I have really resisted going down the anti-depressant road, but now I'm in a very dark place and don't know how to cope.
If anyone has had this medicine, I would be so glad to know if it worked or not. I have the tablets here, but I haven't taken any yet.
Annie x
Sorry Worzel I'm not familiar with this particular drug, but there are loads of different anti-depressants available and you may need to persevere until you find the correct one for you, but they do work for most people eventually. If you're in a sufficiently dark place to need them then I would recommend taking them as prescribed and if they don't suit your body, tell the doc and get him/her to change them. There's no disgrace in needing help with depression, it's just another illness that needs treatment, and only too familiar to COPD sufferers. Prozac (Fluoxetine) works for me, and got me off the floor; I may never fly again but I'm now happy to exist on an even keel. Good Luck.
hi worsel , I used take sertraline & it seemed o.k , but when I was in hospital my consultant took me off it, because one of the side effects can be it causes breathlessness. am now on citalopram which is much better. take care. Phil xx
Hi I am on sertraline and have been for over 5 years now. Never had any problems with it and it does definitely help. The only downside is I get nasty nightmares and if I forget to take a couple of doses I feel a bit spaced out so there must be some withdrawal symptons. But the doctor told me it is one of the newer anti-depressants and doesn't cause addiction as such. I started on 100mg then increased them to 150mg (the highest dose if 200mg). From what I can gather it is a fairly safe drug and well used. It will take a week or so to get into your system so my advice is to start taking it. Hope this helps. x
My mother-in-law has sertraline and seems to do very well on it. You can give it a try Annie and see how you get on. I do really wish you well and hope everything improves for you very soon. Lots of love xxxx
Thank you all so much for your kindness and your advice - it helps a lot. I know there's no easy fix and that the depression is part of COPD. I'm going to try and manage it if I can.
If I can't, then I have the sertraline and if that doesn't help there it's back to the doc for something that does.
There are some amazing people in this community - I find it such a support.
xxx
Annie, go by your own instinct! It's reassuring to know you've got something to hand if it gets too difficult to cope but don't take them until you're ready.
Hope you can chirp up without but no shame in taking them.
Jude xxx
Hi Worzel I have suffered with depression for many years and I too hated the thought of taking antidepressants I resisted for years preferring to do it my way ie vitamins diet and so on,then about ten years ago I had a particularly bad spell probably the darkest it had ever been.I was eventually prescribed sertraline in my experience I've suffered no noticible side effects and they do keep me on an even keel.If your depression is mild you could consider saint johns wort a natural antidepressant but discuss with your gp first never take the two at the same time .If you do decide to take sertraline they won't kick in straight away so don't expect miracles,I still have wobbles but at least I'm not on the floor. Good luck I hope you feel better soon x
I too have found St John's Wort better than any prescription drug - have to add that my anxiety is limited to panic attacks.
Hi Worzel
I have suffered with depression on an off since childhood. I have been on seroxat for many years and they have helped to stabilise my moods. I have not had any side effects though other people I know have. I think it is worth giving the medication a try. As with all medication it's often trial and error until too find what works for you.
Take care
Kind regards
Patty.
Sorry to hear you're feeling so down. I have been taking this particular anti-depressant and for me they help, though they may take a couple of weeks before you start to feel the benefit. Everyone is different though, so you may have to try different ones before finding the right one for you. Recent evidence suggests that exersize is very helpful for depression. If you have anxiety as well, or lack of energy, I have found that a supplement called Rhodiola rosea has helped me as well, but good quality ones. You can google it to find out the benefits. Eating nuts such as Brazil nuts, almonds and wanuts provide you with essential fatty acids, which cross the blood brain barrier and good quality high strength fish oils do too. They're very beneficial to your brain chemistry.
Thank you so much everybody for replying to my post and for your good wishes and advice.
It's good to know that people find that sertraline has definite positive effects. There is a lot of negativity on the net and your experiences have helped with my misgivings.
I do wish everyone a really good weekend and beyond.
I have taken it for over year for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Like you, I was unsure whether to take it, but I am grateful I did. I do not even notice taking it yet it helps so much. If you don't like it you can always stoptaking it, but you may be very happy you did
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Hi there, I have just been prescribed Spiriva 18 mg by my GP. I wondered if anyone uses/has used this for bronchiectasis and if so,
I'm new here, been prescribed new meds !
