Positive Sertraline Story

Hello Clare, 

Yes I did, although it was little compared to my anxiety. I had the same thing, at first I got side effects then they seemed to lighten up a bit around week 2, but then week 3 it came back - I also had intrusive thoughts, for me it was like I was so anxious of having suicidal thoughts because I had read about this happening and so that freaked me out. 

It does get better, I promise. Ride out the storm for a couple of weeks and for me at least this is when I improved. 

It helped as well that when I started, I called my sister and (I didn't know it before then) she had been taking Sertraline 150mg for 3 years. She calmed me down and reassured me that the side effects go away, it's not forever, just as your body is adjusting to the medicine. 

GS how are you feeling now?

3 weeks in and I'm still struggling massively.

When will this misery end?

Clare, I'm doing great, all things considered, actually. Thank God.

I still have side effects now and then, new ones, strange ones, like facial pain the other day like near my cheekbones or maybe it's my jaws, I can't even tell  (yep - facial pain - who would have thought?), locked jaws, teeth grinding, but my neck pain has gotten better - I buy lots of Epsom salt and I soak in hot baths to ease the muscle stiffness.

Clare, I find that at point of 3-4 weeks in is the worst. Seriously, so please hang in there for these next 2-3 weeks. The worst will soon be over. Also, I forgot to tell you, with Z, depression is the last to go, at least for me. It always helps me first with my panic attacks, the OCD thought, the anxiety, and then depression sets in and depression is always last to go.

Yes, the misery will end - you will laugh and smile again. Please stay strong. We are all here for you.

Totally agree, for some people a single episode may mean weening off, which is really great. I myself struggled with depression in the past and was on Fluoxetine, before I came off that, so it may be that I have recurring episodes and therefore have to stay on medication for a large part of my life.  

Yep, I'm gonna be on it for the rest of my life or until it stops working.

I just don’t believe there should be any judgments, on anyone getting on, staying on, or getting off. We are here to help each other out in this life, build each other up. But being humans, some will always judge but I just don't let it bother me. It’s like all the -isms (ageism, sexism, racism, sizeism, etc.), we all have experienced it one way or another but after a while you realize it’s not your problem. If they have an issue with you, it’s THEIR problem.

Hi Sam,

I actually experienced this not too long ago! It's like derealization or depersonalization, almost as if my thoughts aren't my own and I'm not myself, like I'm outside of my body. It was a weird feeling. I think I went through that for about 1-2 weeks and then I had a couple of really good cries (previously I wasn't able to shed tears even though I really wanted to cry) and then the depersonalization went away. It'll go away soon and you'll feel back to yourself again. 

Hang in there!

Hey GS!

Always nice to hear from you

I really hope it does. It's one of the most misunderstood pyschological symptoms you can experience (They're mostly theories out there at the moment) but ultimately it's meant to be about your mind trying to distance you from your perception to deal with high levels of stress/anxiety, but it's a double edged sword as it only induces more anxiety.

When you experienced it, did it coinside with an updose? Or just part of the dose you're on right now?

No, it wasn't because I upped my dose. 100mg. From my years of being on and off this med, I think derealization is a process that some experience coming out of this attack. Looking back, I think I experience this everytime right before I get better, or the way I see it, coming out of my attack. After this, then I get my depression/sadness for 1-2 weeks before I start to feel normal again. So you are very far along, and very close to your old self. Today is officially my 2 months of this med and I am at work writing this.

Try to enjoy your vacay - I was unfortunately wasn't there for my 3 weeks trip of a lifetime. Oh well, God was teaching me a lesson.

Cheers. Try to relax and don't pressure yourself to enjoy your vacay.

I've never quite associated it with an anxiety/panic attack, but more of a constant symptom. It definitely went into high gear when I had to move back with my parents, and struggling to find work, dealing with their bad marriage....highly compounding situations.

I wish I knew of ways to circumvent derealization as it's hands-down, the most disturbing symptom.

Yep, derealization is almost like a mental illness within another mental illness, or another mental illness all on its own! lol.

How strangely similar - I was dealing with my family stuff that led to this attack, not my husband's and my stuff, but really, my parents' and my oldest sister and her family stuff. I was taking on too much and pressured into getting it all done right before my vacation in Nov - but please try to remember, your own health comes first. People like us sometimes take on too much and tend to forget that we have a chemical imbalance. If we are sick we will be able to help ourselves, let alone anyone else.

I meant, if we are sick, we will NOT be able to help ourselves, let alone anyone else.

Hey Sam, 

For me the feeling was both physical and emotional - sometimes I literally felt as if I was detached from my body, floating somewhere above it and hearing my thoughts and feelings as if it was being done to somebody else, other times it felt as GS said that it is simply a feeling inside of me that I am not "floating above" as I described before. 

I had this very certainly within the first week of starting Setraline as well as the first week of upping my dose to 50mg. The second week of those periods, I still felt a bit "high" as I call it as that was how most of my friends could understand how I was feeling but more in control of the situations. 

From what I've read, and I'm not a doctor of course, but you went from 50 to 75 in a short space of time (given you were on 25 for 3 weeks to start) so this could be side effects of that, which is why it is a bit delayed.

I don't experience it now, thankfully! It probably went away around week 3, or week 4 completely of whichever dose I was taking. Things will feel normal for you again  

Oh yes! That resonates so much with me. My mother and father have a terrible relationship. They're like chalk and cheese. They just don't go together. I find myself being a mediator between them as I'm a good person to talk to. I end up being a messenger of sorts to give each of them perspective from the other person, as they can't communicate properly without getting into an arguement.

It is however a product of my environment. If I wasn't living with them, I wouldn't be there to witness all the strains in their relationship, and it effects me hugely as I'm someone who's always seeking harmony, and they have none.

Dealing with that, Chronic depression, GAD, Tinnitus, Derealization....you're right, I don't look after myself nearly as much as I should!

Thank you for that Lucy

That sounds like what I've experienced. What you're describing there is something called depersonalisation. It feels like the words your speaking are not yours, your thoughts, and your own voice doesn't sound like yours anymore. I'm sure you felt strange looking in a mirror also?

Did it ever panic you? Make you feel like you're losing your connection with reality? Or did you just enjoy the "high" feeling?

Sam, once you get better, I would advise you to move out. I know exactly what you mean. I visit my parents once a week, usually Sat morning and it stresses me out greatly when they fight with each other and then they unify to fight against my sister, and then my sister who fights with them as well as her own husband and her son. 

But it now I know better...when they start up, I am going to leave and drive back to my place. 

During my attack, I didn't see them for months, of course I was also traveling, too. When I started getting better, I went to see my parents. I still couldn't see my sister yet as she was stressing me and the rest of our family out greatly. I had to break off all contact with them for awhile, as they were the triggers. I am still contemplating how to reopen the line of communication with this sister without having her problems become mine. I love her the most of my siblings but I have to learn to love her from afar sometimes. 

Take me care of ourselves first, so then we don't become beasts of burdens to others, then maybe we can help others. 

That's so true.

I don't think I will be able to get fully well whilst I'm still under their roof. I'm not there by choice, but out of neccessity. I've been in the last round of 3 job interviews so far and unfortunately, they decided to go with someone else. It's hard getting rejected from 3 job opportunities that you know you'd be able to provide stellar value to, but I believe there's a bigger plan at play that I'm not currently aware of yet. (I HOPE!)

I think it's moments like these in our lives that trully test the strength of our minds, as when it comes to stimulus input, I'm completely maxed out.

Oh god yes, it freaked me out!! I was sitting there thinking to myself, will I ever feel normal again?? The good news is that it does fade and I did feel normal again, for me it was all worth it