im sure this has been posted/asked a thousand times - but just to save me going through a thousand posts. apologies in advance.
I have suffered with anxiety/mild depression for several years, and only the end of september last year it got really severe to the point i couldnt deal with it anymore all the usual - feeling like you're have a heart attack, loosing despair, hot and cold flashes, chest pains etc etc... all what that lovely thing anxiety does to us. i went to the doctors and he prescribed me with 40mg propranalol two to three times daily, i had a couple of side effects when starting but nothing that worried me. i had been on them for a good couple of months with no joy of them helping so i went to doctors a couple weeks before xmas. i was then presribed Sertraline, i took one and it gave me the worst anxiety attack ive ever had which resulted me in A&E - i was told by them it may be a good idea to not take anymore which i did, so then i went back to the doc just after xmas - i told him what had happened and that i was advised to stop, he in a sense wasnt to pleased and told me to start again. i bucked the courage up and started on Friday(30th December) the first couple of days were absolutely fine but for the last few day i have had consistent indigestion(as if theres something blocked in my throat and just above the stomach) and tightness in chest these have not eased or dissapeard at all not even for 30 seconds, i was just hoping someone could shed some light on this and confirm this is completely normal to do with the drug and these effects should hopefully go? as im struggling to eat because of this.
apologies for writing alot you didnt really need to know but i thought a bit of history never hurts.
Hi James. Sorry to hear you are feeling this way. Like you I didn't have a good start on sertaline. I had massive panic attacks and really thought of just giving up.
So with my first few weeks I took 25mgs and then worked up to 50 which is still a low dose.yes I had an upset tummy,high anxiety,dizzy, could not sleep etc believe me I had every side effect which I just tried to work through. Now 5 months later I can honestly say I feel so much better.
You really need to give them time to work. Side effects usually take a few weeks to settle and for me I started feeling a change around 6 weeks. I am now going to up my dose as 50 isn't really doing the magic it should.
I appreciate the reply greatly thank you very much!
i have set my mind and determination to see it through this time, my doc never really said any side effects i may have/get and i refuse to read the label in the box as i know after reading that i will get every single side effect it states. as us all we always feel that we are the only ones going through the nasty stages or side effects when its happening! but its nice to have a assuring reply thank you.
i will keep you updated, the only thing im unsure to as i didnt ask my doc this either is how to and when to take the tablet, i take 1 propranalol very early morning and one midayish can i take the sertraline with one of them or should i also leave that a while then take it say evening for example?
Hello James. I started taking Sertraline about 3 weeks ago and I still feel the same but I've read so many positive reviews that I decided to give this medication up to a few months if that's what it takes. The side effects for me were horrible the first couple weeks but now I take half my pill in the morning and the other half at night which I think has made the side effects less severe. Keep at it buddy. You are definitely not alone.
im with you on that! in the long run the postives will always outweigh the negatives wont they. its nice to know even people with the same problem there seems to be alot of support on this site. i was only worried as it it supressing my appetite massively due to this persistant blooming indigestion!!, antacids etc seem to make it worse... i may give the half in the morning half at night a go so thank you for that, im guessing i couldnt take it at the same time as one of the propranalol tho?
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer as to when you take your pill. I take mine at night and that is only because my doc said that I would be sleeping during the early days with side effects. I think it's pretty much trial and error. Some people here take them mornings so maybe try both and see which suits you.
Also a tip is to start drinking camomile tea.. tastes vile but 4 cups a day calms you. I get the one with honey as camomile alone tastes like piddle lol
Hiya, a different story.....I have been on so many anti depressants and tbh nothing has worked personally i think they made me feel worse. last step was sertraline after reading good results, after 12 months i weaned myself off them (not really recommended!) no side effects from that luckily, I take propranolol in the morning when my anxiety is at its worst. I suffered all the side effects James without the results i wanted, they numbed my emotions and my sex drive and found orgasm almost impossible!! (this is a comman side effect from a lot of anti-depressants but just not talked about ha!) so I just struggle on a daily basis with the anxiety and have many thoughts on self help but as you know its like trying to organise a p*ss up in a brewary the thoughts are there but the actions are just knowhere to be found . Best of luck just trial and error it seems just fed up of trying lol.xx
thank you for sharing your story, ive been on propanalol a couple/few months now ive lost track as i do with most things! ive only just started sertraline and having persistant indigestion that just will not budge but im holding out for some hope this will pass and they will end up helping....not being able to orgasm maybe a handy thing for a bloke in certain respects? lol im joking! im sorry to hear your side effects so am i right in saying your on absolutely no medication at all now? i ideally didnt want to take any i managed for many years without up until last year where the anxiety attacks were just getting to much to deal with all the time at work etc etc, im hoping in a few months time i can ween myself of them and be med free - in an ideal world anyhow!! how are you feeling now? up and down days? hope your OK today
Hi JAMES,after reading all the pros and cons I'm not sure what to do myself now.i got prescribed 50mg yesterday and after reading these threads I'm now more anxious,but I have had chest pains for sometime now and burping have changed my diet no coffee chilli ,been on lansoprazol but still getting a tight chest had ecg and camera down and all clear.so it must be to do with the anxiety,were you getting smilar and has this helped regards Pete
Hi Peter, im sorry to here you are feeling this way!.. sometimes reading to much on the internet e.g side effects, how other people feel etc is not always the best thing im talking from experience i know if i read all the side effects i will gurantee feel every one as i will make it all up in my head - yes i suffer with chest pains/tight chest etc but im being irrational and i think its my anxiety not the drug! , in my first post of this discussion i stated propranalol didnt really help well again i think im being irrational because i dont get the symptoms as severe but then i am slightly finding my own ways of coping with anxiety again - colouring is an absolute dream for me! ive also had a couple of ecg's and always come back clear its horrible isnt it because you genuinely think there is something wrong. the very first time i took my first tab of Sertraline it triggered a huge panic attack which i ended up going to A&E for as i thought i reacted to it but again it was anxiety playing its wickid ways to do with the thought of taking something new, i gave it a few weeks and my doctor told me to try again this time im determined to stick at it im still in my very early days so i cant comment really if its helping as i believe it takes a good couple of weeks to take effect but i am suffering from persistant indigestion that hasnt dissapeard in the last 3/4 days or however many. last night i took it with my dinner and it seems to have helped a bit rather than just taking it on its own. as for lansoprazol i have never taken it so i cant comment on that im afraid! but i think you will find your tight chest/chest pain is down to anxiety. would i be correct in saying lansoprazol is like omeprazol which helps to reduce acid reflux etc? as i believe acid reflux can cause chest paint to do with heartburn etc? i might be talking rubbish, but i believe thats what my Grandad takes it for and hes mentioned he gets chest pain every so often.
Hi James, just seeing how your getting on with sertaline? I've been on it for 2weeks today, 6days on 25mg and 8days on 50mg. Doctor wanted to start me on 50mg then increase to 100mg but I was too scared too so doctor said I could split it but only Upto a week. I've had not nice side effects, heightened anxiety, dry mouth, nausea, loss of appetite to name a few. My appetite has started to return a little bit over the last few days which is supposed to be a good sign. I went to the doctors about my anxiety and sickness and she give me some anti sickness tablets and propranolol. I've only taken 1 propranolol and it made me abit spaced out and tired. How are you finding it?
Hi there, i am another sertraline newbie, into second week and the usual side effects people talk about. First time on this med. i have had indigestion and have used Gaviscon which did help. Also have found that taking sertraline in morning always with some food to cushion the stomach helps. Not saying im anywhere out of the woods, early days for me yet but petrified of increasing from 50 to 100mg in a weeks time as instructed by dr.
Hi Ann55375, how are you getting on? I'm on day17, 11days on 50mg. It's been horrible. I had an ok day yesterday but back to square one again today, feel I'll never get better. what side effects have you been getting? Michelle xx
Hi Michelle, oh its so good to hear theres someone out there with similar problems. I too had a not bad day yesterday,day 8, today feel sick again with anxiety and generally unwell. So fed up with this and just want someone to tell me these meds will make me better, no guarantee of that either! Would be good to keep in touch and prop each other up when needed. A xx
I know what you mean, I felt better yesterday but then dripped again today and just feel low again. It's horrible that we have to go through all this when we feel so bad to begin with and so scarred it won't work. It's good to speak to someone that knows exactly what going through. You in the uk Ann? Xxx
Hi Ann & Michelle, i do apologies i havent replied! been trying to keep myself occupied at all times at the moment, if i have to be completely honest my Anxiety overall has been alot lot better than it ever has so maybe the combination of the two meds im taking are actually starting to work with a bit of determination as well - hopefully im not speaking to soon!! my panic attacks have subdued as to where i can control them alot quicker now which was my main concern as i was having them all the time - my general anxiety is still there but i will focus on that after gettting to a high positive stage with the attacks - if i ever can! the only side effect im having is consistant indigestion liturally all day every day since ive been taking sertraline has not dissapeard but then ive not been on them long so im hoping my body will adapt to that! what are we like hey, we will break from these chains we have to! how are you two ladies feeling today? stay positive!!
Good to hear you are working your way through it and yes no medication apart from propranolol! I can also have a good cry now which strangly helps! Still waiting for the so called 'happy pill' it will arrive when the pigs are flying lol. Good luck to everyone, one day at a time. Going to try therapy if anyone will answer the bloomin phone grrrrrrrr.........
Thank you Karen its appreciated, the support from others with the same sort of problem is amazing - i wish to help others as much as poss! ahh well done you i hope for no meds sometime the end of this year(fingers crossed). good luck to yourself too please keep me updated with therapy if it helps hope you are feeling well today!! - its nearlly the weekend!! :-)
Hi, thanks for getting back to us. I am seriously wondering if I should continue with this med. woke early with panic worse than i had before i took any. Also feeling nausea again. I dont feel like leaving the house, never mind the bed. Ended up having to take a diazepam to quieten things down but dont know if i can tolerate any breakfast which i need ro take the pill as its worse if i dont eat. All in all, i just dont know what to do for the best. Continue, feel worse, stop and back to square one. Dilemma.