Setraline Diary

[forwells]

Howdy all

I thought i would do a diary of my commencement of this drug as it may help someone .

First off some back ground .

Just under 4 years ago started to show strange symptoms which was put down as anxiety . Before this date i had never had anxiety and never knew what anxiety was.

I was prone to depression in the past and had been on a Anti depression medication on and off for 15 years.

After being told i had anxiety i was placed on a benzo , the wrong benzo and left to my own accord . This benzo had a very bad effect on me and made my anxiety a hell for about 3 months where it installed fears at ever turn and had me at times scared to leave the house and unable to drive from fear.

When i worked out that it was the benzos that where causing the problem i stopped it and all other drugs . Over the next 3 years i fixed all the problems that the benzos had made and reduced my anxiety to a little above normal . But in saying this i found myself being depressed at times with getting over whelmed at the smallest things.

After trying so many things i decided that it was time to look at drugs to help address this and maybe brake the cycle .

About 6 weeks ago i began my Anti depression med again . There was lots of side effects to this , which in itself is strange as i have said i was on and off for 15 years and when i stopped i never cut back . All that time i never had a problem.

Anyway after giving it a good go and seeing that it was working but that one side effect was not worth the benefit i was getting i decided to cut down. I have been reducing for two weeks and getting many many side effects from this , including at it worse dizziness with nearly had me flat on my back from passing out .

I consulted my doctor on the weekend and as i had been thinking about trying Setraline , we decided that i had two options . First to wait for things to settle a bit more or second to start taking them and hope that they would reduce the side effects .

I decided the later .

Now before i go on it is important to see and understand that the AD i was on never worried me but others after my benzo problem to put it bluntly scared the shit out of me .


Anyway yesterday i downed the first tablet . A whole 25mg , 1/2 a tablet.

Side effects - feeling a bit drunkish . Clamping jaw , now this one i had coming off of the other ones , so it may be that or starting this one . It is a bit worse now.
Tired at times .

Now the good - Side effects i was having from the withdrawal are very mild at best now . It seems to have addressed that . I do feel a bit strange at times but as i said i think this is like i feel tippsy from drinking . This comes and goes .

Overall feeling great - Less reactive to things and the things the kids would do to piss me off i just go Yer right and let it go .

Sleep - which i was worried about as these drugs can keep you away - Not a problem . Am taking in morning .

Anxiety - 10 fold increase - This is NOT from the drug . As i said this is because of the time i had on benzos and it is like i am just waiting for it to happen again . Even though it is a completely different drug . I still have to use tools to control this and not let it run away .

Energy at times is really good and better than its been for a long while .

I still have a few problems and symptoms but these just dont seem to be worrying me . Its like i see them but thats all .

So there you go , day one . Overall Glad i finally did it . Do i want to have done it ? No but its not forever and is just another cog in the journey of full recovery.

cheers kev

[Sedigive]

Hi,

I take the stuff too. It does alright now. At first it made my anxiety worse. The Doc said that that was not unusal in some people. I guess I am stuck being "some people" LOL! I am currently taking 100mg but hope to get back down to 50 at some point.

[forwells]

Well one week down .

So whats been happening .

Huge increase in anxiety , Something very strange and more of the anxiety is centered around things that don't worry me .

Feelings of things again that i know make no scene .

Feel sick on and off , not eating a lot although yesterday was better . Lost 4 kg in last week .

Increase in energy , been out and about more .

No sadness , or as it was any way .

Angry - But then have been sick with sinus infection also and had trouble with quack doctor dismissing that it was only my anxiety . Shakes head .

Still questioning weather this is the way to go.

Overall side effects suck , not back and can be lived with , getting better i think . Happy with improvement with moods but would be nice to have them settle instead of being all over the place .

[forwells]

Ok

So we are a bit over 3 1/2 weeks .

Depression - good

Anxiety - terrible .

So my question to any one that has been on this or knows about it is .

Is this a trade off , In order to not feel sad i have to feel like crap and buzzing with anxiety all the time ??

If this is the case i really think i would rather feel sad

cheers kev

[Enduronman]

I literally don't know what to say here. I'm sorry that the med increases anxiety, but yet somehow crushes out the depressive symptoms.. I am at a loss friend, but you have enticed me to actually learn of what this (setraline) actually is anyway. Learning is my business, and business is good..

Best wishes Super,

Enduronman...

[forwells]

Yes i am a bit at a loss also .

Went seen a lady yesterday and she should know but could not tell me . They are telling me to go up some more and see what happens.

But honesty why would i want to take more of a drug that makes me feel worse over all. I dont really understand how more of something makes you better . :/

Honestly i feel like someone has lit a fire cracker under me .

[Enduronman]

Did some quick research. (Zoloft) is what it is called here. Apparently relatively successful in relieving depressive/anxietal symptoms. BUT, there is also a section in this report pertaining to something called (akathisia) which is explained away as being "an inner tension" that can be mistaken as anxiety..Pull it up and read it, interesting summary. WIKI..Hmmm,..I wonder..How long have you dealt with this anxiety if I may ask sir?...Reason I am asking is that my anxiety was a by-product of something else..Just curious friend.

Enduronman...

[forwells]

You know where chat is ?? and how to use .

Would not mind a chat with you , i tell you my story there .