darkchylde Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Hi, I've just been prescribed 50mg sertraline (Zoloft substitute) for my depression. I have changed GPs and this one is a lot more open to at least trying something. I would be interested to hear anyones experiences / responses to it. I find most things do very little for me, all the pain meds I have tried for my headaches do next to nothing for the pain and seem to have zero side-effects (even 60 mg of codeine doesn't make me drowsy). I have been very reluctant to go on any sort of anti-depressant, but seeing as its either that or succumb to the darkness, I am going to go through the process. dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirMarshall Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Like a soft pillow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artemisia Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Zoloft worked fine for my depression. If you're bipolar, shouldn't you also be on a mood stabilizer, though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 Zoloft worked fine for my depression. If you're bipolar, shouldn't you also be on a mood stabilizer, though? I imagine so, but all the GPs I've seen only treat symptoms, not the totality. They won't give a mood stabiliser until I show up and say I haven't slept for 3 days from the Zoloft. dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 Like a soft pillow. Is that a good thing? Does that mean I'll be in zombie fog all the time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vapourware Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 When I was on Zoloft, it made me feel like I was high. On the bright side, it did pull me out of my depression. I pulled myself off it before I could see if it would've done anything else on me, because I thought I was all okay. Although, at the time I thought (as did everyone else) that I just had unipolar depression. @chyldedark: It might be a better idea to ask a GP for a referral to a psychiatrist to work out what you actually need, because if you are bipolar, SSRIs can trigger a hypomania episode. If you make a request, they can't turn you down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted June 21, 2009 Author Share Posted June 21, 2009 When I was on Zoloft, it made me feel like I was high. On the bright side, it did pull me out of my depression. I pulled myself off it before I could see if it would've done anything else on me, because I thought I was all okay. Although, at the time I thought (as did everyone else) that I just had unipolar depression. @chyldedark: It might be a better idea to ask a GP for a referral to a psychiatrist to work out what you actually need, because if you are bipolar, SSRIs can trigger a hypomania episode. If you make a request, they can't turn you down Really? I didn't know that. My counselor has told me to ask the GP for referral to a psychiatrist and both GPs I have gone to have been very reluctant. Because they don't see the hypomania right now they are just treating the depression. dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluelikejazz Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 I think it's worth you pushing to see a psychiatrist. You can show them the beyond blue guidelines for primary care that recommends a referral to a specialist for depression with any risk of suicide. After my gp tried an SSRI, an SNRI and mirtazapine my tdoc gave her a call (with my permission) and told her about the suicidal ideation. She couldn't write me a referral fast enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vapourware Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 I agree with blue that it's worthwhile pushing your GP for the referral...and blue also made me think of another aspect about your care. Does your counsellor communicate with your GPs? Who made the initial bipolar diagnosis? Do your GPs know about the BP? It's important that your health care professionals are working together, otherwise you might miss important aspects of your care (i.e. GPs focusing only on the depression when that's not the only aspect of your condition). My psychologist and GP do communicate and it was through my psychologist that my GP realised that I probably am bipolar. The psychologist was the first to mention it, the GP concurred and referred me to a psychiatrist (whom I'll see later this week). It's also why my GP hasn't prescribed any medication to me - because she didn't want to give me a med which may activate a hypomania episode. I think GPs can be focused on the depression because it's probably the most common mental illness they encounter and they probably have training around depression, but remember - they are "general practitioners", they don't specialise in a particular area. I remember my GP admitting that she didn't realise the mood swings were that bad and she thought she was treating me for unipolar depression until she spoke to my psychologist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted June 22, 2009 Author Share Posted June 22, 2009 They don't contact each other that I know of. It's convoluted, but basically the counsellor who I first saw for depression suspected bipolar (which noone who knows me was surprised to hear) and that was confirmed by a GP I don't see anymore. I might do a blog post to explain it all one day, but the short story is they were ready to do the whole treatment, when I went into a full-on hypomanic phase and decided I didn't need them, I could do it on my own. It's been 18 months of unmedicated craziness and now here I am again, starting treatment. I see the same counsellor, but the GPs are new. They don't know me and my history, and really, they don't care too much either, from what I see. One doesn't want to prescribe any meds before I finish the first 3 months of CBT, even though when I saw him I was fully suicidal; the second gave me Zoloft last Saturday but didn't really get the whole BP side I was trying to tell him about. Like I said, convoluted. My counselor has a good psych hospital he wants me referred to, but when I told both GPs, neither was particularly eager. I see my counsellor on Friday and my GP #2 on Saturday, I'll push it with both of them. dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted July 2, 2009 Author Share Posted July 2, 2009 how long will it take for this stuff to kick in? i've been taking for almost two weeks now and absolutely nothing; I know it's a low does but still... I wouldn't say I'm depressed, but I still have suicidal thoughts and am feeling particularly anxious and socially wary... moreso than I have noticed in the past; could those last two be side-effects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Persephone Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 It's been a long time since I took Zoloft, but anxiety when starting an SSRI is very common. It can take 6-8 weeks for it kick in. You also might need a larger dose (but if you're bipolar, you should see a pdoc and get on a mood stabilizer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 It truly sucks, but I gave it a good 6-8 weeks before giving up on it. That said, it worked like a charm for a good friend...it just also took her a good month or two. The SSRIs are not fun in that respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthdoctor Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 SSRIs for me are like a trampoline. Imagine the depression as a bottomless pit. You could fall forever. Then you put an SSRI in your system, and suddenly there's a bottom to the pit. And a lovely trampoline at the bottom. You still fall...but not as far. And when you hit bottom, you bounce back up. And over time, the trampoline moves up slowly...so you don't fall as far, and you bounce back sooner. Zoloft is like that for me. It gave me the sleepies for a few weeks, so I started drinking lots of coffee. After the sleepies wore off, I felt like I was sharper, cognitively speaking. I was more aware of the broken/sore spots, and the wayward thought processes. It's what finally pushed me to seek counselling - I was thinking myself into knots trying to solve the issues that I could see clearly. Like turning the lights on in a messy room - you still can't get across the room for all the junk, but you can see the mess REALLY well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted July 10, 2009 Author Share Posted July 10, 2009 hey, just for an update; the zoloft started freaking me out; i was getting anxious and paranoid. So the GP has switched me to Cymbalta. The anxiety left about 2 days after I stopped zoloft. So far the cymbalta has been OK, felt a little tremor a few days back but nothing more... dc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancesintherain Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Sorry to hear that the zoloft started causing problems (I had a similar thing after taking lexapro for a few weeks)...but I'm glad that you're getting a start on something new and that you haven't noticed many problems yet. I hope it does the trick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanutbutter Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Oh, I just wanted to add that if you've got the bipolar 2 and if it's rather mild, it's possible to go without a mood stabilizer...especially if you're hypomania is really rare and mild (more fun than crap and not dangerous fun either)...so really, it's no grounds for a freak out yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurochs Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Oh, I just wanted to add that if you've got the bipolar 2 and if it's rather mild, it's possible to go without a mood stabilizer...especially if you're hypomania is really rare and mild (more fun than crap and not dangerous fun either)...so really, it's no grounds for a freak out yet. Eh, I wouldn't risk that. It's theorized that bipolar disorder is a progressive disease, meaning that if it's left untreated it gets worse. Besides, hypomania is often followed by depression, and preventing the hypomania can make the depression less of a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkchylde Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 Fortunately I'm feeling fairly stable @ the moment, the Cymbalta seems to be ok for me; if only I can get rid of these d@mn headaches!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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