starting sertraline help please!!

[wareing77]

Hi! I was on mirtazapine 15mg for 12 days and 30mg for 6 weeks. I decided it wasnt doing enough for my anxiety and i felt like my head was in a fog constantly! I went to see the dr who decided sertraline would be much better. I was told to stop the mirtazapine immediately and start the sertraline. After some advice i decided to taper down to 15mg for 5 days the 7.5 for 1 day the start the sertraline. This was a bit quick i know but needed to get out of this horrible place im in quick!!
Anyways i started the sertraline at 25mg and the nausea and bubbling in my bowels is horrible and causing me anxiety! Is this normal from sertraline or could it be withdrawals from the mirtazapine?
I went on citalopram for a few days a while ago but couldnt take the start up effects but i seem to remember that going straight to my bowels too (i have ibs which doesnt help!!)
So is this normal fromm ssri's??
Im tempted to go back onto 7.5mg of mirt to see if it helps but my dr said i couldnt take them together!
Any help is greatly appriciated

Nick

[zo100704]

Hi, I def had nausea at the start of this medication. The pharmacist warned me it might and to have a bit of food before hand and to take in the morning. I also suffer with ibs and have a lot of 'bubbling' but unsure whether the medication exacerbates it or a food that I have eaten!?

I personally wouldn't go back to the other meds. Try and stick this out as the nausea dors wear off after a week or so.

Hope it gets better x

[MrAndy]

the upset tummy and nausea go after about a week,dont start jumping around on meds and different doses it wont help at all.Your body and mind need stability ,decide on one med and stick with it,after 3 weeks you will start to feel real improvements

[wareing77]

Well i spoke to a psychiatrist today and was told i was suffering the extreme nausea because i continued the mirtazapine at 7.5mg which he said would be making.the side efects far worse. The only reason i did this is because i was so scared of not sleeping as thats what sent me down in the first place. Well my mistake so ive stopped the mirtazapine now and if the nausea holds off i will be trying to go up to 50mg in a couple of days. I feel stupid for carrying on with it when i was told not to but the thought of not sleeping again terrifies me!! If nothing else the mirtazapine did make me sleep every night without fail!

So im determined to give the sertraline a chance now on its own and hope i will be feeling better soon. I have been given sleeping tablets but dont really want to take them unless i have to. The psychiatrist told me nytol would be better. I have no trouble falling asleep, its just i wake up in 2 hrs wide awake!

Thanks for the replys by the way :-)

[MrAndy]

I think most of us with anxiety suffer with sleep problems ,I know I do
one thing to get right is your sleep routine and sleep hygiene which all helps in some way
Sert is quite an easy AD to get on and off of and it really helped me with depression
keep going and things will get easier for you in time

[wareing77]

Thanks, i appreciate you replying, it means alot.

Ive never had tablets for this kind of thing before which is why im so scared to take them! Its a struggle everyday when i 'pop that pil' because i dont know what it will do to me!

Im in a dark lonely place right now and feel so alone even though i have my family to support me! Although they just seem to think i should snap out of it and get out amd continue my life as normal. Easier said than.done!!

[MrAndy]

Thanks, i appreciate you replying, it means alot.

Ive never had tablets for this kind of thing before which is why im so scared to take them! Its a struggle everyday when i 'pop that pil' because i dont know what it will do to me!

Im in a dark lonely place right now and feel so alone even though i have my family to support me! Although they just seem to think i should snap out of it and get out amd continue my life as normal. Easier said than.done!!

its simple it will help you feel better,every time you take it think of it that way not in a negative way

[wareing77]

If you dont mind me asking mr Andy but what dose did you start at and how long were you on it? did you feel benefits from a low dose?

Thanks

[MrAndy]

If you dont mind me asking mr Andy but what dose did you start at and how long were you on it? did you feel benefits from a low dose?

Thanks

i started on 50mg and stayed on it for about 4 months,it did the trick for me ,i started to feel the benefits properly after about 6 weeks
I came off them because i felt better but felt they disrupted my sleep,which is a major no no for me.Meds help but are not the answer to everything where anxiety and depression is concerned

[wareing77]

well i'm not sure i can carry on taking the sertraline, i feel so nauseous all the time. im not sleeping and i seem to get waves of severe panic and hot/cold sweats as the afternoon goes on.

Really not sure i can cope much longer, im only on 25mg so theres no way i can up to 50mg like the dr wants me to.