I had a heart attack and now have ongoing issues with unstable angina and high blood pressure. I also suffer from anxiety and insomnia. I’m on several medications for my conditions. I would be very grateful for any advice on how to cope with Sertraline as I’ve been prescribed a low dose of the liquid medication but as I also suffer from severe headaches that are debilitating, I’m worried about side effects from Sertraline such as nausea, headaches and insomnia. Would it be better to take Sertraline diluted in ginger ale before or after taking my morning medications for angina and blood pressure ? Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Skykitty1
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Does it say on the bottle when to take it if it does then that is when I would take it and see how things go
If it does not tell you then I would phone my pharmacists and see what they suggest
With any medication especially something like Sertraline it can make you feel worse before it starts working to make you feel better lots of Consultants though do prescribe this medication for heart patients and have seen good results but you have to give it a few months to get the full effect from it and if you get any side effects they usually settle down during that time to
No there’s no specific instructions on the leaflet as to timing for other medications.
I’m particularly worried as I also suffer from acid reflux already and my stomach is very sensitive. I’m on medications for this too and even iron tablets affected me very badly and had to stop taking them.
If my insomnia and anxiety get any worse on Sertraline then let’s hope there’s another medication that won’t have such side effects.
I can relate to you about medications and the side effects they give you as I seem to react to most things as well and get acid and upset stomachs I also suffer with IBS so that does not help
With medications though like Sertraline they do work but you have to give them time and as I said may have to feel worse before you feel better however there are different one's so if you really cannot tolerate them they could possibly suggest something else but give these a fair chance and fingers cross they will work and any side effects will be tolerable till you get used to them x
If you are suffering with unpleasant side effects from one or more forms of medication, talk to a pharmacist and/or your GP who are best placed to offer a possible solution.
Yes I agree and have made an appointment. Let’s hope I get some guidance because side effects are a big worry to me. I feel as though my unstable angina and blood pressure are left for me to manage just with GTN spray when I’ve taken all other medications but anxiety and insomnia are not being really addressed or linked to worsening symptoms like chest pains and dizziness.
Also a good magnesium supplement like mag bysglicenate i use Mighty mag from naomi whittle and she has sales on this ....and a good vitamin c that is not asorbate type i get from PaleoValley because vitamin c is needed for your hearts endothialial lining and for the making if cologen fir those arteries ...at same time ditch the sugar grains and drued fruits no cereals no oatmeal look into recipes from MariaEmmerich they are delicious ..i take 6 mg of cireg a day and eveb though i dont have heart failure my ef fraction is 56 my dr gave ne Entresto for blood pressure issues and it seems my angina episides have reduced greatly
I have been on sertraline fora few years and it resolved all my anxiety problems
However
It may take anything from 6/8 weeks for you to feel the full benefit and that will not be a wake up one morning and I feel great, it will be a slow process, you may notice an hour or 2 during the day, at first, when you realise that you have not thought about how anxious or sad you are but this will build the more it gets into your system.
As with any medication there is always the risk of side effects and everybody is different, I personally take mine in the evening because originally they made me drowsy but some people have the opposite, so take them in the morning yes you may get headaches and stomach issues, but all of these side effects do go away.
Not too sure about taking it diluted in ginger beer as I have only ever taken tablets not liquid. Think this maybe a question for the pharmacist
If you cannot get on with sertraline do not fret too much as there are other alternatives that I am sure you will be able to discuss with your GP
I hope I get some good results because I know antidepressants work in different ways. I’ve been told Sertraline will resolve my anxiety issues but I’ve got insomnia as well so let’s hope this won’t get worse because I suppose I’ll still have to combine it with my current medications.
I think Sertraline liquid has been prescribed to me because it’s a much lower dose than tablets and can be diluted in orange juice, lemonade or ginger ale to make it more bearable.
My biggest worry is nausea due to my sensitive stomach and having to take medications for my heart condition of unstable angina as well as blood pressure issues.
I've just started on Sertraline last Tuesday. I felt strange the first day and food tasted weird and I couldn't each much. Yesterday a bit better but still couldn't bring myself to eat some foods. Today I felt normal again. As well as my heart meds I take half a Serepax. Sertraline in the morning and Serepax at night.
Yours has been most informative about Sertraline. Were you prescribed Sertraline tablets or liquid ?
I’ve only been told to start with a 1ml liquid Sertraline diluted in ginger ale and I was going to take that in the morning but I’ll need to speak to the clinical pharmacist to get more guidance first.
If you are just starting Sertraline, be aware it takes 3 months to take full effect.I'm taking Sertraline in tablet form 150mgs per day, in the morning.
I take a bucket load of daily meds to deal with my heart and numerous other conditions. I've never had an issue with the Sertraline and I've been on it for over 2 years. It does help. I'd rather take it than not.
I'd take it exactly as per the instructions you've been given.
Your Doctor obviously thinks it would be beneficial to you. Give it a go . .
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