Sertraline - Thinking Of Giving up.

[reddevil]

Hi all,

In total, I have been on this medication for 11 weeks, with just over 3 weeks being on 100mg, with my follow up appointment next Tuesday with my doctor.

I'm still not sure if this medication is working and I'm curious if I increased next week, would this help or is the drug just not working for me because last time I spoke with my doctor, he suggested increasing next time.

Today, my anxiety is terrible, body shakes, worry of nausea etc.

Red

[PanchoGoz]

I threw mine in the bin..haha...going for inositol instead.

[Dazza123]

I've only just started this and today has been rough, but I've got 4x5mg diazepam tablets to take daily with mine, I know this isn't great but I don't care, it's keeping the worse effects mildish and I can just about cope, will come off the diazepam as soon as the sert settles but until then I'm sticking with them.

[reddevil]

I can deffinetly confirm the medication has lifted my depression but it was the anxiety, which I wanted lifting at the same time.

Does anybody know if an increase would help with anxiety?

[humanagain]

Hi there,

Sorry to hear that Sertraline is not helping the anxiety. I had the same thing, but Sertraline made me much worse to a point i was bedridden with terrible anxiety. If i'd have held out, who knows it could have worked.

My doc swapped me over to Citalapram, and that worked for me. Hellish few weeks and then all became ok.

Hope all goes well,

Ian

[maro111]

Hi
I have been on sertraline for 7 weeks...6 weeks at 50mg and 1 at 100mg. I think from what read that higher doses are better for anxiety and ocd and lower doses for depression. I may be wrong there so please dont quote me on it but I think if 100mg isnt helping your anxiety a higher dose might do the job. You can go upto 200mg. Ive also readpeople saying that they continued to improve after upto 6 months of taking them

---------- Post added at 12:56 ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 ----------

I think you have to give the 100mg at least 6 weeks

[ruthless]

Hi

I have been on Sertraline for over 9 weeks now. About 6 weeks on 100mg after initially starting on 50mg. For the last few weeks I have been feeling so much better - really almost normal. The first 2-3 weeks on 100mg was not good, but after that I felt a steady improvement. I really feel good most of the time now, and am going back to work next week after 10 weeks off.

My Sertraline is for anxiety, not depression, and 100mg is good for me. It may be that you need a higher dose to help you. I f I were you I would stick out the 100mg a bit longer and if you still don't feel any better in a few weeks, go back to your gp to discuss a higher dose

[Laheed]

I am on day 25 of 50mg.

Week 1 - obvious side effects. Occasional mild bouts of euphoria and ecstacy. No problem - actually quite enjoyable. Some low mood and anxiety, but to be honest that's almost certainly wasn't the drugs. Insomnia, but that's been awful for ages.

Week 2 - Felt ok. Much calmer. Still quite a lot of low mood. No obvious side effects apart from dry mouth. Fine. Insomnia patchy but some positive signs.

Week 3 - Brilliant. Hardly any low mood and hardly any anxeity. Sleeping well.

Week 4 - So far, a disaster. I drunk (bad idea), then went into a 3 day whirlwind of, initially depression, but then lots of anxiety. Finally had a panic attack as my sleep became reliant on Zopiclone again. This is part because of my poor psychological dealing with regressing and maybe minor withdrawl symptoms following the alcohol.

However, now is perhaps the weirdest phase yet. I feel like I am on cocaine. Anxiety relatively low and depressing non-existent - I feel a bit high. Have so much energy. This came on last night. I've just gone back to work and feel razor sharp, but would like to be a bit calmer... Going to have to go for a massive run later. Sleep last night was weird too... I had some heart flutterings, but felt calm and nonplussed about them. But was just too energised to sleep. Breathing exercises difficult because my mind was restless and actually seemed to make me worse. I can sit still and am not really doing much, but I feel so energetic, like a I could run a marathon. Bizarre - anyone experienced this? And why now after side effects seemed to disappear and I seemed to be less anxious?

[maro111]

Hi

I have been on Sertraline for over 9 weeks now. About 6 weeks on 100mg after initially starting on 50mg. For the last few weeks I have been feeling so much better - really almost normal. The first 2-3 weeks on 100mg was not good, but after that I felt a steady improvement. I really feel good most of the time now, and am going back to work next week after 10 weeks off.

My Sertraline is for anxiety, not depression, and 100mg is good for me. It may be that you need a higher dose to help you. I f I were you I would stick out the 100mg a bit longer and if you still don't feel any better in a few weeks, go back to your gp to discuss a higher dose

Thanks for that ruthless, it has eased my mind as well...just a shame they take so long to work.

---------- Post added at 12:29 ---------- Previous post was at 12:24 ----------

Hi Laheed. I havent had one you are experiencing this week to such a high level but I am jittery and do have more energy than usual. I think you are still experiencing side effects. I have had different side effects along the way with some only starting after 4 or 5 weeks. I think if you hang in there they should go soon and you will get the therapeutic effects of the drugs. This happened between weeks 5 and 6 for me before I increased dosage

[Emphyrio]

I'm starting to get annoyed with Sertraline - not because I don't think its working on depression and anxiety (it seems to be), but because of the annoying side effects. I've been taking it for 18 days not and still have some kind of annoying visual disturbance - I'm getting back into the mood for studying and I can't look at a computer properly :( I'm going to give it the four weeks and see if these visual disturbances have reduced - if not, its back to the doctor (god knows what else I'll be given!)

I should look on the bright side though - at least its not affected my libido...

---------- Post added at 22:22 ---------- Previous post was at 22:10 ----------

Just realised I used the word annoyed or annoying too much - sertraline has rubber ducked my vocabulary :( :( :(