Worsening intrusive thoughts on sert increase?

did your intrusive thoughts get stronger and a lot worse after each increase? i feel like im slowly starting to get there then the dose increases then it starts again and i go back overs i think i need to stop increasing they constantly say they want to up it each month but initially i feel worse, how long do the side effects take to wear off for you hun? as in how long did you have to hide in bed for? thats what i feel like i need to do its the only place that calms me and sleeping through it means you dont think about negative things, maybe your mild depression is a lasting effect from the anxiety and that will shift soon because of the anxiety lifting, do you feel as though the sertraline has helped much? thank you xx

Hi Chelsea, I hid in bed for weeks--practically the whole last 14 weeks. I did do small errands if I had to, and I was able to cope out and about town.

The intrusive thoughts are the WORST, and they appeared whenever I increased my dose. Also, intrusive thoughts appeared in the middle of the night when I used the bathroom, and it was hard to go back to sleep. I still have anxiety every morning when I wake up, and it takes 30-60 minutes to calm them down. Benadryl helps too.

After a dose increase the side effects lasted a week to ten days. When I started to feel better it was very subtle. For example, I was able to fully concentrate on a task for a while, and feel normal. Then afterward I would realize that I am coping better.

The Sertraline has truly helped me. This site helped me so much

too. Reading other peoples' struggles with Sertraline helped me to know I was not "alone."

I refuse to "feel bad" about hiding in bed (that is, I refuse to beat myself up over it). I am coping the best way I can, and so are you. This is a real illness, and we are trying to get better. And yes, I think the mild depression is a possible sign that I am actually getting better. And I am determined to keep taking Sertraline until I find myself again, and stay on it the rest of my life if it helps.

You are getting better, too. It takes courage to "hang in there," and not give up. Believe me many people here are on your side, and want you to get well. It takes patience, which is so hard for those of us with anxiety. But we can help each other through.

thank you Nellie! i only increased by 25mg 5 days ago but ive got worsened depression and anxiety, how long in your experience do you think it will last? last dose increase took around 4 weeks for the side effects to settle! do you think its normal to be feeling the same again even though its only a 25mg increase instead of a 50mg increase? sorry for all of the questions i feel like i can relate to you with regards to intrusive thoughts etc as i havent found anyone else that has had them, are you able to live a relatively normal life now after 14 weeks? thank you very much xx

Hello Chelsea, When I increased my Sertraline by just 10 mg, I experienced the intrusive thoughts and anxiety again. If you were starting to feel better at 100 mg, why did your doctor increase to 125 mg?

I am not a doctor, but I would ask the doctor why he/she is titrating your dose upward so quickly. Was your initial diagnosis depression? Mine was for Panic Disorder. I knew I had to increase the dose s-l-o-w-l-y. I already had the horrendous intrusive thoughts and anxiety when I started Sertraline. And believe me, I thought it couldn't get any worse. Well, it got much worse when I started Sertraline. Therefore, I took Valium. It has been a real battle.

I do think it's "normal" to experience the worsening symptoms when you increase your dose. That's why I asked what your doctor's plan is. After 14 weeks I am experiencing longer windows of feeling normal. Yesterday I had a whole day of feeling "normal"--but today, not so much. Again I feel some anxiety and IT (Intrusive Thoughts), although not as horrendous as I know it can be. Still, the goal is to feel normal at least the majority of the time. I choose to believe I will live a relatively normal life again. And you will too.

hello 😃 my diagnosis is post natal depression, panic disorder, anxiety disorder and signs of ocd she said because of it being all 3 of those i would need a higher dose in the long run to feel myself again and that 100mg she feels would only get me 50% of the way there, she said if i can battle through the worsed of the short term side effects of the increases then in the long run itl be more beneficial, its just hell going through it, even though ive been increased half of what i usually get increased the side effects are all exactly the same! its reassuring to know that even at 10mg you experienced awful side effects it seems like any sort of increase does it, its a long tough road thats for sure and i certainly find more help on here from people that are actually feeling it than the psychiatrist just dishing the meds out! we will get there eventually 10000% 😃 xx

Chelsea, It sounds like you have a good doctor. She just wants you to feel better as quickly as possible. Sertraline takes a while to "adjust" to every person. That is all I was questioning. From what I have read about depression, most people take 150-250 mg of Sertraline. (Some doctors prescribe over 200 mg for depression.)

It really is hell going through this. But let's not give up, because I know there is a better way to live than this.

Yesterday I experienced a whole day of normalcy! It was the first time in months. I saw that it was possible for me, and it is for you too.

i was on 50mg for 2 weeks then 100mg for 4 weeks now 125mg, everytime they increase i feel worse and worsened thoughts, anxiety etc etc, they want me at 200mg in the end as they feel as though that will help with post natal depression/anxiety

did you ride through the side effects or did you come off sertraline altogether?

thank you for your reply, did you have intrusive thoughts on sertraline? thats the worst thing about it for me is the intrusive thoughts and they worsen after every dose increase