Just been prescribed Sertraline after being on citalapram, bit worried

[Joshb]

HI,
I just been prescribed 50mg of sertraline after being on citalapram 20mg since the beginning of July. The citalapram seemed to work at first but have been suffering bad insomnia and racing thoughts and bad general anxiety, so the doc suggested i change to sertraline. He said just stop the citalapram and take the Sertraline the next day.

I am concerned about having to again go through all the freakishness you have when you start taking ssri, also I am wondering if they will help with the insomnia and anxiety

any thoughts greatly appreciated

cheers
Josh

[southey]

I did the exact same swap a while back. I also stopped the Cit one day and started the Sert the next.

Apart from some quite mild dizziness and feeling really tired after the first new dose, which could have been from working hard, the transition was unremarkable and was certainly nothing like starting an SSRI for the first time!

Steve.

[AuntieMoosie]

Don't worry, you'll be fine :)

I did the same swap last year, the only thing I had was a little raise in my anxiety for the first few days, but my GP had given my some very low dose diazepam to help me through, I only needed the diazepam for the first 2 days, after that, I was fine :)

I have found Sertraline to be much more beneficial to me than Citalopram ever was, but we're all different :)

[Joshb]

Thank you so much for the replies. could you tell me in how the sirtrlaine helped in ways that the citalapram did not? I just took my last citalapram today, thanks for any thoughts!

Josh

[southey]

I came off the Cit' because although it worked very well for my Anxiety, it didn't help with my depression. It seemed to leave me sort of dead inside, emotionless but miserable.

The Sert' seems to have sorted this out and I'm feeling the best I have felt for decades, although I have started to look after myself more and my diet and exercise have improved so maybe it is a combination of both?

Steve.

[Joshb]

Thanks for the reply Steve I hope Auntie Moosey can also let me know her reasons too.

Since July i have completey changed my diet and i exercise regularly now but it hasnt helped, so I am thinking the citalapram is actually holding me back..

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply,

Josh

[AuntieMoosie]

I came off the Cit' because although it worked very well for my Anxiety, it didn't help with my depression. It seemed to leave me sort of dead inside, emotionless but miserable.

The Sert' seems to have sorted this out and I'm feeling the best I have felt for decades, although I have started to look after myself more and my diet and exercise have improved so maybe it is a combination of both?

Steve.

I'm exactly the same as Steve!

Citalopram left me emotionally dead! and I didn't like that at all.

I'm a wee bit different though, cos I didn't find Citalopram as helpful for my anxiety as I'm now finding Sertraline, but I don't think it did much for my depression either, I think it kind of kept me at a level, but it failed to progress me any further.

I'm feeling much more alert, alive and responsive since being on the Sertraline.

I totally agree that what we eat and how much we sleep has a heck of a lot to do with it too, as Steve has said, it's really a combination of a lot of things. :)

[Joshb]

thanks you both so much for taking the time to respond to my worries. For me seemed Citalapram work for about 5 weeks at 10mg, then i felt bad again, so the doc upped it to 20mg which again worked for about 5 weeks but i seemed to stop being able to sleep and the anxiety and returned. I am hoping that changing to 50mg of sertraline will give me my sleep back as i so badly miss it!

last thing. I just wondered what dosage of citalapram you went to and what dose of sirtraline.

many thanks I will do the switch today

Josh

edit: i cut the 50mg of sertraline in half as i was concerned about side effects.....

[southey]

I found that 20mg of Cit' worked well for Anxiety but went to 30mg hoping for an improvement in mood. It never happened and I was loath to go to the max dose of 40mg, not because of sides as I never had any except for the lack of emotions, but because I was still miserable.

I asked my Doc' to swap my meds and asked for Wellbutrin, a popular US anti-depressant that works on Dopamine instead of Serotonin but found this was not available in the UK for this use. It is prescribed here for quitting smoking though!

I then enquired about my other two drugs I had researched, Venlafaxine and Sertraline and my Doc' wasn't too keen on the Ven' so I got the Sert'.

I started the Sert' at 50mg which soon seemed to be lifting my mood as well as continuing to keep the Anxiety at bay. I asked for a dosage increase to see if things would improve further and 100mg seems to work well for me.

I have not gone past this dose as things are going well and will keep a rise in reserve for future needs?

Steve:)

[AuntieMoosie]

Well I was on 60mgs of Citalopram, which was the then, maximum dose, that has now been reduced to 40mgs being the new maximum.

I was started on Sertraline at the same time as being brought off of Citalopram.

I started on 50mgs, but did exactly as you're doing by cutting the tablet in half and letting my body slowly adjust to the change.

I'm now on 100mgs of Sertraline and I'm finding that I'm doing well on that dose :)

[Joshb]

Thank you both so much for your replies. It makes a huge difference knowing that others have gone through similar situations, it really does.

Cheers, Josh

[AuntieMoosie]

You are more than welcome Josh, anytime :)

If you need any more help, just gives us a shout, there are always lovely, kind and helpful people here :)

[rebeccacooperman]

I started taking sertraline after citralapram, I had far less side effects than with citralapram & they were very superficial.
I experienced some itching & some spots on my back, this lasted about a week, when my dose was increased to 100 & then 150 each time I experienced these side effects for a few days & then everything settled down.
My general attitude to my condition is;
I am not in control of this situation, therefor I will keep taking the pills & do everything I can do to help myself.
eat healthy, get more exercise eg. park a bit further from the shops, walk when I can, a bit more gardening....., nothing heavy, just baby steps, I find it helps with sleep. I also put SAD light bulbs in my kitchen which is where I spend most of my time at home.

---------- Post added at 13:35 ---------- Previous post was at 13:14 ----------

After 12 weeks I feel that my thought patterns are slowly returning to normal, I can't really explain but on citralapram I was taking something in the hope of some kind of change, sertraline is slowly making positive changes.

[Joshb]

thanks for the reply Rebecca, :)

[NoPoet]

Hi, if you browse the threads I created here, you'll find the earliest one was about a horrific time with citalopram side effects.

Years later, with what I hope is a lot more strength of character, I've also gone onto the lowest dose of sertraline hoping this will be the last medication I use and this will be the last time I need to use medication as a crutch.

The annoyingly familiar side effects came within an hour of the first dose: greatly heightened anixety, a bad night's sleep, such a pain in the poo region after mirtazapine gently and comfortably singing me to sleep at night and making me feel all comfortable.

All I can say is, side effects pass. Your body will adapt, you'll get through this and you'll have another victory under your belt. So yeah, even the lowest dose of an SSRI can be intrusive and unpleasant, but if you can get through this, and you can face life on the lowest dose, you are only one step away from being able to rely entirely on yourself.

It's tough, it can be harsh and it generally isn't fair - but were any of us given a contract before we were born, saying that we'd get things easier than everyone else without having to put any effort in? No, we didn't, we were chucked into this cauldron of weirdness called life and told:

"You have been given the capability for self-improvement, but whether you use it or not is up to you. There will be challenges for you to face or avoid as you see fit. We know you can make it, but you must decide whether or not you choose to believe this, because you have also been given free will. Good luck."

[Joshb]

Hi PP

I do like your writing style, I read your cit survival guide, It took me a few sessions, but it was was great.

I changed from 20mg of cit last saturday and for 5 days took 25mg of Sert. then the last couple of days I again halved the dose to 12.5mg of sirt. Today, i didnt take anything. feel okish.. just have some depression which is a bit err depressing ;) maybe i reduced to quick.. not sure

cheers

Josh

[AuntieMoosie]

Josh, I wouldn't be reducing your dose like that just yet. :)

Being on the 25mgs of sertraline was fine, but far too soon to be reducing it as your body probably hasn't even got used to the 25mgs just yet, I'd go back to the 25mgs and stay on that, then gradually build it up from there, but don't reduce as that may well bring your symptoms back rapidly.

What dose does your doctor want you to take?? and are you going to be seeing them regularly? It's very important when making changes like this, to be in close contact with your doctor just so as they can see what's happening with you :)

[Joshb]

Hi Auntie M

I just took 12.5mg of sirt after reading what you said. I just want to be free of meds and use natural ways along with self help cbt such as the one in your signature.

I seemed fine on 25mg for 5 days and seemed so on 12.5mg the past few days too, I guess i should taper more gradually rather than rush, i will stick with 12.5mg for a week I guess.

I was on venlafaxine for 10 years, and managed to come off that in May this year. That was erm, interesting. The problem was when i came of meds i never had any coping skills or really new what was wrong, so when i was in a stressful situation i had panic and anxiety which quickly became self sustaining and resulted in me going on citalapram. I think now i have more coping skills but wont really know until i test them out without the aid of meds which only act to cover up your feelings i think.

I dont usually take my meds in the evening but have just taken it at about 8pm. I guess i will just have another 12.5mg in the morning... My doctors are generally rubbish regarding this and just seem to want to prescribe stuff left right and centre without ever really trying to help sort out the underlying issues.

thanks so much for replying..

Josh

[AuntieMoosie]

It's great that you're wanting to try things the natural way and it's good to hear that Josh :)

Just don't try running before you can walk, it's very easy to move to quickly and then set yourself back, so just put yer breaks on a little :winks:

Are you doing the CBT now?? Or are you actually waiting to see a therapist?

If you're doing the CBT now, on your own, I'd give it at least a month before trying to reduce anymore, you will find it helpful to have that little back up whilst you're getting to grips with your CBT :)

Once you've learned lots of new skills and new ways of thinking and behaving with anxiety, then that's the time to start reducing, but slowly does it!!

If you're doing the CBT4PANIC, it's an excellent program, it's the one and only thing that's ever helped me, Robin, who's program it is, is so helpful and supportive too, study it really well, keep reading it over and over and when you feel confident enough, try putting it into practice, I've found it really helpful :)

[Joshb]

Hi, I am half way through a 6 week cbt mindfulness course, But i find the CBT4PANIC much more indepth although it doesnt seem to cover low mood/ light depression much, well not that i have read or watched yet, I have done book 2. The problem i have is that it isnt really one thing that triggers me, it's more generalised lack of self esteem and confidence and general fear of life I suppose so its always simmering away in the background

:)

[southey]

Your last post sounds a lot like my situation?

While I would love to be drug free I'm not sure it would be a good idea at the moment?

A bit of my background is that I have suffered Depression my whole adult life, mainly a low level depression/mood but sometimes it can cycle between a sort of feeling great and really low. I thought I maybe could be Bi-Polar but my symptoms don't really fit that great?
Then in 2004 I got hit with Anxiety and panic attacks out of nowhere one day, quit my job and had my first mental meltdown. I went on the Cit' at this time and it got me up and running again but after stopping a year later or so I had another attack and so on several more times over the years every time I came of the meds. During this time my depression stayed the same.

Then recently I swapped to sert' which you know about and I have been good on both the Anxiety and Depression. I don't want these things to come back but know they will re-surface after a while off drug. Drug free would be good and maybe one day it will happen but for now it's the drugs keeping me going?

Steve

[Joshb]

Hi Steve your situation does sound similar to mine,

I just wonder if developing coping strategies will help trying to fix the issues at source, rather than dull the symptoms down with meds. This would mean basically reprogramming how you think about things and making those thoughts and strategies second nature so they permanently stick. I am having a bit of a hard time with low mood at the moment, worrying about the future, have i wasted my life etc etc, I wonder if most people think these thoughts but they just have better coping strategies, rather then dwell on them and turn inwards and start a cycle of worry, anxiety and depression..

I hope the answer can be found within ourselves rather then within the hands of meds


cheers

Josh

[AuntieMoosie]

Steve......you're not my secret identical twin are you?? :ohmy:

I,too, have suffered from depression since 1984.....mine started off with severe post natal depression following the birth of my second child.

Since then, I've had many, many episodes of depression, 3 needing admission to hospital.

I was then ticking along nicely, and suddenly in 2004 I was hit with massive panic attacks coming from no where, completely out of the blue, hit me like a ton of bricks :scared15:

That was the spark that then lead me to becoming completely agoraphobic, being completely housebound and unable to go anywhere, sometimes not even being able to go downstairs or in the garden :weep:

Thankfully, I joined NMP and found Robins program, believe me, it's the best thing that's happened to me in most of my life :) Through following Robins program, I was able to start going out and about at the end of last year.

I still have a long way to go though, I can only handle trips that are close to home, I'm going to be working hard on trying to go further afield now :)


On the depression side of things, it's really a completely different ball game to that of anxiety and panic really, I know the 2 often go hand in hand, but their treatment is quite different, with different issues from both of them.

I admire anyone who tries to do it the natural way, sadly, I'm not able to do that, as every time they've taken me off of the antidepressants, I've rapidly relapsed, one time so bad I had another admission to hospital :weep:

It was then that I was told that I'd have to remain on antidepressants for life in order to keep me well. To be honest, in the grand scheme of things, it really doesn't bother me that much, the important thing for me is keeping well and if I have to have medication for that, then so be it :)

I do try and have had many different natural therapies to work along side my medication, and I've found them to be most helpful too.

I've had aromatherapy, reflexology, art therapy, music therapy, relaxation therapies and some dietry one's too, I found them all helpful and positive things to do :)

So at the end of the day, Josh, it's really all about learning about ourselves, what works and what doesn't.

Try to keep on open mind on everything, there's really no cut and dried way to treat depression as we are all so different, just try what you can and see what helps you :)

[southey]

Nice post Auntie:)

I think for me too it's the meds that keep me well. I have tried CBT, relaxation and other strategies with little success when a anxiety attack comes on. The depression I could live with but the anxiety is too horrid for words and nothing has helped yet except SSRI's (and a few Diazepam thrown in for luck)!

We are all different and I hope Josh can do this naturally?

Steve

[Joshb]

Thanks for the great post Auntie M, I guess the trick is not to fear meds if they are the only thing that helps.

Steve have you tried the CPB4 PANIC in Anuntie M's signature? Its very very good. I have downloaded it all and even joined up all the videos for each workbook and made smaller so they fit on my iphone. I also made audio only versions of of each workbook video to listen to when I cannot watch them. They are packed with great skills. I think the trick is you have to keep on and on with the relearning. I dont expect that something that took you many years to learn can be changed with just a few weeks of cbt. I think it is also about maintenance. you have to keep on with the skills even if you feel ok I imagine it like if you stop practising something like the guitar or whatever, after a short time you get 'rusty' and your fingers cant move or do what they did when you were practising every day.

This is how i am trying to lok at it, although I am still at the early stages so who knows lol.!!


cheers

Josh

[AuntieMoosie]

Thank you Steve and Josh, I'm finding your posts very interesting and helpful to me too :hugs:

That's right Josh, I think it's a onward learning thing, we never really stop learning and making our skills better as we go.

I keep an open mind and never say never to anything, just do whatever you finds helps you, if it helps you, that's all that matters :D

Steve maybe that is what's right for you, it doesn't matter 2 jots what path you want to go down, as long as it feels right for you, than you've hit the jackpot and I do agree the anxiety and panic is awful :hugs:

[Joshb]

Hi, so its been a few days since i stopped taking meds and how do I feel? Emotionally all over the place at times to be honest. I am trying some natural alternatives including Relora. a little inotisol and a little L-Thiamine at bedtime.

I am definitely sleeping better which is good, although i do have intrusive depressive thoughts and low level anxiety much of the time. I feel like I have an internal bully continually chipping away at me, telling me i have failed in life and am not good enough. For me I feel relief may come if I can somehow dis-empower that internal bully as without power it cannot cause me anxiety or give me negative, depressive thoughts. I just need to find a way to properly and believably invalidate my internal bully.... I think hehe

cheers

Josh

[Sparkle1984]

So did the sertraline not work for you either?

[Joshb]

HI Sparkle,, its not that Sertraline did not work for me, (citalapram certainly did not) its that i have decided to attempt natural meds such as those i mentioned in my last post, along side trying to change my mental attitude towards anxiety and depressive thoughts using self help cbt (along with a 6 week group cbt ), self help EMDR and mindfulness.

It appears that from what I haveread so far (please point me to literature if I am wrong), there is no clear case for our condition to be caused by physical ailments in our brain (unless there is some damage to the brain). Rather it is purely how we have come to perceive our world that creates our condition. Therefore we are not actually victims at the whim of our crazy unceasing thoughts

The problem from what I understand so far, is what has taken many years to learn in the way of how we deal with things, needs to be totally relearned.

It seems our emotional responses to things become very real chemical responses and very real physical responses, but ultimately if we can relearn our emotional responses they will not manifest into chemical and physical responses.

It sounds so easy but in reality it is probably one of the hardest things in life to do, especially as it seems to require facing our biggest 'demons' and truly believing they have no real power over us, only what we let them have.

That's how I understand it at present. I guess if I fail or am totally wrong i can always go back on the happy pills which would not be a fail either, but I think to myself am I really that different from other people? some of which seem to handle much more hardship and stress then me without the anxiety and depression. It is not that I am a failure, its just that my method of dealing with life and what it throws at me it is out of perspective.... I think ;)

cheers

Josh