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My on/off love affair with Sertraline - words of wisdom and some advice please.

Posted , 2 users are following.

leighton10685
leighton10685

So.... I haven't been on one of these forums for a while and I knew that things weren't going well as I haven't been off them for the last three days... always a sign. It's great support though and long may it reign. I guess my story stated a year ago. I've been on Mirtazapine for years to combat insomnia which proved to be stubborn and symptoms persisted until i reached a point of nervous exhaustion. Saw my lovely doctor (you can't put a price on an empathetic doctor, trust me, it changes everything) and he put me on 100mg of Sertraline. Long story short: Usual two months of hell with side-effects followed by lovely respite when i felt the meds 'Kick in' and slept but didn't worry if i hadn't. Didn't last long and had a relapse so was put on 150mg. What followed was three months of 'normality' - you know, laughing with friends, energy for the gym, looking at life with possibilities and hope instead of existential despair! Though post NY had a total relapse which can be cruel especially when you tell everyone about your 'magic pill' only for it to turn it's back on you for no good reason. So... I feel like i'm back to where i started. My doc has now up the meds to 200mg - i'm currently on day 4 and feel like garbage with waking up at 4am every morning - such fun! My question is: has anyone who's increased their meds have a story to tell? (and hopefully a positive one) Not sure how long I can wait this one out?? The irritating thing is that Sertraline, when it worked, it WORKED. The thought of starting new meds and coming off this one fills me with existential dread. Or shall be patient with 200mg? Questions, questions... On a positive note when they worked they were fab and i felt like i was at last in the driving seat of my life instead of in the boot. Stick with it newbies (or oldies). I've learnt that AD medication is so different from person to person and it can be misleading to compare stories although hearing good ones gets through. So hang tough beautiful people and remember there is dry land eventually.    

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • eve51406
    eve51406 leighton10685

    Posted

    Lovely post Leighton, not sure if you are him or her?  ADs are tricky, mine has made my tinnitus much worse, it can be a side effect! I had started withdrawing from 50mg down to 25mg but I’m trying to gradually increase again. Scared of the effect on T. Just be guided by your medic and you will get better. I didn’t seem to put on a lot of weight though, others may say different! Just that small change in dosage for me brought on huge depression and monster anxiety. I became bed bound which was awful. I’m still in recovery and shocked at how quickly everything went downhill.  Sert is known to have side effects when dosage changes. Hopefully you will stop waking so early, it should get better. I’m just about to start Clinical hypnotherapy to try to help with the fallout from all this. Mornings are still tough and anxiety creeps back around this time of day. Good wishes for your progress. Eve
    • leighton10685
      leighton10685 eve51406

      Posted

      Aw bless you Eve. Yes, i am male (interesting that a lot of stories I read are from females). Slept a bit better last night but feel mighty weird this morning; a bit wobbly and feeling detached from my own being - though having a French Bulldog to cuddle cures some ills. I hope you get better soon, I'm sure you will. If there's one thing I've learnt about AD's and depression as a whole is that perseverance is key. But boy it's tough. I'm sure you hypnotherapy will provide great results. I have a friends who is a practitioner in this and she's had a real successful rate when dealing with the big D. You're right about being thrown off track when sertraline suddenly fails to work - it just doesn't make sense and then you spend ages forensically trying to work out what you did for it to go all wrong - not a great place to be in. I'm afraid it's all trial and error with AD's (or terror!) but i am heartened to hear that some people might have to go through a period of finding the right dose and maybe the right medication before you find the right one. I'm hoping for me it's a case of right dose but if not, I have committed myself to getting better no matter what kind of hell i have to walk through to get there, we shouldn't feel like this - and more importantly we owe it ourselves to get better. I extend the same sentiment to you. Everyone is different and no two stories are the same so hang on in there. Wishing you the best. 

  • Guest
    Guest leighton10685

    Posted

    I was stable on sertraline 150mg for 6 years until I had an operation end of March 17, I was put on loads of painkiller meds including tramadol and pregabalin. When I stopped taking the painkillers, I ended up in A&E with acute withdrawal and the sertraline stopped working, I still take codeine to this day and I've been on a rollercoaster ever since. I was told by a psychiatrist last Friday that ADs DONT WORK and have been referred for CBT... Question do opiods interfer with sertraline and could this be the cause. Most online forums say codeine and sertraline are ok taken together.

  • eve51406
    eve51406 leighton10685

    Posted

    Hi Leighton

    Take heart from some of the positive posts on here. I’m hoping hypnotherapy will help, maybe you could try it too. 

    I love the idea of you being able to cuddle with your dog, what wonderful comfort. Let’s hope we all feel better soon x

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