Sertraline for sudden onset extreme anxiety
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hello all,
im new to this so first post. About two weeks ago i suddenly developed extreme anxiety which was preventing me from leaving the house. it wasnt necessarily worrying about everything, it was more of an anxious feeling in my stomach constantly, feeling light headed and a general sense of panic / fear.
i visited GP who prescribed 50mg of sertraline and propranalol. so far the propranalol is taking the edge off things slightly but ive only been on the sertraline for 5 days and feel like my anxiety is much worse - i have now had to go off work sick and also feel very depressed.
does anyone have any positive experiences with sertraline that has been in a similar situation to me? it would be great to hear them. x
0 likes, 9 replies
Jamespa katie83823
Posted
Hi Katie,
Really sorry to hear you’re feeling like this Katie but I want to say, if you can hold in there its absolutely worth it. sertraline takes awhile to work and can make things worse before they get better but it has changed my life . I’ve been on sertraline for quite awhile now and have come off and gone on again or changed the dose from time to time. each and every time I’ve experienced increased anxiety, in fact the anxiety almost feels medically induced. however it does calm down and then go away and the improvement in my mental health has been dramatic. I will say it can take weeks rather than days to settle in your system so if you can get through it it is worth it. Couple of tips try to take it at roughly the same time every day and take it every day.
katie83823 Jamespa
Posted
Hi James, thanks so much for your reply.
Can I ask how long it took until you started to feel better from it? And did you gradually start to feel better or wake up one morning and feel better?
At the moment I’m having some good days and some bad ones but patiently waiting for the sertroline to kick in, have heard some really good reviews, just need to ride out the side effects!
Jamespa katie83823
Posted
Well a mixture of both really Katie. i would say by the end of week two i was starting to get moments of feeling better and that gradually increased over the next few weeks. i must be on about week 10 (ish) now and i have felt much much better for some weeks now.
That said, in the past when i have gone back on them, i have had the experience of waking up one morning (after a few weeks) and it was like someone turned a light switch from dark to light.
Even when it does improve though keep going because the gradual improvements continue for about a year before you stay at whatever level you get to. Hope that helps 😃
The mistake i have made loads of times before is when i am better i start to forget to take it and end up taking every few days to stave off withdrawal symptoms, then i loose all the progress i have made. so keep taking it even when you are better and until the GP agrees you dont need it any more is my advice.
katie83823 Jamespa
Posted
thanks so much, so glad you are feeling better now! i cant wait for that relief 😃 its my first time on anti depressants so wasn't sure what to expect but you've really helped!
Jamespa katie83823
Posted
its really hard when you havent had them before. At least when you have taken them before you know there is light at the end of that tunnel. Hang in there and reach out if you need too
Grounded katie83823
Posted
I know exactly how you feel. The uneasiness, the all day anxiety, the dizziness, all of it. I've had it all. I have been on zoloft about 3 times now in my life, and it was extremely helpful, and got me back to feeling good again. Stick with what they gave you, give it a bit to work, it does take time but very much so worth it.
And yes, you can have some increased anxiety at the beginning, not so much sure if it's the actual medication or just the fact that most people are nervous about taking it (which it's nothing to be nervous about). Just keep pushing through, stay busy, and make sure to eat right and get some type of excersize in and drink lots of water, you will be fine! 😃
katie83823 Grounded
Posted
hi grounded, thank you for your reply, so glad it made you feel better! i feel like im at rock bottom right now so the only way is up! thanks for the advice. joined a gym but struggling to leave the house due to the anxiety - going to force myself to go next week!
Potatoghost katie83823
Posted
the increased anxiety is definitely a side effect and it will pass once you start to get used to the tablet. if you suffer from depression it can initially make this worse too but it will pass. it may take a few weeks for the side effects to go away and then a few more weeks to start feeling better.
the propranalol will help the physical side effects like shaking, fast heart rate, but not the mental side of things x
if you really struggle ask your doc for a benzo as they are pretty helpful temporarily while starting out x
Eliaimee1970 katie83823
Posted
HELLO katie
i start taking it last week 25mg i cut it in half and i took it for a week and last night i took the full 25 mg and I slept like a baby. im not worry as much as I was . I also took a DNA test to see how I metabolized the medicines . maybe you need to cut it in half for a week or so to have your body get used to and then take a full dose make sure you contact your provider. i will continue to keep you post it of the progress.