Diet changes and other general questions?
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Hello! I stumbled across this wonderful community looking up side effects and just general things about Sertraline. I was diagnosed with anxiety just after the first of the year. I was also hit with the flu so I went from being sick and not eating because of that to not wanting to eat because of the meds. I've lost about 20 lbs over the last 2 months now and honestly I was pretty concerned about it but I see that many of you have struggled with the appetite loss too so now I feel a little better about that aspect.
Anywho, I'm wondering if, besides Grapefruit, there are any other dietary things to keep in mind while on the meds? Some sites seem to suggest Tyramine can cause high blood pressure while on it but my Dr. told me she didn't believe that to be the case as it's an SSRI and Tyramine is a main issue for those on MAOI's. I work long hours over 2 jobs Mon-Fri so unfortunately I do run through fast food places far more than I care to admit (it's another problem I really need to address) so I'm wondering if that's contributing to the weirdness I'm feeling lately?
This past week, I was upped from 50mg to 100 and needless to say I've been feeling like a total dumpster fire. I've been getting pretty shaky, light headed and I can't for the life of me get up in the morning anymore. I've also noticed that when I lay down I just can't stop moving my legs around. I had a feeling some of the side effects would return with the increase but I also went in to see her because I started getting shaky and that hasn't subsided at all.
She wants me to go 2 weeks on the 100mg and kinda go from there but I'm not sure if the meds are working? I still have bouts of freaking out because I don't think my heart is beating every so often and most mornings when I wake up I just feel really high strung but with absolutely no energy to do anything but roll over and try to go back to sleep. She was saying from here we can keep upping or try something else all together but I have no idea what path would make the most sense if I don't start feeling a little more functional over the next week and a half. Thanks for taking the time to read all of this and any advice anyone can offer.
0 likes, 9 replies
rachael25624 frankie1217
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frankie1217 rachael25624
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rachael25624 frankie1217
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frankie1217 rachael25624
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I too have a hard time sleeping. Some days I get a solid 6-7 hours. Others, like last night, I feel like I'm waking up every 20 mins and my legs just don't want to stay still.
rachael25624 frankie1217
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danny09 frankie1217
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It's true...It happened to me while I was on Sertraline, my blood pressure shot sky high, Thank God; in the evening it went back to normal. Here's a list/article I kept handy:
Tyramine (TIE-ruh-meen) is an amino acid that helps regulate blood pressure. It occurs naturally in the body and it's found in certain foods. Medications called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) block an enzyme known as monoamine oxidase, which breaks down excess tyramine in the body. Blocking this enzyme helps relieve depression.
If you take an MAOI and you eat high-tyramine foods, tyramine can quickly reach dangerous levels. This can cause a serious spike in blood pressure and require emergency treatment.
Avoid consuming foods that are high in tyramine if you take an MAOI. You may need to continue following a low-tyramine diet for a few weeks after you stop the medication.
Tyramine is naturally found in small amounts in protein-containing foods. As these foods age, the tyramine levels increase. Tyramine amounts can vary among foods due to different processing, storage and preparation methods. You can't reduce the amount of tyramine in a food by cooking it.
Examples of foods high in tyramine include:
Strong or aged cheeses, such as aged cheddar, Swiss and parmesan; blue cheeses such as Stilton and Gorgonzola; and Camembert. Cheeses made from pasteurized milk — such as American cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, farmer cheese and cream cheese — are less likely to contain high levels of tyramine.
Cured meats, which are meats treated with salt and nitrate or nitrite, such as dry-type summer sausages, pepperoni and salami.
Smoked or processed meats, such as hot dogs, bologna, bacon, corned beef or smoked fish.
Pickled or fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kimchee, caviar, tofu or pickles.
Sauces, such as soy sauce, shrimp sauce, fish sauce, miso and teriyaki sauce.
Soybeans and soybean products.
Snow peas, broad beans (fava beans) and their pods.
Dried or overripe fruits, such as raisins or prunes, or overripe bananas or avocados.
Meat tenderizers or meat prepared with tenderizers.
Yeast-extract spreads, such as Marmite, brewer's yeast or sour dough bread.
Alcoholic beverages, such as beer — especially tap or homebrewed beer — red wine, sherry and liqueurs.
Combination foods that contain any of the above ingredients.
Improperly stored foods or spoiled foods. While you're taking an MAOI, your doctor may recommend eating only fresh foods — not leftovers or foods past their freshness dates.
MAOIs, although effective, generally have been replaced by newer antidepressants that are safer and cause fewer side effects. Still, an MAOI is a good option for some people. In certain cases, an MAOI relieves depression when other treatments have failed.
Examples of MAOIs that are used for depression include:
Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
Phenelzine (Nardil)
Selegiline (Emsam)
Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Selegiline in patch form (Emsam) delivers the medication through your skin. If you use the lowest dose of the patch, you may not need to be as strict with the foods you eat, but check with your doctor or pharmacist.
It's wise to learn the emergency signs of a rapid and severe rise in blood pressure (hypertensive crisis), which may include:
Severe headache
Nausea and vomiting
Sweating and severe anxiety
Nosebleeds
Fast heartbeat
Chest pain
Changes in vision
Shortness of breath
Confusion
Rarely, a severe increase in blood pressure can lead to bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
If you take an MAOI, be prepared. Ask your doctor.
frankie1217 danny09
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Naturally all of my favorite foods fall into this list somewhere. Big fan of Chinese so seeing teriyaki on there breaks my heart.
What kind of stuff would you recommend? I've kinda fallen back to the chicken noodle soup and buttered toast for dinner and sliced peaches, carrots and a granola bar for lunch. Not sustaining at all but I feel like those are safe bets until I get a better idea of what else I can work in. Been drinking a ton of water and powerade here and there when I'm just feeling a bit off.
danny09 frankie1217
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I'm attaching great list of food, what you can eat, others to use caution, third column is Avoid, was very helpful to me, keep in mind this site administrator will okay it first before it's giving the green light to be posted, and it will.
frankie1217 danny09
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