Need some reassurance!

[katiscute]

I'm back on sertraline b/c after I went off it for a few months, I had a major relapse of anxiety/panic (was on it successfully for 13 yrs...should never have gone off!!). It's been about 2.5 weeks since I started the sertraline again and I'm still having much anxiety. Both my psych and my therapist say it just hasn't been enough time to see significant results, but every day that goes by I start to feel more worried. Psych says it can take 6-8 weeks for anxiety and both say there's no reason it shouldn't work again if it was working before. But, the stupid anxiety doesn't want me to believe them! I have been at 50mg for the last week & am going up to 100 in the next few days. Also taking clonazepam 0.5mg at night and 0.25mg in the morning. Please, I just need some assurance that the sertraline will kick in! I'm so tired of this!

[southey]

I see no reason why Sertraline wouldn't help again? It just takes time to get going fully which varies from person to person.

At least you know SSRI meds like this have helped you in the past!

I know from my own experiences that when the Anxiety hits, I found myself doubting that I could ever get well again, but I did and so can you!

Steve.

[katiscute]

Thanks for the reassurance Steve! Hopefully will get more from others.
Question: Do you think that the worse someone's anxiety is the longer it will take for the meds to kick in?
-Kat

[southey]

I'm not sure, for me I felt as if my world was caving in and generally it takes me around 3 weeks for an SSRI to begin working but we are all different?

Any chance you can remember back 13 years when you first started the last time?

Steve

[katiscute]

I honestly can't remember how long it took to work back then, but it certainly didn't feel like an eternity like it does now. I do remember just a lift, like I got my life back and I was a normal person. Back then, the anxiety came on gradually over a period of 2 yrs until it got so unbearable I decided to try the meds. This time, 13 yrs later, it came on all of a sudden, like a nervous breakdown and is very acute. It seems worse than it was back then, but who knows, my current anxiety could just make it feel like it's worse now.

[cokesmyth5]

Several times, when I look back, I made my anxiety worse by over reacting to it and therefore prolonging it. My psychiatrist suggests 4mg Diazepam twice a day on day one of a mini relapse, 3mg twice a day on 2nd day, 2mg twice a day on 3rd day and 1mg on 4th day twice a day. I tried it and it seemed to help. Whether this was simply my trust in him, I don't know, but I would do it again if I felt things spiralling out of control a bit. Hope that helps.