Sertraline nearly 1 year in

Treatment and medication
1

I just wanted to share my experience I was in a bad place constantly worrying what people thought, I didn't sleep, it got to the point that I honestly thought I was losing my mind, I'd lie awake 3 nights every week, worry about every work meeting etc etc ... I was exhausted fed up and very very ill, its only when I read my notes on the thoughts I was having and the frequency that I realise how ill I was.  I think I'd always suffered from anxiety but because I'm quite outgoing I thought it was normal to feel constantly wired always thinking about something positive or negative. So I started on 50mg and wow the side affects! I felt off my face for the first week, I took my pill and 5.30pm as soon as I got in from work and would sit upstairs away from my husband worrying that my heart was beating too fast, I couldn't breathe, I felt sick, I had an upset stomach. This went on for a week then the side affects subsided but I was still anxious and not to mention the crazy dreams that felt like I was awake but in a different universe.! Doc upped my dose to 100 after 6 weeks and I didn't have any additional side affects , the anxiety stopped completely I started to sleep every night, think rationally, I didnt dwell at last I had I space to think., then about 6 months later I started feeling anxious, I always write down what's happened when so I can review my anxiety and it started happening again on a weekly basis so after 1 month i upped my dose again to 125 and I've been on that dose ever since. The additional 25mg gave me a few side afffects again but that settled down after a few weeks. I'm in a good place, I've never felt better and this happened about 3 months ago.  I like myself again I know I'm a good person, I don't analyse every little detail of every conversation worrying how I came across what they really meant etc... I have peace in my own head, I can relax , I am actually on holiday with my husband this is the first holiday I haven't cried, I used to get very anxious and again over analyse every situation so I would isolate myself in my own thoughts away from my husband. I can now relax and enjoy the calm and peace of a holiday.

Please don't suffer with anxiety there are treatments that work Sertraline changed my life I now feel 100% in control of my emotions for the first time in my life. This group really helped my when I first started taking this drug I hope someone gets some encouragement from this that things will get better ❤️X 

2

Thank you for sharing your post, so nice to see such a possitive story, glad it worked so well for you 😊 💜

3

Thanks Emma x 

4

Thank you for your post, it gives hope to people going through it all. Did you have sleeping problems at all on the tablets and when did you see an improvement? I'm 3 weeks in but still feel anxious/depressed and my sleep is still really bad. My brain just never shuts down. I have been told it takes time but how long do you think will take to feel better again x

5

Thank you Jem and your welcome, I felt an improvement after around 4 weeks but it can take a while to get your dose right, if you still have symptoms I would go back in 4 weeks you may need to up or lower. Although you may feel an improvement and mine was definitely noteable full effects of the drug can take much longer, I'd say the last 2 months have been my best and I started in Dec 2016. Keep with it and re-assess every ; weeks to see how you feel x 

6

Ok thank you Kerry that's really helpful. Did your sleep get bad on it? I've always struggled sleeping but since theses tablets seems worse I just can't cope with little sleep as I'm a single parent so it's a struggle as it is. I just can't wait to feel better again as think I've been going down hill now for years and not really realised it like you. My thoughts were getting out of hand too and I'm still constantly counting all the time. ( OCD) the problem is because it's been so long I've forgotten what it feels like to feel ok lol. 

7

I always struggled with sleep also if I saw 12 i then I would convince myself I wouldn't sleep and I didn't.i think I was about 4 weeks in at the time I didn't really notice it it just kind of happened. What helped me was I'd listen to LBC radio i down loaded the app and paid the subscription for all the talk shows and I would listen to them rather than my own thoughts and I found I fell asleep listening to that. I also started a meditation technique of going through my day when I laid in bed from start to finish trying to remember everything I did until up till that moment in bed, I rarely got to the end. I know how you feel it's s**t! The constant worry and despair but stick with it your 3 weeks in 1 more week if you do not feel any improvement go and see your doc again you know your own body and mind better than they do, it took you years to get here it will take a good few months to get you where you should be but at least you are on your way. what dose are you taking ?  Xx 

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Let me know how you get on Jem x 

9

Are you in America or Uk? Thank you for your messages I've posted a few times but not always got a reply so it's really kind of you to take the time to. I'm really pleased it helped you and it kind of gives me a bit of hope in a way as when you feel so grim all the time you kind of wonder if it will ever work but I really want it to. I'm on 50mg xx

10

Hi Jem, I'm in the UK I used the group a lot when I first started with sertraline I found it reassuring that others were having the same side affects and same struggles. 50mg is a low dose and 3 weeks is not very long, but be assured it worked for me and it just kind of creeps up on you, make sure you keep going back to the docs, keep a log of all your counting to discuss with them and for you to review to see if things are improving make sure you get the help you deserve and  things WILL get better xxx 

11

Wow Kerry,

Quite the journey. Lots for me think about. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Inspirational!

12

Thank you for such a positive post. 

I've just taken my 18th tablet (50mg). 

Although I suppose I've had anxiety and fearfulness off and on throughout my life (62 years), it only really got bad 4 years ago after successful chemo and radio. I got anxiety, depression and insomnia, which is a horrid combo!

In 2013 I worked through it without meds, on medical advice. 

In 2015 I worked through it without meds. 

Now it's back, 3rd time in 4 years, and although I did a lot of self-work, identifying what it is that sets off a crisis (unexpected health news, vulnerability), my mood and fear were not lifting. 

I saw the GP 19 days ago, and she gave me Propranolol 10mg x 3 (inspired! the hideous churning stopped almost instantly); and the Sertraline. Now, for someone who is terrified beyond reason of not sleeping, it's been tough going some times. There have been several nights with no sleep at all, which is awful. However, I've now slept 7 nights in a row - 5/6 hours mostly, I prefer more but am grateful for that, and once for nearly 8!! 

I like what you said about improvement kind of creeping up. Although for a few days I've felt less grim - not good, just less grim - the last 2 days have begun to feel creepingly better. I'm still very hesitant at saying so but at least it does give me hope that improvement will continue. 

The side effects are dwindling ~ I don't feel nauseous any more; I don't feel woolly-footed any more; the only thing is that about half an hour after breakfast, I have to rush to the bathroom in a Major Way! Usually I'm fine then for the rest of the day but a couple of times have very nearly been caught short. Will keep an eye on that. 

I sometimes get a bit deflated, because although I'm beginning to feel a bit better, no, come on Girl, quite a lot better!, my life isn't quite back to normal yet ~ still not going out in the evenings because I fear not being able to sleep when I get back in; not being able to guarantee driving anywhere, because if I don't sleep, I won't drive; but I do think it's beginning to get better. 

Thank you again for your positivity. Sorry for the long post!

13

Hi Ailidh

Sounds like you've been through a lot hun. I think when we feel so bad we just want to feel better and we are just so focused on how we feel all of the time. The best advice I can give is  reassess how you feel every 4 weeks, make notes write things down and review them. Great news that you've started sleeping ! So that's already an improvement. Once I felt a little better I just wanted it to continue so if I still had th anxiety I requested they upped my dose but I waited 4 weeks in between each time, 125mg seems to be the right dose for me, or for now, I certainly will be willing to go higher if I feel need to in the future. Of course I still have off days but those are far outnumbered by good days.  I see a pattern, example I always get edgy before my period. If I exercise and eat well I always feel much better.  I've had loads of side affects the ones that I still have are, I feel like I clench my jaw when I first wake up and I get itch hands & feet in the evening but hey I can cope with that  I hope everything goes well for you and remember you have developed these thought patterns over a number of years and had lots of traumatic things happen to you so it will take time to get back into a healthy mind space but you will get there xxxxxx

14

Thank you for your helpful and kind reply, Kerry. 

I do think my mood is gradually improving ~ although the bad news is that last night was a rough night for sleep. At least I did manage roughly 3 hours, which is better than 0, which happened 3 times in September. If I could only work out how to go back to sleep when/if I wake in the night, I'd feel a lot better. Plodding on. 

15

Your welcome x 

Have you tried any sleep meditation headspace is a great app you can get 10 days free and the it's £7.99 per month but you are not tied into a contract take a look at this they have a good exercise on sleep I tried this and it worked for me a couple of times, I also used to listen to talk shows as I found this was better than my own thoughts xx 

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How you doing Ailidh ? X 

17

How you doing Hun ? X 

18

Thank you for asking

I'm having more good days than bad now, and getting some really good nights' sleep too. That said, I've been awake since 4 today but something I ate disagreed with me yesterday, so I think that's what woke me. I'm still not good at getting back to sleep if I wake right up. 

How are you doing?

19

Ah pleased to hear your feeling a bit better hun, I'm good thank you x 

20

I appreciate you posting this,  Kerry.  I come back to it every so often and re read it when I am in a funk.  This too shall pass!  Patience is hard when dealing with this,  but things will get better!