Sertraline, beginning to help?

[Ccat]

How did you get on J?

thinking of you and hoping you got some help,

love ccat

[Her Indoors]

Thank you so much ccat and carefree for your kind replies, means so much to me I am so low and despondent. I sincerely hope you are improving and doing well.

Went to my appointment with the consultant but feel it was a complete waste of time. He is only going to tweak my medication a little, even though I explained it wasn't helping me, and I thought I would be offered a little more support of some kind, but think that is it really for me. He listened to me and asked me some questions, but seemed at a loss really how to help me. At the end of the session he suggested private therapy would really be my best option to ensure I saw the same therapist and I can see his point as I find seeing different people makes me very anxious. I left my appointment feeling very confused and frightened, and as I feared, no-one could help me.

I am getting very desperate now as no-one really seems to be able to help me. My GP had signed me over to intensive support, who have signed me over to another mental health team and they seem to be unable to help me as well. I can't go back to my GP because he can't change my meds without authorisation and I feel I am in limbo. All the while I am getting more anxious, depressed and hopeless.

Last week I was in so much turmoil and distress my husband had to phone to try to get me some help but was just passed about from my GP to intensive support to the mental health team.

I am not sure how much more I can take and am worn out. I have been diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder and clinical depression and am struggling to eat and function. I don't understand why they won't change my medication but seem ok about prescribing me diazepam?

It's all such a mess and I just don't know what to do. Can I insist on a medication change? I am at the end of my tether.

Sorry to be so negative, any advice as to what to do would be so much appreciated. Many, many thanks, I am at a loss.

Kind regards,


J xx

[Tufty]

J

I've just read back over this thread and it sounds like you've had a rocky road with Sertraline but 2 weeks ago you were sounding better, it may be the increase to 200mg that is still settling down.

I'm sorry to hear about your consultant appointment it feels horrible when you go to them believing that they may have some suggestion or idea that could help you but come up with nothing.

As for your question about your choice to medication changing I can only share my experience with psych meds and doctors. In 1996 I was told I had post natal depression, I was highly anxious and now know it was post traumatic stress, anyway I was prescribed Lofepramine - which I took for 5 weeks and it made me depressed and suicidal, so the doctors kept increasing the dose. I wanted to stop it but my GP wouldn't allow me to as a psychiatrist had told them to keep me on it, when I told the psychiatrist I was going to stop it as I felt worse than when starting it she told me I would get much worse and she would section me. Fortunately I found a GP that supported my decision, I stopped it and felt much, much better. Later I did suffer with post natal depression but refused to take medication after that experience.

In 2003 the anxiety returned and I tried 3 antidepressants which didn't suit me but my psychiatrist listened to me and prescribed a 4th, Prozac and I never looked back.

Last year I stopped Prozac and have since been on a merry go round of drugs. My GP was at a loss at what to do and referred me to a psych again who I saw 2 weeks ago. I had been on Pregabalin for 5 months and Mirtazapine for 8 weeks and felt worse than when not on medication. I told her I wasn't happy on the combination of drugs and wanted to go back to Prozac. She said I had to stay on the same drugs for another 2 months and wrote to my GP stating this. I went saw a GP 10 days ago who wasn't happy to change me onto Prozac as he hadn't received the psych letter but yesterday I saw a GP who was happy for me to stop Mirtazapine and restart Prozac.

So in answer to your question, YES you can insist on a medication change. As long as you are fully aware of the implications of stopping and starting antidepressants, it is your choice. Have you considered reducing the Sertraline to see if that helps? Last year when I restarted Prozac I felt awful and only felt better when I reduced the dose, it may be worth a try. Sertraline should be decreased slowly anyway so if you start feeling better at a lower dose you may not need to restart another drug.

Have you tried any other medication?

Please hold on to the thought that we will get better and this will all be a distant nightmare.

Take care
Sam

[Ccat]

Dear J

I am so sorry that the consultant wasn't very helpful. I can understand that you might be feeling like you don't know what to do.

Having read Sams reply - I think that it is reassuring to know you do have a choice chick- you can change meds if you like-maybe you will have the same experience as Sam and find that cutting down- a lower dose suits you better.

I can relate to to how you are feeling petal- After about 4/5 wks- i was feeling tentatively quite a bit better but now at about week 6/7 i seem to have fallen back again. Mainly because i am getting a lot of physical symptoms causing me awful hea;lth anxiety.

You know chick i noticed when you don't eat enough that can stop you sleeping. So try to have somethin even if it is small snacks i you can't face meals- also ave you ever trired hypnotherapy - you can buy and download things on i tunes - i felt self-conscious at first but if you just concentrate on wat they are saying- i find it distracts me from my negative thoughts- and i have actually fallen asleep listening to them-

please keep us updated, I am sending you love and hugs- remember you were feeling better and you will agin- this difficult time will pass.

love ccat xxx

[Her Indoors]

J

I've just read back over this thread and it sounds like you've had a rocky road with Sertraline but 2 weeks ago you were sounding better, it may be the increase to 200mg that is still settling down.

I'm sorry to hear about your consultant appointment it feels horrible when you go to them believing that they may have some suggestion or idea that could help you but come up with nothing.

As for your question about your choice to medication changing I can only share my experience with psych meds and doctors. In 1996 I was told I had post natal depression, I was highly anxious and now know it was post traumatic stress, anyway I was prescribed Lofepramine - which I took for 5 weeks and it made me depressed and suicidal, so the doctors kept increasing the dose. I wanted to stop it but my GP wouldn't allow me to as a psychiatrist had told them to keep me on it, when I told the psychiatrist I was going to stop it as I felt worse than when starting it she told me I would get much worse and she would section me. Fortunately I found a GP that supported my decision, I stopped it and felt much, much better. Later I did suffer with post natal depression but refused to take medication after that experience.

In 2003 the anxiety returned and I tried 3 antidepressants which didn't suit me but my psychiatrist listened to me and prescribed a 4th, Prozac and I never looked back.

Last year I stopped Prozac and have since been on a merry go round of drugs. My GP was at a loss at what to do and referred me to a psych again who I saw 2 weeks ago. I had been on Pregabalin for 5 months and Mirtazapine for 8 weeks and felt worse than when not on medication. I told her I wasn't happy on the combination of drugs and wanted to go back to Prozac. She said I had to stay on the same drugs for another 2 months and wrote to my GP stating this. I went saw a GP 10 days ago who wasn't happy to change me onto Prozac as he hadn't received the psych letter but yesterday I saw a GP who was happy for me to stop Mirtazapine and restart Prozac.

So in answer to your question, YES you can insist on a medication change. As long as you are fully aware of the implications of stopping and starting antidepressants, it is your choice. Have you considered reducing the Sertraline to see if that helps? Last year when I restarted Prozac I felt awful and only felt better when I reduced the dose, it may be worth a try. Sertraline should be decreased slowly anyway so if you start feeling better at a lower dose you may not need to restart another drug.

Have you tried any other medication?

Please hold on to the thought that we will get better and this will all be a distant nightmare.

Take care
Sam

Thank you so much Sam for your reply, sounds like you have really been "through the mill" and I hope you are beginning to settle a bit now.

The consultant is going to reduce my Sertraline down to 150 mg and up the Mirtazapine to 45 mg, but I am really not hopeful. I am plagued by intrusive thoughts and worries and really need some serious help now as battling just to get through the day. A couple of weeks ago I was feeling better, but now am even worse and in despair with unrelentless anxiety. I struggle to get out of bed and today am still not dressed, my friend keeps popping in to see me because she is so worried and I feel so guilty about all the worry I am causing my family. I cry all the time and feel I have no future and can't see I will ever get better. My husband, children, mum and dad, family and friends all mean the world to me and I love them all so much, but I am in so much turmoil I often wish I wouldn't wake up. I want my life back, but feel I will always be like this. I am just grateful that my children are grown adults, I really feel for anybody going through this with a young family, I just don't know how they cope.

I have only ever been on Mirtazapine before the Sertraline, but understand there are many different SSRI's, Prozac was one that was mentioned to me.

Hopefully, I should get a call to see what else can be done to help me. I have heard of Pregabalin and was wondering if that would be of any help, but understand it is very expensive so not sure I would even be able to get it. Frankly, I would try anything at the moment, even ECT am getting so desperate.

Many thanks again for your reply, it has given me a few pointers and I found it very helpful. Best wishes to you on your road to recovery.

J xx


---------- Post added at 15:09 ---------- Previous post was at 14:54 ----------

Dear J

I am so sorry that the consultant wasn't very helpful. I can understand that you might be feeling like you don't know what to do.

Having read Sams reply - I think that it is reassuring to know you do have a choice chick- you can change meds if you like-maybe you will have the same experience as Sam and find that cutting down- a lower dose suits you better.

I can relate to to how you are feeling petal- After about 4/5 wks- i was feeling tentatively quite a bit better but now at about week 6/7 i seem to have fallen back again. Mainly because i am getting a lot of physical symptoms causing me awful hea;lth anxiety.

You know chick i noticed when you don't eat enough that can stop you sleeping. So try to have somethin even if it is small snacks i you can't face meals- also ave you ever trired hypnotherapy - you can buy and download things on i tunes - i felt self-conscious at first but if you just concentrate on wat they are saying- i find it distracts me from my negative thoughts- and i have actually fallen asleep listening to them-

please keep us updated, I am sending you love and hugs- remember you were feeling better and you will agin- this difficult time will pass.

love ccat xxx

Thank you so much for your kind reply, the people on this forum are so thoughtful. I am sorry to hear how you have been suffering, hope you will soon find some relief.

As I said in my post to Sam, the consultant is going to cut down my Sertraline to 150 mg and up the Mirtazapine, but I am really not that hopeful. On the other hand, I don't think I can feel much worse.

I have been in a terrible state again today, think I had built up my hopes about yesterdays appointment only to find it rather unhelpful. They always seem to be pressing me to go private, but I am reluctant because I have never bothered the NHS before, even when I had my daughter in hospital I came home the same day. On the other hand, it might be my only option.

Thank you for your tips, I will try those out. I am hoping to get a call today to see what else can be done to help me, but am not holding my breath.

Very best wishes and thanks.


J xx

[carefree68]

Hi J,
You poor thin you really are in turmoil, I really feel for you but underneath all of that I still get the impression with what you have written you are desperate to feel well again and so you will... you really will. You must be so frustrated with the the unhelpful appt, but try and stay positive, cutting down your dose like Sam said might be the option, but messing around with your meds must have an effect on your body and your mind.
Do you have lots of support at home, it sounds like you do, which is great, and you will
always have support here. Please stay strong hun, you felt better once and you will again its just another adjustment.
I will be thinking of you take care of yourself you CAN do this. XXXX

[Her Indoors]

Hi J,
You poor thin you really are in turmoil, I really feel for you but underneath all of that I still get the impression with what you have written you are desperate to feel well again and so you will... you really will. You must be so frustrated with the the unhelpful appt, but try and stay positive, cutting down your dose like Sam said might be the option, but messing around with your meds must have an effect on your body and your mind.
Do you have lots of support at home, it sounds like you do, which is great, and you will
always have support here. Please stay strong hun, you felt better once and you will again its just another adjustment.
I will be thinking of you take care of yourself you CAN do this. XXXX

Thank you again for taking the time to reply, I have woken up again feeling overwhelmed and panicky. I have taken my diazepam and am going to shower and dress. I need to go out to post some birthday cards and collect my prescription, but don't want to miss my call. I stupidly left the upstairs phone off the hook yesterday, so missed my call, my head is in such turmoil I can't concentrate properly and am getting very forgetful. Wish I could forget about the things that are troubling me though.

Things are getting in such a mess here, I am so paralysed with anxiety and depressed I can't motivate myself or see the point in anything anymore. It took me an hour to eat a piece of toast so that I could take my medication, I have no appetite whatsoever and am having terrible tummy problems.

I really need an effective medication to help ease the anxiety a little, but fear there is nothing that can do this for me. I am very frightened and low. This has been the worst six months of my life and the thought of another six months being like this is intolerable. Not sure how anyone can help me.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply, especially as you have been unwell yourself. I feel so whiney and pathetic but I just can't stop my thoughts and nothing seems to distract me. I think I will ask for a medication change, but not sure anyone will authorise it.

Once again thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it. Bless you.

J xx

[Tufty]

Thank you again for taking the time to reply, I have woken up again feeling overwhelmed and panicky. I have taken my diazepam and am going to shower and dress. I need to go out to post some birthday cards and collect my prescription, but don't want to miss my call. I stupidly left the upstairs phone off the hook yesterday, so missed my call, my head is in such turmoil I can't concentrate properly and am getting very forgetful. Wish I could forget about the things that are troubling me though.

Things are getting in such a mess here, I am so paralysed with anxiety and depressed I can't motivate myself or see the point in anything anymore. It took me an hour to eat a piece of toast so that I could take my medication, I have no appetite whatsoever and am having terrible tummy problems.

I really need an effective medication to help ease the anxiety a little, but fear there is nothing that can do this for me. I am very frightened and low. This has been the worst six months of my life and the thought of another six months being like this is intolerable. Not sure how anyone can help me.

Many thanks for taking the time to reply, especially as you have been unwell yourself. I feel so whiney and pathetic but I just can't stop my thoughts and nothing seems to distract me. I think I will ask for a medication change, but not sure anyone will authorise it.

Once again thanks for your reply, I really appreciate it. Bless you.

J xx

Bless you J

I have felt like you are now, when you don't think you can cope any longer, you're fed up with it all and don't recognise yourself. But I have recovered, fully recovered and spent many years living a normal, happy life (I stopped medication and it sparked off this current episode) I felt hopeless and believed nothing would help me, I'd tried several antidepressants unsuccessfully before finding the right one.

There is always hope, no one stays like this forever, even if you took no medication your mood would change and the anxiety and depression would eventually lift. We take antidepressants to lessen the symptoms and reduce the amount and time of suffering but these emotional states would go by themselves so thinking that nothing will help is not true, if nothing else - time will heal you.

I'm feeling much like you at the moment, I have yet to have anything to eat or drink due to the nausea caused by anxiety, I haven't got dressed yet today as it seems too much effort and feel that things are falling apart around me BUT I have the knowledge that I will get better and it will all be OK again. It feels awful, undescribable the level of anxiety and feelings of general illness but it is temporary.

Please keep posting. You will get better - fully better and this will be a distant nightmare. Your posts show determination and strength, use these characteristics in a way to help yourself, rather than berating yourself. I know you don't know what to do for the best re medication and this is adding to your feeling of hopelessness and anxiety and this is a horrible position to be in. Let us know how you get on with the phone call today

Best wishes
Take care
Sam

[Her Indoors]

p

Bless you J

I have felt like you are now, when you don't think you can cope any longer, you're fed up with it all and don't recognise yourself. But I have recovered, fully recovered and spent many years living a normal, happy life (I stopped medication and it sparked off this current episode) I felt hopeless and believed nothing would help me, I'd tried several antidepressants unsuccessfully before finding the right one.

There is always hope, no one stays like this forever, even if you took no medication your mood would change and the anxiety and depression would eventually lift. We take antidepressants to lessen the symptoms and reduce the amount and time of suffering but these emotional states would go by themselves so thinking that nothing will help is not true, if nothing else - time will heal you.

I'm feeling much like you at the moment, I have yet to have anything to eat or drink due to the nausea caused by anxiety, I haven't got dressed yet today as it seems too much effort and feel that things are falling apart around me BUT I have the knowledge that I will get better and it will all be OK again. It feels awful, undescribable the level of anxiety and feelings of general illness but it is temporary.

Please keep posting. You will get better - fully better and this will be a distant nightmare. Your posts show determination and strength, use these characteristics in a way to help yourself, rather than berating yourself. I know you don't know what to do for the best re medication and this is adding to your feeling of hopelessness and anxiety and this is a horrible position to be in. Let us know how you get on with the phone call today

Best wishes
Take care
Sam

Heartfelt thanks for your kind post and taking time to reply, especially as you are also suffering.

I am going to attempt my ironing mountain and watch "The White Queen" on catch up, hopefully King Edward (Jeremy

---------- Post added at 13:50 ---------- Previous post was at 13:30 ----------

Dear Tufty,

Sorry about half finished post, all over the place at the moment, silly me.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and taking the trouble to reply, I really appreciate it.

Still waiting for my phone call.

What I was saying was that I was going to watch The White Queen? Think that's what it is called with that gorgeous Jeremy Irons' son? Quite like the guy who plays Warwick (he was Cromwell in The Tudors) and is a real baddie.

Take care yourself and let me know how you are (if you don't mind). Very best wishes.

J xxx

[ruthless]

I have woken up again feeling overwhelmed and panicky. I have taken my diazepam and am going to shower and dress. I need to go out to post some birthday cards and collect my prescription, but don't want to miss my call. I stupidly left the upstairs phone off the hook yesterday, so missed my call, my head is in such turmoil I can't concentrate properly and am getting very forgetful. Wish I could forget about the things that are troubling me though.

Things are getting in such a mess here, I am so paralysed with anxiety and depressed I can't motivate myself or see the point in anything anymore. It took me an hour to eat a piece of toast so that I could take my medication, I have no appetite whatsoever and am having terrible tummy problems.

I really need an effective medication to help ease the anxiety a little, but fear there is nothing that can do this for me. I am very frightened and low. This has been the worst six months of my life and the thought of another six months being like this is intolerable. Not sure how anyone can help me.

Hi J

Don't lose hope. I felt exactly like you not so long ago. The anxiety and depression, the loss of appetite and the tummy problems. You could be writing about me.

I started Sertraline at the beginning of February this year, and my anxiety symptoms spiralled out of control. I ended up having 10 weeks off work. I felt hopeless and helpless, and felt that nothing would ever be the same again. Some days the effort of getting out of bed and showered and dressed would exhaust me, and I would just spend the rest of my days on this website reading about how other people felt, and looking up everything on the internet possible about anxiety, intrusive thoughts, medications etc. It was the only thing that interested me, and I think it kept me from cracking up completely.

Fast forward nearly 5 months and things are 100% better for the majority of the time. I have gone back to work and my home life and social life has returned to normal. I feel good mainly, and just get a few blips every now and then, but that is to be expected. We all have good and bad days even when we don't suffer from anxiety