Thanks for getting back to me Clare. I'm so glad your feeling better and the meds are helping you. Well done for getting through it and setting a target to come off them, that's amazing!
I'm glad the sleeping returns to normal, it's so hard. I'm so tired so I come up to bed and I just can't sleep and when I do for a few hours it's time to get up and the morning is the worse as anxiety is there to greet me. Hopefully through time I will get through it like you and feel "normal" again.
Did you have many side effects when you upped your dose?
Hi BK03 - you're not alone with this, my dose was recently increased to 100 mg as my depression had returned (I have SAD) - my mood is great but my sleeping pattern is rubbish - some nights I'm so exhausted I fall into sleep and get around 8-9 hours but the next 2-3 nights I will only get around 3 hours . . . on those days I feel so exhausted, headache, and being bright is a real effort. This drug has really worked in terms of my anxiety/depression but I'm seeing my GP tomorrow as a routine follow up . . . will definitely be talking about the insomnia!
I wish you well in your journey - you're not alone!
Hi all Iām just coming the end of my first week of 100mg of sertralineā¦reading through the posts it seems we all have no or little sleep which is crippling and my mind races in bed with the silliest thoughts of lack self confidence, I canāt do my job, and then it escalates into ridiculous thoughts of being sacked, losing my house wife and familyā¦..does anyone take sleeping aids to try and get sleep ā¦..i hope this pain goes away
Iām about to restart this medication and I remember the first time around I switched when I took it (I canāt remember what ended up working) from night to morning or the other way around. So it might be worth trying that if you havenāt already
What you are sharing sounds painfully familiar. I am now on my third time of sertraline 150mg during the last five years, and each time the side effects are just as scary and disheartening. Constantly rushing thoughts and difficulty sleeping have been there every time. Usually, this peaks at week three to six and then gradually gets better. Stay strong and keep reminding yourself this is all medication and brain chemistry. It is powerful stuff that is literally reshaping parts of your brain. Once you are at the other end of this, you will feel much, much better. And do not rush stopping or reducing too soon, as I learned this hard way. Personally, I have now come to the realisation that I will probably have to take this medication for the rest of my life. But I am ok with that. I would rather not suffer and just enjoy life.
To aid my sleep, I take Magnesium Glycinate, Glycine, and L-threonine one hour before bed. All three supps are widely studied for their positive effects on sleep and work really well in combination. You can get them all on Amazon. Stay strong and message if you need more advice or words of support.