1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Sertraline

Dropped too low on Sertraline, relapsed and now back on higher dose--but no relief!

Posted , 9 users are following.

diana_17326
diana_17326

Hello everyone, 

So a bit of background. I was diagnosed with OCD and GAD about 13 years ago and was put on Paxil, which changed my life for the better to be honest. I went a full 10 years on Paxil, but then with the help of my doctor switched over to Zoloft ( in case I want to have children some day its apparently a safer option). I didn't experience any change or increase in anxiety when I switched, the only thing I remember is that it was a bit harder to take a deep breath. But that eventually went away. For 3 years, Zoloft worked amazing for me, so amazing, that I started to drop my dosage, from 75mg to 50mg and then back on August 9th of this summer, I dropped to a measly 25mg. I was doing great I thought.. until on November 11th (3 months after the dosage drop) I got weird heart palpitations/PVCs that threw me into a full blown week long panic. Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. So my doctor suggested I go back up on 50mg. On November 17th, I went up to 50mg again. My palps went away, and for a few days I felt like myself again. Then, about 11-12 days into the dose increase, my world came crashing down--panic and anxiety, sheer hell for two weeks straight. I can only attribute it the increase. Last week, I felt I had a bit of a turning point--I felt good, was able to sleep, the anxiety was still there but was bearable. My husband and my parents said they noticed some improvments. Fast forward to last night (first week back at work) I had a full blown panic attack trying to fall asleep. Had to take an ativan to go to sleep which I didn't have to do all the week earlier. My question is, is it possible that my increased anxiety and insomnia is being caused by my dose increase? I feel like I am doing a bit better than two weeks ago, but I still feel extremely anxious and have the intrusive thoughts, fear etc. I just want to be the happy person I was a month ago, and I'm scared I'll never get back there again. Which is also fueling my panic. By 4-6 weeks, should things improve? Will I ever feel like me again? In need of some reassurance and kind words. 

0 likes, 58 replies

58 Replies

Prev Next
  • diana_17326
    diana_17326

    Posted

    Hi everyone. Just wondering how everyone is doing? I’m almost at week 5 on 50mg and although I’ve improved, i still feel scared of things and have a bit of anxiety. 
    • kerryhs
      kerryhs diana_17326

      Posted

      Hi Diana, I hit 6 weeks of 150mg yesterday. I have been feeling much better overall the last few days. Today tho is another story. No where near as bad as before but I’m struggling to keep myself from crashing down. I had labrynthitis September. It’s a balance problem caused by a virus which causes a hung over feeling and vertigo. Well you know that nasty cold I have, it’s subsiding but I have symptoms of the labrynthitis. Giddy ness, woozy, headachy etc. It’s takes on average 4+ weeks to get over and I can’t do it again. Not when I’m like this anyway. My anxiety started because of this illness so for it to come back so soon is awful. Hopefully I can keep focussed and get through it.

      It’s good your feeling better, maybe after Christmas you could speak to your doctor about the frightened of everything feelings and you can continue to improve.

      Wishing you a merry Christmas and a healthy new year. 

  • diana_17326
    diana_17326

    Posted

    Hi everyone again... 

    Kerryhs how are you doing? Hope you were able to have a pleasant Christmas smile 

    So over the Christmas weekend, I felt phenomenal ( almost at week 6 of dose) I was surrounded by parties, and my husband and friends, and I felt like myself again. Today is my first day alone again in a while--my husband is back on night shift and the old panicky feelings came back. Do you think my medication is working yet? Why would I feel back to normal but then as soon as I'm by myself I feel like crap? I keep hoping that over the next couple of weeks I won't be so scared of being alone. I feel sad when I'm alone, like I need something to constantly distract myself from my thoughts. I just hope that this means the meds haven't reached their full potential yet. Any advice? Thougths? 

    • melissa66574
      melissa66574 diana_17326

      Posted

      The fact that you're feeling like yourself when you're not alone is DEFINITELY a sign the medication is working. You will for sure feel like yourself and enjoy being alone very soon. it just all happens at different paces. Some things/situations take a little longer to overcome. 10 years ago when I had a severe episode, I had to go with my then bf to his work bc i coudlnt bear to be alone. But once I got better, I slowly but surely worked back up to LOVING my alone time again. I'm known by everyone to love alone time more than anyone haha so it pains me now that I avoid it at all costs. Thankfully my husband started a new job and he'll be workign from home for almost a year. Great timing for my anxiety hell but i feel bad I'm around moping all the time. He travels for work once in a while and i freak out every time. In the past I used to get so excited for him to leave so I could hog the TV, couch and dog. 

      you will definitely feel like yourself again and enjoy alone time! I can't wait til I can say that about myself!

    • diana_17326
      diana_17326 melissa66574

      Posted

      Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing!

      So you felt like me where you were scared of being alone, and then you went back to being ok again? I’m just worried that I’m never going to be alright being alone again sad 

    • kerryhs
      kerryhs diana_17326

      Posted

      Hi Diana, 

      Went back to docs this morning. Had crappy Christmas but held it together for my 2 kids. 

      My labrynthitis is back so it could be 6 weeks TIL the giddy feeling is over. He offered me beta blockers (you guys call it propranolol I think). I said I’d ride it out. 

      Anxiety is lessened but constantly fizzing away. I’m hoping now I’m on week 7 of 150mg that I’m slowly turning the corner. I’ve lost 1.5 stone, appetite low but gradually starting to eat again. 

      Roll on the new year, I should here in January about my cbt. 

      Hope your ok?

    • melissa66574
      melissa66574 diana_17326

      Posted

      Yes absolutely!!

      I have been enjoying my alone time since then up until my relapse this Novembersad 

      I miss my normal self, it’s so hard knowing how I SHOULD/could feel. I have always been so happy and excited for every day and now I just want to rush through then so I could get closer to feeling better;(

      I’m so happy you feel better overall. You’ll definitely feel better alone soon!!

    • diana_17326
      diana_17326 melissa66574

      Posted

      Oh that’s good! Not the relapse right now that you’re going through, but it’ll pass! That’s what I keep telling myself. 

      I guess for me 50mg is sti pretty low and I just hit the 6 week mark today on that dose. I’ll try to be patient for a few more weeks. I just get so scared of being alone! I want to be able to not care! 

    • diana_17326
      diana_17326 melissa66574

      Posted

      Hi Melissa. Happy New Year!

      I’m feeling a lot better than when I first began the 50mg (I’ve just hit 6 weeks) and I’m hoping by week 8, I’ll feel even better. I still however don’t feel 100%, I feel about 70%, and if I’m by myself I still have a lot of anxiety. By week 8, if I’m not feeling 100%, I’ll up to 75mg. I’m almost about 100% myself when I’m with family and friends and distracting myself, but when I’m by myself, I still have panicky feelings. I hope that when I find the right dose, that will stop. 

      How are you doing?

    • melissa66574
      melissa66574 diana_17326

      Posted

      happy new year to you, too!

      i'm hoping this year brings us lots of happiness and stress-free days!

      If you're feeling almost 100% w friends and fam, you WILL be that way alone soon. You just have to give it some time and do it in short periods of time til you work up to being alone for a longer time. Have you tried being alone yet? sometimes its just the fear but when you'er alone you realize you can do it and start to enjoy it.

      i'm not feeling better yet. I felt like maybe i was having some good moments today, but i dont know. Now i'm freaking out bc we just had a meeting at work and they were talking about shooting one of the projects i'm on in LA in february and I live in NY and im soo scared. I can't even be alone when my husband leaves for the night on a business trip. i know its a month away but i hate that its getting in the way of me getting b etter bc now I'm extra scared about it. and i started this job in november so i hardly know my coworkers and no one knows about my condition. They're nice but they're all close with each other and talk about everyone behind their backs so i know they'll talk about it if i tell themsad

      I don't know when I'll find out where the shoot will be. They are probably figuring it out now and keep throwing out Miami as an option and nY and i'm praying so hard they go with either one of those!!

      On top of worrying about that, I'm worried about not even getting better as this is my 4th week on 200mg and my 8th since increasing from 50-200 in increments of 50.

      humphsad

  • melissa66574
    melissa66574 diana_17326

    Posted

    hi Diana,

    I experienced something similar

    was on 200mg for 10 years and then decreased earlier this spring to 50mg. Felt ok, even tho I knew I could feel better but felt like I wanted to ride it out longer. Then I started a new job in the beginning of November and that's when s**t hit the fan. Now i'm back on 200mg for 3 weeks now and sometimes i feel like i havent made any progress at all. although there were a few days in between when I thought FOR SURE i was getting better and then went back to square 1

    how are you feeling now?!

    • Stacey29819
      Stacey29819 melissa66574

      Posted

      Once I get situated on a med, I am not going off again.  I forgot how hard it was for months in The beginning.
    • melissa66574
      melissa66574 Stacey29819

      Posted

      Same here!

      If it works for me again like it has my whole life (PRAYING it does) then I’ll never get off it!

      I’m still waiting for relief. It’s been 3 wks on 200mg. I just want to stomp my foot and poutsad

      How long did it take u to feel much better??

    • Stacey29819
      Stacey29819 melissa66574

      Posted

      I’m still not feeling much better, I was on the Sertraline 5 weeks, 3 days, then Prozac now for almost 2 weeks.  I just upped dose 2 days ago so back to side effects.
    • melissa66574
      melissa66574 Stacey29819

      Posted

      Oh man, I’m so sorry to hear that. But you just upped your dose so you still have a good chance of feeling better in time. I’m on week 3.5 and starting to get nervous it won’t work. There are so many ups and downs that it’s hard to tell if I’m getting better even though my husband says he can notice it. 

      I hope I notice a significant difference soon! I know everyone’s different and it usually takes me much longer to get better but I’m hoping it’s within the timeframes everyone says—4-6 or 8-12!

    • Stacey29819
      Stacey29819 melissa66574

      Posted

      Melissa,

      I think I finally see a change starting from yesterday.  Something that would have panicked me didn’t bother me as much, and I’m feeling not as irritable, and happy about some things, so that’s an improvement.  If I could just get through the side effects it would be better.  I still get anxiety, dizzy, nausea, etc.  Hoping that will go away.  Going up to 40 was not as bad as starting.  I was worried it would be a lot worse, but it’s not as bad as before.

Back to top
Prev Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.