Sertraline - Wow!
Discussion
James_N said:
I've read through this thread on and off at work today and just wanted to put my experiences in.
So I've suffered on and off for years, but a good 4-5 weeks ago now, I woke up one Sunday, felt a bit fuzzy headed, and have been anxious and feeling nauseous and headachey pretty much ever since.
My daily routine doesn't really change so I know what's occurring and when, but just recently, I have really struggled to get up and about and even going to work puts my stomach into washing machine mode sometimes.
My anxiety manifests its self in a sort of heaving, like I'm going to vomit, but don't. Sometimes I can get so worked up about how s
t I feel, I start heaving and getting really anxious and get the whole fight or flight feeling.
I feel recently though, its gone from a social anxiety thing, to a more generalised every day anxiety. Worrying about non events! Even going for a coffee with the Mrs at the moment seems quite the task.
I also don't like situations where i feel trapped or feel that i can't get out of, so for example, I know I'm due an eye test (and i do suffer with my eyes, being on computers a lot) but that's one of those situations where I'll just end up a shaking panicking mess.
One thing with me though, is that once I'm resigned to my situation, I'll generally relax into things, so i know if i did go for my eye test, once I'm in there and doing it, I'll be distracted to the point of not thinking about it, but the waiting and knowing I have that coming up will cause me a good deal of anxiousness, even though I have been for them before and know what to expect!
I was going to go to the GP and see what they said (Like I did at the end of covid, and they said I needed talking therapy and propanalol, both of which I thought was a load of st, so i never did anything about it)
Now, however, I have signed up for talking therapy, which isn't until December and I'm managing on a daily basis just about, however, am avoiding social situations wherever i can.
The ironic thing for me is, I am the admin for a Liaison Mental Health Team in a hospital!
Reading this thread though has made me question whether i really want to go to the GP and potentially get put on some of these meds. I might stick it out and try the talking therapy first!
I forgot to add, I don't drink (well maybe 4-5 pints a year!), don't smoke, but do drink caffeinated coffee. I'm going to switch this to decaff like I have at home, but I don't think this will make a major difference to me.
I'm not depressed in any way, shape or form. Home life is hard, having two step kids, one with Autism & ADHD and one with ADHD (11 and 15) but I have an easy job which doesn't stress me in the slightest.
My dad is going through cancer treatment at the moment, so that might be a bit of a trigger, especially as he doesn't live local and he isn't great with keeping in touch, so I visit every few weeks.
My evenings from about 8pm consist of sitting in bed, watching car related stuff on YouTube. That's probably when I'm at my most relaxed.
Just have to see how it goes I guess. I've got some self help stuff on my kindle etc so have to start reading these.
My anxiety manifests very physically in the same way as yours & escitalopram has been a game changer for me even on a very low dose. Social anxiety, travelling & eating out were a big no no but now not a problem 90% of the time. I finally feel like I have a life. Luke. said:
Take a look at Propranolol (Beta Blockers) they help take the fight and flight feelings out of stressful situations. You'd be amazed how many people take them for presentations and whatnot. Musicians also take them when they've got a big performance on to get handle on the shakes etc. Non habit forming too.
I have been suffering with Anxiety for some time and was prescribed these after Covid. I found these did nothing for me, so just forgot about them and cracked on.youngsyr said:
Tends to start when I wake up and then build if I don't distract myself with something that needs to be done.
It's worse when I'm alone, but bizarrely melts away by about 6pm and I can quite often lie in bed at night worry free.
This is exactly what I am experiencing at the moment. I would say I have suffered social anxiety for a good 10 years. I don't like eating out (had a few occasions out where food made me ill and that seems to have stuck in my brain as a major trigger)It's worse when I'm alone, but bizarrely melts away by about 6pm and I can quite often lie in bed at night worry free.
So I've suffered on and off for years, but a good 4-5 weeks ago now, I woke up one Sunday, felt a bit fuzzy headed, and have been anxious and feeling nauseous and headachey pretty much ever since.
My daily routine doesn't really change so I know what's occurring and when, but just recently, I have really struggled to get up and about and even going to work puts my stomach into washing machine mode sometimes.
My anxiety manifests its self in a sort of heaving, like I'm going to vomit, but don't. Sometimes I can get so worked up about how s
t I feel, I start heaving and getting really anxious and get the whole fight or flight feeling.I feel recently though, its gone from a social anxiety thing, to a more generalised every day anxiety. Worrying about non events! Even going for a coffee with the Mrs at the moment seems quite the task.
I also don't like situations where i feel trapped or feel that i can't get out of, so for example, I know I'm due an eye test (and i do suffer with my eyes, being on computers a lot) but that's one of those situations where I'll just end up a shaking panicking mess.
One thing with me though, is that once I'm resigned to my situation, I'll generally relax into things, so i know if i did go for my eye test, once I'm in there and doing it, I'll be distracted to the point of not thinking about it, but the waiting and knowing I have that coming up will cause me a good deal of anxiousness, even though I have been for them before and know what to expect!
I was going to go to the GP and see what they said (Like I did at the end of covid, and they said I needed talking therapy and propanalol, both of which I thought was a load of s
t, so i never did anything about it)Now, however, I have signed up for talking therapy, which isn't until December and I'm managing on a daily basis just about, however, am avoiding social situations wherever i can.
The ironic thing for me is, I am the admin for a Liaison Mental Health Team in a hospital!
Reading this thread though has made me question whether i really want to go to the GP and potentially get put on some of these meds. I might stick it out and try the talking therapy first!
I forgot to add, I don't drink (well maybe 4-5 pints a year!), don't smoke, but do drink caffeinated coffee. I'm going to switch this to decaff like I have at home, but I don't think this will make a major difference to me.
I'm not depressed in any way, shape or form. Home life is hard, having two step kids, one with Autism & ADHD and one with ADHD (11 and 15) but I have an easy job which doesn't stress me in the slightest.
My dad is going through cancer treatment at the moment, so that might be a bit of a trigger, especially as he doesn't live local and he isn't great with keeping in touch, so I visit every few weeks.
My evenings from about 8pm consist of sitting in bed, watching car related stuff on YouTube. That's probably when I'm at my most relaxed.
Just have to see how it goes I guess. I've got some self help stuff on my kindle etc so have to start reading these.
Edited by James_N on Wednesday 11th October 14:33
When I finally got worn down enough to contact the gp she prescribed sertraline. This was the worst drug I’ve ever taken. The many physical side effects were horrific even on a tiny dose. But on day 3 I starting getting intrusive thoughts about my kitchen knives. I called gp who told me to stop taking them immediately & prescribed diazepam (lovely stuff) to bring me down.
After this I was understandably a bit twitchy about trying something new but had admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to be able to battle through the constant anxiety without narcotic help.
I started to research side effects looking at actual users reviews on health & drug forums etc (many out there). I literally read hundreds. The bulls
t that doctors tell you about side effects being ‘mild’ are in sharp contrast with actual user reviews. Sertraline is by far the most complained about on these forums for side effects. The side effects also go on for 4 wks - a few months for most. Many give up on it. Not ideal if you’re taking it for anxiety. However I know for a lot it works great. After my extensive reading, escitalopram seemed to have the shortest side effects & overall pretty positive reviews. It’s also the newest of the ssri’s. I haggled getting onto it with my gp as it’s more expensive for them to prescribe than the others, sertraline being the cheapest which could also explain why they try everyone on that first.
I took a week off work & started on a 2.5mg half dose & the side effects were so easy in comparison to sertraline. I already felt chilled by day 2. It also helped my stomach problems as an added bonus! Side effects were calm after a week & after 2 nothing really. It’s really quite amazing how it works so well even on a low dose of just 5mg. The other good thing is it has a long half life so you don’t have to religiously take it at the same time every day which is quite useful. I actually forgot to take it today & feel fine. I’ll take my next first thing tomorrow. In contrast if my wife doesn’t take her snri on time she’ll get nasty physical symptoms.
Do some research & work out what’s best for you. Best of luck
I'm on day 7 of Sertraline and feel awful. Shaking, feel more anxious than ever and explosive diarrhea.
Odd, as day 4/5 I actually felt ok considering that I'm trying to deal with an absolute ststorm with an alcoholic wife refusing to pay bills and mortgage (we are separated). See other thread.
I'll keep pushing through as I have an appointment with my GP on day 14.
Already have the sexual problem side effect too, which just adds to the depression.
As the kids say FML.
Odd, as day 4/5 I actually felt ok considering that I'm trying to deal with an absolute s
tstorm with an alcoholic wife refusing to pay bills and mortgage (we are separated). See other thread.I'll keep pushing through as I have an appointment with my GP on day 14.
Already have the sexual problem side effect too, which just adds to the depression.
As the kids say FML.
croyde said:
I'm on day 7 of Sertraline and feel awful. Shaking, feel more anxious than ever and explosive diarrhea.
Odd, as day 4/5 I actually felt ok considering that I'm trying to deal with an absolute ststorm with an alcoholic wife refusing to pay bills and mortgage (we are separated). See other thread.
I'll keep pushing through as I have an appointment with my GP on day 14.
Already have the sexual problem side effect too, which just adds to the depression.
As the kids say FML.
Well done for sticking with it. Definitely gets easier after two to three weeks.Odd, as day 4/5 I actually felt ok considering that I'm trying to deal with an absolute s
tstorm with an alcoholic wife refusing to pay bills and mortgage (we are separated). See other thread.I'll keep pushing through as I have an appointment with my GP on day 14.
Already have the sexual problem side effect too, which just adds to the depression.
As the kids say FML.
I took them for 3 months about 8 years ago after a quite messy breakup.
Significant negative impact on sexual activity (borderline heart attack required to try to open the tin...) and also had toilet troubles for a while on them.
Binned them off, stopped cold turkey. Never taken another tablet in my life - the cure for me was losing weight through heavy exercise and better diet, which improved my self-esteem, made me more attractive and a good couple of months away in Thailand. Came back a new man (not with!).
Self worth is the cure, not pills.
Significant negative impact on sexual activity (borderline heart attack required to try to open the tin...) and also had toilet troubles for a while on them.
Binned them off, stopped cold turkey. Never taken another tablet in my life - the cure for me was losing weight through heavy exercise and better diet, which improved my self-esteem, made me more attractive and a good couple of months away in Thailand. Came back a new man (not with!).
Self worth is the cure, not pills.
Yeah, I binned this stuff almost immediately when the sexual side effects became apparent.
I seem to recall some suffering from it long after they stopped taking the medication.
Luckily I found counselling and better ways of thinking brought me out of it all, feel bad for the people that have to take this long term.
I seem to recall some suffering from it long after they stopped taking the medication.
Luckily I found counselling and better ways of thinking brought me out of it all, feel bad for the people that have to take this long term.
Anyone found that sertraline messes with your taste buds?
Not only has my appetite gone but crisps, my fav, don't taste great anymore and I know one shouldn't drink but after 6 days of abstaining I had a nice Malbec last night which tasted like petrol and currently just tried a glass of bourbon and it's disgusting.
Whiskey lovers need not reply
Not only has my appetite gone but crisps, my fav, don't taste great anymore and I know one shouldn't drink but after 6 days of abstaining I had a nice Malbec last night which tasted like petrol and currently just tried a glass of bourbon and it's disgusting.
Whiskey lovers need not reply
croyde said:
Anyone found that sertraline messes with your taste buds?
Not only has my appetite gone but crisps, my fav, don't taste great anymore and I know one shouldn't drink but after 6 days of abstaining I had a nice Malbec last night which tasted like petrol and currently just tried a glass of bourbon and it's disgusting.
Whiskey lovers need not reply
To be fair, Bourbon's always been disgusting...Not only has my appetite gone but crisps, my fav, don't taste great anymore and I know one shouldn't drink but after 6 days of abstaining I had a nice Malbec last night which tasted like petrol and currently just tried a glass of bourbon and it's disgusting.
Whiskey lovers need not reply
croyde said:
Anyone found that sertraline messes with your taste buds?
Not only has my appetite gone but crisps, my fav, don't taste great anymore and I know one shouldn't drink but after 6 days of abstaining I had a nice Malbec last night which tasted like petrol and currently just tried a glass of bourbon and it's disgusting.
Whiskey lovers need not reply
Yes.Not only has my appetite gone but crisps, my fav, don't taste great anymore and I know one shouldn't drink but after 6 days of abstaining I had a nice Malbec last night which tasted like petrol and currently just tried a glass of bourbon and it's disgusting.
Whiskey lovers need not reply
Honestly, from reading your posts elsewhere your solution is to disassociate/detach from your ex and weight will infinitely lift from your shoulders. No amount of pills is going to prevent that stress!
JJ55 said:
My anxiety manifests very physically in the same way as yours & escitalopram has been a game changer for me even on a very low dose. Social anxiety, travelling & eating out were a big no no but now not a problem 90% of the time. I finally feel like I have a life.
When I finally got worn down enough to contact the gp she prescribed sertraline. This was the worst drug I’ve ever taken. The many physical side effects were horrific even on a tiny dose. But on day 3 I starting getting intrusive thoughts about my kitchen knives. I called gp who told me to stop taking them immediately & prescribed diazepam (lovely stuff) to bring me down.
After this I was understandably a bit twitchy about trying something new but had admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to be able to battle through the constant anxiety without narcotic help.
I started to research side effects looking at actual users reviews on health & drug forums etc (many out there). I literally read hundreds. The bullst that doctors tell you about side effects being ‘mild’ are in sharp contrast with actual user reviews. Sertraline is by far the most complained about on these forums for side effects. The side effects also go on for 4 wks - a few months for most. Many give up on it. Not ideal if you’re taking it for anxiety. However I know for a lot it works great.
After my extensive reading, escitalopram seemed to have the shortest side effects & overall pretty positive reviews. It’s also the newest of the ssri’s. I haggled getting onto it with my gp as it’s more expensive for them to prescribe than the others, sertraline being the cheapest which could also explain why they try everyone on that first.
I took a week off work & started on a 2.5mg half dose & the side effects were so easy in comparison to sertraline. I already felt chilled by day 2. It also helped my stomach problems as an added bonus! Side effects were calm after a week & after 2 nothing really. It’s really quite amazing how it works so well even on a low dose of just 5mg. The other good thing is it has a long half life so you don’t have to religiously take it at the same time every day which is quite useful. I actually forgot to take it today & feel fine. I’ll take my next first thing tomorrow. In contrast if my wife doesn’t take her snri on time she’ll get nasty physical symptoms.
Do some research & work out what’s best for you. Best of luck
Really appreciate the reply. Good to know that citalopram is a good fall back option. My Mrs takes this on a low (10mg I think) dose, after a messy break up but has been on it ever since for a good 7 years now as it helps her and especially at "that" time of the month!When I finally got worn down enough to contact the gp she prescribed sertraline. This was the worst drug I’ve ever taken. The many physical side effects were horrific even on a tiny dose. But on day 3 I starting getting intrusive thoughts about my kitchen knives. I called gp who told me to stop taking them immediately & prescribed diazepam (lovely stuff) to bring me down.
After this I was understandably a bit twitchy about trying something new but had admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to be able to battle through the constant anxiety without narcotic help.
I started to research side effects looking at actual users reviews on health & drug forums etc (many out there). I literally read hundreds. The bulls
t that doctors tell you about side effects being ‘mild’ are in sharp contrast with actual user reviews. Sertraline is by far the most complained about on these forums for side effects. The side effects also go on for 4 wks - a few months for most. Many give up on it. Not ideal if you’re taking it for anxiety. However I know for a lot it works great. After my extensive reading, escitalopram seemed to have the shortest side effects & overall pretty positive reviews. It’s also the newest of the ssri’s. I haggled getting onto it with my gp as it’s more expensive for them to prescribe than the others, sertraline being the cheapest which could also explain why they try everyone on that first.
I took a week off work & started on a 2.5mg half dose & the side effects were so easy in comparison to sertraline. I already felt chilled by day 2. It also helped my stomach problems as an added bonus! Side effects were calm after a week & after 2 nothing really. It’s really quite amazing how it works so well even on a low dose of just 5mg. The other good thing is it has a long half life so you don’t have to religiously take it at the same time every day which is quite useful. I actually forgot to take it today & feel fine. I’ll take my next first thing tomorrow. In contrast if my wife doesn’t take her snri on time she’ll get nasty physical symptoms.
Do some research & work out what’s best for you. Best of luck
I'm reluctant to go the GP so I might try and push through until the talking therapy and see how that goes. I'm not keen on taking pills, as someone else above said. I'll keep checking in on this thread though. Its reassuring to know i'm not the only one and I have found it interesting reading others experiences.
James_N said:
JJ55 said:
My anxiety manifests very physically in the same way as yours & escitalopram has been a game changer for me even on a very low dose. Social anxiety, travelling & eating out were a big no no but now not a problem 90% of the time. I finally feel like I have a life.
When I finally got worn down enough to contact the gp she prescribed sertraline. This was the worst drug I’ve ever taken. The many physical side effects were horrific even on a tiny dose. But on day 3 I starting getting intrusive thoughts about my kitchen knives. I called gp who told me to stop taking them immediately & prescribed diazepam (lovely stuff) to bring me down.
After this I was understandably a bit twitchy about trying something new but had admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to be able to battle through the constant anxiety without narcotic help.
I started to research side effects looking at actual users reviews on health & drug forums etc (many out there). I literally read hundreds. The bullst that doctors tell you about side effects being ‘mild’ are in sharp contrast with actual user reviews. Sertraline is by far the most complained about on these forums for side effects. The side effects also go on for 4 wks - a few months for most. Many give up on it. Not ideal if you’re taking it for anxiety. However I know for a lot it works great.
After my extensive reading, escitalopram seemed to have the shortest side effects & overall pretty positive reviews. It’s also the newest of the ssri’s. I haggled getting onto it with my gp as it’s more expensive for them to prescribe than the others, sertraline being the cheapest which could also explain why they try everyone on that first.
I took a week off work & started on a 2.5mg half dose & the side effects were so easy in comparison to sertraline. I already felt chilled by day 2. It also helped my stomach problems as an added bonus! Side effects were calm after a week & after 2 nothing really. It’s really quite amazing how it works so well even on a low dose of just 5mg. The other good thing is it has a long half life so you don’t have to religiously take it at the same time every day which is quite useful. I actually forgot to take it today & feel fine. I’ll take my next first thing tomorrow. In contrast if my wife doesn’t take her snri on time she’ll get nasty physical symptoms.
Do some research & work out what’s best for you. Best of luck
Really appreciate the reply. Good to know that citalopram is a good fall back option. My Mrs takes this on a low (10mg I think) dose, after a messy break up but has been on it ever since for a good 7 years now as it helps her and especially at "that" time of the month!When I finally got worn down enough to contact the gp she prescribed sertraline. This was the worst drug I’ve ever taken. The many physical side effects were horrific even on a tiny dose. But on day 3 I starting getting intrusive thoughts about my kitchen knives. I called gp who told me to stop taking them immediately & prescribed diazepam (lovely stuff) to bring me down.
After this I was understandably a bit twitchy about trying something new but had admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to be able to battle through the constant anxiety without narcotic help.
I started to research side effects looking at actual users reviews on health & drug forums etc (many out there). I literally read hundreds. The bulls
t that doctors tell you about side effects being ‘mild’ are in sharp contrast with actual user reviews. Sertraline is by far the most complained about on these forums for side effects. The side effects also go on for 4 wks - a few months for most. Many give up on it. Not ideal if you’re taking it for anxiety. However I know for a lot it works great. After my extensive reading, escitalopram seemed to have the shortest side effects & overall pretty positive reviews. It’s also the newest of the ssri’s. I haggled getting onto it with my gp as it’s more expensive for them to prescribe than the others, sertraline being the cheapest which could also explain why they try everyone on that first.
I took a week off work & started on a 2.5mg half dose & the side effects were so easy in comparison to sertraline. I already felt chilled by day 2. It also helped my stomach problems as an added bonus! Side effects were calm after a week & after 2 nothing really. It’s really quite amazing how it works so well even on a low dose of just 5mg. The other good thing is it has a long half life so you don’t have to religiously take it at the same time every day which is quite useful. I actually forgot to take it today & feel fine. I’ll take my next first thing tomorrow. In contrast if my wife doesn’t take her snri on time she’ll get nasty physical symptoms.
Do some research & work out what’s best for you. Best of luck
I'm reluctant to go the GP so I might try and push through until the talking therapy and see how that goes. I'm not keen on taking pills, as someone else above said. I'll keep checking in on this thread though. Its reassuring to know i'm not the only one and I have found it interesting reading others experiences.
of course they're not a cure or indeed for everyone, but they give me a base to work from ie channeling other ways to tackle my anxiety, any side effects normally go after 4 to 6 wks then after that it becomes second nature to pop one every day.
I’m on Day 5 of 50mg and have found it brutal. My insomnia has got worse, I’ve only had between 2-4 hours ‘sleep’ a night since Thursday. My social anxiety has gone through the roof (invariably linked to my mind racing with all sorts of nonsense in bed and not being able to switch off), and it’s been a massive struggle. Definitely wasn’t helped by the fact I have been on a previously planned long weekend break in France (alone) which has all contrived to make me feel very sketchy and fearful (irrational I know). Not had much of an appetite, and found dining out alone a challenge too, whereas I can often deal with this. In hindsight had I realised how the side effects were going to be then I’d have delayed starting them…
I plan to stick with this as I’ve had Mirtazepine previously which is a lot more sedating but can cause a morning brain fog.
In spite of the above I think I feel a little more settled now. Flight home is delayed by two hours which would usually wind me up but I just accepted it’s completely out of my control, even if my airport parking will have run over…
I plan to stick with this as I’ve had Mirtazepine previously which is a lot more sedating but can cause a morning brain fog.
In spite of the above I think I feel a little more settled now. Flight home is delayed by two hours which would usually wind me up but I just accepted it’s completely out of my control, even if my airport parking will have run over…
By coincidence, stumbled on this thread as I've only just very recently started taking sertraline for some depression and anxiety.
I've long suspected I've had both for many years, but my various hobbies were able to keep both at bay or to help better manage flare ups. Since the birth of my son five years ago, things had gone downhill to the point where the last couple of months, I barely knew who I was anymore. A colleague who had been prescribed some anti-depressants suggested I speak to my GP about it, very much using the analogy of taking heart medication for a dodgy ticker that others on this thread have compared it to.
Day 1
Took 50mg with my typical breakfast. About an hour later on the drive to work, I suddenly had a feeling of calmness take over me. My thoughts were clearer and I felt at ease for the first time in what felt like months. I genuinely felt more positive and joked with said colleague that if this was a placebo, then it's a damned good one! Mild headache towards the end of the day and some bowel discomfort. Appetite seemed slightly suppressed for much of the day, but returned to normal come dinner time.
Day 2
Today - largely the same as yesterday, though the impact of the calmness is less intense. I'm also getting tingles in my fingers every once in a while.
So far, so good. I'm convinced the sertraline is going to help me get back to a base to build from. Really pleased I took the advice of my colleague to speak to my GP. My wife has also been suffering from some anxiety due to work and life balance, so I've asked her to observe me as a case study to help her decide to speak to her GP or not.
I've long suspected I've had both for many years, but my various hobbies were able to keep both at bay or to help better manage flare ups. Since the birth of my son five years ago, things had gone downhill to the point where the last couple of months, I barely knew who I was anymore. A colleague who had been prescribed some anti-depressants suggested I speak to my GP about it, very much using the analogy of taking heart medication for a dodgy ticker that others on this thread have compared it to.
Day 1
Took 50mg with my typical breakfast. About an hour later on the drive to work, I suddenly had a feeling of calmness take over me. My thoughts were clearer and I felt at ease for the first time in what felt like months. I genuinely felt more positive and joked with said colleague that if this was a placebo, then it's a damned good one! Mild headache towards the end of the day and some bowel discomfort. Appetite seemed slightly suppressed for much of the day, but returned to normal come dinner time.
Day 2
Today - largely the same as yesterday, though the impact of the calmness is less intense. I'm also getting tingles in my fingers every once in a while.
So far, so good. I'm convinced the sertraline is going to help me get back to a base to build from. Really pleased I took the advice of my colleague to speak to my GP. My wife has also been suffering from some anxiety due to work and life balance, so I've asked her to observe me as a case study to help her decide to speak to her GP or not.
Cybertronian said:
By coincidence, stumbled on this thread as I've only just very recently started taking sertraline for some depression and anxiety.
I've long suspected I've had both for many years, but my various hobbies were able to keep both at bay or to help better manage flare ups. Since the birth of my son five years ago, things had gone downhill to the point where the last couple of months, I barely knew who I was anymore. A colleague who had been prescribed some anti-depressants suggested I speak to my GP about it, very much using the analogy of taking heart medication for a dodgy ticker that others on this thread have compared it to.
Day 1
Took 50mg with my typical breakfast. About an hour later on the drive to work, I suddenly had a feeling of calmness take over me. My thoughts were clearer and I felt at ease for the first time in what felt like months. I genuinely felt more positive and joked with said colleague that if this was a placebo, then it's a damned good one! Mild headache towards the end of the day and some bowel discomfort. Appetite seemed slightly suppressed for much of the day, but returned to normal come dinner time.
Day 2
Today - largely the same as yesterday, though the impact of the calmness is less intense. I'm also getting tingles in my fingers every once in a while.
So far, so good. I'm convinced the sertraline is going to help me get back to a base to build from. Really pleased I took the advice of my colleague to speak to my GP. My wife has also been suffering from some anxiety due to work and life balance, so I've asked her to observe me as a case study to help her decide to speak to her GP or not.
Presumably you don’t play with joystick on the daily basis? I've long suspected I've had both for many years, but my various hobbies were able to keep both at bay or to help better manage flare ups. Since the birth of my son five years ago, things had gone downhill to the point where the last couple of months, I barely knew who I was anymore. A colleague who had been prescribed some anti-depressants suggested I speak to my GP about it, very much using the analogy of taking heart medication for a dodgy ticker that others on this thread have compared it to.
Day 1
Took 50mg with my typical breakfast. About an hour later on the drive to work, I suddenly had a feeling of calmness take over me. My thoughts were clearer and I felt at ease for the first time in what felt like months. I genuinely felt more positive and joked with said colleague that if this was a placebo, then it's a damned good one! Mild headache towards the end of the day and some bowel discomfort. Appetite seemed slightly suppressed for much of the day, but returned to normal come dinner time.
Day 2
Today - largely the same as yesterday, though the impact of the calmness is less intense. I'm also getting tingles in my fingers every once in a while.
So far, so good. I'm convinced the sertraline is going to help me get back to a base to build from. Really pleased I took the advice of my colleague to speak to my GP. My wife has also been suffering from some anxiety due to work and life balance, so I've asked her to observe me as a case study to help her decide to speak to her GP or not.
Cybertronian said:
By coincidence, stumbled on this thread as I've only just very recently started taking sertraline for some depression and anxiety.
I've long suspected I've had both for many years, but my various hobbies were able to keep both at bay or to help better manage flare ups. Since the birth of my son five years ago, things had gone downhill to the point where the last couple of months, I barely knew who I was anymore. A colleague who had been prescribed some anti-depressants suggested I speak to my GP about it, very much using the analogy of taking heart medication for a dodgy ticker that others on this thread have compared it to.
Day 1
Took 50mg with my typical breakfast. About an hour later on the drive to work, I suddenly had a feeling of calmness take over me. My thoughts were clearer and I felt at ease for the first time in what felt like months. I genuinely felt more positive and joked with said colleague that if this was a placebo, then it's a damned good one! Mild headache towards the end of the day and some bowel discomfort. Appetite seemed slightly suppressed for much of the day, but returned to normal come dinner time.
Day 2
Today - largely the same as yesterday, though the impact of the calmness is less intense. I'm also getting tingles in my fingers every once in a while.
So far, so good. I'm convinced the sertraline is going to help me get back to a base to build from. Really pleased I took the advice of my colleague to speak to my GP. My wife has also been suffering from some anxiety due to work and life balance, so I've asked her to observe me as a case study to help her decide to speak to her GP or not.
Sounds great, keep us updated with progress.I've long suspected I've had both for many years, but my various hobbies were able to keep both at bay or to help better manage flare ups. Since the birth of my son five years ago, things had gone downhill to the point where the last couple of months, I barely knew who I was anymore. A colleague who had been prescribed some anti-depressants suggested I speak to my GP about it, very much using the analogy of taking heart medication for a dodgy ticker that others on this thread have compared it to.
Day 1
Took 50mg with my typical breakfast. About an hour later on the drive to work, I suddenly had a feeling of calmness take over me. My thoughts were clearer and I felt at ease for the first time in what felt like months. I genuinely felt more positive and joked with said colleague that if this was a placebo, then it's a damned good one! Mild headache towards the end of the day and some bowel discomfort. Appetite seemed slightly suppressed for much of the day, but returned to normal come dinner time.
Day 2
Today - largely the same as yesterday, though the impact of the calmness is less intense. I'm also getting tingles in my fingers every once in a while.
So far, so good. I'm convinced the sertraline is going to help me get back to a base to build from. Really pleased I took the advice of my colleague to speak to my GP. My wife has also been suffering from some anxiety due to work and life balance, so I've asked her to observe me as a case study to help her decide to speak to her GP or not.
pb8g09 said:
Presumably you don’t play with joystick on the daily basis?
No, though I had read up that setraline can affect getting hard, finishing, and libido in general.Will report back in coming days - pun intended to be determined...
youngsyr said:
Sounds great, keep us updated with progress.
Thank you! Will do. Honestly feel like it's one of the best choices I have made - as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.Edited by Cybertronian on Wednesday 25th October 15:27
Been on them for 6 months for mild anxiety and personally think they are bloody awesome.
On the smallest dose 50mg. The first two weeks were hard. Felt more anxious and worst of all tired constantly....however they have cured my insomnia, now I'm super confident in the fact I no longer 'think before I speak' (not always good) however I say things in meetings or to friends I wouldn't have had the bottle to say before. Just takes the edge off everything.
I wouldn't want to go above 50mg though personally.
Zero side effects 6 months in once got through the first 2 weeks.
On the smallest dose 50mg. The first two weeks were hard. Felt more anxious and worst of all tired constantly....however they have cured my insomnia, now I'm super confident in the fact I no longer 'think before I speak' (not always good) however I say things in meetings or to friends I wouldn't have had the bottle to say before. Just takes the edge off everything.
I wouldn't want to go above 50mg though personally.
Zero side effects 6 months in once got through the first 2 weeks.
I say this as someone with a medical background.
Always seek professional medical help, psychiatrist not GPs.
There are many things that can be used to provide an effective treatment program, typically medication plus CBT (incl exposure no response) etc. etc. A combination of both is usually very effective for individuals.
However bad you feel today, there is always help to get you to feel better, you are never alone and things will improve.
When it comes to SSRIs it takes about 6-8 weeks for the real effect of the medication to be seen, as the medication needs to be built up in your system. Too many people try it for a few days and then say it doesn’t work. It’s a bit like taking half a headache tablet and then complaining you still have a headache!
If starting on SSRIs and one type doesn’t work, don’t panic, this is quite a regular occurrence, work with your psychiatrist and they will most likely augment or change to a different SSRI as needed.
If SSRI start to lose effectiveness over time and you feel symptoms re-emerging again speak to your psychiatrist (Google SRRI poop out effect), they can tweak dosage, augment or switch up to resolve.
Typically anyone starting on SSRIs should be on a dose of around 10mg to minimise side effect impact and build up some tolerance. Unfortunately side effects in the first 2-3 weeks are not nice, but your body will adjust. Think short term pain for long term gain.
Dosage depends on individuals, but typically up to 50mg is used for depression and up to 200mg for things like OCD.
Don’t be in a hurry to come off SSRIs, too many people put pressure on themselves, best to think of it like a drug for a chronic condition like Asthma. Take the medicine and just enjoy the better quality of life it can give and invest your time in improving all areas of your well being.
Look into the benefits of meditation (again we’re talking a couple of months before you see the benefit), it is proven to change the way amygdala functions.
Stay positive, everyone has good and bad days, just go with the flow.
Remember anxiety is just a feeling and cannot hurt you (exposure no response is a good standard of treatment btw).
Also note you are amazingly strong, anxiety is a testament to strength and not weakness - focus just on making sure you do the things (like work) even if you don’t feel like it or are feel anxious…this all reprograms the sub-conscious.
We all need some anxiety and life is not anxiety free, the trick is to be able to experience anxiety and not letting it change you behaviour to avoidance.
Always seek professional medical help, psychiatrist not GPs.
There are many things that can be used to provide an effective treatment program, typically medication plus CBT (incl exposure no response) etc. etc. A combination of both is usually very effective for individuals.
However bad you feel today, there is always help to get you to feel better, you are never alone and things will improve.
When it comes to SSRIs it takes about 6-8 weeks for the real effect of the medication to be seen, as the medication needs to be built up in your system. Too many people try it for a few days and then say it doesn’t work. It’s a bit like taking half a headache tablet and then complaining you still have a headache!
If starting on SSRIs and one type doesn’t work, don’t panic, this is quite a regular occurrence, work with your psychiatrist and they will most likely augment or change to a different SSRI as needed.
If SSRI start to lose effectiveness over time and you feel symptoms re-emerging again speak to your psychiatrist (Google SRRI poop out effect), they can tweak dosage, augment or switch up to resolve.
Typically anyone starting on SSRIs should be on a dose of around 10mg to minimise side effect impact and build up some tolerance. Unfortunately side effects in the first 2-3 weeks are not nice, but your body will adjust. Think short term pain for long term gain.
Dosage depends on individuals, but typically up to 50mg is used for depression and up to 200mg for things like OCD.
Don’t be in a hurry to come off SSRIs, too many people put pressure on themselves, best to think of it like a drug for a chronic condition like Asthma. Take the medicine and just enjoy the better quality of life it can give and invest your time in improving all areas of your well being.
Look into the benefits of meditation (again we’re talking a couple of months before you see the benefit), it is proven to change the way amygdala functions.
Stay positive, everyone has good and bad days, just go with the flow.
Remember anxiety is just a feeling and cannot hurt you (exposure no response is a good standard of treatment btw).
Also note you are amazingly strong, anxiety is a testament to strength and not weakness - focus just on making sure you do the things (like work) even if you don’t feel like it or are feel anxious…this all reprograms the sub-conscious.
We all need some anxiety and life is not anxiety free, the trick is to be able to experience anxiety and not letting it change you behaviour to avoidance.
Edited by NRG1976 on Thursday 26th October 23:07
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