Help.. Too scared to take setraline

Hi thank you all so much for your support.. I decided to go for it, you are all really positive and you've helped me lots.. I took 25mg a couple of hours ago and will continue for a few days before I think about 50mg.. Thank you xx

Well done Verity, just try and forget about it now as much as you can and your body will eventually get used to the medication and little by little you will see changes. Please let us know how you are getting on wont you but I know you will be absolutely fine. And try and eat even if u dont feel like it, it will help even if its just toast or Complan like I did xx

Ah thank you, you wouldn't believe how nervous I was but I think I have so much stress this last week about taking them, I actually feel quite relieved now.. Have such a headache but did have a slight one anyway before I took them.. Really hope this works.. Did you feel fine driving on them? Thanks again for all your comments x

Yes, I am fine driving on them, I have to drive every day for school run and then to work. Be careful in first couple of weeks as you might feel a bit spaced out so just see how you go and take each day if you can. It is hard to not look ahead, I did it myself but people on here really helped me keep going when I felt nothing was happening and still felt rubbish. I wanted to be able to at least function and carry on with doing the things I needed to do, which happened quite quickly and the rest followed eventually. I did have a blip in the middle with an operation in hospital which didnt go quite to plana nd my anxiety went through the roof but I got through it. You probably have a headache as you have been worrying about it x

Verity, I had to smile because you are perhaps doing something very similar to what I did, which is focusing your anxiety on the medication, which in a way made it clear to me that I needed the medication.  Someone on a board told me "LOL just breathe" and that actually really helped me, just to smile at what I was doing and breathe.

Not implying at all that it's the same for you, but thought I'd share in case part of it helps.

For me, what you are expecting, the severity, never happened.  It's been a month now and I went from 50 to 100.  I just carried on my life, driving, working long hours, just fine.  This week when I increased I needed to go home sooner and rest longer, but I had a heavy week last week so that's part of it.  I think at 25 you really will not have a huge effect on life activities unless you are in the minor statistics.  Again of course, I am not a doctor etc. etc. - just based on my experience and a few friends that have taken it.

I have noticed with the increased dose, that my anxiety increases a little just a few hours before it's time to take the next dose - I also get hungrier, a little light headed, etc. - but I think it's just my body adjusting.  It happened last night, and I laid down for bed, and then when I took the next dose, within an hour the symptoms calmed down and I felt better than I felt in a long time.  I think some of it might just be psychosomatic, but that's OK.  

Overall I think the medication is helping so much that I am starting to notice now when I'm actually in anxiety and when I'm not, and it used to just be all the time so I actually didn't even notice it all the time, it was just what I was living in and I had become very good at tolerating it and just living a "normal" life, and adjusting to accomodate the worry feeling.

do you get 1 -1 CBT  on  NHS  ,where do you live it sounds paradice , we get course,s of up to 20 people , 1 hour a week for 6 weeks  and the waiting list is 2 year,s .The first session a woman ran out the room before it started , week 2 down to 10  . 3 of us finished the course in no mans land , 1 lady felt better , the other felt worse , I didnt need it i have no problem being out and about, but they sent me so i went i wasnt going to let the NHS down so i finished the course . The NHS course is on the internet you have more time to study it in your own home . i have to admit my course was poorly put together and a total waste 1 instrutor missed 3 sessions ,they use 2 in my area and only do group CTB to encourage interaction , at the end its still down to you to sort yourself out , they try to point you in the right direction thats all

Hi Natalie, after only taking 1 dose my migraine Intensed last night, I started to have really awful thoughts, all I wanted to do was full asleep which I did, woke up really hot and this morning still have a mild headache and from my elbows down are really aching, feel really clammy.. I used to have thoughts about 2 years ago but totally got that under control with no meds that completely went away, don't know if I made them come back as that was one of my winery's taking these meds.. Thinking of taking them at night now so worst side effects are through the night.. Or do I complrtely stop as don't want them to get worse

Don't stop them verity if u can carry on x it's onky day 1 and I reckon a lot of what u r feeling is from You worrying too. I was a Exactly the same and fely so scared. Headache def from tension. U might get night sweats but they will go xx

I tried to go out the house this morning have out off all week my son having his hair cut, went to the hairdressers, but felt like I was going to have a panic attack so had to leave, dropped kids off with family and I'm now back home debating taking my 2nd pill.. Had diahorrea this morning too..

They can affect your tummy too but so can anxiety x did ur doc give u any diazapam for first couple of weeks verity? x

Hi no they didn't give me anything else, just taken the 2nd.. I hate feeling like this.. I'm starting to feel worse than I did before I started on them and wondering if this is really right for me.. X

You might feel like that a bit but it will pass x have u eaten? I always take mine after breakfast and never before eating. Can u get a doc appt tomorrow to ask a about diazapam just for 2 weeks. I hate tablets so much but I took 2mg in morning and 2 in evening and it def helped take the edge off. After 2 weeks I stopped taking them and threw the rest in the bin x

I might call them on Monday as closed tomorrow.. I feel panicky and usually my heart can race but it's not racing which is panicking me as feel this is slowing my heart rate down or should this do it to give me that calming effect.,

It's just your system getting used to something different until it accepts it x all this u r sayung is what I had x

Hello Verity how are u getting on? x

Hi Natalie, I took 25mg for 2 days, last tablet on Saturday, really didn't like the side effects felt complete zombie so came me off them.. I think I was creating more anxiety as didnt like taking them.. Went back to work on Monday, feeling a lot better and more myself, still have anxiety and feeling of slight panic but found a fab book called A life at last that has really made a difference.. So just trying to get through it this way and stop worrying so much which is definitely helping with my anxiety., thanks for all your support though. X

That book is really good, I have that one too x I'm glad u r feeling a bit better and back at work. Pls let me know how u get on which I am sure will be fine x