

      I try not to take mine but morning anxiety is horrible and a real struggle.

    • MrsTiggyWinkle
      MrsTiggyWinkle Potatoghost

      Posted

      It is a relief. My appetite also came back today, which I am very happy about. I had lost over a stone in the last couple of weeks. Day 10 of Sertraline seems to be a turning point for me.

    • Potatoghost
      Potatoghost MrsTiggyWinkle

      Posted

      that's brilliant! just remember blips may happen so if you go backwards slightly dont panick! recovery comes in waves x

      hopefully it's all up hill for you for now x an early sign the tablets are working is appetite and sleep starting to improve x I'm dead happy for you x

      please keep me posted on how you are doing x .

      if u need any advise just ask x x 😊

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