Sertraline and anxiety
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi I have been using Sertraline 50mg since March, always had problems with anxiety in built up areas or if in a room with more than say two people talking at once, I get very panicked, scared and feel I must get away from the situation, over the last 2 weeks this has become far worse to the point of a food shop being an uncomfortable experience or if my children have a drama discussion/load debate.
I've booked a GP appointment for the end of week but my question is, is it getting worse because of the medication or is this a coping issue becoming worse?
The depression was originally caused by I believe many diagnosis in a short period and limited mobility
2 likes, 9 replies
Stressheadmum Paul529
Posted
Hi sorry to hear you're struggling right now. Speak to your doc about increasing the Sertraline. You can also ask to be refered to psychology. Cognitive behavioural therapy is very good for anxiety. Depending on where you live it can take some time to be assessed. Medication & therapy work much better together. Good luck hope you get the help you need xx
a-new-day Paul529
Posted
hi as was already also mentioned, try increasing to 100mg, as 50mg is often not enough for many people (including myself)
you might get some new side effects on increasing, but they most likely will ease and then pass, so don't feel disheartened if on first increasing the dose you feel a little worse ok
Stressheadmum a-new-day
Posted
Hi I am on 200mg & I went through side effects with each increase. Still not convinced Sertraline is for me after 12 weeks I'm still struggling although much improved xx
pam80844 Paul529
Posted
Dear Paul529,
Basing my own experience with pain throughout body and not being given the right treatment by some of the now retired gp's at my local practice, I think sertraline helped with my trauma of suddenly being incapacitated. But, sertraline is an anti depressant so like all of these drugs they numb your feelings. I found that I then became anxious about having to take an anti depressant, about not being the happy soul I used to be, about not being responsive to my husband etc etc. So the problems exasperated the loneliness and irritability I felt inside. So yes, one problem is replaced by another and another and yes I do feel that anti depressants probably have made me more anxious, because my low self esteem has been further lowered due to my illness. This is quite probably the same with you. We're you always less mobile than your counterparts? If no, then I'd say you probably will not cope too well without sertraline.
Paul529 pam80844
Posted
Well in answer to you're message, it certainly struck a chord and thank you this made me feel that it's not just me, up until Jan 2016 I was a fit peaks climber, runner and extremely active with my 2 young daughters and maintained a nutrition well diet, then out of the blue January passed what started as a low trauma (standing height) compression fracture of the vertebrae meaning a back brace for 4.5 months and slow release morphine tablets for the leg numbness/pain caused by pinched spinal chord and a further diagnosis of Coeliac, and then bowel surgery, anxiety & depresion.
The whole sequence of events and having to be pushed in a wheelchair in order to have a day out with family has hit me hard being a previous can do person
pam80844 Paul529
Posted
The new branch of the consultant run pain clinic, has been quite useful to me.
The specialist nurse told me that my fibromyalgia, M.E. Neuropathy, chronic pain and depression has now been recognised as genuine conditions related to athletic and stressed out persons relating to their life experiences. I worked as a clinic nurse and phlebotomist in out patients at our local hospital. I wasmore working
pam80844
Posted
Cont.I was more often than not working with 5 different medical consultant equalling 3 different medical clinics. Gastroenterology, cardiology and neuropathy for instance, but then doing the bloods for other clinics within outility patients. I was like a whirlwind. I told my boss that she was running me into the ground and her response was, ' but you can do it, you are very good at multi tasking' two weeks later whilst I was on holiday in Egypt I became very ill and was admitted to the most God awful hospital out there. They told me I had bowel cancer and needed to operate on me. I had 2 CT scans in 48 hours which is a no no over here. I refused anymore intervention by the Egyptian hospital and came home. It took me 18 months to get a decent G.P. who got the ball rolling for a diagnosis.unfortunately that diagnosis came too late and because I
pam80844
Posted
Cont.
was so poorly and didnt have any fight left in me, I allowed my NHS bosses to bully me into leaving my job. Had the diagnosis come earlier,I could have retired on ill health and claimed my pension.
I had a an abusive childrenhood and an abusive 1st marriage. I stayed in that marriage for 14 years and had 2 children. I kicked ny ex out and not one penny did he give to provide for his kids, si there i was, working 70 hrs a week, running my home and being mum and dad to my children. I dI'd this for 6 years getting just 5 hrs sleep per day. My daughter went on to mentally and physically abuse me and caused so much heart break.I'm a tough cookie but she broke me. I then met the man of my dreams, such a gentle, loving and laid back man and hes been amazing with supporting me throughout. All these things have apparently been the reason why I've kind of hit a 6ft brick wall and can't climb over it. I shall never get better and at the age of 55, the aches and pains of an ageing body will only add to my condition.
Also, I can't sleep because my body hurts to lie on and if I do sleep for a solid 4 hrs I wake up with an almost crippled body. Can't win. Haha.
I can only empathise with you. Only on a few occasions have I needed to be in a wheelchair but I am regularly cancelling a coffee and chat with what few friends I have left, because I get bed ridden . I can't join in with my husbands hobby of jollies out in his 42yr old Light weight land rover anymore. The suspension is rock hard and it crucifies my body. Our plans were to travel Europe in it, do the pyrenees etc. I did get to go to morocco, France and Spain in it (pre illness) so on the positive side, I've driven in the Sahara desert! 😊
If it makes you feel better to off load your feelings etc to me ( as I have just done 🙄
feel free. I don't know about you, but I always feel guilty if I talk about my illness too much to my husband. I'm on FB. Pam Myers. Picture of me and my poochy eating an ice cream.
lindsayj00 Paul529
Posted
So sorry to hear your struggling Paul. I can relate to your story a bit. I've always struggled with severe anxiety and a little bit of depression. I'm 29 and have always been just fine as long as I was on antidepressants for the anxiety. I had to get off cymbalata because I am pregnant with my 3rd daughter and didn't want to take the risk. I was fine for about 2 months without the antidepressants but then my pregnancy took a turn for the worse and I'm dealing with chronic pain because my pubis symphysis joint has partially separated. I've always been extremely active and loved rollerblading and bike riding with my kids. Since my pelvis started acting up I've had to quit my job and I can barely walk. I pretty much have to rely on my daughters age 6 and 9 to help me get around. It's awful and resulted in a horrible cycle of anxiety and depression. My doc recently put me on Zoloft and the start of side effects have been brutal but I am starting to have good days mixed with the bad ones so that's a good sign! Hang in there Paul, you may just be suffering from situational a8mxiety/depression from your Injury and will probably be a lot better mentally when you feel better physically.