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Sertraline for Anxiety. Advice please!

Posted , 6 users are following.

kindreamer
kindreamer

Hi, hope you're well if you're reading this.

I have been dealing with really bad anxiety for the past 6 months and i got prescribed Sertraline like a few months ago but i haven't had the courage to take it as i am scared of the symptoms you experience within the first 2 weeks of taking it as i know that the medication doesn't start working after a few weeks.

i remember taking it once and i even cut it in half so that i took 25mg but i still felt really bad and i had only taken it once.

Any advice / tips if you've taken it before would be very helpful, or just telling me about your journey whilst on it and if it did help your anxiety.

Thank you, i hope you have a nice day 😃

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • shfer
    shfer kindreamer

    Edited

    Sorry to sound harsh but I suffer from bad side effects continuously even after the initial period where they usually go away , but for me for some reason the headaches never go away and as soon as I take my medication it starts hurting, very rarely I have no headaches and I still take it over anxiety and depression, and you are scared to start and stand it for 2 weeks? Come on be strong and do not let your anxiety ruin your life!

    Again it is your choice but for 10 years Fluoxetine worked great for me, then 2 years ago this headache thing started and cannot get around it in any way. No doctors seem to know what to do, until now anyway... Benzos seem to ease the pain but that is about it...

    Again even with the crazy headaches most days I will accept it vs anxiety/depression.

    Hope it helps

  • jmarti41
    jmarti41 kindreamer

    Edited

    I'm currently taking Sertraline and it's the only thing that gave me some life back. I still have anxiety but it's not as intense as it was. I could barely get out of bed prior to taking it.

    The first week or so you'll probably feel weird from it, you just have to wait it out. I also found that I have to take a very low dose. The doc put me at 50mg but it made me feel sick. So I tried lowering to 25mg and same thing. Felt nauseous and more anxious. I'm currently at 12.5mg which is a very low dose but I'm sensitive to meds so it's worked best for me. If you're scared to take it, I would try starting at a low dose, cut it in 1/4 if you can, see how you respond to it and work your way up. I understand your worry bc I'm the same way, I get paranoid taking anything. I've tried several meds but this one worked best for me so far.

  • kim48184
    kim48184 kindreamer

    Edited

    Hi, I am week 7 today on taking 50mg of sertraline.

    I Suffer with health anxiety, the first 2 weeks was when I had the most side effects, dry mouth, occasional headaches but about 2 weeks ago I started having upset stomach after speaking to my doctor she said sometimes it can cause a delayed reaction but it's slowly improving for me.

    I do feel though I may need to go up on dosage as I've started with the same anxiety thoughts again about my health but my doctor did say wait until week 8 before we decide to up my dosage. Xx

    • kindreamer
      kindreamer kim48184

      Posted

      Hey,

      thanks for your message. hopefully your anxiety will go back down again once you up your dosage, I have realised from other people's messages and how I am feeling, that after a while of taking medication, whatever you experienced before comes back slowly and it's just so scary because our first thought is "what if I go back to square one"

      i am currently taking the highest dosage of Escitalopram and it did help my anxiety and depression for a bit but i am just feeling down all over again as well as having a low sex drive which is common for when you have depression / taking anti-depressants

      i hope you get better though and all will be okay 😃

    • Jackie1959
      Jackie1959 kim48184

      Edited

      I've been on this 5 weeks. At 3 weeks was feeling great. Week ago, escalated to panic attacks, had to take diazepam. Still feeling these waves of anxiety, they appear for no reason, I just have to keep busy to stop them appearing. From Monday I will be increasingly to 100mg, hope this helps 🤔

  • Jackie1959
    Jackie1959 kindreamer

    Edited

    Hi....I had been on Citalopram, on and off for years. First prescribed 28 years ago for pnd. A few months ago I decided to, under dr guidance, come off it. Anxiety symptoms returned, so had to go back on meds. This time Sertraline, I had no side effects, felt good after a few weeks. As I was feeling good, I unfortunately made a big decision that after a couple of days, sent me over the edge, major panic attacks, uncontrollable crying. Cried out for help. Told it was all part of anxiety and the decision I had made, had set me back. I begged for something to make this feeling go away. Reluctantly I was given 14 Diazepam. I took 3 the first day, just made me sleep, but still the terrible feeling was there. Next day only needed 2. Plenty of support from husband, kids and friend. Been on sertraline for 4 weeks now. Had to remove lifetime decision I'd made. Waiting for CBD online and have paid for face to face councellor. I have never been so frightenedand terrified, as I did last week.

    • kindreamer
      kindreamer Jackie1959

      Edited

      Hi, thank you for your message,

      I'm sorry to hear what you have been going through, it must've been very exhausting.

      Since that last post i have made, my GP prescribed me with Escitalopram and i started off at 10mg and now i am on 20. I felt so much better the first month of taking it, my anxiety and depression had totally decreased and I was going back to feeling good again but now recently I have been feeling down all over again and Its more of my depression that has come back, not my anxiety and it's getting in the way of my relationship as this depression and medication I am on has made my sex drive very low and just have a general lack of desire for sex, sorry if its TMI but I am just worried about myself and my relationship and not sure if I should change medication

    • Jackie1959
      Jackie1959 kindreamer

      Edited

      Hi, thanks for your post, but sorry to hear this 😢 Would be good to know who I'm talking to? I've not heard if the one your on, I was previously on Citalopram. I've been on this new one for about 5 weeks, after a few weeks felt good, no anxiety. But then something tipped me over the edge and it came back with a vengeance. From Monday my dr is increasing the 50mg to 100, said this is still a low does, but wants to see if it helps. I've had 2 counselling sessions, but 1 a week will be nearly £200 a month, so I'm now waiting on online cbt.....Have you been offered anything? You obviously seem to have a good chat with your partner. I don't know how I would cope without mine 💓

    • kindreamer
      kindreamer Jackie1959

      Posted

      I'm Elena 😃

      Yes this medication is called Escitalopram and its an antidepressant which helps for depression and anxiety and the highest dosage is 20mg. It's really hard having to deal with your medication doing fine at one point but suddenly you feel worse again, i'm currently going through that and when you're depressed and anxious you have no enjoyment in anything, it's lead me to think irrationally. I had online cbt through NHS but they weren't helpful at all, instead I have private counselling which is £50 a session and it is so expensive for me as I am a student, but I have no other choice, I need someone to speak to or else I will go even more worse than I already am.

  • Jackie1959
    Jackie1959 kindreamer

    Posted

    Would be good if people decide to post, to at least acknowledge people's replies 😥

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