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Hi All,
I was started on sertraline 25mg 3 weeks ago for anxiety/panic disorder. My anxiety spiked like crazy the first week and seemed to calm down a bit. I'm on week 3 and still feel more anxious compared to before I started the medication. Anyone else have this reaction when starting on SSRI?
Did your doctor tell you how long you have to wait to get the full benefit? I was started on Lexapro and noticed a couple days in, that I felt kinda anxious. I stopped it, but now regret it and want to give my medication a chance to see if it can help. Are you able to send a message to your doctor about the side effect you’re having to see if it’s normal or what they recommend? I take half of mine, as my doctor told me to do that because of my side effects I was having before.
My anxiety was the worst starting on meds mainly because of worrying about it, youre on a starting dose so its relatively mild. Stick with it and know that anxiety is uncomfortable but its perfectly safe and normal
My doctor gave me a limited prescription for Ativan to ease me in to the ssri. Worked for me!
I have low dose Ativan but I hate using it because I don't want it to become a "crutch" but when I take it it helps tremendously
I know I’m the same way but I followed my doctors orders and only stayed on it a short while. Talk to your doctor and see what he/she says.
Unfortunately, pretty much every medication for anxiety or depression runs a risk of making it worse. If you're on week three and still feel worse, I'd ask your doctor how long they think you should stay the course before trying a different medication. It often takes a while to find the right one, but it is worth it once you do. Good luck!
More than likely it's not the sertraline thats causing your increased anxiety, it's your hyperfocusing on your body sensations that are causing it and your thoughts of anxiety are continuing to fuel it. You are on a small dose and it can take a while for it to take affect and you may even need to increase it to notice any difference. I know it's hard but the best thing you can do is to get on about your day and try to notice focus or fuel the anxiety. Anxiety is a paradox the more you focus on it or try to fight it the more it persists, the solution is surrendering to the thoughts and feelings and quit resisting it and it will dissipate.
I had such a severe reaction to Celexa that my dr took me off it after a week. My anxiety, depression and other side effects were so amped up I was disfunctional. He put me on Buspirone which really helped. Many years later, my good friends (!) Anxiety and Depression showed up again, but I swore I wouldn't take another SSRI. Buspirone no longer worked. So I finally agreed to try the SSRI Pristiq, which gave me a side effect that cleared up, but it never caused more anxiety. I am still on Pristiq, which is working well.
My point is, that what works for one may not work for another. Plenty of people love their Celexa! Others wouldn't touch Pristiq if it were the last drug on earth. If you are still in misery after a month, definitely see your doctor. Sometimes it takes trial and error to get things straightened out, so please do not be discouraged.
It's normal to feel anxious when starting an SSRI. I was told it's similar to a black coffee reaction if you drink too much of it...that jittery/skaky feeling. It can take up to a full 8 weeks for the medication to take effect. I was on sertraline for years & it made me feel like a normal person. It was like a miracle pill! Best of luck!
Hello,. Yes the same happened to me and i wasn't pre warned of it from the GP. I think my anxiety really ramped up after week two and i was also very emotional. Im now on week 4 and were expecting to feel much better by now but im not really. I do happen to have lulls through the afternoon/eve where i feel calm. How are you feeling at the moment?
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