Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: annieb on June 15, 2015, 02:25:21 PM
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Just been given sertraline for anxiety and depression. Only a very low dose to begin with as have had adverse reaction to certain AD in the past. This is my third day and feeling a little spaced out and a bit queasy . Says it may take about 2 weeks for me to see any positive effects. Last took AD about 25 years ago (s o feel I've done quite well in the interim HA HA!!) and that was dotheipan and certainly worked. Don't recall feeling so yucky at the start of using dotheipan but I was in a very very bad place at the time so probably couldn't have felt worse. This time I'm trying to catch it before it gets too bad
GP says sertraline is the best option for my current symptoms
Anyone else taking it and how did you get on
GP also suggested Mindfulness therapy and has recommended a book and Cd which I've ordered . GP very keen on this and I'm happy to give it a go as this is a better long term solution than medication I think. Interested to know if anyone else has gone down that route
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If you do a 'search' for Sertaline you will see if other Members have taken it :-\
Best to try early in case this doesn't work though it does have a good success rate ;)
Relaxation tapes can help too.
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I've tried Mindfulness. It is a long haul and I'm still giving it a go.
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Thanks CKLD I did a bit of a search but didn't find much. Probably looking in the wrong place = Head all over the place today
Mrs Mopp the book that the GP recommended is an 8 week course - how long have you been trying to get to grips with it
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Hi
I tried sertraline last year after going to my GP with anxiety and low mood. At the time I hadn't twigged that was peri menopausal and neither had my GP.
Unfortunately my experience with sertraline was not good. I seemed to react very badly to it. The very first night I took it I didn't sleep a wink. Within 48 hours I felt my anxiety was actually worse. By day 5 I was crying on my husband's shoulder because I felt so distraught and anxious. On about day 10 I had my first ever panic attack in our village shop. I felt I was getting worse and worse. Then I suddenly felt 100% for a whole weekend and thought 'It's working' but then had another panic attack on the Monday and couldn't go into work.
I stuck it out for 26 days but my symptoms seemed much, much worse than before I started. Really odd as I had taken sertraline successfully years ago when I had pnd and I don't remember any side effects at all?
It's strange as I know that lots of people really rate it.
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There's at least 13 pages where the drug is mentioned ……..
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OK CKLD I'm obviously a bit of numpty when it comes to searching - I did have another go today after you pointed this out and just put the word sertraline in but only got this topic that I had started.
GypsyRoseLee - Yes I'm actually feeling worse at the moment (on day 5 at the mo) - am going to stick it out for 2 weeks and see how I am. Did you change to another type?
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If you use the search button at the top left hand side in the blue bar you might have some luck there.
Honeybun
X
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Thanks Honeybun - I was using the one on the other side and didn't even see that one . Have found them now and interesting. Looks like some folks have had success with it and some not - so will have to plod on and hope I'm one of the lucky ones. If not it's back to the GP - he was most helpful and understanding though so that's a bonus :)
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Well that's 2 numptys on here ;D 'cos I've never noticed the search box on the right ::) ……..
Mindfulness is not something I have done but I have played soothing music and practicesed relaxation therapy.
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Feeling absolutely awful this morning - couldn't wake up and now feel sick and dizzy and it's only day 6 of these tablets. Only on half a tablet (25mg!!) Had this reaction to Prosac based meds years ago so looks like I'm going down the same route. Realise it's early days but can't function like this so going to have to stop taking them as have to work and just can't think straight. Feel worse than I did before I started taking them so back to the GP and see if there is an alternative.
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Annieb check with your Dr in terms of stopping taking them .... you might need to taper it - they don't generally recommend stopping immediately - you can feel even worse if you do.
I had a very very bad experience with Sertraline - 50mg a day - took for 2 days and had all the worst side effects and then some. But I'm very sensitive to medications and it's the first AD I ever took (and the last one I'll take too).
I have heard from others that Citalopram has less side effects than Sertraline - so you may want to give that one a try - I know 2 people for whom it worked for but it does still have side effects which can take a while for the body to adjust too.
I'm a long time practitioner of mindfulness meditation and have only good things to say about it but it does take time to learn and to practice - if there's a mindfulness meditation group in your area, that might be helpful. Jon Kabat-Zinn's book (the full catastrophe) is good - he has some CDs too.
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There are some ADs that I simply couldn't tolerate, Prozac being the worst :'(
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Hi annieb
Yes after 26 days I just couldn't stand it any longer. Perhaps if I hadn't waited longer it might have kicked in, I don't know?
But I changed to amitriptyline which I had also taken whilst pregnant many years ago. It's an older generation AD but very effective. It does make you sleep very deeply though, but that was a good thing for me and I enjoyed it. It took about 6 weeks to fully kick in but it counter acted the effects of the sertraline withinin a week or two.
I wouldn't hesitate to take amitriptyline again. It does make you feel a bit groggy when you first wake up, and a bit dreamy during the day but again I quite enjoyed that having felt so dreadfully stressed and so anxious before. But I was perfectly capable of driving and doing my job etc.
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Stopped the sertraline yesterday and feel a little better today Bit upset that I've had the same reaction as last time I took Prosac based tab despite GP saying this should be OK.
Greenfields - GP is very keen on Mindfulness and it was Jon Kabat-Zin's work she recommended. Just receive a book and CD of his this morning so will be getting into that over the next few days. GP said it will take a while and is a question of practise. Will let you know how it goes
Think I will go back to see GP next week as sertraline should have cleared my system by then and ask for dothipan or one of the older type ADs (may be amitriptyline as Gypsyroselee suggests)
Do recall sleeping very deeply on that one and feeling slightly dreamy but was defo capable of working and driving.
Just want to feel better
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Of course you do! The side effects can be truly awful >:(
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If you can do Jon Kabat-Zinn's body scan practice regularly it will make a difference - it helped me through my breakdown and is helping me in recovering from it. He also has sitting meditations - I've got some of his CDs and some of the practices are a bit long - but would definitely recommend the body scan practice lying down - it's very relaxing and I often fall asleep to it which is actually good for me as I get extra rest.
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It is fitting in the practice that I find difficult ::) - so sitting in our garden by the pond helps a lot as does pottering in the earth. Listening to the birds early in the morning if I can't sleep at this time of year is good.
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I'm hopeful that it will work -
CKLD - this is same with me - one of my anxieties is feeling that there is not enough time to do everything I think I need to do in a day and findinf time for the meditation scheme seems as though it may just be another thing to add to the list. Determined that I will make time - maybe it will help me with what really is important as deep inside I know that I put too much pressure on myself to do stuff that can wait!!
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I used to say to DH 'too much to do, not enough time' and feel really panicked about everything I had to do but when he asked I couldn't tell him …… because I whizz from chore to chore, weeding to bin, birds/fish/ponds …….. in my head and getting it done! however, he's taken over the hoovery-thingy since he retired which really helps!
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I am on sertraline. I took it years ago and came but had to go back on.
The side effects were bad, increased anxiety, daytime sleeping then insomnia. Lack of appetite. I stuck it as I i knew I really needed them.
I take 75mg and gave for 4 years. I was put on originally for post natal depression and then forgotten and I became addicted. I guess I probably only needed hormones back then but who knew.
My doc said never to stop again as in such a state if them.
I got my old self back totally within a couple of months.
Mind you my old self is vanishing again due to rotten meno stuff.
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I'm on just 10 mg of Citalopram which generally keeps me calm along with mindfulness meditation.
I've been practicing it for about 4 years now starting with Jon kabatt zinn . Used to always fall asleep tho doing the body scan.
Mindfulness is a lovely gentle tool to centre yourself to help stop your mind creating stories that aren't bloody true ,
I also find Tara Brachs's podcast talks very useful too. Free in the App Store.
Anxiety is flaming horrible
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:thankyou:
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Update - went back to GP (blessed with a very cheery GP who does listen) and changed AD to Prothiaden which is a different type (same as the dothiepan I took years ago) . Much much better with this one. Very woozy and sleepy and feeling a bit sick for the first 2 or 3 days but now on day 4 and feeling OK. Getting good nights sleep as it does knock you out a bit and a bit difficult to wake in the morning Certainly benefitting from the long sleeps and think the waking up will get better as I go along. Feeling better in myself though still not out of the woods
Struggling with the "mindfulness" as there is always coming and going in the house so having difficulty finding a quiet spot. But have managed the basic relaxation and full body scan listening to the CD that came with the book . Instruction runs for about 20 minutes and afterwards I do feel so relaxed and calm.
gloriously sunny here this morning and that cheers the mind too. :)
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Glad you have some relief at last. Personal query: do you bath ………. if so, practice mindfulness in a deep warm bath of bubbles ;) - works for me most nights, with cuppa and Very Good Book!
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Hadn't thought of that but sounds like a good idea Thanks CKLD x
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Mindfulness is also nice in the shower! ;)
To be honest, I don't think I would have got through the last few months without having done the body scan regularly - it made a huge difference to my life, particularly when I was very very ill and couldn't do much.
At the moment I often feel overwhelmed - so my practice is then to just bring my attention back to whatever I'm doing in the present - and that helps enormously too.
Mindfulness is also nice when you're chopping veggies and you're not in a rush ... just being present to the chopping and the colours of the vegetables etc ... I always find cooking very relaxing.
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Cooking and relaxing aren't 2 words that go together in my mind ;D - fortunately I have a Husband who does ;)
I ran a bath earlier: water was cold :'( :-\ ………… ::)
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Just a quick update for anyone who's interested. Almost completed my second week on Prothiedan and feel loads better. Had a few wobbly days but the awful dread feelings have gone. Am sleeping very deeply but do have a bit of a problem waking in the morning and feel a bit woosy during the day. think this will pass in time though. Fingers crossed . Only on 25mg !!
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Just a quick update for anyone who's interested. Almost completed my second week on Prothiedan and feel loads better. Had a few wobbly days but the awful dread feelings have gone. Am sleeping very deeply but do have a bit of a problem waking in the morning and feel a bit woosy during the day. think this will pass in time though. Fingers crossed . Only on 25mg !!
Lovely to hear that you're feeling better.
Hugs xxx
BTW re: the mindfulness and coming and going in your house - one way to use mindfulness is to focus on sounds ... just hearing them without judgment. One teacher I went on retreat with used to say "sit like a mountain with the ears wide open like the ocean" - such a lovely image. Another teacher says imagine the ears are like giant headphone antennae - and just sit and allow sound to pass through. It's possible to bring awareness to sounds without judgment and to also notice the gaps between sounds too. Notice your reactivity to sounds as well and it's possible that that will gently decrease as you practice (can't force it though!).
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Greenfields - lovely image - I've been focusing on the background noise as an interference but thinking about how you suggest reacting to it is interesting. I'd not thought of it that way . I do recall that when I was younger I could sit reading a book and be so totally absorbed that I was unaware of anything going on around me. I seem to have lost that knack of late so a little more practise is needed methinks. Thank you for the good advice xx