View Full Version : Anxiety on Sertraline
I've been on 50mg of Sertraline for 6 weeks after coming off Citalopram as it wasn't working. I'm taking it for depression but I also have anxiety, I have found I am more anxious now than when I started. Should I keep going? increase the dose or give up and see if there's anything else I can take??? I'm feeling desperate as I'm getting agoraphobic hardly leaving home without awful anxiety.
I'm in the same situation as you, been on 50mg of sertra for 8 weeks now. 50mg is the minimum dose, so until we raise the dose we probably won't know whether sertra will work for us, or whether we'll need another medication...:wacko:
Has your Doctor said you are able to increase? If not, I'd recommend going back to get advice. My doctor has already given me the all clear to increase, but I've been putting it off because my anxiety has been high this past week (have just started a new job today) and I don't want to risk any side effects from the increase right now. can't put it off forever though and I do want to find out whether the increase will help my anxiety in the longer term.
Its hard deciding to up the dose or to change meds isn't it because you don't want to risk feeling any worse. Well done on the new job, I think thats amazing when you are suffering from MH issues
panic_down_under
08-05-17, 23:06
I've been on 50mg of Sertraline for 6 weeks after coming off Citalopram as it wasn't working. I'm taking it for depression but I also have anxiety, I have found I am more anxious now than when I started. Should I keep going? increase the dose or give up and see if there's anything else I can take???
50mg is the usual starting dose for depression and generally the minimum adult therapeutic dose. Most need to take 100-150mg to get a good response, some even more. The only way of knowing whether sertraline will work for you is to up the dose, if necessary to the maximum 200mg/day.
50mg is the usual starting dose for depression and generally the minimum adult therapeutic dose. Most need to take 100-150mg to get a good response, some even more. The only way of knowing whether sertraline will work for you is to up the dose, if necessary to the maximum 200mg/day.
Will that not make the anxiety worse?
panic_down_under
09-05-17, 13:47
Will that not make the anxiety worse?
It could do for a short while, though it is usually less severe than at the beginning. Increasing the dose in 25mg steps at weekly intervals would also help reduce the severity of any side-effects, including heightened anxiety.
My anxiety is constant to the degree I don't feel safe going away from home. Could this be down to side effects?
AppleCinnamon
09-05-17, 21:18
I have been suffering with anxiety and panic disorder for almost 10 years. Have been using benzo's but never tried antidepressants because of side effects and possibility of increased anxiety after starting. Also new physical symptoms would increase anxiety for me. These kind of threads make me feel like there is no solution to the problem. Based on what I have read in the literature, the answer to your question is likely yes, you can feel more anxious in the first weeks and months after starting your antidepressants. It is up to you to decide whether you stick with the current medication and wait, switch medication or to increase the current dosage. All the best.
panic_down_under
09-05-17, 23:26
My anxiety is constant to the degree I don't feel safe going away from home. Could this be down to side effects?
Most antidepressants can increase anxiety for a while at the beginning and after dose increases, unfortunately.
---------- Post added at 08:26 ---------- Previous post was at 08:14 ----------
I have been suffering with anxiety and panic disorder for almost 10 years. Have been using benzo's but never tried antidepressants because of side effects and possibility of increased anxiety after starting. Also new physical symptoms would increase anxiety for me. These kind of threads make me feel like there is no solution to the problem.
Not everyone experiences severe side-effects when starting antidepressants. In fact most don't. Support groups can give a very distorted picture as it is mainly only the relative few having significant issues that post in them.
Starting at low doses, no more than half the lowest dose tablet (which rules out those made in slow release formulations) and ramping it up by the same small amount at weekly intervals (longer for fluoxetine) to the initial target dose will usual keep any side-effects to low levels.
The older TCAs usually produce fewer initial side-effects than SSRIs and SNRIs.
Been to my GP and she's upped my medication up to 100mg, fingers crossed it will help but I'm also scared.
panic_down_under
10-05-17, 23:21
Been to my GP and she's upped my medication up to 100mg, fingers crossed it will help but I'm also scared.
I suggest you ask your GP whether you can increase the dose to only 75mg for the first week to minimise any side-effects which may arise.
Been to my GP and she's upped my medication up to 100mg, fingers crossed it will help but I'm also scared.
Glad you got some advice from your doc about how to move forwards. I bit the bullet and increased earlier today. I took my normal 50mg at lunchtime then a few hours later took another 25mg (I was scared to do the increase while at work so I waited til I finished) I'll keep on this increased 75mg for the next week but then I'll go up to the 100mg that my doctor recommended. Let me know how you go, good luck!
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i increased up to 100 mg on Thursday morning. I don't feel any more anxious which is good. No positive effects on my mood yet.
panic_down_under
14-05-17, 23:21
No positive effects on my mood yet.
There probably won't be for several weeks, unfortunately. :(
always-ill
22-05-17, 08:37
Hi TinaLou,
How are you feeling now, are you feeling better on the increased dose. I am in a similar situation, I have been on 50mg for 4 weeks but still feel terribly anxious, actually feel worse than before I started. I think I may need to increase my dose but am nervous about more side effect. Did you feel any worse after the increase?
Thanks xx.
Hi I got put on these Friday and they made me feel sick room spinning and headache which I didn't like at all
Been to my GP and she's upped my medication up to 100mg, fingers crossed it will help but I'm also scared.
and how are you feeling?
I've been at 100mg for almost two years. It took 3 or so months to fully kick in. Initially, anxiety will be higher but it does get better!
always-ill
31-05-17, 10:41
How is everyone feeling??
I am on week 5 and am starting to feel better, I asked if I could up my dose last week as I was feeling terrible and was told no but was given propranolol to help with anxiety which have really helped. Hope you are all feeling ok.
xx
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