Starting sertraline scared and unsure
Hi all well I have finally plucked up the courage to talk to the dr about the overwhelming fear and symptoms I have been having. It didnt go too well the dr i spoke to was very belittling and atm has put me off ever asking for help again. But after she felt she had put me down enough she has prescribed sertraline. I have never taken this ever I took citalopram bk about 6 years ago and had a really bad reaction to it basically it felt like I had an aneurysm something exploded in the bk of my head. It didnr obviously but they said it was a reaction to the citalopram and I should stop them straight away. Well this has made me anxious about using anything else. I have reached a point in my anxiety where I feel I canr manage it alone but am scared about trying this. I dont want to look up side effects because I will feel every one. Is this an ok medication will it help of hinder?
Re: Starting sertraline scared and unsure
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Originally Posted by
panicstricken
Hi all well I have finally plucked up the courage to talk to the dr about the overwhelming fear and symptoms I have been having. It didnt go too well the dr i spoke to was very belittling and atm has put me off ever asking for help again.
Sigh!! :curse: Some doctors need to be constantly reminded that they are not the tin gods they imagine themselves to be and that in any business exchange the person with the money, i.e. you in this case, is the more important person.
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I have never taken this ever I took citalopram bk about 6 years ago and had a really bad reaction to it basically it felt like I had an aneurysm something exploded in the bk of my head. It didnr obviously but they said it was a reaction to the citalopram and I should stop them straight away.
SSRIs can initially trigger headaches by affecting blood vessel tone, constriction and dilation, but it is usually short lived.
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I dont want to look up side effects because I will feel every one.
A very wise choice!
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Is this an ok medication will it help of hinder?
I can't say whether sertraline will be the right med for you, that can only be determined by trying it, but there is a very good chance it will be. Sertraline is arguably the most benign chemically of the SSRIs. I trust you been only prescribed 10mg for the first week or two to minimise any side-effects? If not, demand a prescription for that dose.
Re: Starting sertraline scared and unsure
Thankyou panic down under for your reply x I started it today the dr prescribed 25mg but I cut it in half and took that xx it made me feel Ill as I took it with breakfast as dr suggested x I might switch to taking it at night and see how I go xx not sure if I can do this and obvs halving g tablet isn't precise but I felt a bit better about trying it that way obviously dont want to talk to the dr agai as she was so rude and hurtful the first time xx
Re: Starting sertraline scared and unsure
Quote:
Originally Posted by
panicstricken
I cut it in half and took that xx it made me feel Ill as I took it with breakfast as dr suggested x I might switch to taking it at night and see how I go
In theory it shouldn't make much difference when you take it as after a few days sertraline blood plasma levels will stabilize to a steady state and then not vary much across 24 hours, however, some report doing better when it is taken at a particular time of day. The important thing is to pick a time when you can consistently take it.
You probably would do okay on the full 25mg, but if you're more confident taking only half initially then that's okay too though it is better to get the prescribing doctor's okay first.
The rule of thumb on this is to stay on a dose for 5 times the half-life of the med (24 hours for sertraline) before increasing the it (or decreasing when weaning off), so consider taking the full 25mg on day 6. There is little to be gained in waiting longer as any increase in side-effects severity after upping the dose will still occur irrespective of how long the delay. Also, taking sub therapeutic doses for long periods may increase the risk of the med pooping-out.
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not sure if I can do this and obvs halving g tablet isn't precise but I felt a bit better about trying it that way
The important thing is to keep taking the med no matter what and if splitting the dose helps you do this then that's great. Side-effects are not always down to the med. Psychology is at least as important as chemistry and biology. Convince yourself that you will suffer greatly and an anxious mind is quite capable of producing your worst fears on cue. Despite the impression given by support groups, most only have mild symptoms when first taking an AD. It is the few with more severe issues who gravitate to groups like NMP.
Pharmacies sell pill-cutters which make splitting tablets easier, more accurate and less bloody.
