Agitated with Sertraline, is it worth it?
Posted , 4 users are following.
I was previously taking citalopram for several years, they helped a bit with anxiety but made me demotivated, exhausted and unable to sleep at night. I tried to stop them several times and finally stopped taking about a year ago after the physical side effects became a problem, and found the withdrawal effects very unpleasant and caused a lot of personal difficulties.
Things have been bad with work and relationships, but getting worse again, my constant anxiety and depression irritating people and making it hard to get anything done.
I have been putting off taking antidepressants again as I think they have done more harm than good, but took 1/4 of a 50mg sertraline tablet today, to try a gradual start. I felt wired like I had drunk too much coffee, so took a diazepam to help, but then slept most of the day and feel really agitated again tonight, dizzy, nauseas, I can't keep my legs still.
I know people say it takes a few months for them to work, but also they don't work for many people, it seems a big gamble, I don't want to feel like this even for another day, then have to go through the months of withdrawal again if they don't work, or if the weight gain causes impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes) as happened with the citalopram.
I know SSRIs work for some people, but they just make me feel worse, I know I will just be offered yet another type by the GP, I am lucky to have been given the diazepam which do help but know they will be stopped soon.
I am worried about the furture, either on of off medication, but think that the system of simply trying one drug after another is going to end badly.
2 likes, 11 replies
don45258 Capodingos
Posted
tracey11164 don45258
Posted
Capodingos don45258
Posted
Usually the GP will advise coming off them much too quickly also, or taking every other day. From experience coming off citalopram I found that was bad advice, it is much better to take the same dose every day, otherwise the levels fluctuate too much (the half life of sertraline is 26 hours). Try and get some 25mg tablets from the GP and then cut them into quarters and reduce the dose by a quarter tablet every couple of weeks.
I took another diazepam last night but still didn't get to sleep til after 3AM. Feel a bit better this morning, I am not going to take another sertraline tablet, and feel stupid trying it, but felt I couldn't go back to GP if I hadn't tried it. I would like some support, more diazepam and CBT, but to access them it seems that you have to take the antidepressants.
From reading on here and other sites I now know that the exhaustion, weakness and insomnia I had from the citalopram previously were side effects, and not chronic fatigue or depression, and the awful anxiety, tearfulness and bad temper I had for months after stopping were withdrawal symptoms.
I feel let down by the GPs, they were trying to help but have little understanding of the side effects and withdrawal symptoms, which get dismissed as symptoms of depression and anxiety or hyperchondria.
don45258 tracey11164
Posted
don45258 Capodingos
Posted
jennycono Capodingos
Posted
don45258 jennycono
Posted
jennycono don45258
Posted
Capodingos jennycono
Posted
Best wishes and hope you feel better soon.
Capodingos don45258
Posted
don45258 Capodingos
Posted