I've been prescribed sertraline for persistent anxiety but am so nervous about starting

Treatment and medication
1

Hi

I've been battling anxiety on and off for years however things escalated 2 years ago after the birth of my son. I've tried so many things to help myself and some days I do feel better but then I'll have a couple of weeks of feeling good and then the anxiety creeps back in and I go back to square one with it. I've been trying to avoid going on medication for it but last week I just thought to myself that enough is enough and I'm sick and tired of feeling so stressed and low everyday. He prescribed me to start on 50mg sertraline and see how I go. Part of me wants to try them as I would love to start feeling normal again, I can't carry on like this forever. But there are two things that concern me. The first is that I'm scared of the side effects and coping with feeling even worse than I do now. The second is that I would like to start trying for another baby at the end of 2017. I'm 35 already so can't leave it too much longer. The doctor suggested I go on the sertraline for 6 - 9 months and then start to taper off but I'm also so scared that by going on the medication in the first place it's just going to make it harder for me down the track if you know what I mean. Does anyone have any advice please?! Thanks very much.

2

Hi Natasha

If 50 mg sertraline is daunting, perhaps ask your physician to begin with 25 mg...

Sertraline has a short half life...meaning that sertraline will be completely out of your system 6 days after your last dose...

Personally, I would want to clear all medications use with my ob/gyn before I became pregnant. Ask about baby friendly medications...

kind regards

judith

3

Thanks Judith.

My doctor is aware that I would like to fall pregnant next year and thinks this is the best medicine for me short term. I guess I'm just worried about making the situation worse if I'm going to strugggle with the withdrawal effects next year. But then maybe I should worry to much about that at this stage as I haven't even started them yet!

4

Hi Natasha,

keep an open mind...you may be pleasantly surprised...I find 59 mg perfect.

Please stay in touch

hugs

judith

5

Thanks Judith. Am going to start it tomorrow so will let you know how I get on. Good to hear 50mg works well for you smile

6

Hi Natasha...I will be watching for your post...

hugs

judith

7

I cant answer the effects of taking meds during preganacy but I will tell you my story. I was so anxious for so long and the funny thig was, i didnt even know what this uncomfirtable feeling was. I even had a couple panic attacks. After doing some reading, i started to learn. I thought, Ive been this way for years and years. So finally work got so stressful and i was travelling like nuts. I took the meds and life got much much better. Still never perfect but 100 times better. I'm now excited to travle, love going to parties so less Social anxiety.

So y advice, take the meds, trust they will work and dont read all the negative ads here form folks that say you will be worse before better. My case, I got better then much better. I also dont plan to go off the drugs. I take it like a vitamin every night before bed.

Hope this helps, and remember boards lik this ofton only attract the people that are really hurting, the millions of people that found success dont really write on here.

8

Hi hoodriver

Thanks for such an honest post, it's really encouraging to know you are feeling so much better these days. You're so right about trying not to take too much notice of the negative comments on these boards. I'm just so scared of feeling worse than I do now.

You mentioned that you took your tablets at night - do you know if it makes a difference when you take them? I am a terrible sleeper at the best of times. I was going to take my first tablet today after breakfast but maybe they are better to take at night? But I guess everyone is different.

Thanks so much.

9

Hi again

I took my first tablet (50mg) yesterday morning. I felt a bit sick during the day but nothing too bad. But last night I had insomnia all night, barely got any sleep at all. Does anyone know if this is temporary and will pass in time? I really hope so because a big contributor to my anxiety is the fact that I don't sleep well anyway and am always exhausted.

Thanks!

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hi I did take mine at nite but couldnt sleep and jitters so started in morning bout 8 so much better that way for me and after 2 wks no side effects thank godness ,hope this helps u good luck ,chin up xx

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Take the mess. I tried to hold off too and I'm a fighter type. The best thing I did was to take it. I got freaked out and anxious about it and now I never want to go off it. Thank god for this drug!

Take the pill and get better in 2-3 weeks

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Thanks so much everyone, I think / hope this is the right choice for me. I did sleep better last night (except my son woke me at 4am but never mind!) Just taken my 3rd tablet so will see how the next couple of weeks pan out. The doctor did say I can expect a dip in a couple of weeks when I might hit a low patch, will have to wait and see. Glad you're all doing well on it smile

13

everyoine is different. I know your going to get better soon. I would actually write down and journal a but on how your feelin. When i was totally stressed and getting depressed and having panic attacked, i wrote alot. I looked at the notes yesterday and now I look back and think, wow, was i ever sick. It showed me that A0 i knew id be better and i ddi get better, B) i made it whcih I told myself i was always goig to be this way (hue lie we tell ourselves) and c) that I'm broken and going crazy (another lie). I was only sick  for about 1 year in total and now I see life alot different. 

Please watch the new Selena Gomex speech that she gave this week. Also, look what was annoounced today by Kanye West, he is hospitalized for "Exaustion". This is happening to many many people and the amount of money or fame doesnt matter. 

Get well!

14

Your doc said you might hit a low patch, well you alos might not. Stay positve. You need to reprogram a bit to think positve and challenge every thought that is trying to tell you that youre losing it. Youre not.

Try to find 5 great tings about your life today, they are right in front of you.

get well

15

I know I need to try and be more positive, its just so hard sometimes. But you're right, I may be lucky and not hit a low patch. Last night was dreadful, I was awake from 3am and couldn't go back to sleep. I've also being feeling really hot in bed that comes on in waves - do you know if this is a normal side effect? Thanks

16

Finally admitted something was wrong with the way I have been feeling for years,break up from my girlfriend was the final straw.Got myself off to the quacks,prescribed me 50mg,I'm currently 8 days in.Got to admit the first couple of days were horrid,really depressed and heightened anxiety

.Still feel a bit strange but have seemed to have stopped crying as much!!!! Hope it works out good for you. ....JM

17

Hugs!

Your hang in there...we will hang with you

kind regards

18

Good on you for finally realising you didn't feel right and found something about it. I've procrastinated for years and wish I'd done something about it sooner but then isn't hindsight a wonderful thing? All the best and hope your side effects continue to improve. Keep us posted on your progress, you're only a few days ahead of me!

19

Being hot at night is just the anxiety. You know thia is just the biological part of your brain telling you the be frightful? Let the meds kick in, it take 6-8 weeks for a good effect. You will het relieve in 2-3 weeks.

Remember, you would have been hot at night regardless of the anxiety but you are blaming it on the zoloft. Its normal.

20

hugs! I am cheering for your success!