got prescribed sertraline 50mg but I am worried about taking it ?

[jayp12345]

hey today I got prescribed sertraline 50mg but I am worried about taking it ?

After reading the side effects online and finding out I can't just stop taking them I need to keep taking them has really set my anxiety off and don't know whether I want to take these tabs.

Is there anything I can take that I can just have as in when my anxiety flares up (as it isn't all the time it only happens in certain situations) I have had rescue remedy but don't think I have had it long enough for it to keep in my system.

I want something I can have as in when because I wanna be able to drink alcohol etc any advice would be great

[Agora1]

Hi jayp, unfortunately mixing any of these medications with alcohol causes nothing

but problems. I'm sorry you read up on the side effects because it puts fear of doubt

in our minds. Although side effects may be low and as simple as dry mouth, the companies

must protect themselves by labeling these effects.

Benzos can be taken in the moment but again not with alcohol.

The best thing is to talk these over with your prescribing physician. I played

this game with myself as well even though I didn't read about the drug beforehand.

The fear of the unknown is a part of Anxiety in which we want to overcome. And we

can only overcome these what ifs if we take the medication to feel better.

Keep us updated. We want to see you get well. xx

[jayp12345 in reply to Agora1]

Thank you my partner is coming round tomorrow to look at the medication then I am going to decide whether to start taking it or not or contact my pharmacy and see if I can get anything else

where can I get Benzos ? I wouldn't take it if I knew I wern't drinking alcohol that day

[Agora1 in reply to jayp12345]

In order to be safe, only from your doctor

I would never chance getting it online...

Safety first.

Whenever I've taken a new medication of any kind, I write down the name of the drug,

the dosage as well as the time I took it. I make sure someone is aware and around the

first time. Then it's important to go on with your day and not just sit there in

anticipation of something happening.

I wish you well xx

[jayp12345 in reply to Agora1]

going to see wbarwhat pharmacy says and go from there will also see what partner says tomorrow

[Jeff1943 in reply to jayp12345]

Anti-anxiety meds like benzos (eg. Diazepam and Xanax) give instant relief from periodic episodes of high anxiety. But should ideally only be used occasionally as and when when needed. If used continuously for too long they can become addictive and their beneficial effect wanes over time.

Both meds are only available on doctor's prescription and Xanax is not available on NHS presription in the U.K. only on private prescription so is almost unknown here.

[jayp12345 in reply to Jeff1943]

gonna try some herbal stuff first then might ask about diazepam xx

[Jeff1943 in reply to jayp12345]

They say not to mix St Johns Wort, a herbal remedy for depression, with pharmaceutical medications.

Diazepam is based on a natural remedy used for thousands of years in Indian medicine to calm high anxiety. It is obtained from the rawawulfa root which they grind into a paste to make a porridge. Mahatma Ghandi, who led India to independence in 1948, started every morning with a bowl of rawawulfa porridge. Hence his saintly calm in solving problems. About this time two chemists from La Roche, the big pharma company, discovered the rawawulfa root and synthsised it into diazepam otherwise known as valium.

[Twitchen in reply to jayp12345]

Doctors are very reluctant to prescribe them now. I pleaded with a doctor and he let me have just 14 Diazapam, which I tend to cut in half and only take when absolutely needed. At least with those you can use them on a when really desperately needed basis. It would be worth asking your doctor if you could have some just for emergency backup. Good luck.

[jayp12345 in reply to Agora1]

My doctor didn't even tell me what he was prescribing I only found out when I got to the pharmacy which is my own fault I guess as I never asked

[Agora1 in reply to jayp12345]

I know as for myself, it wouldn't have made any difference in what the doctor

prescribed or suggested since I was afraid to take any medication.

There was a time jay that I would fill the prescriptions and then go home and

line them up on my pantry shelf, never to take them because of unfounded fear.

And then I'd go back to the doctor on next visit and he would order something else

in hopes that I would take that which of course I didn't

After a while jay, I began to wonder if just possibly any of those meds on my shelf

could have helped me and I am missing the opportunity.

Then and only then was the time right for me to make a decision to help myself.

I'm so glad I finally trusted in my doctor and took the first pill...Everything after

that became easier as I started feeling better. I wish this for you as well...Trust xx

[jayp12345 in reply to Agora1]

thank you i might take that plunge and do it !

[Agora1 in reply to jayp12345]

xx

[Deb4961]

I take Sertraline 100mg and it has been a lifesaver. Doesn’t work immediately it takes about 4 weeks for you to feel the full effect. Alcohol and any kinda meds is a no no. Actually alcohol makes anxiety worse. Give the Sertraline a try. Good luck.

[jayp12345 in reply to Deb4961]

i decided to seek different alternatives like cbd oil etc x

[Blue-Ash]

I have been on Sertraline for over a year now, currently on 150mg. I have suffered anxiety and depression for many years due to emotional/mental abuse and I did nothing about it as I saw taking medication as a sign of weakness and the side effects scared me. However after joining this forum and getting lots of support I got help and a year later I think to myself why didn't I get the help/medication 17 years ago. It does take time for the medication to have full effect but worth it. Xx

[Badge1971]

I had been taking the sertraline on and for 10 years. Making a decision to do something about depression will help as hope is out there. Sertraline will take at least 4/5 weeks to make any changesand it is gradual. For me it gave me a ring of support around me personally allowing me to cope overall. I know there are lots of side you could get but many don't get any. For me it was a dry mouth but that went away. If effects are extreme effects go straight back to the dr. Your Dr should be asking you visit again soon to see how you are getting on. For many of us humans we keep going with depression until we can't. We what I would say if they work for you stay on them. Stopping and starting won't help you recover. I knew when it was time to say goodbye to them and so will you. Nick

[jayp12345 in reply to Badge1971]

thanks still got anxiety about taking them so seeking different alternatives x

[designguy]

I was on it for some time and had no negative side affects except for sexual delayed climax which is pretty common. I also did drink alcohol while on it in moderation without any issues.

I suggest you give it a try and see if it works for you. You can always quit if you don't think it is but you should give yourself at least 6 weeks or so for it to take affect. Since you are prone to anxiety you will probably have some anxiety when starting it which is normal so try to relax and reassure yourself that it takes time for your mind and body to adjust.

[jayp12345 in reply to designguy]

can't be having sexual delayed climax !!!

[Jeff1943]

When I was on prescription meds, Amytriptyline and diazepam, I drank alcohol. Let's say half a bottle of wine a day. My head never dropped off.

You can be too careful. Pharmaceutical companies put every side effect known to man (and woman) on their leaflets to cover themselves legally. Usually they also ban alcohol. So one of the pleasures of life is unnecessarily denied.

Alcohol can increase the soporific effect of some meds so probably best to enjoy alcohol at home in the evening before bedtime. Though personally I never found this to be a problem. But you must make up your own mind on this issue.

Nobody wants to take meds for ever but they are there to help in certain cases. They have been tried and tested extensively before being licenced for public use. But too many people think of them as akin to rat poison and treat them with extreme suspicion.

Anxiety about taking anti-anxiety meds is just another sympton of anxiety.

Same goes for anti-depressants.

[murryriver]

Hello jayp12345, I think you should listen to your doctor and not read anything into whats on the internet .Im on lorazepam and its helped me a lot but if I believed all the terrible stuff about lorazepam on the internet I probably wouldnt have started it and I cant imagine where my mental state would be today.

[jayp12345 in reply to murryriver]

I just been taking calms once a day seems to be working atm due to go back to work Tues (took an extra week off) still bit nervous but not to the extent I was couple weeks ago