Into 4th week of sertraline and need reassurance!

Hi Karin for a start your not an old gran and yes there are lots of us going through this and i am a very young 54 which makes it worse, on the outside people say i look like a model on the inside i feel like a battered old hag trying to keep young , spending a fortune in the process, but it does not matter what people say it is how you feel about yourself, every one has ups and downs in life and like you said it depends on how you cope with it, but when it takes over your life and turns into severe anxiety and brutal panic attacks then you do need help, and i have been there , since the age of 14 going onto 54 now, i wish i could tell you my life story history but it is just so long it reads like a novel, if you read my profile you will get an idea, i have been given drugs like you and this drug too , made me ill came off of it, i too believe in natural remedies some help others not strong enough, i now believe you have to deal with the root of the problem, drugs help but you can not stay on these for life they are just a crutch, unless they are a drug that yo need to keep you alive, natural remedies are great if you re coping ok and only need a little help, but if your problems like me and it sounds like you go deeper you need to talk to a specialist, which i am now, been seeing a cara counsellor for 2 weeks now and she is brilliant, i would not be without her, so i believe i am on the road to recovery, so i hope this helps, and wish you every happiness and health for the future jaybabes 

I feel for you. I am 62 and have had anxiety for ages but honestly didn't recognise it. Dizzy..depersonalised ..tired..couldn't go shopping without a trolly. etc etc

Anyway I started having panic attacks. At first they were more like shortness of breath and palpitations. I was convinced it was Asthma.

Then I had some full blown panic attacks which floored me. My partner got the doctor out and I was put on sert. 25mg for a week and then steadily rising 25mg at a time to where I am now at 150mg.

This began in Dec 17.

I was off work for 8 months and I can quite honestly say I had every side effect you can imagine.

I was exhausted beyond belief.. baths and showers floored me and housework was impossible. I couldn't go upstairs without getting palpitations.

I was continuously sinking onto the floor. It's hard to explain.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am now back at work and driving and am 99% back to how I was. I've been to a festival and done 2 camping trips.

The only side effect I am left with is diorrhea ( yuck) Its not as bad as it was. I had to go for a colonoscopy...which was clear. Also it affected my blood ( plasma viscosity or something ) last blood test normal.

Get checked for vit D deficiency. I had this too. ( 22 years working nights with little sunshine)

BUT MY PANIC ATTACKS HAVE GONE !!!

Sertraline is a very slow working drug and I'm so glad I carried on. Plenty of times I didn't know whether to increase or decrease.

Keep reading and posting on here. Google ..how to stop a panic attack in 3 minutes..it works.

Eat..cut down on coffee..drink water..watch old comedy..vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous saved my sanity. Laughing is good and so too is crying..I couldn't do either before!

Increase very slowly. You will get good days ..especially in the evenings..

Soon the good days will outweigh the bad..hopefully..everyone is different.

I wish you all the best.

🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄

Hiya was on sertraline for 6 moths and it was terrible, like you, every side effect listed and then some.

Yes it did reduce my anxiety but the side effects far outweighed  the good, for me anyway.

 

Unfortunately they do state upto 5/6 wks whilst it gets into your system, didn't  for me but hey.

After 6 months of it I was/am physically/mentally worn out.

I'm now doing the withdrawal which is horrific in itself!

Doc suggested I go back on sertraline to help with the withdrawal but after I mentioned that this is turning into a  ''comedy of errors''  and it would cure my anxiety as it  would push me to suicide, she's put me on some Antipsychotics.  

My Father is terminally Ill at moment and a family member has obtained some cannabis oil for him, I am not promoting the use of Illegal drugs but, I feel, once legalised it will bring effective relief to us suffers.

Regards Chris.

 

Hi i would just like to say everyone is different and what works for one person does not always work for another, we are all individuals, if you look on this forum you will see that many people have taken this drug and it has helped them and a lot of people have taken it and it has made them ill, you can not be told to stick to it and it will work you do not know that, the choice is up to you, it is your body and your mind, if you feel fine ok carry on if not try something else, as i said not everyone is the same, we are here to help not to push you into something you feel uncomfortable doing, there are specialist for that, take for this what helps you xxx

Hi Karin, I also had severe anxiety attacks with this med. It takes around 6 to 8 weeks to feel some relief. I know it sounds like that is a long way to go to get relief but it is worth it. I was given ativan for the rough times and it does really help. There is going to be more good days than bad and then A LOT more good days. There is no shame in taking a med that helps you cope with todays stress that is thrown our way. I was like you, did not take anything stronger than a tylenol. But came to realize that my life was passing me by with this fear, panic, stress controlling the way I lived. I'm alot happier now , I actually laugh now , go shopping, feel compassion, take walks,and so on. Now don't get me wrong there will be a day or two thrown in that the stress level is really out of my control and anxiety creeps in but I'll take that over how I was before zoloft. If this med continues to make me feel this way , than I'll continue taking it. I guess I am now a zoloft fan. I hope all the best for you, and think positive. As my mom use to say, THIS TO WILL PASS.🍁

Thank you so much for all the encouragement and support. I wish I had found this forum sooner. It’s so hard to get up every morning knowing what you are going to go through that day. But I mark each passing day off on a calendar and tell myself I’m getting closer to feeling better. Thank goodness I have a supportive husband who has managed to work from home as I can’t handle being on my own at the moment. None of my children live close by, in fact thousands of miles away so it’s been hard. But I will keep going and tell myself one day I will be able to get in my car and drive into town and go shopping and go for coffee and do normal things. Sometimes it’s just too hard to even imagine that ever happening when you are in the middle of a panic/anxiety attack. So now into 4th week and going to really work on being positive and try my meditation again. I just don’t seem to be able to focus on anything. Can’t read or watch tv. So agitated. But anyway onwards and upwards. I feel like I’ve found some amazing supportive friends out there in internet land!!! Thank you for making it a little bit easier ❤️

Hi everyone. Well I’m nearly up to the 4 weeks mark on 100mg Zoloft. But yesterday and last night I felt like I was back to where I started. Panic attack and anxiety so bad I had to take 5mg diazepam which only just took the edge off. I know I have to hang in there but after suffering through every side effect for nearly a month, it’s so damn hard to keep going. Still trying to be positive and hoping that in another 2 weeks I’ll be on the right road. Just feeling so down and worn out 😪

Did anyone else have really bad anxiety/panic attacks at the 4 weeks mark? I had another terrible one this morning. Tried to work through it but had no control. Have taken 5mg diazepam. Is this usual to still be having major anxiety after 4 weeks on 100mgs Zoloft? Feeling very very disheartened. I can see why people give up. Feeling hopeless 😪

Well I’m nearly at the end of the 5th week on 100mg and last night I had the worst panic attack. Even 5mg diazepam didn’t really help. I’m struggling to see anything to keep me going. Did anyone else have this in the 5th week? I don’t want to give up but I’ve had enough 😪