Question
Posted , 7 users are following.
Hello everyone,
So a few months back i was hit with Intrusive thoughts ocd, it was pure hell. I've been on sertraline for a little over 10 weeks now at 50mg. im still very up and down but i have to say on a whole i do feel alot better and my head is getting clearer. but i still feel abnormal and about 60% back to normal. Starting this drug was even worse than the condition itself, i actually thought i was going insane the anxiety was ridiculous and the thoughts were worse but this has thankfully settled. im thinking of increasing to 100mg as im hoping this will help me progress even futher but the experience i had on start up has really put me off increasing incase i have to go through that terrible, terrible time again
Thanks everyone
0 likes, 26 replies
Kay12321 matt18802
Posted
Hi Matt, I'm on 11 weeks now and take 100mg and don't have many bad days. Don't let the side effects of increasing put you off it's worth it. Is there anyone you can tell that you will be increasing that could help you through the first few weeks?
matt18802 Kay12321
Posted
yeah i live with my family but when i told them the thoughts i was having they weren't impressed as they were horrible (thoughts of hurting my family & people at work) it was honestly a disgusting time and i dont want it to happen again so by the sounds of it, increasing will make it happen again so im not doing it.
Kay12321 matt18802
Posted
I know the feeling of those horrible intrusive thoughts, but it's important to remember those thoughts aren't you and you're unwell. I hope you start to feel better soon then and figure out what's best for you x
louise24797 matt18802
Posted
I don't have experience of going from 50mg to 100mg but I had some good advice on upping - go low and slow, so try 75mg first and see how you feel. Also, I'd wait 12 weeks before thinking of increasing so you give the 50mg time to level in your system.
matt18802 louise24797
Posted
i live in the uk so there is only 50mg and 100mg, my prescription is for 100 so how can i accurately dose a 100mg pill into 75?
lucy45069 matt18802
Posted
Hi matt,
I am currently on 100mg and my intrusive thoughts are still present. i have been on 50mg and 100mg. nothing seems to help. it seems to be different for everyone, maybe talk to your doctor?
I'm sorry your family haven't been supportive, however keep going. I know it can be hard. just do what feels best for you
sorry if that's not much help
lucy
matt18802 lucy45069
Posted
my doctor's a d******d and doesnt like me. I need to change doctors to be fair but thats out of the question until this pandemic settles down
Kate32457 matt18802
Posted
Hi Matt! Well done for getting this far, you've done the hard bit. I've been on sertraline twice and i can promise you that increasing your dose is nothing like starting off. Go for it, I'm sure you will feel better quicker. Both times when I upped my dose from 50 to 100, i got mild side effects but nothing related to increased anxiety. i can totally relate to the fear of increasing, i was the same, but it is nothing like the hell of starting on these. Good luck x
GodsServant matt18802
Edited
Hi Matt, think I wrote to you before. Sooo good to hear! And you haven't even leveled yet. Personally, I don't think you need to increase your dose because sometimes increasing a dose will cause more anxieties in the short term as a side effect. However, if you do want to increase, you don't need to jump to 100mg. You can take one 50mg a day and 100mg pill every other day, so it works out to 75mg a day. Hope this makes sense.
But so glad you are responding so well. The fact that you feel 60% is great. Hang in there. You will still have a few bad days now and then, but it will all get better. Take care.
matt18802 GodsServant
Posted
60% is on the good days. on the bad days like today i feel like im not even taking a medication and ocd is in full obsessive distressing force. really don't know what to do anymore, i dont feel like im ever going to be back to my happy self what is the point
GodsServant matt18802
Posted
Matt, trust me on this one. You've only been on it only 10 weeks. You don't start to feel better until 3-4 months, so you're very close. You're still going to have uneven days for next couple of weeks, but hang in there. And like I tell all sufferers, including myself, manage stress, deal with unresolved emotions, try to stay positive, go easy on yourself, get enough rest and sleep, eat healthy and get some exercise. Try to do something small, at least one small thing that you used to enjoy. It will get better.
Even when you are on sert like I have for more than half my life, on and off, do not expect the days to be gods. Cheesy as it is, I need to quote a song: Some days are diamonds, some days are rocks..." Hang in there.
matt18802 GodsServant
Posted
thank you for being here for me. i just want the obsessive thoughts that im gay (even though ive been straight my whole 25 years) i know its ocd f*****g with me but i cant stop getting bothered by it, then i start freaking out thinking if i need more i wont start being freed of this until October how am i going to carry on like this until then! I want to date girls so badly but my thoughts are putting a mental block up, i feel awkward around my friend. generally just a sorry existence
matt18802
Posted
im only stressed because i want my life back and to stop being haunted with thoughts and these feelings
Kate32457 matt18802
Posted
I really feel for you Matt, I have been there. I can only go off my experiences with sertraline in saying that i probably felt 40-60% better on 50mg depending on the day and then when i went up to 100mg, after a week it was like a lightbulb switched and i felt the most 'me' i had in a long time. It's hard to be optimistic because the improvement is so gradual but it does take 3-4 months to feel 100%. My only regret is that I didn't increase sooner. An adult dose ranges between 50-200mg so the chances of 50mg dealing with your intrusive thoughts is probably quite low. You can always give 100mg a go for 3 weeks and see how you get on. best wishes to you x
matt18802 Kate32457
Posted
Kate thank you for speaking with me. i have been thinking for a while to increase but im honestly so terrified. Ive heard varying reports that some people have a bad experience then some not as much so im scared where i will fall. I honestly thought i was losing my mind the first 2 weeks. its so frustrating because a few weeks back i felt like it was starting to take effect. my obsession was no longer occupying my mind throughout the day and i felt on my way to back to normal now im crappy again
matt18802
Edited
also, do you struggle with any side effects still? do you feel emotionless?
GodsServant matt18802
Posted
Hi Matt, like I was telling someone, I had this OCD thought, too. Back in the early days of my OCD I freaked out thinking I was gay and I freaked out, even though I'm not homophobic. Then I tried to convince myself I'm not gay and then by doing so, I my mind started messing with met thinking, what if I was gay and didn't know it?
So, you this, this is how OCD messes with your head. You know it makes no sense whatsoever, but yet, you go round and round with it in your head. And it makes you more anxious and panicky and you can't focus and do anything else or live your life.
Well, let me give you some advice on this. You are NOT gay. Because all the gay people I know are not bothered by being gay or not - they just are. But please do NOT reason with this. The thing about OCD is that the more you reason with your mind, the worst it gets. You need to just stop arguing with it and laugh it off. Make a joke out of it. I know it's hard, but just try.
This is actually a very common OCD obsession, by the way. Most OCD people have it. When I thought I was gay during the throes of my OCD attack, I was in a very happy relationship with my bf in college. We were even living together. I told him my OCD fear and he laughed it off.
Hang in there, increase your meds if you need to. I promise you, this WILL get better.
matt18802 GodsServant
Posted
How do you know if you NEED an increase?
GodsServant matt18802
Posted
Matt, I think the fact that you're asking this question means that you need to increase your med. Besides, 50mg is a very low dose. Usually how it works is they break you in at 25mg to help you tritrate upwards so the side effects wouldn't be so bad. 100mg is about average - that's what I'm on.
For you, I suggest you take one 50mg pill a day and a 100mg pill every other day, so that you're really taking only 75mg a day. Try this out for a few weeks and see if you're better.
matt18802 GodsServant
Edited
Ok im going to be brave and start taking 100mg from tomorrow. its not going to kill me
Kate32457 matt18802
Posted
No not at all, I live a very normal life with the usual emotions. I still laugh and cry. Your emotions will come back over time. When you have been at rock bottom it takes a long time to build yourself back up. I also thought I was losing my mind when I went onto the medication. I totally agree with Godserv. I know it's scary but go for it. Increasing to 100mg changed my life.
matt18802 Kate32457
Posted
Kate, been on 100mg 6 days and good news i dont feel any worse. just slightly groggy, low and the mornings suck. seem to perk up in the evening but ocd has been dialled down, hopefully i will continue to get better
Kate32457 matt18802
Posted
It definitely will Matt. Keep me updated if you'd like to, I love to hear of people getting better x
c53732 Kate32457
Posted
to Kate32457.week 10 on 50mg. Had some better days but just on 2nd day of feeling awful and struggling to cope. Assuming this is just a dip, wondering if you can offer me any advice or reassurance.