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Side effects

Posted , 4 users are following.

susan27239
susan27239

Hi all, I ve come on here today looking for information and views from others about this drug.  My sister started this drug 2 weeks ago on Wednesday.  As each day has gone on I have watched her mental decline.  She has suffered from terrible shakes, panics and increased heart rate. by last Wednesday O did not recognise her as my sister.  I was so alarmed that I got her down to her GP who simply told her to stay on it and additionally have her diazepam and Tomazipam.  On Thursday morning she tried to commit suicide.  She has  been in the high dependence unit at the hospital since.  She is feeling much better now and is a different person altogether as the drug has been flushed out of her system.  The upshot is that the hospital reckon she has had a very strong reaction to this drug and that she should have been taken off it on Wednesday when she visited her gp.  Has anyone had a similar reaction please?

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • julie1111
    julie1111 susan27239

    Posted

    hi yes i was on 50mg and doing ok then put on 100mg over the phone the gp didnt even see me been on 100mg for a week never felt so bad so dropping them back to 50mg and going to ask for pregabalin i have GAD gp dont know what there doing. julie
    • susan27239
      susan27239 julie1111

      Posted

      Hi Julie , yes it's very frightening,  my sister came very close to dying on Thursday and she has 3 children. She s never had any depression previously or been on any anti depressant, I'm going to be taking this further because there has to be GP accountability. Susan
    • julie1111
      julie1111 susan27239

      Posted

      hi susan what are these gps thinking im so sorry for your sister! why did they give your sister sertraline? i have never felt so ill the gp as taken away a week of my life sick of them! going back to 50mg and get off these dam things x
    • anne33112
      anne33112 julie1111

      Posted

      Hi Julie the same happened to me, went to the hospital they took them off me there and then and put me on mirtazapine and i feel fantastic now! ask for different meds keep at it good look keep in touch! .
    • julie1111
      julie1111 anne33112

      Posted

      hi anne i want off these things ill let you know hun xx
  • anne33112
    anne33112 susan27239

    Posted

    Hi Susan i was on sertraline for five weeks and it did not do me any good at all, made me very ill couldn't eat, sleep and wanted to give up on life. was taken off them and put on mirtazapine and have improved 100%. don't give up hope at all i thought my life was never going to be the same again, keep trying different medication i had three before this one worked.
    • anne33112
      anne33112

      Posted

      And good luck too your sister and the family it will get better! .
  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 susan27239

    Posted

    Why was your sister put on this drug? I was put on it for SAD, which caused anxiety/depression. I went off it after 10 months of hell. I wish i'd of stood up to my Dr. sooner. After 10 months i still had insomnia, she then wanted to perscribe a sleeping med. I had contacted the pharmacist. She said if I had insomnia I probably was on too high a dosage of sertraline. I finally siad to my Dr. NO MORE DRUGS, I want to taper down. I tapered slowly over three months. I've now been off 10 months and still having withdrawls. I will never again take an A.D. I've found excerrcise and diet have helped me more than anything,

    I feel so badly for your sister, but I know the treadmill Drs. can have you on! You feel depressed, want help. Tthey perscribe, not one pill but another to offset the side effects of the other.

    I'm glad your sister has you for support. I had no one and it was " a helpless feeling"!

  • susan27239
    susan27239

    Posted

    Thanks Susan and all for your support and your thoughts on this drug.  I have written to the GP practice that prescribed this for my sister and mentioned that she had been back twice since it was prescribed.  On the last visit she was desperate and told them that she was struggling with very dark thoughts which she has never ever felt before. The Psychiatrist in the Hosptal that assessed my sister in the hospital when she came round the next day, has also put in a complaint to the GP practice.  I think there will be    

    More to come as I am going to take this as far as I can.  I don't want anyone to have to go through  what my sister and our family have been through.

  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 susan27239

    Posted

    Good for you. Keep us posted. Good luck to your sister and all your family. Did the emergency Dr. put her on a different drug? I find in Canada, they perscribe this stuff " like Candy"!
    • susan27239
      susan27239 maureen75524

      Posted

      Thanks Maureen.  Yeah I agree they are handing this stuff out far too easily.  Her system has been flushed completely and as yet they have not put her on anything else.
  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 susan27239

    Posted

    Good ~ encourage her to hit the gym it really helped me. Drs. here are now recommending exercise. In fact one Dr. in the city leads up a walk for his patients a couple mornings per week. he's so emphatic it helps anxiety, depression and obesity.
  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 susan27239

    Posted

    Your welcomeeen theer done that! It's not fun, when you feel miserable and rely on Drs. Thankfully I progressed enough to have the the courage to quit the med. that was putting me through hell.

    My son has terrible anxiety. He's under a psychiatrist's care and has done well on Effexor. These drugs do help many people i was just not one of them. I have a friend that's been on Zoloft for 20 yeaqrs for depression. She's gained about 60- lbs though which is a side effect.

    Take Care.

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