Hi Georgina. Sorry to hear it’s really tough for you at the moment. Weeks 3 and 4 for me were a roller coaster, I’d get a few days of feeling OK then many more of not. Week 5 and 6 were horrible but later in week 6 that changed and things finally settled. You’re not far away now from getting through all of this. I felt just like you but kept going and pushed through. You’ve got this, one day at a time!
Oh no Georgina sorry to hear this. Keep going. Do you have any other medication you can take to help for example propanolol or diazepam? I went to the GP yesterday and am being changed to citalopram as it’s supposed to be less severe on the bowels. I’ve got to taper for 3 days on 25mg of sertraline then start 10 mg citalopram for a week then up to 20mg. Sertraline is apparently the worse SSRI for diarrhoea and runs a risk of microscopic colitis if things don’t settle within a couple of weeks. I feel like it would’ve helped had it not been for this. Citalopram is apparently less activating as it dosnt affect dopamine receptors. I have come away from the GP with diazepam cyclizine and propanolol to try and get me through the transition. Don’t think it will be an overnight fix but I live in hope I’ll get there eventually.
Hi Paul and Rachel, thank you for your kindness. Yesterday a tiny bit better, today a rotten morning but starting to improve this afternoon. It’s so hard when I’m in the middle of a horrible spell to believe that I’m ever going to be better this and this is me now forever. I managed to get out for half an hours gardening and I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine this evening, it’s just that the bad times are so horrendous. Your support is such help, thank you.
You’re very brave to change your meds, it was suggested to me but I wasn’t brave enough. Needing the toilet so frequently and always having to make sure you know where they are is very difficult and really quite distressing. I’ve been in that situation for many years (now on a medication which has stopped it, something to do with bile acid malabsorption because of gall bladder removal yonks ago) but I’ve steadied up over the last three months. I really hope the citalopram helps and that the switch works well for you. It’d be good to hear how you go on.
I have days where I think I’m never going to be back to my old self Georgina. It’s so frustrating. Before having my ovaries removed I was absolutely fine and stable on HRT. I was still perimenopausal then. I had been on sertraline a couple of times in my 40s for anxiety but the second time around it wasn’t as helpful at reducing the anxiety and someone suggested it might have been my hormones. I saw a menopause Dr, started HRT, and within a couple of weeks symptoms had totally settled. It was then able to wean off sertraline. I was totally stable on HRT for a few years until my operation. The past 10 months have been so so difficult. I’m on the highest dose of estradiol patch, not absorbing it very well and can’t tolerate oral progesterone. It’s like my body chemistry has totally changed the way it metabolises drugs in my body due to depleted hormones. Despite this when I look back over time I can see subtle changes. Last week I had 3 nights where I fell asleep within 10-15 minutes and had at least 4/5 hours and dosed off again on a couple of occasions. Where I literally had 3 months of maybe one nights sleep a week due to total exhaustion. Last night I didn’t sleep at all but probably because my levels are coming down to 25mg and it’s increasing anxiety levels. Took propanolol and diazepam in the night and didn’t do a thing for sleep but at least I was more calm. This morning still have urgency to go to the bathroom but at least it’s not like someone turned the tap on! Its good to document daily small changes (like getting out in the garden or a better evening or afternoon) so you can look back and focus on trends and how you coped with things differently. Understanding the physiological things that are going on in our body helps to take some of the fear away. I’m always asking chat GPT stuff. At least this is how I’m hoping to get through the next couple of weeks of changing meds. It is scary changing meds but I couldn’t continue with the stomach issues as they were, it showed no sign of stopping and due to already having celiac disease was worried about longer term issues. Sertraline is the worst for gastrointestinal issues. Apparently 20% of patients get diarrhoea and unfortunately in some people it doesn’t settle and can potentially develop into microscopic colitis. All SSRIs can cause diarrhoea and nausea but sertraline is 10 times more likely. My mum is on citalopram and my daughter took it when she was a teenager going through difficult times. I did try escitalopram prior to sertraline but was started on 10mg straight away and I had the worst 5 days ever thought I was going to need locking away, didn’t recognise myself. So I have to tread carefully and go slow and that’s why I have all the other meds to help me get through the tough days. I hope today you can all find a couple of positives in your day and hold onto those!! Xxx
Week 5 on sertraline is kinda peak chaos for a lot of people, yeah it can feel like your brain is trolling you, one day solid, next day trash, been there. What helped me was stopping the constant “is it working yet” check every hour, that just feeds the anxiety loop hard. 50mg isn’t crazy high, so your doc might bump it, but honestly weeks 6 to 8 is where things usually stop acting like a broken rollercoaster. Intrusive thoughts feel loud but they’re just noise, not facts, treat them like spam emails and don’t engage. Also gym sessions getting hijacked happens, doesn’t mean you’re broken, it’s just your brain adjusting. You’re not stuck like this forever, it just feels like it right now.
I hope the change of meds works out for you Rachel. Let us all know how you get on with the transition over to Citalopram.
Sorry to hear you’re still having tough times too Georgina. Stay tough, you’re doing great, you’ll get through this and find that state of normality you’re looking for.
I’m struggling a bit today. Several triggers since Friday have added up and I’m struggling to break the doom cycles again. Met up with an old work colleague and his wife has a terminal cancer diagnosis. My wife took our youngest up to the allotment Friday evening which added to things. This morning I had a message from a friend I know through flying who told me he has just been diagnosed with lymphoma. My dad’s dementia is also getting noticeably worse the past few weeks. I just feel stuck in the thought loops and a bit overwhelmed by things right now. I think the sertraline is helping but I am still getting those fight or flight anxiety pangs over silly thoughts. Really wish I could rewire my brain so I didn’t have GAD.
It has only been 2.5 weeks since I went up to 75mg from 50mg so potentially could be side effects causing these feelings. To date since starting the higher dose I’ve not really had many side effects, certainly none like when I started on 50mg. I seem to be back to worrying about sertraline not going to work for me, due to the lack of side effects (kind of nuts as I’m almost wishing them on myself). Thanks for your kind words Laurence. I’m pretty much doing exactly what you’ve said. I am trying to break the thought cycles, it’s just one of those days for me it seems.
You’re certainly having to process an awful lot right now Paul. It must be really stressful. Allow yourself the right to feel sad and try to find small happy things in every day to distract yourself from becoming overwhelmed. It’s not being selfish it’s self preservation.
I can’t figure out whether the consistent low mornings are due to side effects of upping my dosage or whether 75mg just isn’t quite enough. It’d just be nice to wake up and feel positive for a change. Instead of just wanting to stay in bed and hide from the world.
I’m wondering whether to split when I take my pills. Take 50mg in the morning and 25mg in the evening, see if that spreads the effect a little more. No idea whether it’d work or if others have tried this?
Try not to stress about the increasing doses of Sertraline. It was formulated to ease hurting minds just as pain relief was formulated to ease hurting bodies. After initial resistance to taking any antidepressants, I’ve ended up on the maximum dose of Sertraline for years (yes, years). That doesn’t trouble me now, any more than the necessities of taking the tablets to control my blood pressure, thyroid levels, digestion and physical pain do.
My mental health is occasionally uneven (when provoked by circumstance!) but generally, I finally feel “normal” again. I’d never have imagined that such an outcome was possible.
Hello everyone, Georgina here again. Just checking in and wondering how everyone is? Paul, how is the 75mg going? Rachel, how are you doing on the citalopram? And Hockeyfan?
I’m still feeling rough, mornings still a mess of tears, snot and feeling like I’m mad. Think I’m starting to feel a little better a little earlier in the day, maybe teatime as opposed to 7pm ish. Averaging 6 hours sleep a night. Managed to have a friend over for a takeaway last night, it was touch and go whether I’d manage but I did. Not had anyone round in the evening for months.
Does anyone find it difficult to drum up the enthusiasm to do stuff? Just general things round the home? I forced myself to take some washing out of the machine but it’s still sitting there two hours later because I don’t have the inclination to deal with it.
I hope everyone is feeling better, and if not, hang in there, and whether you celebrate Easter or not I hope everyone finds a little peace.
man, i feel you. week 5 is such a weird “in-between” stage where you expect to be fine but your brain is still leveling out. those good days you had are a huge sign that it’s starting to work, even if today feels like a step back.
1 Like
Hi Elsa. Week 5 & 6 were horrible for me. Pretty much all down with very few ups. Not a fun journey at all. It’s great you’re being positive and hopefully soon you’ll come out the other side and be on the up.
Hi Georgina. Whilst you’re still finding it tough take it as a big positive that you’re doing things that you were not before you started on the Sertraline. It’s also great you’re feeling better earlier in the day than before. It’s all progress! I do find it hard to get motivated, I assume that’s because of the low mood created by the anxiety. I’m not quite as bad as yourself with general house chores but bigger things get me, anxiety and then no motivation.
As for me I went over to the IOW for Easter. Lots of talk happened about us moving over there. Whilst it was nice to get away it was a hard time for me head wise. I slept OK the first night but then every other i would wake every two hours, so annoying. I am in general feeling on edge all the time, like something bad will happen. I’m not sure whether this is a side effect caused by upping my meds 25mg or whether I need more than 75mg a day. Lots on my mind still, wife’s health (though no evidence currently of anything bad), my own health, tick season is just starting and allotment visits are ramping up, my dad’s dementia is getting worse (seeing things again), boiler and car issues that are pretty costly to sort. These bigger things cause anxiety to build and then I get anxiety over ridiculous little things, it’s draining. I also am struggling to feel positive about anything, which makes it hard to move forward or want to do anything. I am just hoping this is all caused by a side effect of upping my meds 25mg and it’ll pass in a few more weeks time.
On a note of side effects, does anyone else get nose bleeds easier since taking Sertraline? I would hardly ever have one but since starting Sertraline on blowing my nose in the mornings it’s not uncommon I induce a nose bleed. It’s not ever day it fully bleeds but most days there is a trace of blood. Blood pressure seems OK when I check it, 123/67 and resting HR of 54 so I don’t think it’s that causing the nose issue.
Great that you were able to get away Paul, hope you felt the benefit and enjoyed your time there. I’ve not experienced any nose bleeds since I’ve been taking sertraline so unable to give any helpful advice, sorry. You have a lot of things to have to think about with your Dad, car, boiler, health and allotment which must be quite overwhelming.
Has your sleep returned to normal since you returned from holiday? My sleep has also gone wrong again which is horrible. Waking at 4.30am, mind flitting about, exhausted but unable to drop off again, such a lonely horribleness. I keep myself awake till midnight reading and I’d been getting 6 hours without waking but it’s all gone wrong again over the last couple of nights.
We also have an allotment, when I feel good enough to go it helps while I’m there. I have a sister with dementia, she is only 69, she has been the main trigger for this latest downturn for me. My husband and son look after her and I’ve had to stop seeing her. She becomes very distressed and phones multiple times a day every day so although they do their best to protect me from her I am still very conscious of her and I feel very guilty that my husband has to deal with her and run her life. It’s very time consuming and the emotional toll is unbearable for me. Given that she is relatively young it fills me with absolute horror that this will go on for possibly another 20 years. I find it impossible to detach myself emotionally from it all. I also worry about the state of the world, war, the awfulness of people’s lives through no fault of their own, the awful things that people say.
I’m still feeling pretty grim most days and I’m starting to panic that either the sertraline isn’t working, that I have to increase the dose, terrified of side effects worsening and that I’ll never be right again and that I’m going mad. I’m on my 6th week now and had hoped things would be better by now, I feel like the person I am/was has gone and the very essence of me has disappeared.
I’m finding that I’m using this forum to unload my thoughts and feelings which perhaps isn’t very helpful for people reading this, I don’t seem to be able to offer any constructive advice! It’s like I’m just waiting for the meds to work and I’m dragging myself through one day to the next.
Enough moaning! Let’s hope we can all feel more happy and content soon. We can’t see it at the moment but our happiness is just around the corner, we are on track to finding it!
Hi Elsa, hope things are improving for you. Keep us posted, we need all the help we can get! I’m on week 6 and although the screaming ad-dabs have abated I’m still feeling grim.
Chin up!