1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Sertraline

Should I go back to sertraline, and will it work 2nd time round

Posted , 6 users are following.

lattifa7777
lattifa7777

So I've been well for 2 years thanks to sertraline, suffered panic attacks and depression.

3 months ago I came off my meds which took a good year of tapering.

I have been well and happy, till 2 weeks ago I had a heavy weekend of partying and boom my anxiety is back, my appetite has gone and I'm really really scared that I've made my self sick again, 😢it's no where as bad as I was 2 years ago, but it's not going away, most evenings I feel back to my self, but mornings and all day I feel the panic, and sometimes just want to cry and say I give up put me back on meds.

My counsilor said it's because of the drinking and the one off drug use I did that night of partying, that I'm sooo ashamed of.

She said it doesn't mean I'm going back to square one and not to go down med route yet anyway.

I need advise and good support from you guys plz.

If I was to decide to go back on meds will I have the really bad start up side effects as I did first time round? I'm in a new relationship now and really happy and in love, I don't want to have to go through all that with the side effects again , I know if I have to then i will, but I'm sooo scared, what if sertraline don't work this time? Is that possible?

Plz help xx

0 likes, 19 replies

19 Replies

Next
  • Lolita40
    Lolita40 lattifa7777

    Posted

    Hi Lattifa!

    Poor you! You just wanted to have fun and now pay for it. It probably means that your nervpus system is stil fragile and will not tolerate excess like that. You will know for next time....dont feel ashame!

    Why dont you go in a natural product store and see if they recommend something for your anxiety. Maybe give that a try and if it doesnt work then try sertraline again at low dose.

    If it worked then it might work again.

    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 Lolita40

      Posted

      Thank you lolita40, I appreciate you taking tome to respond and not be judgmental 😔, I will try natural I think and maybe join the gym, then I'll do like you said start at low dose if all else fails. I've just managed to lose the weight I put in during sertraline and am in a loong new relationship with a wonderful man, I don't want him to see or deal with what happens when u get sertraline side effects, or my kids to go through it again, they are 14 and 19 but still it's hard. So I need to try fight and god willing with u guys support I hope i can beat this off with out meds , but I'm not a person against meds I just feel like I got off them and don't want to take a step back.

      Thank you xxx

  • Guest
    Guest lattifa7777

    Posted

    It will work again for you second time around I am sure, but yes, I think you may go thro the awful side effects again, perhaps less severe than first time, but you won’t know until you begin taking it. 

    I would be tempted to give Sert another go .... 

    Hoping for you x 

    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 Guest

      Posted

      Thank you for your positive and honest response , I really appreciate that. I just can't here going through all that again, but I guess it's my own fault hay 🙄

  • Lolita40
    Lolita40 lattifa7777

    Posted

    Not your fault!

    Maybe the "partying" just put you a little faster into this position?! Maybe even without doing it, you would of need to go back on med again ??? Who knows?

    Dont be too hard on yourself.

    And if this man is wonderfull, he will understand and be by your side anyway. You dont feel good now so its not better keeping it that way!

  • john58618
    john58618 lattifa7777

    Posted

    Your situation is almost identical to mine, I was put on sertraline 3 years ago for a generalized anxiety disorder and depression which was triggered by drugs, I stayed on 100mg of sert for 2 years and it brought me right back to myself after I suffered 3 months of feeling hopeless and constant panic attacks, i have been off sertraline for around a year then like an idiot decided to try experimenting with drugs again, big mistake as I ended up back exactly where I was 3 years ago, I decided to go back on sert ASAP because it worked so well and this is my 32nd day on 50mg, I had some small down days but felt a lot better but the past few days it feels as though the tablets have just worn off on me, so today I decided to take 100mg which was what my doctor originally prescribed me, I just wanted to see if I could stay on a lower dose, I’m abit annoyed because i already went through the horrible start up period for the 50mg and now I’m gonna have to go through it for the 100mg too, but in my opinion this drug saved my life and I’m hopeful it can do it again, 2-3 weeks of feeling a little bit worse is manageable because i know that its normal and it’s a small price to pay to feel 100% back to myself again, just think in 2-3 weeks time from now you could be feeling better again 
    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 john58618

      Posted

      Hey john, how are yiu doing now on the 100mg, i really want to know if its workung for you?

      Plz let me know, i really hope youre well. Xx

  • john58618
    john58618 lattifa7777

    Posted

    Also the mornings and day time are the worst for me too then around 6pm I start to feel myself again my head is more clear, but then when it comes to sleeping at night that’s another horrible experience of tossing and turning with the same thoughts repeating in my head that I can’t control, usually the same song lyrics over and over on repeat it makes me feel like I’m losing my mind 
    • john58618
      john58618 Lolita40

      Posted

      In the morning but in general even before I started taking the meds I would always feel worse in the morning then better at night and it would repeat like that every day 
    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 john58618

      Posted

      Wonder why in the mornings people suffer the most?

      Mine is mostly in the morning g too, that's why I'm reluctant to go on meds yet as if I can get control of that then it will make an improvement, some times i get it all day, but evenings I'm ok. I think it must be something to do with empty stomach, coz when I do manage to eat it relibes the anxiety a bit.

      Has anyone tried you g to the gym?

    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 john58618

      Posted

      John I feel how you're feeling, because I did drugs, I've done it to my self and I'm sooo angry with my self it's untrue. I guess I just wanted to join in and be on the same level as everyone else. Oh well now I know I can't do those things , ide rather miss out on one night of madness then a life time of blooming anxiety and panic that may take months of repair on meds 😂. What an utter nutta I am lol. Rite I'm too going to give going to the gym a go every morni g when I have the highest anxiety , then I will let you all know if it helps at all.

      The problem is where I have no apetie I feel really weak lol.

      I have it when the brain keeps going on and u have a song on repeat in ur head omg that's when I get really scared and think I'm losing it too.

      I hope we all can get through this together really soon god willing.

      I was on this forum 3 years ago on a daily basis , then when I was well I stayed on to help others, now I'm back to square one 🙄

    • Guest
      Guest lattifa7777

      Posted

      My anxiety is always much worse in the mornings, I wake with that feeling of ‘dread’ for no reason, nervous, jittery ... 

      I have read it is related to the stesss hormone cortisol which is highest at the start of the day. 

      By the evening I generally feel fine, but then the cycle starts again after my nights sleep 😣

  • claire43316
    claire43316 lattifa7777

    Posted

    I was also on sert 5 years ago for anxiety it was a rough ride to start with I thought I was cracking up, awful. After around 5 months I felt great on 100 mg I returned to work and got on with life. My doctor thought I was doing so well I should decrease, this was about 3 years into the meds, so I went down to 50 over a few weeks. 2 years of feeling ok on 50 then wham 6 months ago it hit me again high anxiety, helplessness, weight loss all your usual anxiety delights. I went back to doctors and he put me straight on 100 again. I suffered terrible side effects for about 8 weeks so yes I would say that you will get side effects I got them and I never actually came off altogether. 

    I’ve bin back on 100 since feb I still don’t feel 100% life seems to make me anxious kids going back to school, kids breaking up from school, going to work I’m just hoping that eventually I will feel like I did last time. 

    I wish you luck, Claire x

  • Lolita40
    Lolita40 lattifa7777

    Posted

    Hi Lattifa!

    Im starting to decrease my sertraline because it really doesnt work.

    I know you have been off for 3 or 4 months now???

    I dont know if you were able to go throught that episode after your night partying...I hope so!

    Give me news...I would like to know!

    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 Lolita40

      Posted

      Hi huny, since that night, im still nit a 100% ny self, but im aldo nit tjat bad where i need meds, (yet) i have bad anxuety im the morning, usually goes after 3 hours or so, i get very down moments, but not where its stopping me do what i need to do. I hate feeling this, but like i said its not bad that i need meds, i think i will know if i will need them, ive joined a gym and i juat get out as much as possible.

      I ha e had a few party nights sinve then but only been drinking, NOTHING ELSE. i ferl great when i jave a drink but the next day im sooo awful. So im going to try give the next 2 weekends a miss, i hope that helps, also i do have a lot of lige stress at the moment so im taking that in to consideration.

      Hows the tapering going for you?

      Tjanks for xhecking in on me. Xxx

Back to top
Next

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.