Sertraline - my 8 week story

i was wondering if when you started zoloft years ago, did you have to increase your dose quickly or over time. ive been on 62.5 mg for over a year now and within the past week ive noticed chest pain like i got when i started the meds. i dont want to increase it. im trying my best to fight it. i just dont want to have to increase every year, i was expecting it to last longer than this. tia

I went up slowly. Got to 100 over a period of probably 6-9 months as it took about 8 weeks to get the benefits each time. I spoke to my doc this morning and I'm going up to 200 today. It's not about how high your dosage is, but is about what dosage works for you. I think I had taken my dose for so long it became ineffective. Hopefully with the increase I will see some improvements before I have to try another medication.

Many of us suffer with all your symptoms and its so good to have a site like this to share our stories and support each other.

I have been on Sertraline 50mg for 2 months and now 100mg for 6 weeks.

I am only now noticing I do not feel so low and depressed. And more interested.

But still got some symptoms.

increased heart rate and tension head ache at the back of head, bit shaky. Some frightening thoughts, but these are a lot less.

I do a bit, Go out for short walk, Come back Sit chilly out watch box or knit or hobby.

I was on Citlapram for years and I find Sertraline (Zolo). a lot better.

I wonder if actually your dose did not stop working but you just had a blip or something in your life stressed you and if you had continued on the dose it would have passed, Im sure your Dr can advise.

I wish you all the lucky in the world on your journey to good mental health.You are not alone. You will get there.

Chemicals in the brain seems complicated. Anyone got any info on what happens in the brain and why some get mental health and other people never.

Chris,

Thank you for sharing your struggles. I was using the Calm app, which has a lot of helpful ways to get the intrusive thoughts to become background noise. I've found it helpful to think of myself sitting on a creek bank or beside a river, watching the water go by. I think of my thoughts in this way. After all, if we focus on a disturbing thought, it gets stuck there and we continue to dwell on it. Why is it so easy to dwell on these thoughts and not the happier ones!!???

I did go through something very traumatic about a year and a half ago...my spouse tried to commit suicide because we were over 100,000 in debt and he had been keeping it from me for two years. He was severely depressed and had let our finances go and just couldn't keep up with it. He is great now...went to the hospital for a week and goes to a therapist once a week and sees a doc once a month to keep up with how he's doing. I am a doer and immediately stepped up to the plate and over this last year have taken on wayyyyyy more than I actually should have, therefore causing my body and emotions to go on the fritz. I had an episode a few months ago where my sodium was so low I had to get IV bags. If I hadn't gone to the doctor I could have had seizures, gone into a coma and could have possibly died.

All that being said, I didn't listen to my body and was fueling myself with caffeine and sugar, very little sleep, and over exercise. I thought I could keep everything together for my family while my husband got well and ended up really hurting my health in the process. I'm spending my days now kind of resting, making sure I get out of the house, talking with friends and family, and being open about how I'm feeling. Not every day is great, in fact, I have had one great day in the past week, but you know what...that's one more great day than I had the week before that. I went up to 200 mg Zoloft one week ago and I swear I can tell a slight difference. I am taking .5 mg Ativan at 6 AM, 11 AM, 4 PM and 9 PM, which is my bedtime. I take that dose with two melatonin (NyQuil Zzzzzz's) and I'm out in ten minutes. I can usually sleep until 5-5:30 and then I patiently wait until 6 until I can take the 1/2 Ativan. I can't wait to get off Ativan, but my doctor said I need it right now, so I'm listening to her.

I don't know if you are a faithful or spiritual person, but another big help to me is my faith in God. I do believe God is with me through this. I pray regularly and have been reading a lot of faith based self-help books. Podcasts are also good distractions.

The key to getting rid of the anxious thoughts: DISTRACTION! If you stay busy, hopefully those thoughts will just be like a radio on in the background that you're not really listening to.

Thank you Snoweden.

I will reply to you in more detail later.

Im so sorry to hear all your problem.

And im pleased your copying better.

Thank you for you positive reply.

Love, Light & Healing. Chris

Hi Snowedin.

I also believe in god and spirit guide helpers and explored why we are here by going to a spiritualist church, which also offer healing and advice.

Iv been on 50mg Sertraline 8weeks now 100mg 8 weeks. feelinng less depressed but not sleeping very well and bit shaky panic still. Deffinitely not so bad.

Talking about it or writing this makes me very shaky.

What is Ativan and what is Ny Quill zzz

Like you I get some good days and some bad.

Thank you.

where to I get get Ativan and My QUIL CAN I TAKE WITH SERTRALINE

You have to get Ativan (Lorazepam is the generic) from your doctor and you can get NyQuil Zzzzs at the drug store. A couple other things that help with panic and anxiety are L-Theanine, which is a vitamin you can get from any pharmacy/vitamin store, and GABA Calm, which is also available from the same places. I also drink a magnesium drink called Natural Calm. You can take all of these with sertraline per my psychiatrist.

Thank you. I will chase it up and see if available here in UK.

Yes god has helped me to cope,