I show suicidal tendencies & insomnia. I have been prescribed sertraline. What shud I do?

Hi Megha,

We note from a recent post which you have made to our forum that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologies for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.

If you are having these suicidal thoughts then we strongly recommend you speak to someone who may be able to help. The Samaritans offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what you are going through. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.

Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet here: https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts, which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you may need.

If you are having such thoughts then please do reach out to the team at the Samaritans (or the other people detailed in our leaflet) who will understand what you're going through and will be able to help.

Kindest regards

Patient

This is only my opinion but I would take the sertraline to make you better, I know you will feel worse before you get better but things will improve! Tell your family (if you decide to take it) to keep a close eye on you, you need medication to make you better, if you had got diabetes you would need to take your medicine so why not for your mental wellbeing. I was in the same boat as you in October and my family were very supportive and they babysat me for a few weeks till things improved. I hope your family will respect your wishes if you decide to take it. If it gets a bit unbearable ask the doctor for some diazepam to help you through the next couple of weeks. After a few weeks on the medication the only way is up! Think positive about how much you will feel better in the next month or 2 and they are a lot of people who have helped me through this when I needed someone to talk too. Take care x

Sorry to hear that about you. That’s how I used to think. I would be crying all the time and thinking of horrible thoughts but I’ve been on 100mg of sertraline now for the past 2 wks and they’ve seemed to have calmed me down. I would give them a try 

Megha-

I have been on sertraline for a year and a half now, and it has helped me so much. My panic attacks are basically nonexistent, my negative thoughts have decreased (little by little), and my social anxiety is so much better than it used to be. I started with a 50mg dose, and I had very little side effects. I recently upped my dose to 75mg and I have seen more side effects (insomnia, mood swings) but from what I have heard, your body gets used to it over time. Keep in contact with your doctor and keep a journal of abnormal things/suicidial thoughts as you start taking the medication. That way you can keep track of any improvement or regressions. 

Best of luck!!

Hello Megha

I'm sorry to read that you are feeling so bad,

I feel that there are several things for you to consider. Only you know how bad you feel and it's important that you have support. The Samaritans are available 24/7, but also family support will be helpful. I'm not sure if you will receive family help and support and frequent monitoring by your doctor is important too.

I have been taking Sertraline for 6 weeks. I had physical side effects which took about two weeks to clear. The emotional side effects took longer. I experienced increased depression during the first three weeks and heightened anxiety which is only just diminishing. This wasn't linear, some good days, some not so good days. But, the side effects differ from person to person, your experiences may not be the same as mine, however, I think you should make sure that you have support in place before you start the Sertraline, especially if you are a young person.

Having said that, I am beginning to find Sertraline helpful but considering what you have said, support during the first few weeks is necessary. Also, perhaps some anti-anxiety meds - see your doctor again and tell him what you have told us.

My very best wishes to you and I hope you are feeling better soon. Keep posting. x