Sertraline week 12 50mg feel worse than before

How long did you persevere with the spacey feeling on 75mg. Sometimes, it feels like it's too much and then just when you can't take it anymore it drops. If you struggle with anxiety at 50mg you might just have to persevere with the 75mg longer. Better than having to take benzo's or nonbenzo like Zopiclone. Just a thought from my experience

I did a week at 75mg. I also found it made me twitchy in the early hours of the morning and started me off with the sudden jerking awake as id start to eventually nod off.

Ill only be using the zopliclone as a last resort. Ive been feeling much more positive yesterday and today so hoping something is finally working for me.

How are you doing?

Glad you are feeling more positive. A positive frame of mind is essential for recovery. I have persevered with 30 Mirt and 150 Sert for nearly 6 weeks now. Have gone through stages of sudden mood drops and anxiety and then periods of feeling good. However, the last 2 days i have felt the best i have for months so hopeful that i am close to getting the combined dose to work. I had a period at weekend where my mood stayed positive but i felt a bit too hyper / activated / overmedicated. This lasted for a few days and i was so tempted to reduce the Sertraline but i stuck with it. I had to take 2mg diazepam on sunday as it got quite overbearing. However, it has now dropped back down and the last 2 days have been bliss. Fingers crossed for us both 😉

I am struggling to get used to the 50 mg. I started out on 25 mg. After 6 weeks and doing well, my doctor upped me to the 50 mg. After a few days, I couldn't take the anxious nervous antsy feeling, so I cut back to the 25. I guess I a light weight with meds. So this week I cut one of the 25's to make 37 mg. I feel a bit antsy, but am going to try to keep it up for the week, then go to the 50. I know the 50 is supposed to be the starting dose, but I guess I am going to have to get there slowly. I wondered about taking a low dose diazepam to help with the anxious feeling. I have those on hand. Do they help you? I need some encouragement to keep going and try to up my dose of sertraline.

glad to hear you've had two good days! Thats good the diazepam helped you to calm down.

Well im currently in the middle of an anxiety attack feeling so bad. Really thought I was going to sleep tonight but just couldnt get there. Have been dowstairs to read my book but feeling to anxious.

cant take zopiclone as husband is up at 5am and I have to look after daughter.

This torture must end at some point!

i wish id asked for some diazepam now from my dr. Will have to wait until a week on Friday before I see her again.

how are you doing Charles?

how are you getting on?

I feel so close to recovery but not quite there. Periods of my brain feeling all nice and on the cusp of getting better and then it slips away. It's been 6 weeks now on 30 Mirt and 150 Sert. Feel like i coulg go up to 175 but promised psych i would maintain dose for 3 months. How are you doing?

Seashell, I am doing pretty well on the 37 mg. I've been trying to keep busy and moving around to stay away from the anxious feeling. I am working on a club newsletter, so I am at my computer on and off. I feel shaky at times but, I guess it subsides after a while. I went to a monthly club event last night - and there were about 25 people in attendance. I did have a little episode where I felt like I was going to lose it... but I held on. I have only upped my dose of sertraline to 37 for the past 6 days. I am wondering when would be the best time to increase the dose to the 50 mg. 1 week, 10 days, 2 weeks? Any suggestion?

I know exactly what you mean! ive been having quite calm episodes feeling more like me again. Then there's the cold flutter of anxiety! My dad keeps telling me to f@&£ everyone else and im the most important person in the world! Love him so much!

I've been on 50mg for a week now. originally did 6 days on 50mg then 9 on 75mg but had to come back down to 50mg as 75mg was too spacey for me.

Saw dr on Tuesday and she gave me Zopiclone for 7 nights. Ive taken 3 and slept which was amazing after the Sert giving me insomnia. If this doesnt get me back to my normal sleep pattern (always slept amazing before sert) then the next step is Propanalol. Although in my chill periods I keep thinking I should just stop the sert and Ill be able to sleep fine again! Feel like its between less anxiety and insomnia or being anxious and sleeping.

3 months is quite a long time but if you can cope at those doses you're doing so well!

Thats great how much you've managed to achieve and should be giving yourself a pat on the back!

Last week I forced myself to meet my friends and manager from work for a decafinated tea. I was shaking but glad I did it.

Could you phone your GP and leave a message asking them to get back to you about when to up your dose? I know its hard to get appointments but if you just leave a question for them to get back to you.

ive been told my others that you need to give each dose 2 weeks to see if it works. Ive got no patience though!

Thanks Seashell for the encouraging words. As for upping the dose - actually, after the 1st 6 weeks of taking the 25 mg, I had a follow up with my doctor to see how I was doing. At that point I was doing pretty well. He told me I could up the dose to 50 mg. He called in a prescription for the 50 mg even though I still had more of the 25's. He gave me 90 days supply for both the 25 and the 50. So after the first few days on the 50 mg, I freaked out and went back to the 25's. I didn't tell my doctor about that. I figured that I would give it another try at a later date... so that was between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I didn't want to make any changes during that time - you know, when family and friends and lots going on. So here it is after the holidays - and I 'm giving it another try. But this time slowly - cutting one of the 25's in half - to make the 37 mg. So I guess I'll stay on the 37 mg for 2 weeks before upping to the 50 mg - which sounds good to me. Today was a bit rough with jitters and anxiety... and still on the 37 mg. After the 2 weeks, I'll try 50 mg again and hope for the best. And try to be patient.

that sounds like a good plan Charles. Take it slow and you will get there.

Has the medication affected your sleep at all? Mine is shocking, i went to bed last night really calm and tired but could not sleep after an hour i gave in and took a zopiclone and slept until 6am.

Are you able to work on the medication? im currently signed off until I can settle and restore my sleep.

Seashell, I am sleeping pretty well. I take a low dose Alprazalam (generic Xanax) about an hour before I go to bed. It is a .25 mg. It doesn't really make me sleepy, but I guess it is enough that I can sleep. I do wake up at night and lay awake for a while. Finally go back to sleep. As far as working - I took an early retirement a few years ago. I have been doing some renovations on my home. I am working on a kitchen remodel project - laying down new ceramic tile, painting, staining cabinets, lighting, under counter lighting. The whole works. And doing the work myself with the help of one friend. Lots of physical activity. And I also work at the computer. I am the newsletter editor for a car club that I belong to. I stay pretty busy which is a good thing.

What about you and work? You are currently out for a while? Do you keep busy during the day? I think it is good to stay busy somewhat - keeps your mind on different things.

As for your sleeping - my doctor prescribed a low dose Zanax a few years ago (before I got the Sertraline) which was for some depression I was going through at that time. I didn't take them often, just on occasion. I would take one to help sleep if I had a hard time. I never took them during the day. My doctor said it was okay to take a Xanax while taking the Sertraline. There was no bad interaction. Also, I was also prescribed a low dose Diazapam .2 mg (generic Valium), for Tinnitus which I took on occasion. So I take either a Xanax or a Diazapam to help with sleeping when I need it. I don't know if you have ever taken Melatonin to help with sleep. It is a natural over the counter type sleep aid. I've taken that before too. Neither of these is very strong and shouldn't effect your next day activities.

Hi Charles, thank you for some great suggestions! I had looked into melatonin. Not sure why my doctor did not recomend it. Another doctor I saw was dead against giving me diazepam.

Wow your renovation work sounds really exciting! That's so great that you are able to work on such an intensive project as well as your editing. I am also a keen renovator and love interior design. We remodeled our kitchen 3 years ago.

I am a college lecturer and really miss my job. I have an amazing group of friends there who I still see while I'm off work. I've been doing some marking while I'm off work too.

I have a two year old daughter so have been doing things with her each day. My dad is retired and my mum is off work while she recieves cancer treatment (this triggered my anxiety and panic disorder). So I do activites with them and my daughter. We're a really close family.

Hope you've had a good day!

I had my first counselling session arranged via work. It was nice to talk and he gave me some stratergies like pretending the negative thoughts were coming from a monster on my shoulder and to tell it where to go. He also said that I should tell myself it doesn't matter if I don't sleep as I wont die from lack of sleep and I will eventually sleep.

I've also signed up for a wellbeing coping with anxiety and depression 6 session course that starts next week. I will do anything to get back to how I was 5 weeks ago!

Wow, you are busy. The melatonin helps... but sometimes you have to try it for a few days. Also, check some of the herbal teas that are especially relaxing - of course ones without caffeine. There is an orange spice tea that I drink sometimes in the evening and sweeten with a bit of honey. That and a melatonin might help.

Home projects are good to keep the mind occupied.

Sorry to hear about your mom. I lost my mother in law suddenly and very unexpectedly a couple of months ago. She was a really nice lady. That didn't help my depression at all. I really had to pull myself together for that. She lived in another town about 300 miles away. We had to basically throw some clothes in the car and leave one evening. We drove for 4 hours to get to the ICU in the hospital. Very stressful time. We do what we have to do though. We will get through...

Hi Charles, I have a chamomile tea and a horlicks every night. I do feel calm at night and do start to nod off but then just can't seem to get to sleep.

i did sleep naturally on Monday night and was so happy. last night I had to take Zopliclone as we get my mum's results today and I was anxious. woke at 4am and haven't gone back sleep since.

Sorry to hear about your mother in law. That must have been a really tough time! well done to you and your wife for coming through it.

hope you have a good day!

Seashell, I am hoping your mum's results will be good news. That will help you a lot I am sure. Stay in a positive frame of mind.

Good luck today.

Hi Charles, so happy to tell you that my mum's results came back lymph nodes clear and margin around the cancer clear. She'll have radiotherapy in a few weeks. She is an amazing woman. I feel so relieved!

Hi Seashell, I am so very glad to hear that mum is fine now. Such a relief for you and for her. She'll continue to need your support through the radiotherapy. My aunt went through chemo and radiotherapy last year - and she is doing great now! I know your mum will do well too.

Thank you Charles! I want to be the most supportive daughter I can be so need to get my head sorted. She's my best friend and we're always together.

Hope you have a good day!

Seashell,

I upped my dose of Sertraline today - to 50 mg. So far so good. I kept physically busy today which helped. I painted baseboards and prepared the floor for tile. That should keep me busy for a while.

I hope you mum is doing well.

Have a good week.