another visit for a check up and scan after encephalitis. - Long story short I am beginning to think my doctor is just prescribing and hoping something works now been prescribed sertraline 50mg daily for anxiety, really sick of swallowing tablets now but hopefully something works soon
UPDATE reaction to sertaline fast racing heart and body shaking internally shaking hands after just 1 tablet ,lasted 9hrs , called doctor for advice didn’t get my usual doctor who has been dealing with me , advice was it’s more or less common to develop tremors heart rate and shakes and then instantly prescribed fleuxetine Prozac over the phone , apparently less side affects, will see how this goes
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Heavychunky1
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Hi Heavychunky1,Serialise is an SSRI it is used to treat anxiety, depression and other anxiety disorders like OCD.
I take Escitalopram for my OCD it's another 'selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor'.
Didn't a neuropsychiatrist or clinical Psychiatrist put you on it?
They always start off on the lowest dosage first to see if it agrees with you.
I am well aware that 150mg is a low therapeutic dose. BUT it has to be done VERY GRADUALLY say by 25mg a time and see if it makes a difference to your anxiety and if it agrees with you at the same time.
I have tried various ones out till I found one that agrees with me and my other medications like Phenytoin & Clonazepam. I'm so used to taking medication because I have never known a day in my life where I wasn't taking nothing, but eventually it became second nature to me in the end. I think of it similar to what someone would do if they didn't have any fluids for a month so it's like we all need our fluids and for some of us (our medications to go with them).
They enabled me to have a life and do what other children were doing who were taking nothing.
I hope that I'm making sense here.
Please feel free to ask me any questions if required.
I'm more than happy to help everyone and to be here for you all.
These anti-depressants take between 4 to 6 weeks to kick in before you notice the beneficial effect of them. Prozac is the brand name for Fluoxetine but I can't take it because it interferes with my other medications I stated above but you can't tell with one single dose of any SSRI, you have to give it sufficient time at least 4 weeks and then talk to your doctor. I should know as I have tried and tested them all in the last 20 years and listening to other people's experiences with anxiety or OCD. I' m not a doctor though.Take it from.me. 🤗
If you were taking anti-seizure medication, a seizure may be the first sign that things are deteriorating, watch out. Stopping meds is not something I would recommend but it's your choice. In my case it would result in seizures and death if the medics didn't arrive in time or took the wrong action.
If you are depressed about things (there's no shame in that) and your doctor can help with that. I'm on anti-depressants and probably couldn't cope without.
HI I never hadseizures just memeor loss and headaches Also everything tastes reall bad worse on meds I will monitor very closely but thanks I an very grateful for I am left with I have had four months of really ggod health longest since for four years....
I had problems with anxiety/panic attacks for a long time before getting encephalitis. My primary care physician tried all sorts of SSRIs and SNRIs and none of them seemed to do the job. At best, they lessened the anxiety, but the side effects were very bad. So bad, in fact, that I did not want to take them. Not every single one will do the same thing for everyone so I wish you the best possible outcome with your new med.
For me and apparently most others, it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks before you notice an improvement. For some this happens sooner. For me, the first week was hellish though, lots of uncomfortable side effects. At the time, I had to take a week off of work to adjust to the new med. You might not notice such severe side effects at all, especially if you are gradually building up to you ideal dosage.
I have a lot more details I could discuss but to keep this message mercifully short I will skip ahead to today. Currently I am prescribed Buspirone HCL 10mg to be taken 3 times daily, as needed. Curiously enough, I only take one tablet daily and my anxiety has diminished to the point of non existence! It can be taken with SSRIs/SNRIs as well. What's great about the Buspirone is that is does not have the side effects of other meds.
While I hope that your new med does the trick for you, if it does not, perhaps you can discuss the Buspirone with your doctor. It might be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor in any case.
I wish you the absolute best in attempting to get the anxiety under control. It is truly a horrible condition to deal with.
Hi hope you are well, my anxiety just got worse since being in hospital and it was my partner that pushed for me to speak to my doctor about it as it was affecting my recovery and daily life , more so when you read the leaflet that comes in box of medicine that’s usually enough to have put my head into overdrive and stop me from taken medications even the simple ones that Iv used most of my life, so here is hoping, started these sertraline this afternoon just one tab daily of 50mg , so I do hope something improves but I hate taken tablets all day every day on a lovely mix that’s for sure and every time I see my normal gp along comes another prescription ,
I agree! The multi-page leaflets can make one not want to take the med at all! My primary care physician advised me not to get overly worried about the leaflets. Don't forget, the manufacturers have to include all such information as a legal requirement. They want to avoid as many lawsuits as they can.
In an attempt to add some levity and humor, I am using a couple of pics of one of my cats to describe the situation:
Here's me after thoroughly reading the leaflets on a new med:
Always best to look up medicines on the internet and get an idea of what to expect. Having said that don't get too worried as everyone is different. Your doctor has been trained in a certain style of medicine, diagnosis and prescribing, so that's what he/she will do.
Coming here and seeing what people like Paula-38 say is pretty useful and helps to reduce the feeling of isolation that seems to be an inevitable aspect of Enc. Eventually you'll be reassuring others and sharing useful tips etc.
Ha! we're a special breed and you're a member now. G2
Very sorry to hear things are hard right now. Also, I know the feeling of not being heard by your doctor. It can be very frustrating! I would definitely suggest communicating this with your doctor, that you feel they are just prescribing medication and hoping it helps.
Anxiety is a common symptom post-encephalitis/ after a serious illness and injury. It is something I’ve experienced too. I’m on Sertraline also, I find it helpful however it’s very important to know not every medication will work for you so it’s important to tell your doctor if you feel it’s not suiting you.
I find mindfulness really help when I feel anxious. Here is a video I find helpful: youtu.be/QS2yDmWk0vs
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A very happy (and long-overdue) update
Hi everyone ❤🧠 
Seizure Activity Setback
