nbast05: Scared that my medicine messed up my brain

[nbast05]

Hey everyone,

Been struggling with being down and having weird feelings that somethings wrong because of being on my medication. I’m scared that my ssri for anxiety has messed up chemicals or neurons in my brain that are irreversible and will always be broken. Any of you been on ssri for a long time thought this and have recovered. My body is super sensitive to meds and I’m constantly thinking about how I feel. Struggling to see the light at the end sometimes especially when I worry about my heart, being depressed, headache, feeling unreal. Any thoughts or advice would be great. I have constant unreality, head pain, flat affect.

Thanks everyone

[nbast05]

been on 25 mg sertraline for last two years, tried to come off lexapro 10 mg two years ago cold turkey, terrible choice... now on 25 mg still feelin bad

Edited June 7, 2018 by SkyBlue

[SkyBlue]

Hi nbast,

 

Good news: this site is full of people who are recovered or are recovering. 

You are not irreversibly damaged. Healing is possible and will happen.

 

Please tell us a little more about yourself by creating a drug signature here: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

Please include - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly. (Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.)

 

An example is my signature, written below this post. 

 

This will be your introduction topic to chart and share your progress. 

Welcome to SA. 

[nbast05]

Hey everyone,

 

My history is in my signature. I am currently struggling with feelings of depression, which I never had before my medication. I also struggle with derealization, head aches, poor sleep, burning head pain, and heart skips. Anyone have advice or feel the same?

[nbast05]

Hey everyone,

 

Been struggling with anxiety a lot in terms of scared of being depressed, scared on unreality every day. My medication taper is below. Any advice? anyone else have these thoughts about never being able to recover. I have headaches and trouble sleeping daily. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi nbast,

 

I have merged the 2 new Intro topics you made with your original intro topic.  Each member has only 1 Intro topic where they can ask questions about their own situation and journal their progress.  Please do not create any more Intro topics.  Thank you.

[ChessieCat]

Just to clarify.  You are currently taking 25mg Zoloft.  You have been on that dose since December 2017.

 

Q1:  Are you taking your dose at about the same time every day?

 

Q2:  Do you have to measure your dose or are you taking a 25mg tablet or liquid?

 

Inconsistent dosing can cause issues.

 

Q3:  Are you taking any other drugs or supplements?

 

Q4:  What is your daily symptom pattern in relation to when you take your dose?

[nbast05]

yes currently on zoloft 25 mg tablets, take it right before bed around the same time not the exact time but close. No dose measurements usually a 25 mg tablet or cut 50 mg in half. No other drugs or supplements at all , I will occasionally take fish oil pills and drink calm powder in water which is just magnesium. My symptom pattern is increased anxiety usually after i take it, poor sleep at night, early morning awakenings, headaches throughout the day that are worse with exercise, derealization all day long, feelings of head pain and slight depression that scares me the most. 

[ChessieCat]

Thank you for clarifying and responding to my questions.

 

Q:  When did the different symptoms start:  poor sleep, anxiety, depressed feelings, headaches, fatigue, derealisation?

 

Q:  Have you always taken Zoloft at night?

[ChessieCat]

Switched to zoloft 37.5 mg in 2016, still bad anxiety, now weird depressing feelings, headaches, fatigue, derealization.

Decreased to 25 mg in 2017 to current, was tough, but still have same symptoms today. 

 

Please add the month to your signature when you started Zoloft and when you decreased to 25mg.  Thank you.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, nbast.

 

20 hours ago, nbast05 said:

I am currently struggling with feelings of depression, which I never had before my medication. I also struggle with derealization, head aches, poor sleep, burning head pain, and heart skips.

 

These are side effects, plus possibly poop-out.

 

11 hours ago, nbast05 said:

My symptom pattern is increased anxiety usually after i take it, poor sleep at night, early morning awakenings, headaches throughout the day that are worse with exercise, derealization all day long, feelings of head pain and slight depression that scares me the most. 

 

If you're getting increased anxiety after you take your nightly Zoloft, your body is telling you it doesn't like the drug anymore.

 

It sounds like taking Zoloft did not entirely compensate for your cold turkey off Lexapro and your body never got comfortable on it.

 

If I were you, I'd move your Zoloft dose earlier in the day, an hour at a time, until you're taking it in the morning. That way, at least it might not interfere so much with your sleep.

 

Then, I would gradually taper off it, see Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

A lot of people find them helpful. Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you. Taken in smallish doses, magnesium can be calming.

 

 

[nbast05]

So for a while now I have been afraid of my symptoms from what I think is a combo of my anxiety and sertraline... every day I struggle with unreality, headaches that are burning and get worse and better and cause me to feel like I can’t talk at times. I feel so detached and I feel like I’m constantly in my own head. The headaches and intrusive thoughts of losing control are what bother me the most. Any thoughts on what I can do??

[Cjlo]

I'm going through similar things right now here looking for  an answer as well