Sertraline

[snowathlete]

I just got prescribed this by my doctor, not for ME, but for stress because of the way the DWP have been and continue to muck me about.

I had been on Citalopram in the past for depression before i got ME, and found that left me feeling numb. I got over those issues and stopped taking it some time ago. So, we discussed going back on that, but i said i didnt want to feel numb and that i didnt feel i was depressed, and that my response was correct. She agreed, and suggested trying Sertraline as its good for stress too.

She started me on 50mg, but I decided to start with half a tablet last night.
By 4 o clock i was awake (unusual for me since being on Amitriptyline for sleep - which works great) and absolutely buzzing. I couldnt keep still, all my senses were overly sensitive, noise, touch, etc. My brain was spinning, it was like being struck by lightning. I've never taken recreational drugs, but this is the way I imagined them to feel. Horrible.

I'm reluctant to continue unless the side effects are known to disappear after a few days/weeks. Anyone got any experience with it? The last thing i want to do is ruin my sleep again, as since starting Amitriptyline my sleep has never been better.

 

[alex3619]

One of the first things I would consider is moving the dose to the morning rather than the evening. There is no advantage to disturbing sleep like that.

 

[adreno]

I would keep the start dose to 12.5mg if you are sensitive. Wait a day or two before retrying. The half-life is around 24 hours, so it should be out of your system pretty quickly. Also, SSRIs are notorious for having bad startup effects. The side effects often disappear as your serotonin receptors desensitize. But I must admit I found sertraline a little overstimulating myself. I switched to fluoxetine, 5mg and found it to be much milder. I'm on 10mg now which is only half the normal dose, but I just don't tolerate any higher. Oh yes, and like Alex says, you need to take it in the morning. This is when your serotonin levels are at their natural highest.

 

[snowathlete]

Yes, Alex you're right I should try it in the morning and see if that is any better. My doctor told me to take it in the evening as it might make me drowsy!

I can feel i still have a lot of it in my system at the moment, its making my heart beat harder and faster.

 

[adreno]

If you have some cyproheptadine it will calm it down. Benzo's will also.

 

[snowathlete]

thanks adreno, not got either, but I guess I'm gradually feeling more normal. Hopefully sleep wont be a problem tonight and I'll feel back to normal when i wake up.

 

[Jenny]

There's quite a lot on here about sertraline. Do a search.

See, for example:

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...cytokine-up-down-regulation.5882/#post-125162

Best to start with a very low dose and build up very gradually.

Jenny

 

[snowathlete]

Thanks Jenny, I had read something about this somewhere I think, about Dr James' work with Sertraline.
For this reason, I may try again tomorrow with a small morning dose, but im going to think it through, i may just go back to my GP and try something else. I usually tollerate medications well and dont have any sensitivities usually, so it makes me wonder if this drug is just not a great fit for me.

 

[heapsreal]

I would keep the start dose to 12.5mg if you are sensitive. Wait a day or two before retrying. The half-life is around 24 hours, so it should be out of your system pretty quickly. Also, SSRIs are notorious for having bad startup effects. The side effects often disappear as your serotonin receptors desensitize. But I must admit I found sertraline a little overstimulating myself. I switched to fluoxetine, 5mg and found it to be much milder. I'm on 10mg now which is only half the normal dose, but I just don't tolerate any higher. Oh yes, and like Alex says, you need to take it in the morning. This is when your serotonin levels are at their natural highest.

Agree 1/4 of a 50mg tab is best to start at. I used this med years ago and it did help for awhile but anything above 25mg really disturb my sleep. It did help with brain fog and helped energy abit.

 

[heapsreal]

If you have some cyproheptadine it will calm it down. Benzo's will also.

cyproheptadine which is periactin is a serotonin antagonist(antihistamine), so can reverse the effects of sertraline to a certain degree and also helps with serotonin syndrome. It has a much short half life so good to use at night if zoloft is disturbing sleep but should wear off during the day when u want zoloft to work??

 

[snowathlete]

Right, my doc has just put me on Venlafaxine. Hope it helps some, but if i get bad side-effects again then im going to just give up and just put up with stuff as it is.

I read that coming off this stuff can be a bitch so i'll be wary of that!

 

[snowathlete]

Venlafaxine. Not great. Made my brain feel like it was in a pan of hot fat getting scalded. Stopped taking it about a week ago and went back to docs again today. Im going back to Citalopram, as although it makes me feel numb which isnt ideal, it doesnt make me feel dreadful and seems to help somewhat.

I hope not to be on it that long though as I dont want to be on them a long time and the DWP have now admited fault. They have appologised and said that i will be granted DLA and that they will back date it. Its a good thing really but i want to wait until i have it in writing and its all properly resovled first before i believe it and relax about it.
Hopefully though it will be behind me soon and i wont need to be on citalopram for long.

 

[caledonia]

You'd be better off taking GABA, theanine, and/or magnesium. I went through horrible withdrawal from Zoloft. I call it my "lost year". I had to reinstate and now I'm working on a TWO YEAR taper.

 

[K2 for Hope]

I have found in talking to several people that every anti-depressant works differently on different people.

I was on "Zoloft", which is the brand name, for 3 weeks and didn't sleep hardly at all the whole time. At which point, I HAD to stop because I needed to sleep. So, I was never able to acclimate.

But, I have a friend who has been on Zoloft for several years and wouldn't live without it...

So, there you go. Sometimes it can takes months and several different types of anti-depressants to find the one that works for you.

I hope the stresses in your life resolve soon as that may really help in your particular situation.

 

[heapsreal]

5htp can help u taper, as u lower dose of ad u add small amounts of 5htp like say 50mg but one must be weary of serotonin syndrome. yrs ago i used 5htp when i came off zoloft too fast and it did stop the strange flashes that would go on in my brain every few minutes as well as helping smooth things out from coming off this stuff.

 

[ThatBloke]

See this suggestion for Sertraline /Lustral / Zoloft here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/h...ors-diary-extra-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.html

It has helped me.