Increased Anxiety
Posted , 7 users are following.
I'm on Day 17 on Sertraline. 1 week on 100mg, 1 week on 150mg and 2 days on 200mg. My anxiety has gone through the roof. Is it normal to have increased anxiety at this stage?
0 likes, 7 replies
Posted , 7 users are following.
I'm on Day 17 on Sertraline. 1 week on 100mg, 1 week on 150mg and 2 days on 200mg. My anxiety has gone through the roof. Is it normal to have increased anxiety at this stage?
0 likes, 7 replies
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carol91726 LASBL9
Posted
CG1964 carol91726
Posted
and I also found that i could not tell if the sertraline was working as it should when i took the ativan. I am only on day 17 of my increased dose of sertraline so i still have a long way to go.
I hope the side effects you are experiencing from your increase are not overwhelming - are you having increased anxiety - that was the worst for me. I would be interested to hear how things progress for you - i fear i will be in the same position in a month or so when i may have to increase my dosage. Take care of yourself.
carol91726 CG1964
Posted
phil1973 LASBL9
Posted
You do seem to have increased your dosage rapidly with your GP. From experience your anxiety could have increased due to the fast increase like a fight or flight thing in your mind. I went from 50mg to 100mg and felt similar as i thought I am not getting better i need a higher dosage. After a few days though it did settle down and I do feel much better socaily and with eveyday stuff.
It really works its just a case if your body getting used to it.
Good Luck
P x
CG1964 LASBL9
Posted
so the increased anxiety is totally normal from what i have read here and my own experiences. As impossible as it sounds you just have to take it a moment at a time and now after 38 days there a definite moments when i feel normal and i believe that they will come more frequently and last longer as the meds reach their therapeutic dosage sometime around 6-8 weeks. Take care of yourself and be proud that you have reached day 17. It is an amazing accomplishment! xo
iris46 LASBL9
Posted
glenn85919 LASBL9
Posted
"Within just a few hours of taking an SSRI for the first time, the levels of serotonin in the brain and bloodstream increase. Yet, we don't feel immediate results. Zoloft takes weeks to work. Why?
The answer is us. Our bodies need time to adapt to the new normal created by taking a pill laced with sertraline that is designed to increase serotonin levels in the brain. Not only does this SSRI medication help the brain absorb serotonin into the blood stream more effectively, but it may actually change the makeup of the brain. The brain needs new receptors to help absorb the additional serotonin; it builds and installs additional receptors -- a biological process that can take up to eight weeks. So, even though Zoloft increases the levels of serotonin in our bodies nearly immediately, our brains aren't immediately equipped to absorb it [source: Crowe].
If, however, after six to eight weeks, Zoloft doesn't seem to be positively affecting your mood, anxiety -- or other condition for which it was prescribed -- it's time to alert your physician. Not every antidepressant will work the same for every person, and an estimated 50 percent of people who try an antidepressant will need to take a different brand or class before finding one that works for them. Or, it could just be that your dosage needs to be increased [source: Grohol].
Your physician will help determine your type and dosage of antidepressant by considering your symptoms, other medications you are taking, health conditions, potential side effects, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. In addition, he/she may inquire as to whether a particular antidepressant has been taken by a close relative, and what the results were. If your brother's depression, for example, lifted after taking Zoloft, yours probably will, too [source: Mayo Clinic]."
6 to 8 weeks sounds like a long time, especially when you're not feeling too good, but, inevitably, it will pass and then, hopefully you will have a positive result. If not change does or switch medication. It's a bit of a tedious journey but you'll get somewhere in the end.
Good luck and go with the flow.