Sertraline confusion

Hi Claire

Thankyou so much for taking the time to reply. Our stories sound very similar and facing the same struggles. It's a horrible, horrible feeling. Anxiety is overwhelming and scary. 

I hope they work for us too, it's a massive thing to start a new med and the unknown. 

Take one day at a time, try not to worry about tomorrow/next week etc. There's definitely nothing wrong, be reassured about that. It's the tablets causing it as I have exactly the same symptoms as you. 

Dig deep love. Nothing stays the same, bound to be sunshine after a storm. That's what I keep telling myself x 

Hi

To be honest before I started the sertraline I used to be able to relax on a night and actually could feel happy at times. Since starting the sertraline I just don't feel me! I'm very low in mood, no motivation, increased anxiety which is being made worse by these pains in my tummy. I keep getting these pains in my chest but it's not a crushing pain it's more like a slight stab sort of in the top left of my chest near my breast. It's scaring the hell out of me!! My tummy is bubbling, I'm burping a lot too, I just can't relax! I'm constantly on edge and tense!

I do try and be positive, iv heard horror stories of this med and even worse ones when trying to come off it. I just don't know what to do for the best. I'm lost, I feel like I don't know who I am anymore 😭😭

I feel the same. Before the sertraline I could almost feel 'normal' during the evening even though I'd been anxious beyond belief throughout the day. 

Lots of people have written horror stories and I've spent hours reading them all, scaring myself to death. Everyone's story/journey is different but I think/hope that they must get better eventually because they stop posting. 

My tummy was/is bubbling too with awful indigestion, burping too, a stingy pain in my stomach and a deep ache in my back. My neck and shoulders hurt too. 

Have you got a good GP and some support? 

Youre not on your own, I want my back too instead of feeling awful. It seems an eternity that I've been feeling rubbish, however, although I feel physically rubbish with all these side effects, the anxiety is getting better. Hang in there. 

Ive been getting stabbing pains in my shoulders. Mention it to your Doc about your stabbing pain, don't be scared. I know it's horrible. you're probably stronger than you give yourself credit for. It sounds like you've been through it before and come out the other side (from your mention of citalopram) and so you will again. That's what I cling to x

oops.  It's meant to say I want my life back too. 

Hi

Not great. Been sick this morning and I feel ill. My anxiety is through the roof!!!!

I stupidly looked up some of my symptoms and now I'm thinking I might have stomach cancer 😭😭 I just don't know what to do with myself. I know it's probably due to the increase in sertraline but I can't cope with feeling like this. I'm a mess!!

It really is horrible. I've lost count the amount of times I've said 'I just don't know what to do with myself' I'm having a rubbish day too. I didn't sleep much, stomach and back hurting a lot. I'm so dizzy. The runs are still horrible. 

Im guilty of looking up side effects and symptoms and scaring myself silly with what I read. 

Im laying down trying to read but I can't concentrate, head's aching. 

Did your GP reassure you? 

Hi no not really. She just said drop back down to 25mg and if I still feel bad after dropping then we can wean off altogether and start something else.

I do t think I could deal with any more side effects from a medicine!

It's been 7 weeks since my anxiety started back up and I'm so fed up with it. I can't look after my family or go to work or uni. I feel so useless.

I'm laid on the couch but just feel nauseas and anxious.

Yep, my only next option is to come off these and start something else. That terrifies me, I can't face that either. I just hope and pray this settles. My life seems on hold. I don't go out, haven't seen friends. I'm completely fed up of having to tell people I still feel so rubbish. My heart is pounding and I'm finding it hard to sleep. How's your appetite? Mine's been zero for ages, I've lost so much weight. 

My appetite is zero too! I have to literally force food down me. Iv lost 24lb. How long have you been on sertraline? What side effects are you having?

Today I just feel so sick and anxious I don't think I could eat anything which I know will make me weak.

I'm laid here petrified and so tense

I've lost the same amount. I've been on it 9 weeks. The first two weeks on 50 mg, those two weeks were brutal from the changeover from citalopram to sertraline. I couldn't stop crying and the anxiety was beyond awful. I was feeling so, so sick. Doc gave me some anti sickness tablets (didn't work). Because I was so bad Doc told me to take 100mg after the first two weeks. After about a week on this, the runs started, up to ten times a day and 2 to 3 times in the night. Never known anything like it. Just liquid. The pains in my tum were awful, sharp stinging pain and a deep ache in my lower back. I felt fluey, spaced out, palpitations. I felt so poorly and weak. The Doc said this would all settle when I kept ringing her weekly. I carried on like this for 5 weeks. I then went to see a different Doc at the practice who said I was too physically ill to start a new anti depressant and so he told me to go back to taking 50 mg. I've been on this now for two weeks. The runs have halved to 3 to 4 times per day. Appetite still rubbish. Feel sick, got headache and incredibly dizzy. Don't know if this is withdrawal from the higher dose or what or withdrawal from all those years on citalopram. Who knows? Dr doesn't know either. I don't feel as anxious but I feel really poorly. No energy. 

Hi

I don't know how you managed to get through that. Were you still managing to function throughout the day? Like housework, job etc? Since the up in sertraline to 50mg iv felt very awful since the 2nd tablet, today being the worst of all. I took my 3rd 50mg last night and within 2-3 hours I just felt poorly.

I think the most frustrating thing is that my family are now a bit fed up with me and no longer sympathise with how I'm feeling. It's always a case of "it's just your tablets you'll be fine" or "your making yourself feel like this" or "it's just your anxiety". I seriously feel poorly and scared.

No, not functioning at all. I've left my job. I laid in bed most of that time whilst it was so bad, couldn't sleep. I was a right mess. My hubby has had to sort tea out for the family. I couldn't stand the smell or sight of food. The ironing piled up. He did the shopping, and still is. 

People who aren't or have never been through it can be dismissive of it. I think they just want us back to how we should be, it's frustrating for them too. I know the mood in my house as been pretty low all round whilst I've been poorly. It affects everyone. 

I don't feel as bad as I did on the higher dose, not great but it's bearable in comparison to how poorly I was. I'm supposed to give this half dose 3 weeks trial maximum. If it doesn't settle completely I'm going to be offered a different one. That scares me. The Doc even mentioned going back on citalopram!!! That makes no sense to me as I was told it wasn't working and is why I'm feeling so lost now! 

On my 10th day having bad anxiety constipation feeling low sometimes feel unreal but iam going to keep going it has to get better

I am scared of coming of it now so less of two evils will carry on my motivation is zero my partner puts up.but expect some change in me he honestly thought on my second day I would be able to cope I wouldn't wish.this on anymore not even him when he acts so bloody selfish lol

I'm going to drop back down to 25mg tonight. I can't keep going like this. For the past 7 weeks my partner has been doing everything, getting the kids ready in a morning, taking little one to school then going to work a full time job, then picking them up from kids club and doing tea. Along with tidying, ironing, washing, shopping etc. Iv been staying with my parents for 6 weeks as I was too scared to be on my own. Iv not been to work or uni. Think my parents are a bit fed up with me now as they feel I'm making no improvement.

I just want me back! X

It's the worst feeling Shauna. It's so overwhelming and scary. No, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy either. 

X

Agree with you both. Wouldn't wish this on anyone!

I'm just sat here feeling nothingness! Feel like I'm just about existing, an hour feels like forever and I'm so tense.

Jane can I just ask....when you dropped down to the 50mg from 100mg did u have any increased symptoms from withdrawal from the drop down? And if so when did you notice they? X

The symptoms changed from the drop after about 10 days. From chronic diarrhoea 24/7 and feeling fluey, aches, terrible stomach ache/ back ache to half the amount of diarrhoea, half the stomach ache, not so fluey, but more feeling sick, /headaches/pressure and I feel dizzy and like I'm drunk when I'm walking. 

Iv been on the 50mg for 3 days but gonna have to drop back to. The 25mg tonight. I just hope the effects aren't too bad! I was just about managing on the 25mg although the 1st week on them (without the citalopram) was awful!!! But seemed to settle slightly. Will keep you updated on how I'm doing. Also keep me updated on how your doing too x