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[Sarai]

I'm sure you will give up totally on the sertraline, but I would like to say it made me much worse anxiety wise in the first few weeks but once it settles in it works so well. Psych Drs know that if they make you worse to start it is a sign it will work well ultimately.

[babyjane]

All the best with your medication.  I was the opposite, mine worked well to start and now, after three months, has started causing me trouble.

[Justjules]

Sorry to hear that BJ - you take Citalopram don't you?  I was great with that for many years.

I am still reducing the Sertraline - down to 25mg again but oh boy, what an awful day I've had at work - I feel like somebody pulled my plug out and let all the energy out of my body.  Started yesterday when I got home from work, was fit for nothing and it's been the same today and I've been stupidly busy and kept having to eat something to keep my energy up.  Resorted to a valium at lunch time as I felt wired as well.

Fed up with it all now.  My therapist said I am suffering from adrenal fatigue with being stressed for so long so has recommended loads of supplements and a diet but it's going to take a while I think.  I wish I could just book into a nice hotel for a month and just chill out!!!

Are you sure it's the ADs that are making you worse?

x

[babyjane]

can't think what else it could be.  Side effects have returned and are cancelling out any benefit I had. Seeing my GP next week so will see what he says.

[Justjules]

Well had the worst day so far with the Sertraline. Sobbed all the way home from work in the car as I had to hold it in all day. Only dropped slowly to 25mg for last two or three days but this week, especially today, has been dreadful. Blood sugar dipping constantly, terrible agitation....have never typed so fast! Took a Valium on way home land one this morning but only got 5 left  and terrified won't be able to have any more. See GP on Monday. They are the only thing that calm me down. Sat in loo at work deep breathing for 5 mins. Just don't know what to do. I am so frightened of the tablets now and how I am going to get off them. I have had anxiety in the past but this is much worse and different. I wish I could just have a proper course of Valium for a couple of weeks like I have in the past just to settle everything instead of just taking one here and there. Like my Mum said, 2mg doesn't do much. I can't feel like this much longer without some relief. I've been bad now since 11th January when I started the damned tablets.  Any suggestions? All the relaxation stuff isn't doing anything.

Thanks. X

[coldethyl]

Sorry things are so bad at the minute. I think the problem with taking a longer course of Valium is addiction issues aside, that you become psychologically addicted to them too and never deal with the issues that are affecting you. Anxiety is a bully and at the minute, you are paying the bully every day with a Valium here and there in the hope he'll go away but sadly, this only makes you feel less capable of dealing with stuff and reinforces the belief that you can't cope on your own. Some of the rubbishy symptoms will be the withdrawal but I'd bet that a lot of if is your own mind adding fear upon fear. We all do it- I'm having a rubbish few days with migraines and because I have a big party to organise next week I'm worrying if I'll be ok , if it will get better etc .. All this is doing is making my head worse and my worry bigger so I've come to bed to do some meditation. I think you have to just keep muddling on some days - if my head hurts next weekend it will be rubbish but I can try my best not to add to its chances - similarly, you may feel moe anxious until this is out of your system but fighting it will only make it worse. Where are you at with your therapy  referral? X

[Justjules]

Coldethyl, i know what you mean about the dependency but it just gets to the point that nothing works to calm me down. It won't seem to pass on its own no matter what I do to distract it and yes, then I get into an even worse fear cycle I suppose. I have been in an anxious state in the past but never experienced the 'wired' feeling with so much agitation and then the shaky jitters and the speedy drop in blood sugar. I get worried that it is harming my body so adds to more worry. I am on the list for some more CBT but it could be months. In the meantime I carry on with my hypno NLP lady but it's bankrupting me!

Sorry you are also having a rubbish time with headaches. Hope you feel better soon.

X

[coldethyl]

Have you had your blood sugars checked as a lot of your symptoms sound like what I get like when mine have gone low ( I am a diabetic) - it's always worth getting the basic bloods done if your feel anxious as thyroid , low iron and diabetes amongst other things can give you symptoms of anxiety like shaking, breathlessness, sweating and agitation.
I know what you mean about feeling wired as that is how my anxiety was over Christmas which I am putting down to to a downward shift in my oestrogen levels as I the day sweats took over at that time too. I took a couple of Valium over two days then and that was enough to let me regroup - I'm very reluctant to have them as my mum was hospitalised for withdrawal when I was a teenager because long term use had caused her more problems than the initial anxiety. I think part of your problem is that you have just got into a downward spiral of fear so are expecting to feel shocking as you come off and are scanning yourself for symptoms - we all do that when we are anxious but it is just adding to your anxiety tenfold - if you think back a few weeks , it was all your heart, then your pancreas , and now it's the effects of withdrawal that are consuming your thoughts. There is no easy answer other than to just try and relax and take one minute at a time - it will pass out of your system and then you can see what was the medication  and what is you and your thought processes. It is hard and I wish we were all further along the road or recovery than we are, but we have to keep taking tiny steps even when things seem impossible.

[Justjules]

Hi Coldethyl. Had full bloods done the other month....all okay. Sugar level checked too last year. It's only been since the Sertraline and it does say that it's one of the side affects. Yes, you're right, I do concentrate on the feelings I get too much...too over sensitive to sensations that others would take as nothing to worry about, or so my daughter tells me, she's right really.  I have never liked taking meds of any sort as I have always had a fear of side affects so this Sertraline has really got to me. Yes, my mum too was hooked on a Valium type drug when I was a teenager as they used to give them out like sweets in those days but she got herself off them and was saved by HRT she says.

Ah well, just have plod on and ride it out a day at a time like you say.

How is your headache now? Hope you are feeling a bit better.
X

[coldethyl]

Headache slowly improving. I got myself in a pickle over it as it is ages since I've had such a bad migraine so of course stupid thoughts come in.. Stroke, brain tumour and so on. When I was seeing my CBT therapist she used to make me hyperventilate with her and she got exactly the same symptoms as me but she just attributed them to the biochemical blood imbalance caused by hyperventilating whereas I thought angina  heart attack, stroke, MS and so on. It's partially why books on OCD often ask you to ask other people what they do/experience so you can build up a picture of what is normal.
I think that we have to learn that our bodies won't feel the sane as we did at 20 and before we became sensitised to their every twitch. Our hormone levels  have altered so it is important that we do things like relaxation and good diet etc to help support ourselves. I seem to recall that you are post menopausal.. Would it be worth trying HRT if you'd rather not try any more ADs or are there reasons you can't?

[Justjules]

Good. Headaches are the one thing I don't seem to get thankfully but when I do yes, always has to be the worst possible thing of course. Yes, suppose we are going to get more and more strange aches and twinges as we age now...I am going to concentrate on sorting out some good supplements and a diet after talking to my therapist today and instead of reading books, do something that it suggests will work instead of just going on to the next book to see what that suggests. I have decided to take next week off and have a rest and give myself some headspace I think while I am having the withdrawals. X

[CLKD]

Sometimes if I've taken ADs for a few weeks I need a break of 24 hours because my head feels achy and woozy 

BJ - do you need to up the ADs for a few days?  That's how I manage any 'low' feelings.