Sertraline

Thank you for your reassurance.. It's so odd re the weight thing, when I was on my other AD I couldn't stop eating but now I'm on this one my stomach is rumbling as I write this so I know I'm hungry but the thought of food is just unthinkable. I'm finding I have to literally force down a simple bowl of cornflakes at the moment!!

Also, did you tend to feel much worse in the mornings? Thoughts wise I mean? Only mornings are horrific for me at the moment!!

Thanks again for your response. Xx

Thank you for your reply. It's good to know I'm not the only one experiencing such side effects. It just seems like hell at the moment.

Hi, I forgot about the weak legs!! That symptom, for me anyway, was only for the first few days thankfully. could I just ask was it your gp who suggested you go up to 100mg? And why was this so soon after starting on 50mg? I hope you don't mind me asking!! I've read somewhere that a dose increase can be implemented within seven days and I'm going back to my docs on Monday which will be a week for me also, so I just was wondering if you (or anyone else) knows if this increase after 7 days is common practice? If so I'm a little concerned that I'm going to feel even worse.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

Yes, it was my dr. He said 7 days at 50mg, and then up to 100mg. I'm the same,I'm concerned about the increase and how I will feel. I to have 2 young children 6yrs and 2yrs and I know how your feeling in regards to your son. It's hard when aswell as yourself you have others relying on you. Before I started on the tablets I would wake feeling awful and it would wear off by mid afternoon, by the evenings you wouldn't know anything was wrong with me, but the last 2 days the anxiety seems to be hanging around for most of the day.

Sorry, I forgot to add that my dr didn't say why I would be increasing and only after 7 days, I didn't think to ask as was a blubbering wreck at the time! He also doesn't want to see me until after 4 weeks, everyone else seems to be going back to their dr much sooner.

I started at 25mg for 3 weeks and was not feeling any improvement at all so my Dr increased it to 50mg, but she doesn't want to see me until i have been on 50mg for 3 weeks.  Dr says i have to adjust and let the drugs work and it can take 4-6+ weeks for some people.  Day 4 of 50mg and my anxiety has increased from when I was on 25mg but that also happened when i started with the 25mg so its to be expected.  I am going to give the 50mg at least 5 weeks to do some magic before I increase again because these side effects are very debilitating.  

Thanks to everyone for their words of encouragement and positive thoughts.

In one sense I'm glad that I'm not the only one as I'm feeling exactly the same way you are, in another sense I'm obviously not glad for you (or anyone else) that is going through what 'we' are going thought at the moment. I feel for you with two children to look after though in particular your 2 y/o, you must be exhausted! I just keep hanging onto the thought that as each day goes by I, we, are closer to feeling well again. In a sense having a child/children around at the moment a good thing really to try to put a positive spin on it, as one has to keep going for their sake, otherwise quite frankly I think I would probably just stay in bed the entire weekend! My worry is that I'm letting my child down because im not bouncing out of bed at 7am filling his weekend with fun things to do like I normally am, and I think it's this 'guilt' that is adding to my anxiety, I write this as my son sits on my lap quite happily watching a movie on the iPad...but it's Saturday afternoon!! We should be outside in the fresh air and doing something fun and not stuck indoors... Anyway enough of my ranting! And so to you and indeed anyone who is experiencing depression in whatever form or indeed feeling side affects of medication I feel for you as it sucks (with or without children!)

Now very curious to see if my doc will up my dose on Monday or not?! Anyway it's nice to know I'm not alone though, so thanks for your reply. Greatly appreciated.

I know what you mean, it is good to know you are not alone. My eldest was desperate to go out for a scooter ride this afternoon, but I just can't face it mostly because I seem to constantly be freezing cold! You are right though I do think the children have kept me going. Hopefully we will be feeling better soon. Keep me posted on how you get on with the dr and your dosage. Hope tomorrow is a bit better for you.

Forgot to mention to you yesterday, I'm also felt freeing cold on this drug, all I want to do is sit by a fire or a radiator. I hardly ever feel the cold by the way, I'm a t-shirt in November sort of guy. So yeah just to say (weather this is a common side affect or not) you are not alone in feeling the cold. Feels like I've had a headache for almost a week now and glad to be going back to my doctors tomorrow. keep in touch. Hope you're having a good day. P

This morning was awful, my anxiety was through the roof before I even took a tablet....I actually thought I wasn't going to be able to function at all today and then was concerned how the rest of the week will be. However by 11pm it had all settled down including the knot in my stomach and nausea, I don't feel 100%, but I can get things done and function. Usually I don't feel better til much later in the day. Making the most of feeling OK this afternoon.

Sorry meant 11am.

I'm totally with you, the mornings are horrific for me on this drug. Half of me makes me want to just stop using it but I'm so scared it will be much worse without it. I also have the strangest of dreams that tend to wake me very early anywhere between 2-4am and almost from the second I'm awake the anxiety creeps in and won't go away. which means by 7-8am I'm left with this feeling I can't even get out of bed and function let alone see the day out. By the afternoon I'm far from perfect but can at least function. glad you're having a good afternoon at least that makes up slightly for this morning. Hang on in there!! P

My anxiety has always been much worse in the mornings as the day moves on I feel OK and by the time I go to bed you wouldn't know anything was wrong with me, it's very frustrating! Day 2 on these tablets and I was questioning whether it was worth it, but I had also been suffering with mild depression and if I don't give these tablets a try I may never feel better. That's the 1 thing I'm scared of, being like this forever. I hope your day is going OK. Hang on in there too!

That's one thing I'm learning having read other posts on here, it's not to give up and keep going, even if at first it seems to be making you worse. It seems the general consensus is "it will get better"

I'm having a horrific day, there just doesn't seem to be a way of dragging myself out of it. The will is there, I want to, but I just don't seem to be able to do anything.

This is horrible I hate feeling this helpless..

that's how I felt earlier. It's so hard to explain this to someone who hasn't been through it or experienced it. It especially gets to me as it's literally come out of no where. I was just looking of some photos of Christmas on my phone and thought to myself "that's when you was OK and nothing was wrong". It's scary and it really can get you down.

*at*

I find it especially hard when I'm having a bad time to remember the positive times.

At my worst it feels like there will never be an end to this. It's like living and knowing that you are alive while the whole world just keeps on going without you. I almost feel "disconnected" I'm aware of my own being but I just feel like im not part of the world. What amazes me is when you recaerch depression/anxiety or any 'mental illness' statistics say it's one in four of us! Really? I'd like to know where they all are then! I know there are thousands on this forum, but in "real life" I mean.. ONE in FOUR? Where are they all hiding? And how come I feel so isolated. I found this forum only yesterday and initially it was to try to find some reassurance I guess, I now find myself using it to check I'm one in four not one in (what feels like) four million!!

I don't think you can post links on here but when you get a moment Google "understanding depression" by Jake Sidwell it's a five minute video that really sums it up for me. Absolutely everything he says in the video I can relate to. See what you think.

I know exactly what your saying....it would be nice to know someone round the corner that is going through the same thing. Will take a look at the video when I get 5 minutes. I hope your Dr's appointment goes well tomorrow.

Day 11 for me and I'm not even gonna go there! If the anxiety doesnt start subsiding by next week I'm going to see if I can come off certraline. sorry to be so negative but this is not a life it's just a miserable existence.

How are you doing? Did you up your dose?

Hi, just finishing day 10, today I've actually thought the tablets might just be slowly helping me. I'm still waking with the anxiety, but I've had a few days where it's worn off by 11am and I can get on as normal with my day. I did up my dose on Tuesday and thankfully so far I've had no side effects from doing this. Just off to bed now, trying to be positive, but know I'm going to wake up with the butterflies and knot in my tummy as I have done every morning for weeks now.

Oh nice one, I'm glad they are doing ok for you, that's really good news. Fingers crossed for you. Keep us posted with how you get on with 100mg.

Paul

Hey Paul, I'm not sure if you'll read this after so long but I'm where you were a year ago.3 months on Sertraline,after hellish side effects my GP increased by dose from 100mg to 125mg, I'm feeling horrible, have 3 kids (twins aged 4 and a 7 year old).At each increase I get awful side effects for 3 weeks, I feel like 100mg may have been right for me but my GP said there hadn't been enough improvement in my mood.Anyways, just wondered how you or anyone else is feeling now? Did you stick with Sert? Looking for some hope really, it's such a difficult journey, hope you're doing okay. Emily