Long term Sertraline Usage

[jobecikjsx]

Hello,

My name is Jobey and I am from the UK. I am 24 years of age. I am seeking some advise/help/resaurrance in life, as the only help I have is through my hypnotherapist. I am on the waiting list to be seen by the NHS, but this was a year ago and I've heard nothing back. I am aware of CBT techniques and always conscious of my thoughts, taking them very carefully. I meditate alot to help with the suffering so I am aware of the mind and body connection, I have explored different methods of healing, like Wimm Hoff and Flow Neuroscience (depression headset, pulses low-voltage current to the brain to get it 'started' again).

I have been using sertraline for over a year now, and wanted to see if anyone has had the same sort of experience as I am having right now. I am really unsure if I should come off it, as I feel like the tablets are having unwanted side effects on me. They suited me well when I most needed them however for the past 2-3 months, I have been experiencing something unusal which I thought was normal and I am so fed up of it. When I was taking around 75mg of sertraline, I would have 1 week of feeling great, then 1 week of feel extremely low (bedbound). I had been experiencing this for ages, so I cut down on my sertraline and things got better for me. Now it's 2-3 weeks of feeling great, 4-5 days of feeling ill and it knocks me off my feet. I used to work as an apprentice engineer but had to give it up in my final year which was upsetting as even though I did not get on well there, I still enjoyed the work that I did, it was fun! I have been off work for over a year now. My mood has been crazily fluctuating, I can go from extreme highs to extreme lows. I have agoraphobia & a panic disorder, so it's hard for me to find the correct balance in life as when I feel good I take advantage of that and get out of the house as much as possible, then within the space of hours, I can feel myself slowly drifting and getting worse and worse, and my body produces nasty side effects, I will be frozen from anxiety (even though I am not worried about anything), my heart will start paulputating, and all the energy that I have will be sucked out of me. When this happens, I feel as if I cannot do anything at all, not even the most simple tasks as I have lost all my strength, it's like I genuinely become so 'ill' very quickly and none of it really adds up to me. I can feel so great, so strong, will be lifting weights, going out riding my bike, conquering my phobia & panic disorder. I ONLY take sertraline 50mg, nothing else, sometimes vitamin D when I feel as if I haven't had enough sunshine (which is once a week now as we get lots of sun of course haha). I haven't spoke to my doctor in a while, things are just always so busy and I feel he has no time for me anymore. I really enjoy seeing him but it feels like I have nothing to gain by seeing him anymore as there isn't alot he can do for me, so I am seeking help from people with sertraline experience, as I feel as if it could be that, that is causing my issues. I have never been the type of person to experience mood fluctuations which is what has been baffling me, but I just don't know if coming off the tablets is the best thing for me? Alot of my family members say I should, as they think I am almost back to 'normal'. My hypnotherapist says the same thing aswell but it's a big step for me just to decide that I should stop taking something that I believe has kept me alive. As good as it was and it saved me, I am in belief that the tablets could be having adherse effects on me and my body is perhaps telling me to stop taking them? I wonder if anyone's had the same sort of thing before? Any information is greatly appreciated and I know everyone's experience is definitely different. Agoraphobia has been very weird to deal with, the immense fear has almost been conqueored however everytime I feel as if I am getting through to the next step, for example going for lunch with my mother in a social environment, when I get home and I feel I have recognised an achievement and feel so happy, I can just come crumbling back down and feel myself getting ill and then things like increased anxiety occur, fatigue, heart paulputations, feeling of unease, dizzy. Is it wise for me to stop the sertraline? The withdrawl effects are so harsh on me, will it be worth it...

Can always edit post if some stuff isn't allowed, I am new to these forums. Apologies.

Thanks for your time, I just want my life back.

Jobey 😊

[LoveforAll41]

Hi jobecikjsx, of course this is a decision you should make with your doctor that has prescribed sertraline to you. If that is not an option and you decide to make sure that you taper off. I haven't tried sertraline but went on and off fluoxetine myself a few times. You can of course always start again if things go poorly. Perhaps you could even get by on a lower dose? There are lots of other drugs out there too. It sounds like you are doing fairly well.

I know that I have a problem where I will feel good about myself while I keep doing things then when a time comes that I don't do something I had planned I feel bad about myself and spiral into a depression. Remember that we have worth independent of acheivement. I wish you peace, hope, and strength.☮️

[jobecikjsx in reply to LoveforAll41]

Hi, thankyou for the reply. That's very true yeah, I feel like I put alot of pressure on myself if i feel like I don't make good progress on that particular day. I am always trying to push my comfort zone so maybe sometimes I should just relax then when it's needed 😀 thanks that means alot! 😆

[debrajo1]

I had been off and on varying doses of sertraline for 25 years and had no side effects at all. A few years ago the sertraline stopped working for me and I had to change antidepressants. With the help of my psychiatrist, after trial and error, she found one that worked. I hope it continues to work for me. I will never go off my antidepressant as suffering major depression is hell on earth.

[secrets22]

hey there, i was on Sertraline for around 4 years and they did'nnt help my anxiety/ depression at all, but what they did was make me put on loads of weight , but now i'm on Mirtazapine which certainly helps with my poor sleeping, if nothing else. but like you my gp gave up on me and i just flounder in depression and i shut myself away.