Progress Report After 11 Weeks

[maro111]

Hi,

I though I would post how things are going for me after 11 weeks on Sertraline (6 weeks on 50mg, 5 weeks on 100mg).

Background

Im 31 and have always been quite shy. I developed full on Social Anxiety when I started uni in 1999. Uni was very difficult to get through and after finishing in 2002 I had a couple of part time jobs for a year or two. Since then I havent worked. I have pushed all my friends away and rarely leave the house (only doing so with parents). I literally have no life. Ive only had one relationship 6 years ago which lasted 3 months. Over the past ten years I have been on 4 medications (Venlafaxine, Citalopram, Clomipramine and now Sertraline). Venlafaxine was the most effective so far at 225mg but the side effects were too harsh.

I suffer with Social Anxiety, General Anxiety Disorder, OCD and Depression. Most of these run through my mums mum side of the family.

Sertraline Experience

On 50mg the first thing I noticed was that my mind wasn't racing as much and I wasn't going over and over the same negative thoughts quite as much. OCD was no different. At about 5 1/2 weeks I did feel a little more confident about myself and my anxiety improved slightly.

Since being on 100mg my thoughts have slowed down even more and are on the whole more neutral (which is much better than how negative they were). Im not as jealous of other people either. My anxiety has improved slightly due to developing almost a tunnel vision, so that I don't notice people as much around me when im in the garden or care that they are there. I'm definitely more tired and am going for rests in the afternoon, but I think a lot of this has to do with depression, which hasn't improved and I guess wont until I get out of the house etc. I feel lethargic and cant be bothered doing much.

I can be very tired and down until I eat and then become jittery afterwards.

I have found that I have started to watch more documentaries and films which might be a sign that my concentration is improving.

To sum up. I feel more neutral than how I was. I was at a very low point so its been a blessing, especially the slowing of recurring thoughts. My anxiety and depression still rule my life and I am not leaving the house area at all really. I still spend some days in bed.

I hope to see improvement in the next couple of weeks and will update this soon.

[Torri]

I have been on 50 for a year and the last 2 weeks 100, I have just started to notice a change in me....I'm not having a anxiety and I have a bit more energy lol....the last 2 weeks have been horrid I was having dizziness and panic everyday, but I'm glad that's gone, I just hope it's going to continue as I want my life back

[maro111]

I have been on 50 for a year and the last 2 weeks 100, I have just started to notice a change in me....I'm not having a anxiety and I have a bit more energy lol....the last 2 weeks have been horrid I was having dizziness and panic everyday, but I'm glad that's gone, I just hope it's going to continue as I want my life back

Hi. Sorry the last two weeks have been bad for you. I glad you have got through the side effects and hopefully you will get better each day. It may have helped that you were on 50mg for so long

[Torri]

I know I can cope with the side effects, and nothing could be as bad as the anxiety and panic attacks, I am luck to have a supportive hubby and family

[maro111]

Wow I am so tired and lethargic atm. A couple of hours after taking tablet it hits me like a brick wall. Hope it dosen't last. Not sure if to take it at night

[reddevil]

Hi,

They have made me tired and a little can not be bothered etc.

I was hoping this would improve.

Red

[maro111]

Yeah I'm really hoping it will improve soon as well. From what I have read some people continue to feel foggy whereas for the majority it seems to pass. Really struggling to function atm.

---------- Post added at 11:16 ---------- Previous post was at 11:13 ----------

I don't seem to get the side effects until after a few weeks which seems to be the time when most people are getting over them. Must just react to them slowly mabye.

[reddevil]

I have to admit, this feeling of being foggy only started last week on me and I think I'm on week four of 150mg, no other side effects apart from the common increase of anxiety / depression.

[maro111]

Once I have established the right dose etc am going to combine it with Paul Mckenna cd to attack it from different angles. I have used the cd's before on their own and have found them to be helpful. I remember on one occasion thinking ' this feels like I have taken medication'. However the cd wasn't enough on its own so i'm hoping the combination will be powerful.

[Laheed]

Hi Maro,

To be honest, my long-term problems are nothing compared to yours. I have never suffered from anxiety or depression until very recently. I'm putting it down to a combination of burn-out and bereavement. I am on my 10th week of Sertaline and feel really good and I'm only on 50mg at that.

That preface is so that I don't get your hopes up too much. But I can't help but notice that you seem to be improving. More than that, you seem to me experiencing similar things to me when I first began to recover. The thoughts come first. They recede and they turn into a battle... you start being able to question the anxious thoughts, which you certainly don't before. The physical symptoms will only start to recede when the thoughts go. Unfortunately however, there is a bit of a lag, so they persist even if your thoughts are distracted. Which of course makes it almost impossible to stay distracted. This is the anxiety trap - or at least was for me. Anxiety about anxiety. But if, as I think I read you say somewhere, a battle is beginning to take place in your head, that's a good sign.

I think you are right with the CD as well. Talking therapies, whatever helps. In my limited experience, it just doesn't feel like drugs can cure anxiety. Only by confronting your fears and having good life experience can it recede. The drugs just help to get you into a place where you can think about doing that.

Can't help much on the depression. The drugs just got rid of mine. Very simple. And Sertraline energised me rather than tiring me out, before it settled down. At the time I really resented that because I found the insomnia the most agonising symptom.