Been to GP-not what I wanted to hear- Thoughts & help needed

[Pandagirl]

Have been through a lot in the last few months, mum diagnosed with cancer (all fine now), son being diagnosed with dyslexia and other stressy issues. Thought I was coping pretty well, just very tired (going to bed at 9.30pm :-).
Went to GP for an MOT, had various blood tests & all came back ok. When I went back to see him he said he wanted to start me on 50mg Sertraline! He said he was worried that I may end up in the state I was in in 2007! I must admit I don't feel great & currently stressing about a tiny lump on roof of my mouth that I've had for a few weeks ( have been really good & not Dr Googled!) I don't feel that feel in that awful panicky place yet. I told him I was taking EPA Fish Oil & Vitamin B. He said that some people just have cycles of depression & anxiety & that in my case it was also predisposition that I would have this as both my parents have suffered with anxiety! I have filled the Sertraline prescription but haven't taken any yet. When I was on Cipralex a few years ago, it worked very well but I also gained over a stone in weight & had terrible sweet cravings. GP said that weight gain is not a side effect with this medication?? Sure he said that about Cipralex. I love my GP, he's very understanding, sent me for un-needed tests to reassure me & I trust him.

Really need some opinions & help on this. Anyone on Sertraline, does it work, side effects etc...?? Is the stressing about the tiny lump on the roof of my mouth (which isn't there when I wake up in the morning??) going to send me back into a cycle of googling & panic.

Would really appreciate any help with this as I feel stuck between a rock & hard place :weep:

[chickpea]

Sounds like you've had a tough time recently, with a lot on your plate.
Your doctor sounds great - very empathetic and with your best interests at heart - so I think in your situation, I'd follow his advice and try the medication.
If you know you might be prone to weight gain before you start taking it, at least you can keep a check on your cravings.xx

[yenool]

I'm not a huge fan of antidepressants but Sertraline is one of the better ones I tried. Side effects for me were jaw clenching, teeth grinding,nausea and loss of appetite (no bad thing for me!).

It can increase anxiety in the first week or so but should reduce it after that. I can understand your doctor's logic of wanting to 'nip it in the bud' before it gets a hold again properly. I also agree with the cycles of anxiety and depression, I get those myself and the problem is by the time you realize you are low, you are really low, if that makes sense.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I don't think you should read into the predisposition issue because as a GP he/she would not know whether this is true or not since medical science is still determining the reasons for these conditions.

Its a possibility but not a certainty. It does not mean that you will be a lifelong sufferer of anxiety or that you can't beat it.

[Serenity1990]

Tbh I think your doctor is jumping to a good few too many conclusions. Having a difficult few months and being a bit down in the dumps does not equate to depression. Having a stressful few months does not equate to an anxiety disorder. Yes certain mental health conditions can be inherited, but depression/anxiety are still disputed in that regard as whilst it's true that there is a positive correlation between parents having them and children, it is not yet established in the data whether that is because of environmental factors or genetic.

I'd urge anyone to speak at length to a doctor specialising in mental health before going on anti-depressants. There's only very patchy evidence that they help with anxiety, and even with depression they should be a last resort.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Here are the side effects:

http://www.drugs.com/sfx/sertraline-side-effects.html

Weight gain appears in the 'incedence not known' category but a more common one is weight loss. However, these could be just referring to the initial side effects.

I agree with Serenity, I can't understand why your GP is wanting to put you on medication as a deterrent as that is not what they are prescribed for. Surely by that token he wants you on them forever...because you are predisposed to it? You didn't even go to your GP because of this and state yourself that whilst you have been under a lot of pressure, you are not at that stage so why medicate on the off chance it may get to that stage. I would expect a GP to keep monitoring you from this baseline to see if you worsen.

In terms of whether you will start Googling again, I think you know the answre to that question because you are are better now than you were in the past so you can make a comparison between your moods and your actions. Can you just say to yourself that its nothing but it is stressing you because you are under environmental pressures? If so, keep an eye on your behaviour but don't dwell on the lump or you could work yourself back into that pattern of behaviour.

Serenity - have you got any advice on obtaining advice from a doctor specialising? From my experience, all you can access is a GP and their knowledge of medication is very poor (the pharmacists are far superior) and as far as I know you can't access anyone higher without a referral? It would be good to know for the future. My GP has lied to me in the past as I've done my research and found the NHS & NICE don't agree with him so I'm wary of GP's thesedays when it comes to mental health.

[Pandagirl]

Thankyou for your replies. To be honest I think he is trying to cover my back. I do suffer from HA, was diagnosed in 2007.Was in such a bad place, convinced I was going to die. Didn't get out of bed for 2 weeks, my mum had to come & stay to look after my little boy. I dont ever want to be back there. Have had a few HA blips since then, but not major. Was on Cipralex till 2010, I never gave into the sugar cravings but managed to gain weight anyway, so was glad when I came off them. Was just disappointed that he feels drugs are the only answer & that I feel that I am going to be prone to a cycle of HA forever!!

I am stressed & had a few major things going on, but other people cope with worse. I feel a failure & angry that before 2007 I never worried about my health. Has anybody felt better, overcome the panic without drugs??

[wnsos]

Honestly I think having GPs that understand mental health even a little bit is sadly so rare, but it sounds like yours is thinking of you and caring about you. I know this board seems a little anti drugs and I don't hold it against anyone to be, but I definitely think that your dr is looking out for you as opposed to slinging diagnosis' your way. xxx

I was on sertraline a couple of times and the gp said there's no weight gain known (I have issues with it too) but as someone else said, I was grinding my teeth something rotten. (Not actually rotten.)

Someone I saw from the mental health team says that anti depressants aren't forever but sometimes we just need a little help :hugs: so sorry about all you're dealing with.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm pro antidepressants myself but I'm pro anything else that may help. I just don't see why a GP would be jumping the gun when he should be monitoring. I had pneumonia as a young man but when I've had infections that presented similiar symptoms since my GP saw it as a possible issue of X not pneumonia and followed the correct course of treatment, he didn't make an assumption of pneumonia but treated the symptoms as he found them.

Antidepressants bring side effects going on them and coming off them and I don't think GP's appreciate the damage this can do because you wouldn't intentionally bring on side effects due to a potential future issue.

You could ask whether its best to just monitor this. My GP is pretty poor as I have found out, yet fine with physical issues, and he has always gone for monitoring unless I presented with serious enough symptoms to need medication.

If your GP can see an onset, he could talk to you about prevention because you worked through it before and know how to do so again.