Sertraline? Anyone had this any advice for a novice ad taker?

[ProjectSeverus]

So i cried at the doc this morning. From the moment i went in she was twitching to type up a presrciption which makes me feel ummmm a bit ambivalent about her tbh.

She seems to think I have been depressed since I had dd1 (who is 3) based on a 10 minute chat .

I don't know. I don't do illness. I cope I get on with it. I don't talk about it and I went because exercise, putting a face on (mentally and with make up) aren't making me feel any better.


And I was going to name change but thought feck it.

[GrimoireThief]

Get a second opinion?

Can you explain the way you're feeling - ie are there things happening in your life that would make anyone feel stressed and upset/cry at the doctors?

To be honest, if you've tried other things and they aren't making you feel better it might be worth giving medication a go.

"I don't do illness. I cope I get on with it." - but it might be nice to not have to just cope

[MyEye]

hope you don't mind me getting a bit chin-strokey, but how do you feel?

(I've taken ADs for PND btw, they really helped me.)

[ProjectSeverus]

well that's why i went. i'm not sure what I THINK the doc should do before prescribing just feels a bit casual.

[ProjectSeverus]

Chin strokery fine - feathery strokery not

I am not all that happy. I get stressed out and find it hard to enjoy myslef. When i am playing with the children and smiling at them I feel like I am acting and watching myseld doing it.

[ProjectSeverus]

I havenothing to moan about tbh. two healthy fab dds who are pretty easy going really. nice house nice lifestyle. Friends all good. DH works long hours but helps loads and never complains. I can get a cleaner if I want and I have a guy who does the garden.

I am a moaning bint aren't I.

[MyEye]

NO! You're not. I had nothing to moan about either. It got me.

What you say sounds pretty familiar. That detachment - oh, horrible.

OK, who else can you talk to? It sounds like you need someone reassuring/clued-up who can put the ADs/your feelings in context.

Is your HV any good?

Is there another GP you can go back to see? No one will mind in the slightest, promise.

You know, talking here is an excellent start.

[GrimoireThief]

I'm really hoping that someone who has used ads in this situation will be along because I only have friends's/family's experience to go by, but if a chemical imbalance is affecting your mood and causing depression isn't it logical to treat that imbalance chemically in the same way as you would treat any illness?

Obviously in an ideal world there would be a blood test that the doctor could do so that you could get a definitive diagnosis but it doesn't seem to be that simple. I've known quite a few people though who have soldiered on "coping" and not making a fuss and generally having a completely crappy time but who got better when they took a course of ads.

[ProjectSeverus]

i think it is because it is all a bit vague. I like things to be strightforward you know like chickenpox symptoms check treatment check.

I know I am unhappy but I dunno what I was expecting.

[GrimoireThief]

Have you had a look at the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale recently? I know your dd is 3 but it would give you something to measure your feelings against.

[whywhywhy]

Severus at the risk of becoming a wannabe counsellor/psychiatrist, do you know why you are unhappy?

If you can't tie it to anything- if outwardly you have a 'perfect' life (people think I do, but it's been propped up with ADs for 11 years now) it doesn't mean you shouldn't be depressed. Depression has so many deep,hidden causes. It is soooo nothing to be ashamed of, particularly if you opt to face it and deal with it.

[AuntieDepressant]

In case it's helpful, I just wanted to say that I've been on Sertraline for a few month. It has helped quite a bit, and I have had no troubling side effects.
I would be pissed off with a GP who was twitching to write a prescription too, becuase talk and support should be there first. But sometimes a chemical imbalance is at least partly responsible for your mood and I don't think you should feel bad about a chemical response.

[ProjectSeverus]

I have no idea why I am unhappy. I struggle slightly with lack of time to myself but am in a total funk even when i should be enjoying myself.

Feck. I have taken the first one btw will see what happens in about 3 weeks apparently.

[icklmum]

has the doctor you saw actually sat you down and explained the ad's and how they work etc to you? i know it sounds cliche but maybe a session of councilling may help, or even just a chat to someone who has suffered with pnd themselves because unless you have depressoin it is a very hard illness to understand (even for gps)

[BocoBeak]

Depression isn't really very straightforward is it. Its complicated and so many things can influence it.

If you're a coper who doesn't complain and gets on with things and doesn't talk about it, you might have bottled up too much and actually need to just stop and unload it all. IN which case try counselling - you don't have to have a big problem to need to talk.

CBT can be really helpful - i've had it and it helped me out of an awful rut.

I've also taken sertraline - was a few years ago. It did make me feel a bit odd at first, bit kind of jaw clenchy and dizzy for a bit, but then it levelled out and was fine. I just needed things to be on an even keel before i could do anything to change it all - and it worked - i felt less anxious and down and just unhappy. but i think the cbt made me change things.

It's not forever, it might help short term, if it doesn't you can stop taking them and it won't matter, you won't have lost anything. But talking is good, it really helps.

[ProjectSeverus]

aha. 17. hmmm
I have dd2 as well she is 10 months.

arse. I really hope this makes a difference.

[ProjectSeverus]

she listened when I basically talked over her to prevent her writing it up. She vaguely explained how they work and I have read up on it now. No counselling offered.

[ProjectSeverus]

Side effect may be lack of appetite

[icklmum]

i know thers is no shame in takin ad's to help as i too am taking them but they for me were a last option after trying councilling with my gp (who luckily for me is gr8) my hv and sugery counciller. I would seriously suggest going back and requesting either another gp to talk to or indeed a counciller. Do you have suresart in your area as they can be brilliant?
If you do need to talk then id be happy to help anyway i can...even just listen.

Remember ad's dont cure depression you may still have down days with them but on the whole they are good.

[AuntieDepressant]

Can make you feel a bit quesy for first few weeks, then appetite back to normal .
One good side effect is this: if you use them for a while and then forget to take them for a couple of days you start to have incredibly vivid dreams. Anyone else noticed this?

[daisyandbabybootoo]

i've been taking it for about 5 weeks now. to begin with it gave me a really bad headache which lasted a couple of days....would go away if i took 2 paracetomol, but back within half an hour and was very nasty. It went after two days. too early to tell if they are working. I feel better than I did though, but not 100% yet. I'm also seeing the mental health team for one to one counselling.

I think ADs act as a sticking plaster to get you over the worst of the here and now. Its important to get to the bottom of what causes depression and tackle thse issues to enjoy any long term recovery.

[ProjectSeverus]

thank you all for your posts. i will ask about counselling.

[Jackaroo]

Just to add to these excellent posts, can I suggest lots of extra water for the first few days/weeks? I had awful headaches, which reminded me of coffee headaches (ie Saturday morning coffee withdrawal). Water made a difference (maybe body dealing with extra chemicals or somesuch?)......

Most want to emphasise what BocoBeak said - that my ADs got me to a point where I could look at what needed changing/was wrong. Before that I just couldn't be ar*ed, until it was all too horribly on top of me.

Have now had 2 years of Ads and therapy, and consider myself as sorted as anyone would want to be (I'm getting bored of hearing my self being therapied, which I never thought would come )

Hence my next post......

good luck, and stick with it, but def. follow up with counselling.........

[LadyK]

Hi Severus! I'm a "coper" too, and you sound so much like me. I tried so hard to deal with depression for ages, had PND with ds2, but didn't do any antidepressants until he was 2 1/2. Went on Sertraline and the initial headaches almost did me in, but the GP advised me to stick with it. I did, and they did go away after a couple weeks. I do think it helped me, and I have managed to come off them too without too much of a problem. I really do understand where you're coming from!

Happy to talk more if you want to!!!