Posted , 34 users are following.
My Sertraline was increased from 150mg to 200mg this morning. I'm not feeling too good at the moment, really anxious, suicidal thoughts. This is the maximum dose. Has this happened to anyone else after increasing the dose ? Please help.
1 like, 55 replies
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jim02848 carol39655
Posted
I recently started taking zoloft. I began taking 25mg the last week of october. At first I was having more of the physical symptoms from anxiety and I felt off, but after about 5 days I was feeling better. After a week it was increased to 50mg and I had minor trouble with my digestive track for a day or two. 2 weeks later I was increased to 100mg, same thing just some digestive problems for a day or two. After 2 more weeks my dose has been up to 150mg, some digestive problems but have been feeling 100% better. My biggest complaint this last year is I constantly felt like I couldnt breath and I always needed to yawn and take a deep breath to feel like I was breathing normal. now I am breathing correctly and I feel happy and normal. Don't get me wrong, there is an adjusted period with every increase, but mine haven't been as bad as everyone elses. I also take 1mg of xana xr and .50mg of xanax as needed. Im not obsessing about everything that my body is doing and I am starting to get some peace. I think in two weeks my Dr. is going to increase my dose to the final 200mg. He said since im a big guy, 6'4 275lbs, that it would take 200mg. After a week at this dose I will check back to let everyone know what and how I feel. I hope everyone gets better and can just feel some sense of being normal again.
AnxiousJake carol39655
Posted
Hi to everyone involved in this discussion and thanks to carol for starting it. I hope things are better for everyone having side effects or generally not getting any benefit from it.
The reason I've joined this site is because today my gp has told me to stop taking mirtazapine 30mg and to go straight onto 200mg sertraline, is this ok? From what I've read online I can't find any other examples of people going straight to this high dose. Also will I be ok stopping mirtazapine, I have been on 45mg for several months but dropped to 30mg as I feel no benefit from it, maybe even worse than before starting it!?
I've been suffering from anxiety and depression and feeling like I want to die on occasion, I really would never kill myself as I have a son who I could not do it to, though I do long to not exist any more especially in the mornings and at other random times. My head is all over the place, I feel it always has been maybe... I'm also on a waiting list to be assessed for ADHD.
Any advice or comments would be very much appreciated.
Best wishes to everyone here.
Jake
jim02848 AnxiousJake
Posted
Have you thought about seeing a psychiatrist? I finally went to one and the doses were increased gradually and I would go back and see him every 2 weeks. But back to the zoloft, I didnt have very many side effects, just a little upset stomach, some tiredness, and a little anxiety. My first go around was with celexa, HORRIBLE side effects, but sertraline did the trick for me. But 200mg is a lot to just jump into. I mean I'm a big guy and It took 2 months to get me to 200mg. I would suggest going to see a psychiatrist because they seem to be more cautious with the meds, and maybe get some counseling. But if you jump straight into the 200mg I would have some xanax or something on hand just in case you go into straight panic mode. I hope this helps and I hope that you feel better.
shaun29979 AnxiousJake
Posted
Hi Jake ,
How long have you been taking the mirtizapine as if you have been on it a while that should be tapered and to just stop it and go to 200mg sertraline I think that's wrong but I'm no doctor .
I did try and stop mirtizapine once and had bad withdrawals so I went back on .
I now take mirtizapine & sertraline and this combination is better .
ann55375 shaun29979
Posted
shaun29979 ann55375
Posted
Hi I wouldn't ring psych just yet as sertraline takes a while to get to full effect .
It took about 5 weeks for me to feel it was working . I'm on 30mg mirtizapine & 50mg sertraline but it takes time .
If you can try and ride out the anxiety spikes and give it time . I did have increased anxiety , night sweats , nausea etc but most of them have passed now . Please give it time as most people stop taking this in the first few weeks as it takes time to work . Obviously if it's too bad then get in touch with them and see if they can give you anything else to just reduce the anxiety until the sertraline starts working x
Kazstevens carol39655
Posted
I've been on 200mg once a day, but have been reducing my dose gradually i am now on 100mg. Tbh I really don't feel a difference. Would rather not take them at all. But prehaps that's because I feel better on the 200mg. Confused here@
tree8324 Kazstevens
Posted
I would suggest staying at 100mg and not to go lower. I just finished reducing my dose of Venlaxafine to almost nothing and my intrusive bought a and anxiety came back and came back at its worse. It's been two months of trying to heal. I had to switch to sertraline and now I'm on the highest dose and it seems like things are getting better! Just be careful when going down
Kazstevens
Posted
Totally Off sertraline now, and to be perfectly honest I feel almost "normal" again, after all these years of dulling my senses. I am so happy to "smell the flowers again", Dont get me wrong, It was hard coming off them completly, felt very tearful and angry for a couple of weeks, just kep telling myself It will be ok and thankfully it is ... all I can think now is what a waste of 9odd years on that junk! and without proper medical supervision, repeat prescription, never a word from my medical Pratice about anysort of review, my Dr's were crap! .. Gone are my exsissive sweats too! Although I would advise anyone else to seek medical helpin coming off them, seems I have been lucky? watch this space, in 4 months time I might be back and lord knows what I;ll besaying, but for now, I'm fine xx EXCUSE the spelling, that hasnt inproved lol
debbie41342 carol39655
Posted
I take 150 mg of sertraline daily.. when they first upped me from 100 to 150 I felt really sick.. Now I've learned to split the dose so I take 50 mg 3 times daily and I don't seem to have the side effects..
sophie09135 carol39655
Posted
bankeymoon carol39655
Posted
I'm on Sertraline also. Try and stay with it. Takes a while in my experience.
shaun29979 carol39655
Posted
I have been on sertraline and mirtizapine combination for years . I have recently lowered my dose of sertraline to 50mg from 100 and my mood is terrible to be honest .
Hopefully this will subside as I thought the sertraline wasn't working anymore . I made this decision myself as I have been on both for years with no help or reviews at all from my gp just repeat prescriptions every month .
Kazstevens shaun29979
Posted
to be honest @Shaun29979 .. I felt REALLY bad for at least two weeks, I just went with it and realised it was the come down, I would say what worked for me, suround yourself with people who understand whats happening, that helped me, to cry, talk and be understood, The sertraline wasn't working anymore for me either, so I didnt really see any point in continuing with it, and also my Dr's were no help whats so ever, I went a few times to talk to someone about the overheating effects I was having, and each day they didnt have a clue, or denied it could be the sertraline that was causing it ... sertraline free now, and hardly no sweats anymore, strange that?
charlotte65403 carol39655
Posted
Just noticed your message about sertraline... I've been on 200mg for 6 years which still doesn't get rid of the horrible moods 100% but it was amazing how it did stop me from self harming ( not a teenager I'm 53!) And when I still want to self harm I find it impossible to do so which is a good and bad thing, good as it stops me but bad as I can't get rid of that anxiety/feeling wanting tonic that makes any sense! I'm also taking 200mg of venlafaxine daily - avoid this as it caused me to put on 2 stone in a year combined with all my other meds - serious which isnt great for the depression but ...... i starting taking anti drpressants at the age of 8 (eight!) Then on serious anti depressants from 13 years old. I Just to Have to honing hospital forv3 weeks when they changed my meds but that has now stopped but they say I will have to go in for that period again when dropping my intake of my pain killers fentanyl and tramadol... but think that's years off thank goodness. JUST AVOID VENLAFAXINE unless of course if you want to put weight on!!!! Take care xxxxx
f84212 charlotte65403
Posted
Hi charlotte, i had my dose of sertraline increased to 200mg 3 weeks ago i was on 150mg before. been on sertraline since october 2017. i suffered from postnatel depression when i had my little girl, was self harming and having suicidal thoughts. my girl is now 1 and still feeling low and i have the thoughts that my family would be better off without me but at the same time i love them and wouldnt want my 2 kids thinking that mummy didnt love them enough to stay. trying so hard to fight these demons in my head just want the 200mg to kick in. is 200mg sertraline alot to be taking or can it go up any more? how long did it take to take affect on you? and how many years was you on 200mg a day? im 26 and new to all of this chatting online about it as this is my first post anywhere.
Faith xxxx