Progress Report After 11 Weeks

[maro111]

Hi J,

At what rate did you increase your doses? That's pretty quick to get up to 200mg. I can only go by what I have experienced myself and tell you what others have written but I would definitely without doubt stick with it. At 4 weeks on 200mg you might still be experiencing the side effects without experiencing the full therapeutic benefits. Its great that you feel better in the evenings and can relax. Sertraline reaches peak plasma level about 8-9 hours after a dose (I think) and so that's probably why when people start off on Sertraline (given that they take it in the morning) they feel better in the evening and back down again by the morning. I am now finding that I am not dropping as low in the morning as I am increasing the level in my body. The fact that it does work for you in the evening is surely a very good sign .

It sounds like it is starting to work for you already but yeah your right, I have read where people are still feeling better after a good six months.

Please don't bail out yet. I think pretty much everybody has doubts about whether it will work for them or if the side effects are worth it. Only last week I was having such thoughts myself. Today has been the best day for my anxiety since I started the 100mg but I understand that I can still have bad days at this stage. Try to give it at least another 4 weeks before you review things. I know it's so hard to wait for it to work but I'm sure it will be completely amazing when it does! We just have to battle through the bad times to get to the good!

Thanks for the kind words!

---------- Post added at 19:29 ---------- Previous post was at 18:58 ----------

Oh and it is definitely increasing my appetite, which for now isn't a bad thing as was a bit underweight.

[Her Indoors]

Hi Maro,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post and I am really glad to hear you had a better day yesterday. It's always so encouraging when I hear people are improving on medication and there is hope for me too.

It was very interesting what you said that I could be still experiencing side effects, as I hadn't really thought of that and about the reasons why mornings are always so dreadful. Again, I think I have read on this site that as you recover, mornings are usually the last to improve, I certainly hope so.

I was started on Sertraline at 50 mg then after a few weeks increased up to 100 mg, then after a week up to 150, then up to 200 mg after another week. I will add that I was under the care of intensive support as this was happening, as I believe normally people are increased on their meds at a much slower rate than this. I also have been prescribed Diazapam 2 mg to take up to three times a day, but I am now only taking it in the morning and hopefully as I improve, cut it out completely.

I am definitely going to stick it out now, I think in my heart I had really made that decision and reading your posts has certainly helped me greatly, so bless you for that. I have found this forum has been such a comfort, especially as you know that the people on this site really understand how dreadful it is to suffer from this horrible, debilitating condition.

I also found it interesting what you said about the battle beginning with your thoughts, and that now you are feeling more neutral about things. I know medication is not the answer to all our problems, but I am really hoping this will begin to happen to me during the day as well as at night, as it is the obsessive dominating thoughts I have that I really need to be eased which is causing my anxiety.

I will continue to follow your posts with interest and long may you continue to improve.


J xx

[maro111]

Hi J,

I can definitely say that in my experience mornings are the last to improve. It was only a few weeks ago that I was considering taking them at night to feel better in the mornings but now the positive effect is pretty much 24 hours. When I first started it would take me about 2-3 hours after taking the tablet to feel any effect. As time wore on it would take 1 hour, then half an hour etc. And the positive effects would increase during the day.

I never experienced any awful side effects unlike on other ssri's I have tried. I definitely did feel more anxious though. This side effect was strongest when I started taking 100mg and took almost 6 weeks to go away. In fact it was pretty much on the 6 week mark that my nerves settled somewhat. And up to about 5 weeks on 100mg I really couldn't stand leaving the house.

I would be very surprised if you weren't feeling much better in 2-4 weeks.

Im really pleased I have helped you stick with it

From my experience, the drug is fantastic at stopping the obsessive thoughts. I used to dwell on things so badly. That has improved about 80% and most things just drift from my mind now.

I popped into Chester with my mum today and then to Sainsburys. This would have been a really stressful day for me (not helped by its me that drives). But the Sertraline made it much much easier. I am laughing, much happier and calmer in general. I even said to my mum when we got back that It's so much nicer getting out and doing stuff when not completely stressed out and bogged down physically by it.

This week has been a real improvement. My only concern (well its not that much of a concern is that I am worried about becoming too complacent and unmotivated. I need to build a life for myself which needs a lot of drive.

As of the moment I am not progressing in life but the life I lead is much easier thanks to the tablets. I am a huge worrier, but I am brushing things off more now.

[Her Indoors]

Hi Maro,

I am so pleased to hear how much better you are feeling and that you have managed to get out today. I too have had a better day and have managed to go shopping with a very understanding friend who just "gets me". I think unless you have had experience of anxiety it really is hard to understand.

I had my usual terrible morning of waking up in a panic and that terrible feeling of dread, not helped by the fact that as I have had panic attacks whilst showering I find just the thought of having one starts off my anxiety. How strange is that? I have decided I will now shower and wash my hair in the evenings when I feel more relaxed and have a quick bath in the morning.

This afternoon I actually felt my irrational and obsessive thoughts were beginning to calm and had periods during the day when I completely forgot just how unwell I have been feeling.

Its just such a pity that I am still shaking so much all the time. Have you experienced this? I wonder if it is the medication or if it is just my anxiety is not yet under control, even though at times I felt quite calm and was still shaking. I find it very embarrassing when I have to drink a cup of tea in front of people and I spill it because I am shaking so much.

Strangely I can manage to type ok, but have a real problem with texting because of the shakes, especially in the morning.

I really enjoy reading your posts and they have helped and reassured me that the medication will work for me too, so bless you for that.

I sincerely hope you will continue to feel so much better and improve every day.

Kind regards,


J xxx

[maro111]

Hi J,

That's great that you managed to get out shopping and had a better day! There will be plenty more good days to come! Oh yeah without doubt, if you haven't had proper anxiety you cant understand just what a devastating effect it can have on your life!

What do you think it is about showers that causes the panic attacks? Or does it just happen without you thinking of anything bad specifically happening? Switching them to the evening for now is a good idea. I get nauseous when nervous and suck on mints to help. When I take a shower I can panic a bit due to the fact that I don't have access to mints.

Thats awesome!! and what its all about! Soon the gaps between your bad thoughts will get longer and longer until they are just a memory.

The shaking I would put down to the tablets and it being a side effect. It can make restless and jittery. I shake my leg a lot etc. It should settle down for you. Your body is adjusting to a quick increase in tablets to a strong dose. Your side effects will be stronger that way but you get the benefits quicker in the long run. As they are happening in the morning, it might also be a slight withdrawal effect as your levels drop off until next tablet kicks in.

Today has been a bit of a wake up call. I had the most restless night I have had since starting them. Physically very tired but mentally couldn't calm. I feel really edgy today. Just goes to show that can still have bad days until system fully adjusts. It sure is a long road to recovery, but getting nearer to destination.

[Her Indoors]

Hi Maro,

Sorry to hear you had a bad night, hopefully just a small hiccup and you will sleep better tonight. It's dreadful when your body is really tired but your mind is whirring; annoying and frustrating.

I put the whole shower business down to the fact that when I was at my worst a few months back, I would force myself into the shower, have the worrying and obsessive thoughts, become so dizzy and frightened it brought on a panic attack. I think my mind now associates the shower with something very scary.

I haven't had any Diazapam yesterday or today and I feel fine, my mind feels much calmer too, still feel very shakey though.

How do you find your appetite, if you don't mind me asking? I still struggle with food and completely lost mine when I first started this episode. I am a small build anyway and have lost over a stone, so really need to put on some weight as most of my clothes are now too big for me. I have had lunch which for the first time in ages I actually enjoyed and cooked an evening meal last night and managed to eat most of it, so hopefully I am beginning to recover (I expect I have jinxed myself now and will have a terrible weekend!).

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my posts, and have a good weekend. When you feel down, just remember how much you have helped a complete stranger, a lady "in cyberspace" out there, and feel good about yourself.

All the best,

J xx

[maro111]

Yesterday was a strange day. I was edgy the night before and didnt feel right. I felt really down, anxious and my libido was a lot higher than had been. The whole day was as if i wasn't taking tablets at all. Today feel better again and more in line with how have been feeling. Tiredness after a restless night probably didn't help. Just shows me that still potential to be up and down. Have a review a week on Thurs which will be just over 8 weeks at this dose.

Hi J. I struggle to eat when nervous. And cant be bothered when depressed. I am a bit underweight anyway but since starting the tabs I have lost even more which is a common side effect. Still its better than the 3 1/2 stone I put on with Venlafaxine

[maro111]

Luckily it seems like Friday was just a blip. Feeling quite good today. The fact that its a sunny weekend isn't getting me down as it would pre-sertraline. Starting to feel a little less anxious generally but im not going to let myself get over-excited. I have become lazier in the things that bore me like how cleaning etc. At the same time I am slightly more motivated about things that interest me. I feel my judgement about matters is clearer and I am not letting things bother me nearly as much. I feel lighter in general. Im bored most of the time but dont feel able yet to get out into the world. My brother and his gf visited yesterday and I was laughing/smiling. I felt myself at times trying to be self conscious but something in my head shouted it down.

[Her Indoors]

Hi Maro,

Had an awful day today, so jittery and anxious. I am really upset and shakey. Its exhausting being like this. I sometimes feel like the sertraline is making me worse, yet have had times when I have felt calm. This morning was terrible (as usual) and seemed to get worse after I had taken my meds. I had four days of feeling slightly better now feel as bad as weeks ago. I wonder whether my medication is too strong for me as I am only 8 stone. It was four weeks on Friday that I was put up to 200 mg. Please tell me this is just a blip, can't take much more.

So glad you are getting better though.

J xx

[maro111]

Hi J

Really sorry to hear you have had a bad day. What you describe really does sound like side effects. Its impossible to say how long you will have them but over the next couple of weeks they should settle down. I have read a couple of people mention that correct dosage is related to body weight/size etc but tbh I have no idea if this is true. I think the problem is not so much the dose you are on but the speed at which you have increased dosages. Your doctor didn't really give the lower dosages a chance to work going up so quickly. Your body is having to adjust to them pretty quickly. This is why its normal to increase dosages more slowly so the body has an easier time adjusting. But im sure your doctor knows what he/she is doing.

It will definitely be a blip and you just need to stay strong and you will feel so much better very soon.

I tell myself a little saying I once heard when feeling down about the side effects

"If you dont have the debt, you dont deserve the reward" . We must pay this small price to feel so much better.