Sertaline week 7 - the return of anxiety.
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello.
Firstly, I do hope my english wont be so bad. 😃
I am on week 7 (6 weeks and 5 days) on sertaline 50mg. I had HORRIBLE side effect for a month (when I say horrible I mean I was hospitalized with suicidal thoughts, hopelessness and severe insomnia). By week 5 I started sleeping again. First, 4 hours a night and by my 6th week I was sleeping normally. My anxiety almost completely went away and I started feeling like a normal person again. That lasted for a week. Then a couple a nights ago I started to get really scared of getting insomnia again, anxiety returned and could not sleep at all that night. My anxiety is through a roof now, my whole body is burning and I again cant sleep. I am trembling inside, not visible on the outside and I am sweating constantly.
What is going on? Is that normal? I was OK and now I am anxious and scared again.
Please, can someone offer any advice?
Thank you SO much.
Maja
0 likes, 5 replies
c53732 maja1208
Posted
Sorry to read this. I am only just starting, 3rd week. My side effects aren't good and l am struggling to keep taking it. Have you upped the dose, l have read that that can cause problems. l am going to keep taking it as research shows that it is a good drug but does take time to settle. Best wishes.
louisa17108 maja1208
Edited
Hi Maja,
I am on week 9. I started on 50mg now up to 100mg. I have experienced the same as you but in reverse, at first my anxiety increased and all i felt was panic, now my anxiety is ok but my depression (suicidal thoughts, no motivation, hopelessness) has gotten worse. I am currently still getting about 2 nights a week that I have insomnia. I am still experiencing body trembles, headaches, sweating, nausea and lack of appetite. Some days though I actually feel near normal and I think yes the side effects are wearing off!! But unfortunately the next day I feel like I'm back at day one. I am going to persevere as I have a friend who is on sertraline and she said for her the first 3 months were the worst and after that her side effects went away, she now says these are the best anti depressants that she has ever tried. I'll give you the tips she has given me, stay hydrated, force yourself to eat and don't give up. It does get better!! I hope this helps, try and stay calm, you are not alone and I'm happy to chat if you want to?
Best wishes
Louisa 😃
PatientMod-B louisa17108
Posted
Hi louisa17108
We note from a recent post which you have made to our forum that you may be experiencing thoughts around self-harm. If we have misinterpreted your comments then we apologise for contacting you directly. But if you are having such thoughts then please note that you are not alone in this, and there are people out there that can help.
If you are having these suicidal thoughts then we strongly recommend you speak to someone who may be able to help. The Samaritans offer a safe space where you can talk openly about what you are going through. They can help you explore your options, understand your problems better, or just be there to listen.
Their contact details are on our patient information leaflet here: https://patient.info/health/dealing-with-suicidal-thoughts, which also offers lots of other advice on how you can access the help you may need.
If you are having such thoughts then please do reach out to the team at the Samaritans (or the other people detailed in our leaflet) who will understand what you're going through and will be able to help.
If you are based outside of the UK.
The Samaritans is a UK based charity, but they also have suggestions for how you can access help in other countries.
Please have a look at this page https://www.befrienders.org/directory
Patient
louisa17108 PatientMod-B
Posted
Thank you for your concern but I am in touch with my GP, Psychology and have an amazing network of support in my family and friends.
Regards
Louisa
GodsServant maja1208
Edited
Hi, sometimes even when you're doing well on this med, there are moments when your symptoms come back. It is often when you are most stressed. I have been on this med for more than half my life and the greatest advice that I can give you (and I wish I had known this much earlier) is that this is still ONLY a pill that helps with the symptoms of anxieties and depression - BUT you still need to do other things to keep your stress level low, and you need to deal with the issues on an emotional level and get to the roots and manage your stress. Talk therapy helps, spirituality did wonders for me, exercising helps, cognitive behavioral therapy helps. A pill is still just one tool and although often the quickest, all the other stuff helps to deal with the underlying roots of the problems that cause the symptoms. Think of it as pulling out the weeds so that you do not have to deal with so much with cutting it.
If, however, you still find your symptoms haven't improved much after a couple of weeks, then I think you need to up your dosage because it is not strong enough. Hope this helps.