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Sertraline hang in there a Christmas message to give you hope and inspiration

Posted , 10 users are following.

Marconi27
Marconi27

If you are reading this desperately needing hope and inspiration please read on.I promised myself that when I felt good again I would post something to help others.Anxiety and depression are very isolating illnesses even when you have people that love and care for you.My journey to back to becoming myself has been hard , lonely at times and exhausting but ..... boy is it worth it!I began taking sertraline for GAD 15 weeks ago .I took 25mg for one week then have remained on 50mg .I had the following side effects :

Increased heart rate

Night sweats

Tiredness

Hopelessness

Increased anxiety

Sleeplessness

These lasted 13 weeks! I kept going as my research told me to give it at least 4 months before upping the dose or trying something else and I'm so glad I hung in.I am now back to my happy, motivated, loving self and so so grateful.It is the best Christmas present I could give myself.

If you are reading this needing hope here are some things that will help:

Keep a diary of how you are feeling, this helps to see small but important positive changes to show the medication is working

I take the brand Lustral as generic sertraline is the cheap version .Your mental health is precious so if your GP will prescribe Lustral go for it!

Try and keep busy to keep your mind off how you are feeling , I managed to keep working and the distraction really helped

Be kind to yourself , if you're tired rest

Truly believe that you will get better

Truly believe that you will see the world for the wonderful place that it is

Hugs help even if it's a soft toy !

Appreciate that you made it to another day

Recognise your thought patterns

I sincerely hope that this helps anyone struggling , particularly over Christmas .I wish you a peaceful and hopeful future.

Take care xxxx

3 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • alexandra57394
    alexandra57394 Marconi27

    Posted

    Hi,

    I am glad that you are feeling better, but not sure if it is correct to give false hopes. Everyone's story is different, there are people who take Sertraline for years, much higher doses and still struggle. I also think it's too early to evaluate whether the drug worked well after 15 weeks, or maybe your problem was not so severe if 50mg (maintenance dose) was enough. If the post was about the side effects, then yes, they generally go away after week 8.

    • Theanxious1
      Theanxious1 alexandra57394

      Posted

      hey sorry but i think that comment is a little unfair. hes only trying to give some hope. you dont know how severe his problems were and just because someone is on a lower dose this doesnt reflect the severity of the condition only how his body responds to the drug. i appreciate what youre saying that everyone is different and not everyone will respond but no harm in people seeing some posotive outcomes too as there are so many horror stories on here. we're all suffering on here so helps to be kind

    • alexandra57394
      alexandra57394 Theanxious1

      Posted

      Good to hear that it gave you hope, I did not want to discourage or belittle someone's problems. Myself, I went through hell when starting Sertraline, now after almost 1 year luckily much better. But no way 100%. I just wanted to point out that anxiety is a much complex problem than just taking pills and practising positive thinking. No pill will cure you fully unless you make changes in your life style and start CBT.

    • mrs_susan74280
      mrs_susan74280 Theanxious1

      Posted

      I agree totally, it's giveing people hope that are going g thought side effects, it's so hard mentally to keep going if you feel ill,

  • SerotoninSurfer
    SerotoninSurfer Marconi27

    Posted

    Thanks so much. Positive and inspiring for anyone struggling, especially at this time of year when all around you seems merry with the season festivities. So glad you are feeling better. Hugs and thanks

  • Theanxious1
    Theanxious1 Marconi27

    Posted

    thanks for sharing. this is not a personal comment at all and i dont wish to cause offence to you but i know a lot of people may read what you have said about sertraline generic there and think their drug will not work now so just wanted to say the generic form is the exact same. it is cheaper because its not branded so the pharmaceutical company selling it didnt have to pay for research and development (this costs billions) and marketing costs etc. the active ingredient is the same. all new drugs are protected by patent for a number of years after initial development and after this other companies can begin to make and sell it but it has to be the exact same - drugs are highly regulated. so generic forms are the exact same...same thing goes for over the counter drugs - generic ibuprofen costs 35p in Boots in the UK or you can pay for neurofen which costs you a few pounds. they are the exact same thing. Getting a generic drug is not the same as buying supermarket own brand washing up powder vs branded where there is a huge quality difference as theyre not the same - they only look the same. generic drugs save the NHS millions every year and ensure that patients have access to life changing and life saving medicines. more people need to realise this. excuse my rant, i feel quite passionate about this topic.

    • Ala1483
      Ala1483 Theanxious1

      Posted

      Than you for that! I am on generic Sert and started panicking that maybe it's the reason I am still not getting better...It's good to read positive stories as today it the day when I feel hopeless....

    • Theanxious1
      Theanxious1 Ala1483

      Posted

      youre welcome. its so important people know this as its quite understandable to think a 'cheaper' drug may not be as good. but trust me it really is the same. hope you feel better soon. stay strong

  • Zahava2828
    Zahava2828 Marconi27

    Posted

    thank you ao much for this message. i am currently feeling this way. so depressed its horrible. i even feel suicidle. i was diagnosed with MDD a year ago and was put on zoloft. it had been working perfect for until now. i feel like im relapsing and i dont know what to do. help!!

  • holly20501
    holly20501 Marconi27

    Posted

    im on week 11 with 50mg and one week i will feel great then the next week feels like im starting over is this normal i really need some help i feel like i will never get better

    • SerotoninSurfer
      SerotoninSurfer holly20501

      Posted

      perhaps go and see your doc after 12 weeks about increasing dose. If you are experiencing good weeks and then bad then an increase to 100mg might make the difference. Last time i got better on Sertraline it was like a lightbulb moment and i got consistently better until i felt normal again but i was on a higher dose than you. GOOD LUCK

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