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sertraline and mirtazapine / time off work ... help

Posted , 7 users are following.

sarah57117
sarah57117

Around 4 wks ago I went to gp as been suffering for a few months with anxiety and depression and panic attacks. I tried not going to gp but had no choice as was affecting work and home life. I work in retail which is busy and stressful.

The gp gave me 50mg sertraline to take each morning wirh a 2 wk follow up. Well I knew not to expect much that soon but I felt so awful and lack of sleep was really bad I.e being awake until 3am or later getting myself worked up. On my follow up gp gave me mirtazapine to take at night for sleep and depressiond side of it. These I thought were fab... knocked me out within 30min. However I kept waking having awful nightmare and panic attacks as well as 4lb weight gainn In a week ( which made me anxious in itself too ). So I went bk again to gp as I couldn't wait till my apt nwxt wk. I saw a diff gp who upped the sertraline to 100mg but stopped the mirtazapine. She also signed me off until my next apt.

Well ive gone bk to not sleep feeling quite anxious still and quite panicky out of my comfort zone. I have spent most of my wk in bed when my son is at school. Feel so run down and fed up. I used to be on venlafaxine yrs ago but they seem to be reluctant to give me again ?. I don't feel I can even face return to work and going to gp yet again fills me with dread and make me really anxious . People can't see what wrong and ive not told many ppl. I just feel like im not 'me' .. my partner said to ask gp for more time off but we're short staff at work so I feel guilty sad

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • vikki2303
    vikki2303 sarah57117

    Posted

    Hi, how long have u been on sertraline for? How long was u on 50mg and how long have u now been on 100mg for? X
  • Blu02
    Blu02 sarah57117

    Posted

    Oh Sarah I feel for you... my first 4 weeks on Sertriline were hell. Couldn't sleep, panic attacks (got some propanalol for those which helped) felt dizzy and spaced out, but after the 5th week things started to settle down and now I feel much better.

    Try to hang on, Sertraline are good but the side effects take a while to disappear before the Sertraline kicks in...

    • cath72993
      cath72993 Blu02

      Posted

      I'd totally second this Sarah, I used to wake up in the night with anxiety and panic that kept me awake, but after a few weeks of awful side effects (which ironically just added to the anxiety) they disappeared and so did the background anxiety.  It's been amazing for me, I occasionally wake up in the night, but I am not worrying, and it's usually only because I need to take a visit to the loo!  Hang on in there, it will get better for you x
  • natalie06867
    natalie06867 sarah57117

    Posted

    hi sarah I feel for you. I am new to anxiety since Xmas day and struggling. have been on sertraline for 16 days. days 14 and 15 were ok started to feel ok but today feel crap again as like you had little sleep which seems to start it up. how long have you been on sertraline in total
  • Digsby
    Digsby sarah57117

    Posted

    Hi Sarah,

    First, I would say be kinder to yourself and don't feel guilty about taking the time that you need. I think your work colleagues would prefer you to take a bit longer rather than rushing back too soon. Don't think of temporary absence from work as a negative thing if it gets you back on track.

    Mirtazapine is notorious for helping with sleep but causing weight gain as a common side-effect. I've taken it before in conjunction with Citalopram but would not rush to be on it again.

    I've recently been on Venlafaxine but couldn't tolerate the side-effects after 2 months. It's interesting that this worked for you (I'm assuming it did) - I wonder why your GP wouldn't try you on this again.

    Try to take one day at a time and don't put too much pressure on yourself while you are waiting for the meds to work. Have you ever been referred for any therapy? Talking to someone who is removed from your personal situation can help. Hopefully, you will find lots of support and good advice on these forums.

    Please hang in there. You are not alone. Keep calm & carry on :-)

    Good luck! Love & best wishes,

    Digsby

    xx

  • DawnDedee
    DawnDedee sarah57117

    Posted

    Sarah, I am so sorry you are suffering so and I can empathize as have been there too often myself. And people do not see because we fake wellness for the sake of getting on and not being placed in a negative category. Is your GP trained to treat depression and anxiety? Or should you deal with a specialist?

    One medicine I take in addition to my sertraline is Amitriptyline 50 miligrams at bedtime for the drowsy effect it has and I sleep wonderfully. It is an old tried and true antidepressant.

    Dragging yourself around from fatigue is so difficult. I so hope you will find your perfect combination soon.

    Dawn

  • Kate2510
    Kate2510 sarah57117

    Posted

    Sarah, I am so sorry you have been feeling so poorly, like the others say stick with it if you can, it can just take a little time, I have been on Sertraline now for 10 months and feel fab, I can not even remember much about the side effects I had in the begining, but I know I did have some. 

    Don't worry about work if you need to time off you need the time off, I have had 2 periods off work with depression and stress and that is just the way it has to be. I am feeling so good at the moment after a little blip of the pharmacy giving me Dr Reddy's make rather then Pfizer that I had been taking for the rest of the time, brands do make a difference there has been a discussion on this and Blu02 mentions this below.

    Take care and keep going

    Kate

  • karen261
    karen261 sarah57117

    Posted

    Hi Sarah

    I know how you feel. im on sertraline 50mg ive been on them for a couple of months, but went on them for about six months last year. i too have trouble sleeping, i used to be on venlafaxine, but i got a lot of stomache pains on them so i swapped onto sertraline. Theres another sleeping pill you get from docs called zopiclone it doesnt zap you out, well it didnt for me. unfortunatley it seems all these antidepressants cause insommina, i have tried getting off these antidepressants, ive been on them for 11 years now since my son was born. i wish id never went on them in the first place but its so hard getting off them. I too have dreams that seem so real. have you tried exercise classes like yoga to help you relax before bed. have a relaxing massage with a therapist. dont feel gulity about having time off from your work, think about yourself. take care karen

  • cath72993
    cath72993 sarah57117

    Posted

    Speaking from my own experience, I had awful side effects for a few weeks and had to be signed off as I couldn't concentrate at work or at home.  I appreciate that you feel a bit guilty about your colleagues being short staffed, but honestly, you have to think about youreself and get yourself well, and you will be much more able to cope with work once you feel a bit more back to your old self.  Hopefully it won't take too much longer.  Try not to feel anxious about going to the GP, they just want to help you feel better, and if you bear with it, I'm sure it will get easier soon.  Sounds like you have a very supportive partner too which is great x x

    Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the link as it was to a site unsuitable for inclusion in the forums. If users want this information please use the Private Message service to request the details.

    http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

  • sarah57117
    sarah57117

    Posted

    Thank you for replying. I went bk to gp today. Hes taken me off sertraline too and put me on venlafaxine ( I used to be on them yrs ago ). He said being as sertraline didnt work then mirtazapine added didn't help so he said venlafaxine would be best . Theyre norm 3rd choice when others don't work so we shall see. I have to start tomorrow. Not looking forward to all the upevil again. Also got 2 more wk off work hopefully catch up on some zzzzz x
    • cath72993
      cath72993 sarah57117

      Posted

      You're welcome, I'm glad you went back.  Just take the time you need to start feeling better, hopefully it won't take too long and it sounds sensible to have at least a couple more weeks to get over the inevitable side effects of the new tablets.  Fingers crossed it won't be too bad.  Sorry my last comment was moderated, it was a website my GP gave me called mood gym.  Nothing dodgy I promise! Lol. x

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