I've been prescribed sertraline for persistent anxiety but am so nervous about starting
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi
I've been battling anxiety on and off for years however things escalated 2 years ago after the birth of my son. I've tried so many things to help myself and some days I do feel better but then I'll have a couple of weeks of feeling good and then the anxiety creeps back in and I go back to square one with it. I've been trying to avoid going on medication for it but last week I just thought to myself that enough is enough and I'm sick and tired of feeling so stressed and low everyday. He prescribed me to start on 50mg sertraline and see how I go. Part of me wants to try them as I would love to start feeling normal again, I can't carry on like this forever. But there are two things that concern me. The first is that I'm scared of the side effects and coping with feeling even worse than I do now. The second is that I would like to start trying for another baby at the end of 2017. I'm 35 already so can't leave it too much longer. The doctor suggested I go on the sertraline for 6 - 9 months and then start to taper off but I'm also so scared that by going on the medication in the first place it's just going to make it harder for me down the track if you know what I mean. Does anyone have any advice please?! Thanks very much.
1 like, 40 replies
Bees1234 natasha87436
Posted
Finally admitted something was wrong with the way I have been feeling for years,break up from my girlfriend was the final straw.Got myself off to the quacks,prescribed me 50mg,I'm currently 8 days in.Got to admit the first couple of days were horrid,really depressed and heightened anxiety
.Still feel a bit strange but have seemed to have stopped crying as much!!!! Hope it works out good for you. ....JM
ihavenonickname Bees1234
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Your hang in there...we will hang with you
kind regards
natasha87436 Bees1234
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Good on you for finally realising you didn't feel right and found something about it. I've procrastinated for years and wish I'd done something about it sooner but then isn't hindsight a wonderful thing? All the best and hope your side effects continue to improve. Keep us posted on your progress, you're only a few days ahead of me!
Bees1234 natasha87436
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Strange night ...inadvertently text my girlfriend (ex!!!!)We pinged a few texts back and forth, we're still friends and I felt last night had given me a bit of closure. Went to bed feeling not so fretful. Woke up at 3.And I swear to god I inadvertently text her again. ...We'll obviously she wasn't awake at that time (not like us lot eh)That sent me spinning ,spent the next 4 hours staring at the mobile waiting for her to go online absolutely in bits.Text her straight away she just said don't be daft it's not a problem. God I wish this girl felt the same way as I do.Just goes to show how a silly little thing becomes a major issue. ....Not feeling too bad this morning, really want to get rid of the feeling that I know I'm on medication. ...Hope your good Natasha and no Nickname thanks for your insight it really helps Keep smiling peeps..JohnnyM
ihavenonickname Bees1234
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Bees1234 ihavenonickname
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Haha ....Sorry it's a London thing,just short for people.
Bees1234 ihavenonickname
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Haha. ...it's a London thing, just short for people
Bees1234 natasha87436
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Had a great day yesterday, had my kids and sister round...Felt at peace for the first time in ages,was hoping that the drug had kicked in and this would be the norm from now on....unfortunately not,been feeling really low all day,been obsessing about my ex,know it's stupid just can't stop myself. Been feeling so tired but no tears today so that's gotta be good..On day 10 now,fingers crossed.
Hi Natasha, hope you're feeling better ...Johnny M
ihavenonickname Bees1234
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natasha87436
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Day 6 today and I'm feeling a bit low. I haven't been too bad in the daytime but I'm still waking st the crack of dawn and feeling so sick with anxiety, the same as I was before I started the sertraline. Can't say I feel worse than when I started but I just wish this morning anxiety would go away. It's so hard getting up every morning and looking after my son, I start to dread the day ahead which is so sad as I love him to bits but wake up early so frightened that I won't be able to cope with the day ahead.
Bees1234 natasha87436
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Hang in there Natasha, although I've had a bad day today I'm sure the pills are starting to kick in.....I'm totally the other way as regards sleep,been zonked out for 6 -7 hours at a time,that's unheard of for me,usually I'd be happy with 2 hours unbroken.....I know I'm a few days ahead of you,think we both need a bit of patience, expect we all want immediate release from this nonsense. ..Give your little 'un plenty of hugs and in time you'll be fine.Easier said than done I know but try and stay positive ...Johnny M
natasha87436 Bees1234
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Thanks so much Johnny, sorry to hear that you've had a bad day too. Wow very jealous of your sleep! It's been years of unbroken sleep for me, maybe once the tablets kick in that might improve a bit, here's hoping anyway. I'm just desperate to feel better. I currently live in Australia with my husband and son but have no family around at all (I'm from the UK) and feel incredibly isolated when my husband is at work during the day. This doesn't help at all with my problems. Hope you have a better few days
Bees1234 natasha87436
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Yeah that must be hard having no family to reach out too,I'm so lucky that I've still got my Mum and Sister to turn too,although it does make me feel extremely guilty that as a 52 year old bloke I'm still running off home crying to Mummy !!!!Got my 14 year old with me tonight,inside I just wanna cry but putting the old brave face on.....Is your hubby aware of what your going through? ..I'm fairly recently separated and I'm glad this didn't come to a head while I was still at home,there wouldn't have been much sympathy from the ex😢😢....Hope you don't mind me texting you but it really is helping me having someone to vent too....Take care
natasha87436 Bees1234
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Of course I don't mind at all, it's such a relief to talk to people in a similar position. That's amazing you can talk to your mum and sister. I'm super close to my mum but she suffers anxiety too and i really don't want to worry her any more so haven't told her about the medication. A couple of friends and my husband know but that's all. Yes he knows what I'm going through and is being supportive about it but we have definitely gone through rough patches over it. It's so he's to put a brave face on with the kids isn't it? My little one is only 22 months but he's so close to me and a really sensitive little boy so he picks up on everything and am conscious of trying to hide how I really feel. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you suffered with anxiety and do you know what triggered it? I always say mine was triggered by the birth of my son (which it was in a way) but thinking back it's been snowballing for a number of years due to break ups, health scares, family worries etc. in hindsight it's no wonder it all came to a head after he was born... Just wish I'd addressed it earlier.
Bees1234 natasha87436
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Wouldn't say it was one thing in particular just really felt this way for as long as I can remember. Not sure you would even call it anxiety more of a crippling worry of everything and anything,I even make up situations in my mind that I then worry myself stupid about.Like you I'm an awful sleeper and dread going to bed 'cause that's when it all starts. Me splitting up with my girlfriend has definitely taken all this to a another level,although saying that I've been feeling a lot more vulnerable in the last couple of months,crying all the time all the time and generally feeling very down. ...
Now what you mean about addressing it earlier,but heh your doing something about it now,and that takes alot of courage.....Feeling much calmer than I was earlier,my Doc also put on an anti hystermine which apparently helps with sleep and calmness,definitely think that's helping. ..When i think of We're I am now from were I was a couple of weeks ago then there's definitely an improvement. Hope you start to feel an improvement very soon,I'm sure you will...Hang in there Natasha.
Bees1234 natasha87436
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ihavenonickname natasha87436
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Bees1234 natasha87436
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How's it going Natasha,any improvement ? Really hope so....Not had a great day myself,finding the mornings tricky and the night time not so bad...total reversal from my norm....Just booked an appointment to see my Doc,first available 7th Dec,by then I will have nearly finished my first/last pills...Be interesting to see where we are by then,bloody better than this I hope😉Take care
natasha87436 Bees1234
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Hey Johnny, still feel the same. Probably got about 6 hours of broken sleep last night. I always wake at 4.30am unfortunately and can't go back to sleep, makes it a very long day. Wish my doc had given me something for the sleeping too. I definitely find the mornings so much worse. Although I had a bit of an anxiety attack yesterday lunchtime while my son was napping, my heart was pounding. Felt very nauseous yesterday too. Are you on 50mg?
Bees1234 natasha87436
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Hi Natasha, sorry to hear your having a bad day,lucky for me I don't actually have an attack like you do,they sound horrendous. What do you think triggered it off and how to you counteract it?.....my problem is that I worry to a ridiculous extent,which leads me to getting massively upset over the most minor of things. ..On a more positive note,I've really perked up over the last couple of hours,I'm starting to believe that changes are happening. ..and yeah 50mg Day 12 and counting 😆Hang on in there you.Take care
natasha87436 Bees1234
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Hey Johnny, I just find that I get really stressed and anxious if things don't go to plan. I guess I'm pretty OCD in that respect. So if my son doesn't nap when I've hoped he would then I get really worked up over it which is ridiculous but I can't seem to help it. Can't wait for these pills to kick in and I can see if I feel a difference - would be such a relief to not feel so panicked over the smallest things! Interesting to hear you're starting to feel a bit of an improvement - really hope this is the turning point for you - fingers crossed and keep us posted