Increased anxiety when increasing SErtraline

Posted , 4 users are following.

Hi all, Im suffering severe anxiety and have been on 50mg sertraline for about 10 years (for other reasons)  so when i hit this patch i was told to increase it.  I went up to 100mg and was sick for about 2 days but then ok and was just starting to have days where i felt "normal"  when it was time to increase it again to 150mg.  Well since i have gone up to 150mg 5 days ago my anxiety has come back to what it was before i started!  Having really awful spikes of scary attacks and very weepy.  Im so gutted as i was just thinking i was getting somewhere and now its come back worse.  Ive read a lot of comments saying that anxiety can rocket when inceasing the dose, has anyone else experienced this?  how long did it take to go away?  thanks

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Christine,

    I started on 50mg Sertraline in October, then in the new year my depression worsened. My GP increased the dose since January. I'm now on 200mg which I think is the maximum dose. Only been taking 200 mg since last week, but after every increase my anxiety has worsened. ( I didn't have any anxiety at 50mg)  I'm just hoping I can start to feel better soon from the depression & anxiety.

    Hope your anxiety eases soon. Everyone reacts differently to medication. 

    Good luck, x

    • Posted

      Thanks Carol thats really heartening to know.  Did your anxiety get better eventually before the next increase or did u not get time to find out?

       

  • Posted

    Hi Christine

    I've always suffered from severe anxiety and started off on citraloplam 20mg which eased it for a bit but recently it come back worse then it's ever been before constantly panicky, racing heart, feeling sick so started on sertraline 50mg I had every single bad side effect possible lol typical

    And my anxiety has rocketed so felt like giving up with them but people are saying to stick with it and it will get better.. I think it can take a different amount of time with different people our body's all react different. I'm feeling more positive today and hoping things get better ! Hope they do for you too !

  • Posted

    Hi I was in sertraline 2 years ago 100mg then felt better and reduced to 50mg late last year. Saw one doctor and he said to come off it so I did and the beginning of February my anxiety and depression returned due to being peri menopausal, so they say!! Iv had every side effect going and I hate it!! Just about 4 weeks since I started them and still feeling a bit anxious and depressed at times. I hope it kicks in soon and I don't have to increase to 100 mg again.

    I had to use diazepam to calm me down last weekend which I hate taking but I was pacing the floor with anxiety.

    Once you get this drug into your system it defo helps so keep going.

    Anytime I feel bad I come on here, everyone so supportive..

    Take care xx

  • Posted

    Hi all.  Went back to the Dr as side effects became unbearable.  my heart was pounding out my chest and i had the shakes and felt more anxious than ever.  The Dr said i had increased it too much and was intolerant so ive to reduce it.  She says everyone has different tolerance levels for drugs.  So ive to go back down to 100mg over the next few days.  she also put me on propranolol.  Hopefully this will decrease my anxiety back down to what it was before i went on the 150mg.  

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