Sertraline and anxiety

[Mickey11]

Can anyone throw some light on taking Sertraline

[Teresat472]

Hello Mickey, I only have experience with Sertraline with my son. I think this is mainly like a band aid to help with anxiety in the short term. My son had anxiety as a teenager and he was put onto Sertraline over the first year he was at Uni. Your GP would explain dosage and timescale with you and can work out what is best for you. However, it is also up to yourself to work out what is right for you. My son did not mention anything about side effects and it did help his anxiety,

[sos007 Ambassador]

Welcome to the Cholesterol forum in Health Unlocked. I have included the link to the Anxiety Support Forum further below in my reply to you. In the meantime, here is some information to answer your question:

Sertraline is an anti-anxiety medication which works on chemical imbalances in the brain. Read this - drugs.com/sertraline.html

Depression is a serious condition that mankind has had extreme difficulty in resolving.

Medications often improve depression and anxiety in the short term but fail in the long run.

Recent research has brought to light that our microbiome in our intestines (gut) have a direct connection to our brain through the vagus nerve. This means that the foods we eat directly impact neuronal function. Proper nutrition and daily exercise are critical to optimal brain and mental health.*

Watch this very informative video:

youtu.be/3dqXHHCc5lA(Not working as expected?) 17 minutes

The ketogenic diet is a way to improve mental health. In essence the body has two primary fuel sources, carbohydrates and fat.

Carbohydrates can be either simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates temporarily spike your blood sugar and when the excess glucose is removed from your bloodstream by insulin, you 'crash' by feeling tired and lethargic. Simple carbohydrates contribute to poor mental health. Examples of simple carbohydrates are:

- sugar, honey, agave and equivalents

- white rice; most potatoes

- white flour products such as white bread, white pasta, white pizza dough;

- virtually all processed foods bought in the supermarket;

- simple carbohydrates lack fiber which is essential to gut health and good nutrition

Fried foods including potato chips (crisps), crackers, and pretzels are also detrimental to your health. They use oxidized oils which damage your endothelium and do not provide the nutrition your brain needs and microbes your gut needs for optimal health.

Fat is a more efficient fuel source and does not cause the insulin spike that simple carbohydrates do. Fat has been wrongly vilified by the medical community over the last 40 years and recent scientific evidence is supporting this new perspective.

However it is essential to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy fats. Good fats include:

- olive oil, avocados, omega 3 fatty acids, medium chain triglycerides (MCT), and coconut oil among others. MCT is found in abundance in goat and especially sheep dairy, among other sources.

The fat consumed when eating animal protein should be used in very modest amounts. Fat, good or bad is very high in calories, so you must balance your energy expenditure with your diet.

Nonetheless, following either a ketogenic diet or a very low carbohydrate diet will cause your body to switch its primary fuel source to fat from carbohydrates which will also result in losing excess body fat. The nutrition gained by eating a well-balanced diet will contribute significantly toward improving your mental health.

Watch this to learn more about the ketogenic diet:

youtu.be/Bspqlf7fgnw(Not working as expected?)

For further information and help go to the HealthUnlocked Anxiety Support forum:

healthunlocked.com/anxietys...

Good luck!

* ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...