this is getting me down

[HRose]

Hi everyone

I've been having an especially tough couple of weeks - don't feel like I can do anything social or be in public unnecessarily and really struggling to get on the tube in the morning to get to work (which I'm also struggling with). Feeling very off balance and depersonalized and today at work (I work in a small book shop) it looked like the whole shop was covered in a strange mist! I was taking 20mg citalopram for a couple of weeks, but my dr has just switched me to 50mg Sertraline which I can't start until Friday as I'm weaning off the citalopram first. I've read some good things about sertraline so I'm hoping it's going to help me too. Basically, to make things worse, I've been rostered on to do some shifts at a larger, much busier shop. My first shift there is on Wednesday and I'm feeling really worried about it. I know the people at my shop really well, and my manager is very understanding of what i'm going through, so I'm really worrying about working with people I don't know, who don't understand my problem. Should I put my foot down and say I'm not comfortable going to this other store just yet or should I try and see what happens? I'm concerned I'm going to wake up on wednesday morning and feel physically incapable of going :wacko:
Hannah xx

[Tyke]

Hi Hannah

I think it would be best to speak to your manager and see if they can put off your work at the other store for now. As you state your manager is sympathetic, I would just say that you have had your medication changed and you are feeling unwell due to the side effects from this. At the end of the day, they won't want to push you into something and then lose you through illness!

I am on Setraline, and it has helped me a lot. It does usually take a few weeks to kick-in though and the side effects can be tough initially. You will need to take it easy for the first few weeks and don't need any added stress. There is a lot of support for Sertraline users on the 'forum - medications - sertraline' section if you feel you need it.

Good luck with it all Hannah :).

Tyke

[Ingenious]

Yes I agree that speaking to your manager is a good start, just letting him know how you feel could be such a weight off your chest.

I remember weaning off Citalopram and for a week or so had some right odd side effects, but the thing to remember is these are just physical side effects, they won't harm you and you should try to keep them in perspective.

Maybe speak to your boss and tell him you're mid-way through a medication change. Then either they'll not roster you there, or you can go there but on the understanding you might not be able to cope too well. I'm sure your boss would rather you were at work somewhere than off sick.

Good luck anyway - it might not be as bad as you think :)

[HRose]

Thankyou both very much for your advice and support. I have tomorrow off so I will see how I'm feeling and call my manager. If I do decide to go, perhaps he could make the people at this other shop aware that I'm not very well. I'm just worried about head office thinking I'm just fobbing off work. I suppose we need to take care of ourselves first at the end of the day and try not to feel guilty about these things. I took 2mg of diazepram today - half first thing this morning, half in the evening just before I finished work- and although it's not a huge amount, I do feel like it helped keep me calm a little, though I was horribly uncoordinated all day! :) x