Sertraline short term: Hello, I was put... - Anxiety and Depre...

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Sertraline short term

ae0200 profile image
60 Replies

Hello, I was put onto 50mg sertraline by my GP because they thought it would help reduce fatigue I was experiencing due to iron deficiency. I started getting terrible headaches and dizziness, so when I next saw my GP 23 days later they told me to just stop taking the sertraline. They stated that I hadn’t been on long enough to experience any problems. It has now been 12 days since my last dose and I am getting dizziness, headaches, sometimes joint pain, and a feeling of numbness in my head.

How long should I be experiencing this for? Whenever I ask a medical professional they are surprised it hasn’t gone away. I’m really hoping it will go soon because I’ve just started a new job and am trying to make a good impression, which is hard at the moment .

And as for the energy, it turns out all I needed was an increase in my iron prescription.

Thank you

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ae0200
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60 Replies

I see your fairly new and that this is your first post, so hi and welcome!It is strange that you're still having stmptoms. I wonder if the medication hasn't left your system yet? Have you asked your doctor what you ask here? Maybe if you word it the way you do here, you'll get more help? I don't know what to suggest other than that.

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply to

That was what my GP thought, that it might still be in my system. I’ve just been told to hold tight, it’s just hard when I’ve been feeling rough for 5 weeks now since starting sertraline

in reply toae0200

I'm sure it is tough. Hang in there!

Blueruth profile image
Blueruth

yea -- i had a doctor tell me that. Every body is different. they should know that. do a minor gut cleanse. You could skip fats and eat raw veggies plus juice like cranberry juice. Raw beet juice with carrot is particularly good. Be careful of buying it pre made because of the sugar. Not suggesting you starve yourself. Chicken breast is fine for protein. Serotonin also lives in your gut. That is the reason for the cleanse.

why not iron pills?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toBlueruth

I’d rather not, I’m of the body type that struggles to keep weight on and I lose it easily. If I did this I could see myself getting ill

Blueruth profile image
Blueruth in reply toae0200

Take it. leave it. take part of it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toBlueruth

I took part of it, got some cranberry juice

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30

It will pass but it will take time its frustrating and worrying but some people react like that

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I also have another question, I struggle to get up on a morning and feel like I have a thick head. Is this likely to be the sertraline? And if so, why hasn’t it got better with stopping it?

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

Maybe you should've come off it gradually but you weren't to know that Some people have problems coming off these medications I am supersentive too. Like I said it will take time its a bit scary I know when your body is reacting like this but you mustn't panic or take more drugs it could take a year to get right again but probably not that long , Coffee may help your head on a morning , you need a good healthy diet , water , sleep, you will get right again but it will take time

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I hope it doesn’t take a year to get better from 3 weeks of sertraline

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

you have reacted very strongly to an SSRI maybe not so much by taking it but rather the withdrawal some people would be fine stopping as you did but you obvs are not you could take a teeny speck of it every day and try to ween off it like that but since you have come this far you may as well carry on cold turkey has it improved in the last few days ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I have found that my headaches and dizziness have improved a bit. But I’m still feeling tired a lot of the time, it’s different to when I started being iron deficient because I still feel like I have energy, I’m just very sleepy. I would say rather than a headache, it is tingly

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

are you taking iron now ?

What about vitamin B 12 ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Yes, I’ve been on 322mg ferrous fumerate since march. Currently I take 3 a day with vitamin c. I also take over the counter 1000 μg b12

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

is it Vitamin B 12 methylcobalamin ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I have no idea, it’s from Holland and Barrett

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toae0200

My doctor told me my b12 is good anyway, I thought there’s no harm in supplementation

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

I would stop taking that b12 for a few days - won't matter if you aren't deficient One thing that is always good to take for your brain your mood and overall health is codliver fish oil

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

That's not a good one from Holland and Barret it's made from cyanide

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Dangerous?

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

No there is only a tiny bit of cyanide in them but the one that I mentioned above is much better and not dangerous

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Ah okay

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

That's sounds like an awful lot of iron maybe you should ease off that too You can tell your iron status by the colour of your number 2 s when you go to the loo if it's dark your iron status is good if it's pale you are low on iron yours must be black I would ease off it you only need 12 mg a day of iron vitamin b12 helps you absorb iron but 1000 mg of B12 is quite a high dose

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

My iron is on prescription. I am being treated for iron deficiency and have been for 4 months now

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

I get that but even so I still think your dosage is too much. I used to take one of the tables you take 3 times a day once a week ?

These days I take a 12 mg iron tablet 2-3 times a week

So you take approx 6000 mg of iron a week

I take approx 36 mg of iron a week.

It won't do any harm to ask your GP if you still need this much ?

Have your other symptoms from setraline withdrawal improved ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

The ferrous fumerate is equivalent to 100 mg elemental iron so it’s a bit less. Yes the sertraline is getting better slowly, less dizzy now and headaches aren’t as bad. One thing I have developed though is bad joint pain, I was previously vitamin d deficient so maybe it’s come back

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

Are you getting any sun ?

As I said before codliver oil is a great all rounder regarding health - mental and physical and full of vitamin d

Tesco do a good high strength one a day cod liver oil capsule

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I usually get lots of sun, I have been taking cod liver oil for a while. I was wondering if the sertraline could be causing aching? When I started aching a couple of weeks ago I also started taking high strength vitamin D but that’s not helped

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

Most probably yes imo

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

So hopefully that means it’ll go on it’s own

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

Yes give it time a couple of months maybe

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

But I was only on sertraline for 3 weeks

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

I took a herbal remedy - 2 capsules and it took a year to recover

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

But was that for longer on sertraline?

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

I only took 2 capsules of the herbal supplement in all I am super sensitive

Young people aren't told of the side effects but you will get right again eventually

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

This is an excellent programme about side effects of antidepressants

channel4.com/programmes/you...

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I feel like it would probably set off the hypochondriac inside me. But thank you

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

The programme isn't scary it's really good - it will put you off taking any more antidepressants

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I would say that the only side effect I still have is light headedness. My headaches are no longer painful, just constant

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

Well that's good

Be careful what you take in future as you are obvs sensitive - like I am

even natural suppliments can cause problems

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I think the worst part is I was never told about the side effects. I guess I should have read the leaflet

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

The leaflet would prob only mention side effects whilst taking it but not effects from withdrawal Why did you stop taking it ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I was only put on because of fatigue due to iron deficiency. At the same time they increased my iron dose too which helped. I stopped because the iron was helping my fatigue and the sertraline was making me feel dizzy and headaches

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

They seem to hand out prescriptions for SSRIs willy nilly

8.3 million people are on antidepressants in UK

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Yes I totally agree with this, they need teaching about them

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

Were you vegetarian or vegan - just wondering why you were so low on iron ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

I was vegetarian for 10 years, I’m not sure how it happened. All I can think is that I became underweight towards the end of last year and have managed build up my weight now but the iron could be from that?

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

So you aren't vegetarian anymore ?

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

No I stopped in April after getting iron deficiency in march. I thought it was for the best

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

You did the right thing I don't like animals being killed for me to eat but my daughter got hypothyroidism from going vegan I try to only buy free range chicken and outdoor bred pork

Anyway glad you are on the mend

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Just wanted to come back and say that my headaches and dizziness are about gone. But I am left with this numb feeling within my head that makes me lethargic, it’s an odd feeling. Almost like my head has anaesthetic in it. It makes it hard to concentrate on anything, which as a university student is hard

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

thats good about the headaches and dizziness almost gone hope the numbness also goes in time - you are young so you should make a full recovery just make sure you eat well don't skip carbs and stay hydrated - keep me posted

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Thank you for all the support. It's nice to have people who understand, a doctor at home told me all I have is a stress headache

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30

yes its shocking how they fob people off and just give a script for SSRI s

ae0200 profile image
ae0200 in reply toLizzo30

Just thought I'd update this. I've been off sertraline for probably 3 months now. I went to go see a doctor about my iron, and he thinks I have pernicious anaemia and it is likely that my head pressure is from low B12, I am now on treatment for that. The sertraline was just my GP not knowing what to do

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toae0200

hi nice to hear from you , it seems being a vegetarian may have sonething to do with your possible pernicious anaemia ? I remember you said you were on a high dose of an iron supplement seems like you have not been absorbing it ? Vitamin b 12 really helps to absorb iron , what's with the head pressure ? As I said before it can take a long time to get back to normal do you eat a healthy diet ?

Lizzo30 profile image
Lizzo30 in reply toLizzo30

just read your post from a month ago sorry I missed it

Feel free to PM me

OB73 profile image
OB73

Setraline does not agree with me it make it worse and tell your doctor that your health is important to you and your family

OB73 profile image
OB73

Sertraline wasnt good for me it made my heart race jitters nervous eyes jumpy ect

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