1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Sertraline

Gp said up again what a joke

Posted , 2 users are following.

don45258
don45258

Just been back to see my gp (this time a different) and guess what she said up your dose of sertraline from 50mg to 100mg what a joke I've done that twice and other doc said go back to 50mg (and it on my record) when I upped both times I felt worse low mood mood swings high anxiety angry aggressive I'm not going though that again I told her I've done that twice and she didn't know what to say then I told her I've gone down to 25mg two days ago she's said see how that goes and come back in 2 weeks what a joke I know now they haven't got a clue

4 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Leslie501
    Leslie501 don45258

    Posted

    Hi Don, be careful of this drug if it is causing you problems already. I was on Sertraline for three months and plunged into the darkest despair of my life, and upping from 50mg to 100mg not only made my depression worse, it triggered terrible gastro issues. Glad you are paying attention to what your body is telling you, because the GPs don't seem to understand this drug at all. Good luck!
    • don45258
      don45258 Leslie501

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply its nice to know someone understands was your anxiety worse ? Did u feel uncomfortable around strangers? And did u have negative thoughts?
    • Leslie501
      Leslie501 don45258

      Posted

      Yes, I was way more anxious, and became afraid to leave the house, which was very weird, and not like me at all. Also, very negative thoughts and fearful dreams. It all went away when I stopped taking Sertraline.

      To avoid 'cold turkey,' I used low doses of my prior drug, Paroxetine (Paxil), and now I'm off that as well. Now I feel less depressed and altogether more functional, so I may try to stay off SSRIs altogether if I can. They had really stopped working for me after 10 years anyway, which happens.

      I'm currently trying to control my mood with exercise and better dietary choices.

    • don45258
      don45258 Leslie501

      Posted

      Sounds good to me how long after stopping them did u feel better ? And how did u taper down ?
    • Leslie501
      Leslie501 don45258

      Posted

      The horrible mental state began to improve within a few days, I think, but the severe stomach issues lasted over three weeks.

      Basically the drug starts some people into horrific bouts of diarrhoea, and it improves when the drug is stopped, but can take longer to completely resolve. I think it triggered my old foe, IBS, and the stress of being so sick physically made everything worse. After a month, all was well.

      I started tapering by stopping Sertraline immediately and replacing it with half my old dose of Paxil (first checked with my doctor) for a few days, and then cut that in half for a few more (down to 5mg). Then cold turkey from there, two weeks or so of head zaps and 'Paxil flu,' which improved slowly.

      Seem close to normal now, which is about 7 weeks later. What a nightmare!

      I'm only taking Ativan 1 mg at bedtime now, no other drugs at all, and feeling much better for it!

  • Capodingos
    Capodingos don45258

    Posted

    It is wrong, but seems standard procedure that if you say you feel worse then the dose is increased. They don't seem to understand the medication is causing the problems because the drug companies say that SSRIs are safe with minor side effects, but the side effects and withdrawal can be unbearable and incapacitating, causing big problems with employment and relationships.

    No doubt they will offer you another type of SSRI in a few weeks, and will probably not need to stop sertraline completely and just start the new one, it is something to consider carefully, but I am very reluctant to ever trying one again.

    It is best to research and identify which symptoms are due to the medication (it took me a long time to realise that many symptoms were not due to depression or anxiety) and know what you want to do with the medication, increase, decrease, come off it or try another type, since it is just trial and error the doctor will usually be happy to go along with with it, especially if they are making you feel terrible.

    With the withdrawal, some people are fine to reduce quickly, but many more are not. Take the reduction at the pace that feels comfortable, if in doubt take it slower, again most GPs don't understand the possible severity or length of the withdrawal.

    I know people say trust the doctor, but you have been given poor advice as I have in the past.

    • don45258
      don45258 Capodingos

      Posted

      Thanks did u say u were on sertraline before ? And if so when u stopped how long before you felt better ? And r u doing ok without meds ?
    • Leslie501
      Leslie501 Capodingos

      Posted

      Totally agree - I'm reluctant to ever start any SSRI again. I needed much more Ativan when I was on SSRSs than off. I was so agitated and suicidal, and so they just upped the SSRI dose, or switched me to another. Over the years I went through Paxil, Wellbutrin, Prozac, Trazadone, and the most hellish of all, Zoloft (Sertraline). Paxil was the least damaging.

      I feel as though I've got my personality and soul back - won't let them go again so easily!

    • don45258
      don45258 Leslie501

      Posted

      That's a problem I have personality changed dramatically I'm finding it hard to talk to people did u have this problem and dose it get better ? How long did it take to get your personality back ?
    • Capodingos
      Capodingos don45258

      Posted

      I was on citalopram for over 10 years, and took about 2 years to reduce gradually from 60mg to 0. I have been off them for about a year, but found the anxiety to be very bad to start with. I am getting better but not great due to problems it has caused with employment and isolation. I was offered prozac by the doctor but did not take it, as had not been helpful before. It is only recently I have been given sertraline, and only tried for one day, which made me feel bad and really agitated, the insomnia these drugs cause really doesn't help.

       

Back to top

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.