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From mirtazapine to sertraline

Posted , 5 users are following.

Weetamc
Weetamc

Hi folks.Yesterday my doctor prescribed me sertraline, I have been on mirtazapine for around six months and have to stop taking these for two nights before I begin the new Med.i have been started on 100mg, which has me worried, also the reading online is a culmination of horror stories of terrible side effects, permanent damage, and serotonin syndrome.i am now so worried about blasting my body with these I was considering coming off all meds and trying to sort myself out alone lol.doesnt 100mg seem excessive and a two day gap not seem a little quick to jump? Are there no meds out there with little to no side effects? Anyone with experience give me some pointers, way it is just now ain't no way I'm swallowing these things, seriously "stroke like symptoms side effect" Jesus! No thanks

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • vikki2303
    vikki2303 Weetamc

    Posted

    Hi, yes 100mg seems quite a lot for a starting dose to me, I started on 50mg and have been on them 5 weeks 3 days now. U will prob get start up side effects that r common for sert which is, fatigue, upset tummy, sleeplessness or feeling tired. I take mine just as I'm getting in bed so I think I slept through most of the harsh side effects. My side effects were loss of appetite, fatigue, heightened anxiety and abit of tummy upset but everyone is different. The side effects normally go within 2 weeks and mine went at about 10 days but I do still suffer with anxiety but not as bad as what it was. I also take propranolol to stop the heart palpatations and I take rescue remedy when I feel really anxious , have u tried it??? I highly recommend it for the bad anxiety days . I would consider just trying 50mg to start and give it a couple of weeks then up to 100mg just to ease into it. It does get worse before it gets better and takes a while to work but I have read so many success reviews that I am sticking to it. It's still early days and can take up to 12 weeks or more to feel the benefit, I wish u luck and let me know how u get on x
    • Weetamc
      Weetamc vikki2303

      Posted

      Thanks vikki I appreciate that advice.Normally I would take my docs advice one hundred percent but these side effects are scary, and I would rather not go near these things at all.Maybe Google is more of a scaremonger when it comes to meds and their side effects.sometimes In the past I have myself convinced that my depression can be controlled by me but recently I have been biting everyone's head off to the point where my paranoia almost lost me my partner.few years ago I was on fluoxetine and my life was back to normal, then boom back down again.tried fluoxetine again but nothing, then mirtazapine and man did they destroy me completely but I stuck with them.playing around with the chemicals of the brain scares me and would much rather try without anything at all but the down days well you know exactly what I mean...there really down.i think I'm going to hold off on all meds until my next appointment then express my concerns to the doctor.i know there is no magical cure or side effect free way of doing this but these things quite frankly strike me as dangerous and potentially permanently damaging medication.thank you for taking the time to read and reply.
  • DawnDedee
    DawnDedee Weetamc

    Posted

    Hi Weetamc,

    I understand your concerns. Of course I am not a doctor, but my first thought concerning the jump from one medication to another does not seem so dangerous since you are replacing it with a new med in the same catagory/class. If you stopped the old med all at once and did not replace it, then that would be dangerous. You are just swapping one for another.

    As far as the size of the dosage, I would expect that your doctor is matching the dosage of your original medication with that of your new one and it is logical that not all meds in the same category/class work the same way at the exact same comparative dosage. So, just for example, 50 mgs delivered in former med might take 100 mgs in the new med to deliver the same therapeutic dose.

    My other thought is that absolutely every medication in any form has possible side effects and if we only linger on the scary view, then none of us would ever take any medication. I would have died decades ago if I allowed side effects and possible side effects scare me and I have paid the price of long term use of a medication, but the trade off was being able to breathe and live, so I consider it worth the trade off.

    So really only you can weigh out the good and the bad for yourself. Which direction to go with regards to daily and long term quality of life. For me the risk is far greater if I do not take my Sertraline. As you do, I choose to be informed about what enters my body, but at the same time I cannot let fear be my guide.

    There is another forum on here entitled Alternative and Complimentary medicine, or something like that, and many knowledgeable people share on there and perhaps you might find some tips about fighting your battle in a natural way. For me I have not suffered any side effect from Sertraline and have used it on and off in my adult life for two and three years at a time, then two or three years off when I felt stable enough to sail on my own. Huge stressful life events is what pushed me back on it.

    Take care,

    Dawn, US

    • Blu02
      Blu02 DawnDedee

      Posted

      Wow Dawn, you say you're not a doctor but with an explanation like that to Weetamc perhaps you should consider a career change! Nice post 😃
    • DawnDedee
      DawnDedee Blu02

      Posted

      Thanks for the compliment. I have been a patient since birth and have experienced and learned vicariously. My own journey to survive has taught me much. I do hold a Bachelor of Science degree but that is all.

      My philosophy is that some are born to be doctors and nurses and some are born to be patients. I was born a patient. 😀😀

      Dawn

  • emma1605
    emma1605 Weetamc

    Posted

    Hi, im on 100mg and just starting to feel better im on week 3. Its hard at first but worth it.
    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 emma1605

      Posted

      Did u start on 100mg Emma? Glad your starting to feel better x
    • emma1605
      emma1605 vikki2303

      Posted

      I started on 50mg but it had no effect and after a week i still felt really low so doc increased to 100mg. It has taken a few weeks to work with a few ups and downs but its slowly working x
    • Weetamc
      Weetamc emma1605

      Posted

      Thank you all for your replies and advice.after speaking to the doctor today regarding my concerns she has agreed that if I don't feel comfortable taking these then she would opt for fluoxetine.i hope they help me.
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