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What to do....

Posted , 3 users are following.

lj97570
lj97570

I have just signed up to this forum as I’m a bit stuck with what to do.

I have been on Sertraline since November 17, on 25mg for the first 3 weeks, then upped to 50mg, and eventually 100mg. I was on 100mg for a number of months and have now been down to 50mg for 3 weeks.

I was prescribed the tablets as I was having a hard time dealing various things in life, and they were an absolute god-send at the time.

I have been lucky enough to be provided with Transactional Analysis Therapy with a counsellor, which has massively helped – after CBT did not seem to work for me.

Overall Sertraline has helped me massively, and the side-effects were hugely outweighed by the benefits.

Whilst taking Sertraline, I have had really strange and realistic dreams, although not nightmares. I have always snored/gargled/mumbled/grinded my teeth in my sleep, but my partner says the past few weeks I have got even worse – so much so that he can’t even sleep in the same room. It is causing me massive issues at home, no matter what I seem to be trying.

It’s the only real issue I have at the moment and feel pretty good aside from this. I know that Sertraline makes my jaw clench, and my ears click when I’m trying to sleep.

I stopped smoking on Monday, cold turkey, after 12 years, and my counselling sessions came to an end 2 weeks ago. I have started exercising and eating better, to try and sort my sleep out. I don’t know whether to ‘bite the bullet’ and do everything at once?

At the moment, the no-smoking seems to be going really well.

I am debating whether to just come off Sertraline cold turkey from 50mg to 0mg, or start weaning myself down to 25mg first.

I just don’t want to stop them and lose everything I’ve achieved, although my counsellor said with the work we’ve done on a personal level, there’s no reason I would ever go back to the way I was.

 

I have mentioned this to my partner and friends, but no one really understands what I am talking about so would be nice to get some advice from people in a similar situation to myself.

 

Thanks

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • laura36585
    laura36585 lj97570

    Posted

    Omg wean please don’t stop cold turkey, you have worked so hard you need to do this slowly.  Your therapist should talk you through a tapering regime.  X
    • lj97570
      lj97570 laura36585

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply.

      ?I haven't seen my therapist for 2 weeks now as my agreed sessions have come to an end.

      ?I've had half of my tablet today and got the doctors tomorrow afternoon, don't know whether to have my other half.

      ?I'm just getting frustrated, I've tried everything to be able to sleep better, and it's a pretty depressing to wake up without my partner beside me because I'm too noisy, then he's stressed out with work and worn out so we end up arguing.

      ?I went to the doctors previously about snoring but they just fobbed me off because it wasn't affecting me personally. But it is affecting my relationship :-( 

      ?I've read that snoring can be a side effect of Sertraline so I am hoping that once I am off them it will lessen drastically. I think that they just put me in that deep asleep that I am just oblivious to the world.

      x

       

    • lj97570
      lj97570 laura36585

      Posted

      I'm just dreading coming off them now I've read all the issues people are having.

      ?

      ?Although I didn't have much choice but to go on them, it's just annoying that they can be so hard to come off after all the hard work that people put in to getting better.

  • k80659
    k80659 lj97570

    Posted

    Please don’t go cold turkey. That’s the worst option out of your choices. You mentioned you’re going to your doctors tomorrow? Please discuss it with them and heed their advice before making any personal decisions. Also I’ve found that I sometimes can blame anything that I’m going through on the tablets. Got a sore head, must be the tablets, tired- must be the tablets etc. Sometimes it’s other things. Might be the same with your snoring. I’ve never heard of that being a side effect. Stopping smoking and a healthier lifestyle will definitely help. It would be awful for you to come off tablets that are making you feel better to find that they aren’t the reason for your snoring. I’ve found talking and telling my wife everything I’m feeling has helped her appreciate a wee bit more what I’m going through and make more allowances. Ultimately... knowing how bad I felt without the tablets, I know what I’d rather in my life. Feeling closer to normal and snoring a bit or not snoring at all and feeling dreadful. I know what one my wife would rather for me too. 

    I hope you get on ok with the doctor. 

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