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Setraline works! Hang in there!

Posted , 10 users are following.

ChristineRoss
ChristineRoss

Hi everyone, so a brief description of me, i am 23 years old. Always have been a happy go lucky girl. Sadness never really got the best of me, i always bounced back really fast, and was my happy go lucky self again.

So two years ago my best friend died in a car accident, ofcourse i was heartbroken, cried for days. But after a month i was healed, or so i thought. I had very light anxiety at first, like i would suddenly feel sort of panicked for no reason, thinking  something bad was about to happen even though everything in my world was fine. But then it became a once a week thing, and eventually an everyday thing. It was difficult to breathe, my heart pounded. But i thought nothing of it since i never believed in depression,i believed it was all a ''head thing'' like so many fools out there.

My anxiety quickly switched to depression. Full hardcore depression. I cried about EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. It was like someone died all over again. I couldnt get up in the morning, i didnt want to get up. And for the first time ever i had thoughts about suicide.

I went to the doctor, thinking that maybe i could get some vitamins so i could atleast just get started with each day. She talked with me for ten minutes and put me on Setraline 50mg a day.

The first day i took one, i fell asleep 20 minutes after. I woke up, ran to the bathroom and threw up. My head was pounding and i was shaking. HORRIBLE PILL i thought! Called the doc, told her this kite wasnt flying. She begged me to give it atleast a month. So i did.

First two weeks were horrible. I had a never ending migraine. It just didnt LEAVE! And dizzy spells like a mad person. My mouth was very dry and i couldnt sleep. Had insomnia. I also had no appetite. By week three the side effects were lighter, i slept beter, headache completely gone. Wasnt shaking and also managed to eat something here and there. But i was still depressed, still anxious. Didnt feel like it was helping at all.

This is now week four. And i seriously didnt think i would say this ever, but setraline works! Its not a miracle drug, it wont make you float around on a pretty cloud, and its NOT goint to work right away. But you will start noticing things, a day will go by and you'll be like ''hey, i wasnt once sad today even though a few things happened that would have gotten to me in the past'' or ''hey, im actually very calm and content today, today is a nice day. It takes the edge off, it takes YOU out of your head. You cant yet see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you know for a FACT its there.

I lived with depression and anxiety for two years without knowing it or getting help. And it crashed on top of me with full force. I even knew what sleeping pills i would take to kill myself. It was a virus that ate away at me very very slowly, and i let it.

I know the side effects from setraline are horrible, but on days like the one im having today, it is worth it a million times. Stick with it, eventhough you are convinced it is not working, like i did. Just pay attention to things, how you would normally act and feel, and how you act and feel on setraline. Im in week four, and im still not feeling the FULL effect but i have hope like ive had a very long time ago.

Thank you for reading, and sorry for the long post.

6 likes, 31 replies

31 Replies

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  • vikki2303
    vikki2303 ChristineRoss

    Posted

    Hi Christine, I'm now on day 23 so just over 3 weeks, I have just come down with the flu so can't get outside and just want to lay down as all bunged up with a headache and a cough so it's brought back abit of anxiety and thinking negative again sad, I felt good on week 2 and had no anxiety for a few days then started to get a cold but now this cold has really hit and it's brought me back down. I just suppose I need reassurance that it will get better, doc said 4-6 weeks so I'm still going to carry on, and like in your post it wasn't until week 4 that u saw the benefits of sert x
    • ChristineRoss
      ChristineRoss vikki2303

      Posted

      Hi Vikki, its amazing to hear that you felt better after two weeks! I seriously did not feel any better until week four. It was really like clock work. The flu is terrible and i can understand how it took you one step back. Just remind yourself that its only the flu, and once its over you can continue on your journey of feeling better smile Goodluck and thinking of you smile xxx
  • claire_53158
    claire_53158 ChristineRoss

    Posted

    Fantastic,

    One of the most positive posts I've seen on here.

    I have been on Sertraline nearly 5months. This last month on 100 mgs and now feel Sertraline is fully working for me. Plus am embarking on EMDR a treatment for trauma related incidents.

    With your positive attitude I'm sure Sertraline will help to get you thru the worst.. Help you regain your happy go lucky personality.

    Keep us informed on your progress Christine xx

  • mick84
    mick84 ChristineRoss

    Posted

    Hi everyone

    this is my first post here..

    i have just been put on 50mg of sertraline, due to my increasing anxiety, i was on proxatine/seroxat for 15 years managed to come of it last summer, but over the last few months my panic and everythign else that goes with it has just caught back up with me. So i am hoping sertraline will give me some relief.

    Its only day 2 taking sertraline but i am going to have to try and stick the side effects out, what really worries me is weight loss, i am a skinny guy already and over the last few weeks i have lost a lot of weight due to bein unable to eat with being so anxious.

    • gingemac1977
      gingemac1977 mick84

      Posted

      hi mick,

      i too lost well over a stone on sertraline. i was on seroxat many years ago and it was hell for me to get off it, ended up having to use liquid form and was down to as little as 2mg from a syringe!! was awful so know how you feel with that one, put me right off ever going on AD's again, but sertraline is totally different, although the side effects can be awful for some, ok for others the long term effects are amazing.  i've had a really good experience with it, the first 6-8 months i was struggling to find the right dose for me, went from 50-75-100 and now finally i'm settled on 150mg.  it's all about getting the right dosage, unfortunately it just takes time to find it, you may be great on 50mg but for me it was alot of increasing before i knew i was on the right dosage for me.  since then, my life has gotten so much better, my depression has more or less completely settled along with the anxiety, i still have my blips and bad days but that's normal life, but apart from that i would say i'm 95% recovered.  this depression and anxiety hell doesn't half take it out of you, but now i feel my mind and brain is rejuvenated and alot healthier than what it was this time last year. so cut a long story short, it's been a long bumpy road for me, but it's well worth it, i couldn't have got through it without sertraline, i've tried all different meds before and not one has done the job and sorted me out like this one, so good luck, keep posting because the amount of support you will get off all the amazing people on here, is just fantastic.  i had some really very dark days on here, came on posted, got amazingly supportive responses from people and it does help so much :-)  i love the quote that goes something like this - we are all in the same game, just different levels, dealing with the same hell, just different devils :-)

       

    • mick84
      mick84 gingemac1977

      Posted

      Thanks for your reply.

      I really need some don't know if support is the right word, but advice

      2nd day taking sertraline yesterday and it was awful, I cant sleep more than two hours and it doesn't feel like sleep, when i woke up i was panicking so bad whole body shaking, managed to sleep for another half an hour woke up and i didn't realise where i was and so scared, and this morning could not stop vomiting even tho nothing to bring up.

      I am really scared to take another 50mg today, i am also worried i will have to give up work. Just want to have a sleep without waking up panicking. sad

    • gingemac1977
      gingemac1977 mick84

      Posted

      hi mick,

      sorry forgot to say in the previous message that insomnia does affect some people quite badly with this med. can you tell me what time of the day you are taking your medication?? i normally take mine first thing as soon as i wake up and i've never had trouble with not being able to sleep.  i have suffered with migranes, electric shock like feelings in my legs when relaxing or just about to doze off, yawning a lot and i have spouts of really annoying hiccups too.   the medication isn't going to work overnight for you, you're talking 6-8 weeks minimum.  some people have not been able to work, i had to take quite a few days off sick because of relentless migrane and sensitivity to light.  it is really hard mick but it will work for you, unfortunately you just have to stick with it and try to be as patient as you can, i know that doesn't help you at all right now sad but sticking with it is soooo important, lots of people give up because they can't handle the side effects and again, this medication affects everyone differently, i'm sorry i can't really tell you anymore than that but if you have any more questions please keep posting :-) take care.

       

    • mick84
      mick84 gingemac1977

      Posted

      Thanks for getting back to me i really appreciate it. And the advise given

      I took my first dose at about 6pm Tuesday evening and 2nd dose yesterday at 11am as i was so anxious. Yesterday was the worst experience ever, waking up like that and not knowing where i was has really scared me... i honestly don't know how you guys have managed to stick this out for 4 to 8 weeks, i think it will kill me. sad i just feel so out of sorts and low and lost, its a good comfort to be able to post here.

    • mick84
      mick84

      Posted

      Just a quick thing i forgot to mention gp rang this morning he is going to give me some diazapan to help while i take the sertralien.
    • gingemac1977
      gingemac1977 mick84

      Posted

      hi again mick,

      that's really important that you mentioned that to me, u need to take your meds at the same time every day in my opinion, so that you have the right dose inside your body all the time. taking your med ahead of schedule will not do anything apart from mess up the levels of sertraline in your body at one time.  i would suggest choosing a time and sticking to that everyday, taking the tablet to ease your immediate anxiety is going to do nothing but make you worse.  it won't kill you, that could well be the reason why your anxiety is worse now, because you've kind of doubled up on your dose, there should be a 24 hour gap between each dose unless you are splitting your dose and i wouldn't advise that so early on in your treatement.  from tomorrow start fresh and by next week it will have hopefully calmed down. i take mine the same time everyday. it's important that you don't take more than your prescribed dose in that 24 hour window :-)

       

    • mick84
      mick84 gingemac1977

      Posted

      Thank you again for your advice, and support.

      the dr i saw on tue said to take it on a night time. my anxiety is awful through the night tho.

      should i take 50mg dose tonight at say 8pm or miss tonight out and start afresh tomorrow.

      Sorry if i sound clueless, i am jst so not with it at the moment and not thinking straight..

    • gingemac1977
      gingemac1977 mick84

      Posted

      don't worry mick, we are here to help you, i've been on this medication for over a year now so i know the easy mistakes that can be made and have been made by me as well so don't worry about asking, if i were you i would weather the storm tonight and start fresh in the morning, make sure you drink plenty of water with it. my doctor told me under no circumstances was i to take two doses in a 24 hr period so don't know which one is correct, but i would say it's not a good idea to be taking two in 24hrs personally. 50mg is a very low dose that you are always started on, some even lower but it won't make any difference to you for the moment with it being your first week if you miss this evening out, but try your best to take it the same time every day, i would start again in the morning and see how you get on, if you are still struggling get back to your doctor and ask him to give you something to relax you so you aren't getting all worked up, maybe valium or something like that :-) keep in touch thou won't you :-) take care :-)
    • mick84
      mick84 gingemac1977

      Posted

      Thank you gingemac, you have been more helpful than some of the gp's i have seen.

      I have been prescribed a low dose of diazipan just today to help calm me down, and i go back to see a very understand gp on Monday.If i have anymore problems i will make sure i ask, thank you again...

    • gingemac1977
      gingemac1977 mick84

      Posted

      no problem mick glad i could help you and good luck with the doctor if i don't speak to you tomorrow, let me know how you're feeling in the morning :-)

       

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