Taking sertraline

Thank you for your reply kataly.i didn't sleep last night but it could of been the heat,my stomach feels full since I started taking them and don't feel to smoke as much.if I do switch to the day I suppose am better off missing a day and starting over.So far I feel numb as for alcohol I'll probably carry on drinking although I will be cutting down.Its taken me 5 years to get on the meds.how about yourself?

What I probably should have said is whilst its getting in your system with regards to the not sleeping (in my case) and with the alcohol too. I have been on them before and once I was settled on them I did have a drink and going the odd day not taking one didn't make a difference to me either ??

Thank you for your reply William. Well I've been drinking heavy to block out my illness for years at least 2/3 times every fortnight and that don't help to build up memory

I understand! It's qwite nervy not having nobody to talk too in person I think the system suckstobeme helping people with this illness they make it so difficult to see a professional. I do find this site pretty helpful but there's only so much you can ask lol gosh

Thank you for your reply psyched out.Well what I've been threw the last 5 years dealing with my illness without meds means I can take the side effects am sure.one thing that is bugging me as this Saturday am going to a party so will drink but should I take my pill after I start as I take my pill 7.45 every night.so you say you use to? Did the meds heal you?

Maybe take the pill earlier in the day, or even skip it for a day.

I can't say that the meds healed me, but they certainly helped. I've been off of them for 5 years, but am considering going back on them. I just have to be sure that's what I want, because if I go back on, it will be for life. I don't want to do that on & off rollercoaster ride with meds for the rest of my life, so it has to be one or the other.

I will consider that my friend.i was told to keep to my times but I've heard people saying they skipped them b4. It's only my 3rd day in and feeling the stomach cramps coming and going. This is not what I expected . anyhow I'll stick it out for a month and see my gp.it all depends how far the person illness have effected them but I was mortified when I got intrusive thoughts around my friends and family now they kinda of gone but always in the back of my mind.my main problem is over thinking atm

Intrusive thoughts get the best of me at times. It's like the mind is always spinning, and one thought leads to another. Eventually the anxiety acts up, or it will get worse and I'll end up with a full blown panic attack. The physical symptoms of those take such a mental and physical toll.

You'll have some side effects for a while, but once they pass, and the drug is fully in your system, you'll notice a difference in your thoughts. Sometimes the dose has to be upped a little bit after the initial 50mgs,so don't worry if the doctor suggests that.

Sorry to hear that you've lost a couple friends. That's never an easy road to walk down.

I know exactly how you feel..I use to get intrusive thoughts around family and friends but they kinda gone but two people in my life they make me anxious it'll come back its awful.as for spinning I usually get that whilst eating or smoking in the shower etc well it's my 4th day in and I dont look forward to the pill at least my appetite has gone will loose some weight and cut down on alcohol lol thank you its a horrid road but am still hear so must be encouraged by that

I never really get intrusive thoughts of others, they've typically been of myself.

Smoking in the shower?! That's a first! lol

I don't remember the side effects I had when I was first put on the med, probably because I was so bad off that I couldn't tell the difference. I also didn't have a computer in the home, and smartphones weren't around, so they was no googling for side effects and so on. That was probably a good thing though, because now that I'm considering going back on them, I find myself looking what side effects people are getting, and basically stalling the start of the meds. The internet is so helpful, yet so destructive at the same time. It's a catch 22. One thing I know for sure though, is that if you keep taking the pill, eventually the side effects will stop, and you'll feel the benefits of the medication. Think of the side effects like a game, can you beat it, or can it beat you? Game on.

I wish I got them of myself be a lot easier to bear with! I pressume your ok though? You know what I mean cheeky chops hahaha well it's day 5 for me and I live an active life and usually have a drink on a Thursday this afternoon I got in from work and had to rest my head so it's defiantly slowing my mind down and your right the side effects ain't as bad when you've coped with much worse! So why you thinking of going back on the meds after 5 years without?

Anxiety and panic attacks have slowly been creeping back in, but they hit hard when they do. When I look back over the years that I haven't been on them, I saw that although I felt good, things were slowly closing in on me. The distance I could drive became smaller, now it doesn't exist. I'm back to not being able to even go to the store alone, or I'll get a panic attack. Typical every day things that you don't notice changing until it smacks ya in the face. I've also lost my mom a year ago, which was not expected, so there's some depression there, and "symptoms of PTSD" as the doctor put it. My mom had throat cancer, and from diagnosis to death was 6 months. She actually beat the throat cancer, but it spread to her heart and nobody knew. I own a duplex, and she lived downstairs from me for many years, so I took care of everything. My siblings weren't very involved with her care. My sister called daily, but only stopped in to charge her phone once. My brother stopped in once, and called her maybe twice. I took care of her appointments, sat through every chemo & radiation treatment, did her grocery shopping, housekeeping, pet care, tried to keep her spirits up, and cheer her on, especially with raunchy jokes, sat there as she nodded off, and so much more, but it was my honor to do so. I didn't want her to want or need anything, and knowing her so well, I was able to make that happen. I made it our fight instead of something she had to fight alone. After she completed the radiation treatments, she got a congratulatory certificate from the cancer center. Whe on our way home, she was so happy and started singing "Drop it like it's hot, and dancing. Sooo, going from 100mph to a complete stop has left me messed up, to put it nicely. (I don't think we can swear on here lol)

That's awful what you had to go threw I know you had support with your mum but it seems you took responsibility like any decent daughter should.i take my hat of to you and admire you in many many ways obviously being off the meds for 5 years was a road to a recovery and losing your mum brought it all back! Am lucky cause I've got many good friends who saw me change and knows what am going threw but I've never sat down and talked with them cause am too proud.thing that mess me up is when my intrusive thoughts spread and to my niece although when I went to counseling I was diagnosed with ocd and though I know the thoughts don't mean nothing it took its toll but I found away to block them and I go out with friends when I can and going to the shops is fine.it seems we got similar symptoms but not the same . really sorry to hear about your mum.do you have support from your family?

Nope, no support on my end, except Xanax. That's one med I didn't stop, but use as needed. I don't think anxiety ever really goes away.

I can relate to the pride issue very well. Add that to the list of ongoing reasons I stopped Zoloft. Letting others know that you have a mental illness, and take meds for it, is a scary thing. There's so much stigma around all of it that it causes many to suffer in silence. The whole idea of it all made me feel like a weak person, still does. There's thoughts like, There's people who never took meds to help them, but they got better, so I must be weak for taking them, others started meds, came off after a brief time, and they're fine, so I must be weak. I know it's crazy to think like that, because many people end up back on meds, or suffering for life, but my noodle won't let me believe that.

Are your intrusive thoughts really bad? Good thing you went for counseling and it helped. That's something I struggle with. I've been to a couple, but they were boring pencil pushers.They expected a life story, which wasn't happening. I kept thinking "I just met you 10 minutes ago, I'm not telling you my life story, ya tw*t". Eventually, I found a nice woman who had experienced anxiety attacks, so it was easy to relate to her, but then she retired. Just my luck, or karma. lol Never looked for another therapist again. I figured out that the best therapist in the world is music, and I'm cool with that.

How are you getting along on the meds? Hopefully, some of the side effects have left. It's still early in your treatment, but one can hope.

I can identify with what you say, but we shouldn't feel weak.  People take meds for many different health issues.