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starting sertraline tonight and anxious!! some advice would be great.....

Posted , 16 users are following.

sher08
sher08

Hi all, well im starting 50mg of sertraline tonight for anxiety and intrusive thoughts, i have been battling this for a year now but was too scared to take anything for it because of the side effects and incase i felt worse! Can anyone give me any advice on when is the best time to take it and if its helped you feel better?? Thanks smile 

2 likes, 121 replies

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  • donna74724
    donna74724 sher08

    Posted

    Hi can u help ive been given sertaline by docter but im scared as a side effect is heart attack...i have a small child and scared to take it and simething bad happends.ive had enough ive tried vach remedy spray no luck i need some help i panic all time even today in asda ehen it was dead
    • sher08
      sher08 donna74724

      Posted

      Hi donna how are you getting on?? Iv been on them for 8 days now, i was so scared to take them but i did and to be honest so far its not been as bad as i thought! Iv halfed my dose so im still only taking 25mg im going to start taking 50mg from next monday onwards! The side effects iv experienced so far is im findimg it hard sleeping at night, dry mouth, bouts of increased anxiety that comes and goes but nothing worse than iv dealt with before! Bit of a sbort temper aswrll, iv had good and bad days but nothing too scary or off putting! Hope your feeling ok xxx
    • donna74724
      donna74724 sher08

      Posted

      Hi hun im startin tmrw i been bad panicking today but this life is doin my head rite in i got try them as it cud end the crap im going through its taking over me sittin here n panicling over nuffin.scared of side effects im gonna get too x
  • natalie16973
    natalie16973 sher08

    Posted

    Hi sher, how many days have you been taking sertraline for now? I'm just on day two taking 25mg, I'm noticing I'm more anxious but I don't know if it's just from all the built up worry about taking the tablets.

    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 natalie16973

      Posted

      Yes it's probably from the built up worry and anxiety to. U will prob feel this for the next couple of days but it will get better!! I am now on day 37 and feeling better but I keep having good and bad days but it's still early days. Good luck and it will get better as the days go on x
    • sher08
      sher08 natalie16973

      Posted

      Hi natalie this is my fourth week im now on 50 mg! I have good and bad days, but nothing as bad as i expected! I will hopefully see the full benefit in the next couple of weeks!! Xx
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 vikki2303

      Posted

      Thanks, hopefully wears off soon. I was to go up to 50mg after a week but think I will wait as I'm really panicky just on 25mg. It's horrible I'm just trying to push through it as I had anxiety 2 years ago and the medication made me worse to start off with as well xx
    • sher08
      sher08 natalie16973

      Posted

      I know, i had a really bad few days this week!! Had to stay off work one day because i felt awful, really panicky, dizzy and my head felt like it was stuck in a vice plus was so down! But i seem to be coming round again, i missed 2 pills last weekend as i was at a wedding so i think thats prob why! Did the meds help your anxiety before? Xx
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 sher08

      Posted

      I just seem to have this fear of going mad when I have anxiety and it worsens with the medication. It did work the last time but it took a few weeks and it helped me get through a stressful time. It was fluoxetine I had last time and wasn't on them for long and was fine for 2 years after it. It's so horrible for it all to return again after you think it's gone for good xx
    • alwaysworrying
      alwaysworrying natalie16973

      Posted

      I bulked and stopped taking sertraline after a week, wasnt for me.

      Glad im not the only one who has the whole going mad thing. Its weird because even though i know its a side effect, doesnt stop me from believing its gonna happen.

      You should give Rhodiola a try, works well for me.

    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 alwaysworrying

      Posted

      It's horrible isn't it. As soon as I feel a tiny bit strange I'm like that's it I'm going mad, and then the full panic attacks happen! I'm going to try my best and keep taking it for at least 2 weeks but if it gets any worse I will stop. Didn't think half a tablet would have so much affect. Is Rhodiola an antidepressant?
    • sher08
      sher08 natalie16973

      Posted

      To be fair i think alot of it is probably in our heads as we are waiting to feel strange and for the side effects to affect us which prob adds to the anxiety thats already ther, my doctor did say do not google your medication lol but obviously i did! Just wait and see what happens I suppose xxx
    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 sher08

      Posted

      How long have u been on sertraline now and what mg? X
    • sher08
      sher08 vikki2303

      Posted

      I started into my 4th week on monday, was 25mg for 2 weeks then 50 mg xx
    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 sher08

      Posted

      Ok so it's still very early days on your new dosage then, I'm nearly on week 6 on 50mg and I have now had 2-3 of little or no anxiety at all so u r well on your way to feeling better. I had a hell of time with heightened anxiety and feeling crap and thinking they were not working but I carried on and can see light at the end of a very dark tunnel. It's still early days for me also, but I am having good days now which I never thought I would. I had a blip around week 3-5 as I had flu so my anxiety went up again but as I said for the past 2-3 days I have had little or no anxiety. It does take a while to get into your system but just keep on doing what your doing and u will get there! X
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 sher08

      Posted

      Yeah I tried so hard not to google it but as soon as I started feeling light headed I had to lol but you are right I just kind of wait for the slightest strange feeling then it sets me off in a panic xx
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 vikki2303

      Posted

      Glad to hear you are starting to feel better. Are you getting cbt as well as the medication? Last time I had this I got both and felt like the combination of them both helped xx
    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 natalie16973

      Posted

      No I just take the meds, I'm not good at talking so I dont think it would benefit me. I did free online cbt and read positive affirmations when I was feeling anxious and used rescue remedy which seriously helped me get through some anxious moments x
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 vikki2303

      Posted

      I've heard a few people mention rescue remedy. Is it ok to take while on meds? Does it reduce the panic symptoms xx
    • alwaysworrying
      alwaysworrying natalie16973

      Posted

      Rescue remedy is also a winner.

      Rhodiola available from amazon. Google it and have a read

    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 natalie16973

      Posted

      Yes u take on meds, it's very good. I still use it if I feel anxious and really helped through my panic days x
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 vikki2303

      Posted

      Great thanks smile I will def need to try it, my doctor offered me beta blockers but I'm not wanting to take too much meds xx
    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 natalie16973

      Posted

      I'm also on beta blockers aswell, they help the heart palpatations and feeling tense when anxious x
    • natalie16973
      natalie16973 vikki2303

      Posted

      Hi vikki, just wondering how you are getting on now? I have been on sertraline for 2 weeks now and the anxiety is just so bad I want to stop taking them. Don't know if I should or try my best to put up with it and carry on. When did the heightend anxiety stop for you? Xx
    • vikki2303
      vikki2303 natalie16973

      Posted

      Hi, I would say stick it out for longer Hun. My heightened anxiety went at about week 3, cane back in week 5 then went after a few days then back again at week 7. It does get easier though and it's the intense anxiety, just mild. I had my review today and she has upped me to 100mg which I will start on Friday. But things will get better. The doc can prescribe u something to take alongside the sert. For my heightened anxiety I used rescue remedy which really helped x
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