student seeking help and advice x

Hi Browniee,

I read your post and can't believe that you suffered 10 years with anxiety, that must been so hard. Good for you that you decided to take Sertraline, but 3-4 weeks is short time, it takes 2-12 weeks to get into your sistem and start working. At the moment you are having side effects, which will fade out slowly, my side effects start calm down after week 10, I am now on week 11, but still now when when you are experiencing all these effects, try to look at things positive and do things even if you don't want, at the beginning will be hard because you don't feel like and because there a lot going on through your brain and body. For sleeping take some Sleep Kams or Nytol before bed, try sometimes 2-3 times a week have relaxing bath with lavender, If you wake up at night watch tv or read a book until you feel tired again, also 2-3 times a day drink tea with camomile and lavender. If you feel nervous during a day there also Kams you can take 3 times a day after meal, which helped me a lot and then I redused them to once a day in evening. I went through all these things too, even I was scared, vivid dreams, headaches, pain in the neck, sweatings and lots of other effects. After 10 weeks I am much better, but still sometimes feel tired. About teeth, I've got same problem too and going to see my dentist, because there can be problem with wisdom teeth or something else, but maybe that is one of side effects.?

I hope thats help and wish you good luck.

Hi K, thanks for your reply, i guess i just need to be more patient, it just frustrates me that since this problem started wen i was 15 i have been everywhere for help, i saw a physcologist wen i was 16 that didnt work, wen i was 19 a man that promised he would sort me went on holiday and then my last one last xmas went on maternity, i feel i have wasted my time with these ppl, they have now referred me to a physciatrist after i tried to chuck myself through the bedroom window, not wanting to die jus wanting someone to seriously listen to what i am going through, my app is in 11th jan, i start my 3rd year of nursing in april and i need this to be over, how can i be a nurse feeling like this? i hope these tabs work because i can just see all them years at college and uni being for nothin, did you have therapy alongside the tablets and you dont have to say but do you lknow what it was that triggered all this in the first place x

Hi Browniee,

I feel so sorry for you, that you are through so hard experience in your life, but think, you are still so young, got all your future ahead. You need to be full of energy at this age. I know it is very hard, I had also lots of experiences in my life, ups and downs for the last 10 years, been very disappointed in the father of my daughter, then got maried, which didn't work, also lots of difficalties generally. I was trying be very strong for long time, but in July this year I just broke and started feel very bad, having pannik attaks, anxiety, fears and just couldn't feel myself. :cry: I was crying and worring a lot, couldn't sleep at night and then very tired through the day. I was just like out of this world. Since I am taking Sertraline, now I am on week 11, I feel much better, but still once a week have down days. I am taking 50mg Sertraline in the morning 7.30 , then because I had lost weight a little bit and didn't have appetite, I am taking vitamins (1 a day with main meal), taking Kams 3 times a day, drinking camomile and lavender tea 2-3 times a day, trying to eat healthy, having relaxing baths 2-3 times a week. Also, trying to call some friends and talk, going out for walk or shopping just take mind off the horrible thoughts, and sometimes read books and do a little bit exercise. Believe me, in the beginning I couldn't do anything, nothing would make me happy, but I went through that barrier and now want to do things. Some days when I am tired I just take easy and relax. I still need to take the tablets at least 6 months, I don't mind because I can feel that I am not completely recovered. So, best try taking the tablet and think that it will help you slowly. I don't know if that helps.?

Hi K just want to say thank you for your reply, its nice to be able to talk to someone without them thinking your mad, i had a bad experience wen i was 15 n its ruined my life ever since, the experience left me feeling really dirty and i started to bath n shower up to four times daily, this has now turned into an obsession with smells i sewriously belive that i smell as inbarrassing this is to say i really believe i do but i do argue with myself because no-one has ever said anything of the sort, my boyfreind goes mad at me because he says im calling him a liar, i cant stand in ques and hate being in crowded areas, every time someone coughs or wipes thier nose i immediately think its because of me its killing me, i dnt feel like ive learned as much as i could have y doin my training because of this, i get good grades on my written wrk but thats because im in the comfort of my own home away from ppl, ive had countless argum ents wiyth my family who say its all in my head, i just dont know what to do, i nevvverrr feel clean yet im never out the bath or shower, ive never actually wrote this down and reading it back it does sound absolutely bonkers but its serious its ruining my life rrrrrrrrr x x x x

Hi Browniee, I don't think you are mad, because I know how that feels when people suffer from these kind of problems, but I think most of problem it is in our head, not because we are mad, but just we put something in our head and start believing that it is true and that make us scared, etc. For example, when I started feel unwell, I thought it was something phisical going on, but after ending up in hospital twice the tests were shoing that I am not ill, but I was still worring that something wrong with me and I was thinkig that I may dye. My boyfriend was angry on me that I put some stupid ideas in my head and that I need to get a grip, but I couldn't for 3 months, then decided to go to GP, so my doctor said that it is in my head, that I've got anxiety and stress, prescribed Sertraline. How much is your dose and do you think that may you need to increase the dose? I am not doing any extra treatments, just on 50 mg and I think at the moment I am fine. The hardest thing was to make myself to believe that I am ok, not dying, it just stress. So try to tell yourself that you don't smell, you don't have to bath or shower so many times a day, if you not very confident just use body spray during a day. Your boyfriend is trying to help you, but most of the problem you are the one who can solve it. I wish you good luck!!!

Hi K, again thank you for your reply, im on 50mg took my 28th today, when i am starting a shift i always try to be positive but handovers the worst part its usually 8/9 nurses all squashed in a room, i feel like i could die, i am forever buyin shoes, shoe sprays, foot sprays and i always shower b4 i go but when i get in that room n ppl start rubbing thier noses and coughing i cant take it, i had a bad nite las nite, having bad dreams and my head was that hot i thought i was going to explode and then lied in bed this mornin i woke up in the middle of a mild panic attack i used to get them once in a blue moon in past but ive not had 1 for 4 weeks, did you ever have panic attacks, i didnt even know they were panic attacks till i explained to my doctor, i initally thought it was to do with my ibs because it makes me feel sick, i know my boyfriends tryin to help and he is help hes great and very supportive but my argument is can you really imagine a smell? i can smell myself all the time, i am bk in uni on monday and i wish i could say i was looking forward to sitting in that lecture room but i am nott x

Hi Browniee, yes I had panic attacks before I started Sertraline, but then I had once a week first 4-6 weeks, slowly that came down to once in two weeks. Panic attack is mean that anxiety still there, for example today I felt not very well, I have a headache, tired a bit strange and I can feel that my anxiety still there, but at least it is not every day. I am trying to think that its just a bad day. I hope that I will be even better by spring and wish that you will be much better after taking them for bit longer. Keep in touch. xx

Hi K again i will thank you for your reply, its nice to talk to someone who can relate to it all, i do sincerely hope that we both get through these hard times and once again feel normal, hah whatever normal is i dont know anymore, i seem to be up and down really i did manage to go shopping the other day, i actually got up and made an effort and my boyfriend came in from wrk and said \"you look nice\" because ive not been makin an effort really, feel like a fat slob at this point it gave me a glimmer of hope that these tabs might be wrkin but then las nite and the panic attacks just set me bk again, guna try getn bk in the gym monday i know it will be a huge help, its just gettin there i need a big kick up this fat ass of mine hah hope your ok i guess its just takin every day as it comes xxxxx