sertraline improvement plato?

[shebang86]

Hi all,

my first post on anything of this sort. Diagnosed with depression in feb after believing to have had it creep up on me for about a year and a half, also suffer mild ocd and quite a bit of anxiety - all linked.

i was started on 20mg of citalopram and during the 6 weeks i took this i became more and more suicidal (i wasnt even suicidal at all before) so was changed to sertraline 50mg.

The weeks transition was awful, scary and full of panic attacks. I then became a bit spaced out but felt a lot better very quickly.

However, i have started to feel that over the past 3 weeks my progress has halted, if not i'm actually going back to what i was - withdrawn, lethargic, no interest in anything, and self destructive.

is this normal? i'm a little scared i might be suggested to up my dose as i know this will space me out.

[onceagain]

hi there

I'm also taking sertraline i'm on the starting dose of 50mg. I have not suffered any of the negative side effects as I did on the Citalopram so that is a plus.. I saw my doctor yesterday and told him that he was right that it doesn't take the negative feelings and thoughts away but it is taking the edge of it ... but even as I sit here typing I have that tight feeling in my throat and butterflies in my stomach a stark reminder of my illness and I am trying to build up the confidence to get my tracksuit on and head for the gym.. and I will but takes me ages ..arghhh.

My doctor said that it is a balancing effect it will not take away the feelings or thoughts but gives you enough scope to try and work through your thoughts in a more logical way... he said that he may consider upping the dose to 100mg which apparently is the norm but that it is too soon and the aim is to be able to cope on the lowest dose possible as anxiety and negative thoughts play a part in every humans life to a degree. his exact words were that we shouldn't always dismiss the negative feelings and thoughts as they have to play a part in our lives, that we will like others suffer low and high days but that we shouldn't cover up all negative thoughts or feelings as that is a normal response to let us know that we have things that need to be sorted out.

There are times when it takes hold that I want to disagree but I'm not reaching for a knife anymore when things get too much though the thoughts are there believe me.. so he must be right...

He said they are not a miracle they are there to assist.. sometimes I feel they don't because I still feel so negative at times but I'm only on week 5 so I will keep plodding on with it .. the very best of luck to you and me... seems that we have to lean on ourselves a little with this medication, but have to say that it is wonderful not feeling so bad as I did on citalopram.. don't think until we have resolved the problems through proper therapy being put into action that the negative feelings will leave so thats what I'm hanging in there for x

[shebang86]

hi sharon,

thanks for letting me know you've experienced something very similar to me. I was put up to 100mg which has floored me with headaches and the most powerful tiredness but has lifted my mood almost immediately. i am comfortable having normal ups and downs, but i need to be able to get out of my bed for work, feel that i can face talking to people.

I'm looking forward to the counselling, i dont have any deep horrible dark secret but i've clearly picked up some bad habits over a number of years, and cant wait to get it fixed and start acting like a normal 23 year old!

Good luck x

[onceagain]

hi thanks for replying, yes I do know that each and every morning bar the odd one here and there is a struggle to face the day, which is just odd as didn't feel like that at all until last year despite everything...

I will stick with it and hope that it is manageable as citalopram did all the nasties to me and I couldn't face being there again.

Wishing you the very best let me know how it goes x

[rooby]

hi to you both

I have had the same experience, was on escitalopram for 6 months with no improvement so was switched to sertraline. started on 25, then 50 for a month, reached a low point, so dose upped to 100 for 2 weeks and now just gone up to 150mg.

I haven't had any side effects really apart from headache and feeling a bit more tired than normal but I am taking advantage of that to rest more.

I read on the internet that these ADs can plateau and one option is to up the dose in the hope for improvement. I have decided that if I am going to take these at all I might as well go for it and take the prescribed dose for a few weeks and if I reach another plateau I will come off them.

I am having therapy as well which has really been helpful, and I thought I had no serious issues to deal with until I started and then everything I had been bottling up came out and I really think the therapy has been more helpful than the tablets. If you can get a good therapist go for it.

Its nice to know others have the same things going on here!

[shebang86]

Yea its definately reassuring. you seem to have had the same side effects as me. although i've just posted again about waking up soaking in cold sweats during the night which has just happened, it's bothering me and i'll end up working myself up into a panic over it. i also get a really spotty head (in my hair) really sore but i know thats a stress thing. have you had the sweats thing? xx

[rooby]

yes had the hot sweats in the night but no where near as bad as when I was on Lexapro when I also had really vivid dreams with them. I don't have it every night either and I found that keeping the window open and the room cool really helps.

Funny you say about the sore head, I get exactly the same thing, I put it down to eczema that I have really bad on my hands, and have had it in my hair before but it has come back again - I didn't connect it to the med just put it down to stress like you.

lets hope they work soon for us :flowers:

[unspoken]

Hi. I took 50mg a day for 4 months and it took quite a while to feel the effect. A month ago, I went up to 100mg, on the advice of my GP. I didn't think it would be any better than the 50mg but I feel speeded up. My lows are less low and less frequent. I no longer spend hours thinking dreadful thoughts. I do find it difficult to get to sleep and I tend to wake up early in the morning. It is worth trying increasing the dose if after several months they don't seem to be having enough effect.