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Help/advice please

Posted , 4 users are following.

Babette
Babette

Hello there,

I'm 35 and had anxiety/panic attacks for 17 years now. I was on citalopram for roughly 13 years (20mg) and although it took the edge of it, if I had a rough time it wouldn't help. I have been ok ish for about 5 months but felt so numb. Got told many times by various people to change my med as my body is probably so used to it and that it's not working properly anymore. After my other half told me that I never seem happy I went to see my gp as I had enough. He told me to try sertraline (50mg). I have taken it for 15 days now and the first 12/13 days I could not tell the difference. However, in the last 2 days I have felt very anxious and terrified of everything!! I'm so scared I'm gonna get as bad as I did last year again. I do have all the usual physical symptoms but I get an awful lot of intrusive thoughts which are magnified times a thousand and I feel petrified. When I get like this I can't eat or function and it takes weeks before it disappears and I feel lonely as my partner doesn't understand any of it. I feel I want to scream, I'm losing my mind, everything feels unreal.... It's awful! I feel better than yesterday but I don't understand why the first 2 weeks were ok and now I'm feeling this way. I didn't taper off citalopram I did a straight swop. Is my body only feeling it now? Do I need a higher dose? I need to feel better as we are going abroad in 3 weeks and I can't ruin our holiday!!! Can anyone advise me please? Do you/have you felt the same? Also I always get panic attacks when I see my family and I have to see them in July and I want to be good! I love my family to bits and never have been abused or whatever else but for some reason every time I have to go there or they come here I feel awful and I wish I was by myself but the minute we are apart I cry like a child! I guess my first panic attacks happened there and I probably associate my family with it but I can't carry on like this! I don't know who can help me with this???? I had CBT but it didn't help me. I knew as much as her! I read many books and I know it's our adrenaline and that's it's the fight or flight response... But it's still not helping. A smell a thought a picture anything can make me feel awful when I'm in an anxiety/panic attack period. I can be fine for months and then boom 2 awful months! Can anyone relate? Do you think sertraline will help me?... Any advice would be welcome. Thank you.

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • S.D.J
    S.D.J Babette

    Posted

    Hi your not alone. I have been on sertraline for two years I am now at 1.5, I got help to save my marriage bit unfortunately he had wondering eyes. Get a higher dose and contact your doctor right away. Before you really lose it.

    Peace.

  • lynda70899
    lynda70899 Babette

    Posted

    Hi Babette

    i too was on citalopram for about the same time as you.  Switched over to sertraline 25 mg two weeks the 50 two weeks the 75 as of two days ago.  Sertraline, at least for me, takes a long time before it kicks in.  I am only now feeling a little clearer..  My anxiety (health related) has calmed down.  Still get intrusive thoughts in the am.  Things do get worse before they get bbetter.  What you are feeling now will dissipate over time.  I went through a horrific six weeks before I saw a glimmer of hope.  You may need a higher dosage but should wait 2 weeks before going up to see how your body responds.  My dr advice.  Do you  take lorazepam or an anti anxiety pill that can help in the meantime.  I take lorazepam.  I half the pill.  Seems to calm me down.  Especially if one of your triggers is meeting up with family.  Things do get better but with this med it takes longer for some people. Not sure if this is helpful.  

    Lynda

  • rich98378
    rich98378 Babette

    Posted

    I can relate to how your feeling as I felt the same and was on 100mg of sertraline. All anti depressants take time to work and can sometimes make you feel worse at the beginning. Usually it's up to 6 weeks before you start to feel better. As your going away soon maybe worth discussing with your doctor. I was given propranolol to help with the physical side effects racing heartbeat e.t.c and diazepam when everything was to much.

    10 yrs ago I was on prozac and had side effects in the beginning but they gave me my life back.

    All that being said I gave sertraline a go for 3 months but the intusive thoughts and nightmares didnt go. So I have been swapped to mirtazapine 5 days ago and didn't taper off. At the moment I feel fine.

    I do have two friends that are on sertraline 100mg and they have both done well on it. Unfortunately it's trial and error to find with anti depressants suit you best. 2 weeks is really to early to tell if it's right for you or not.

    See if you can make an appointment with your gp . He may give you something to help (diazepam e.t.c) this is a short term drug from the benzodiazepen group. Which works within the hr to help with panic attacks.

    Just remember your not alone feeling like this. Unfortunately it effects most of us on here 😐. Wishing you the best

    Rich

  • Babette
    Babette

    Posted

    Hello everyone,

    I just wanted to let you know how I'm getting on. So I have been on sertraline 50mg for about 18days. The first pretty much 2 weeks everything was fine but in the last 3 days im full of anxiety! I get those weird waves of terror. I get tense so tense around my jaw I feel like screaming!!! I feel petrified without really knowing why. I mean it takes me back to the first time I had panic anxiety attack, smells, feelings... Just horrid. As if I'm in a nightmare I can't get out of! I have booked an appt with my doc tomorrow at 4pm. I'm so scared I'm gonna go insane sad I feel so detached of it all. I don't understand why it starts after 2 weeks!! When it's like this it feels like the symptoms are always worse than ever before and that it will never stop!!! So crazy to be scared of being scared isn't?! I don't wish this on anyone but does anyone get as intense as this? I don't know how to make it stop!!i try to focus on something else and do my breathing exercises but I want it gone now right this second!! Go away u weird thoughts and feelings!!! Someone out there feeling the same? X

    • lynda70899
      lynda70899 Babette

      Posted

      Hi Babette

      sorry your going through this.  I have heard of this happening before. I' m not sure why.  Can you take lorazepam or something else to calm yourself.  When your in this state I know how hard it is to meditate or do a body scan.  Deep breathing is always a good idea.  Glad you are going to see your dr tmrw.  You might ask her why after two weeks of feeling ok you are experiencing these attacks.  Is this how sertraline works??

      lynda

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