hoping fading again

[Clarityofthought]

Hi i am new on here. I've been taking sertraline for post-natal depression (have had normal depression many times before as well). I started with 50mg a day and two weeks ago had the dosage increased to 100mg. When i first started taking them i felt worse before i felt better and had lots of side-effects. When the dose was increased i expected to feel better straight away as i had when i first took them. But i don't! And i'm starting to despair! :-( Does anyone know if you feel better before you feel worse with upped dosages - as you do in the very beginning... If you see what i mean... Thanks in advance. ws xxx

 

[Libra1]

Hi ws and to MHF

I do not know anything about the tabs you are on, but hopefully someone will be along shortly.

This is a very friendly forum and I hope you will soon make friends and find help and support

 

[dunglen]

hello and welcome

the antidepressants i take did not take effect for several weeks, then again it was a while before i felt any different when the dosage was doubled.
Also i changed the time of day i take tablets and this caused another bad spell.

People on here encouraged me to keep going and their advice is good.

I am a bit better and know the tablets are making a difference but it is a damned slow process.

take care

 

[sandybob]

hi sahara...

im on sertraline too..

certainly for me i had similar side effect on increasing the dosage to the ones i had when i initially started them .. and in the same way the increased dosage will take a few weeks to kick in ..

be patient , the side effects will wear off again

glad you're here

 

[Dollit]

Hi Wildsahara - glad to see you've made the trip over. There are many wise and wonderful people her and it's a good place to be.

 

[Clarityofthought]

thanks all. and thanks for having me! it's funny but just today i started to feel a little something positive happening. . i found myself having fun with katie (3) and she was laughing which i haven't heard in a while - indeed, for the last few weeks her naughtiness has increased just like it did when i first had sophie (4months) and got pnd. and sophie was smiling again. and i feel as if i can talk again. i am just so glad they are starting to work!

the only thing is. . what happens next? do they just keep upping the dose every 3 months? what do they do when you're at the maximum possible dose - and that starts to lose it's effectiveness?? i'm really scared that i'm gonna end up feeling dreadful again at some point in the future and then there'll be nothing left to be done about it

on top of that i should be starting work again in july - i've just heard from my old boss that i can go back 3-7 instead of weekends which i was doing before... i so don't want to go! i don't feel confident enough to face work!!! and my new baby needs me more than katie did she's a lot more sensitive and wary and fragile than katie was

ws xxx

oh dollit hi! yes i saw your link in the bbc m/b for the other poster and thought i'd look in here. glad you don't mind you are all very friendly! thanks xxx

 

[sandybob]

thanks all. and thanks for having me! it's funny but just today i started to feel a little something positive happening. . i found myself having fun with katie (3) and she was laughing which i haven't heard in a while - indeed, for the last few weeks her naughtiness has increased just like it did when i first had sophie (4months) and got pnd. and sophie was smiling again. and i feel as if i can talk again. i am just so glad they are starting to work!

the only thing is. . what happens next? do they just keep upping the dose every 3 months? what do they do when you're at the maximum possible dose - and that starts to lose it's effectiveness?? i'm really scared that i'm gonna end up feeling dreadful again at some point in the future and then there'll be nothing left to be done about it

on top of that i should be starting work again in july - i've just heard from my old boss that i can go back 3-7 instead of weekends which i was doing before... i so don't want to go! i don't feel confident enough to face work!!! and my new baby needs me more than katie did she's a lot more sensitive and wary and fragile than katie was

ws xxx

oh dollit hi! yes i saw your link in the bbc m/b for the other poster and thought i'd look in here. glad you don't mind you are all very friendly! thanks xxx

hi

we're glad to have you .

try not to worry about what happens next hunny . take one day at a time and enjoy those little moments.

in my experience, the meds were increased only once , and actually once i was stable for quite a while , i had them decreased again.

also try not to worry about going back to work .. july is a few months off. use this time to enjoy your babies and begin to feel yourself again .

( i also had pnd ... 12 years ago now)

 

[JIBBAJABBA]

Hi Wildsahara ......

Not sure about how long your meds should take to kick in but be sure we are all here to support you along the way......

Stick around we're here to help xxx

 

[dunglen]

hello and welcome

 

[Libra1]

Hi ws, glad to hear you smiled yesterday I had chidren same ages as your daughters, plus 17 month old in the middle Just a little word of advice, young children take up a lot of your time, plus all the other jobs! Do try and make time for 'mum - you, perhaps when the little ones have an afternoon sleep. Even if you sit down with a and a magazine, it is really very important you recharge your batteries too

Keep us updated with Katie and Sophie's antics and most impotantly how you are feeling

 

[Clarityofthought]

hi to libra1, dunglen, sandybob, dollit and jibbajabba. hi and thanks! i am quite unhappy at the moment :-( i don't feel i am getting any support from my other half at the moment. i am a bit drunk and although i know this doesn't help i feel drawn to the oblivion of alcohol and cannot resist it. i am so unhappy :-(

 

[Dollit]

I'm sorry you're having it rough Sahara - hope not too much of a hangover this morning. Speaking as a recovering alcoholic, drinking on my problems never solved a thing. They were still there when I sobered up and I had a hangover to deal with as well.

Can I ask, is your depression related entirely to your pregnancies or was it there before the babies?

 

[Libra1]

Hi ws, sorry to hear you are not having a good day

I also suffer with depression and some days are better than others, I found that drinking made me feel more depressed. It also wasn't safe for me as I am on a lot of different medications that I just cannot stop them.

I made a new years resolution not to drink in the new year, I was helped with that decision as I also started a new anti inflammatory tab which warns you not to drink with it. I have lapsed once - Valentines night out I had one cider and wished I hadn't bothered

I do not get very much support at home from my other half, and I put that down to men not really understanding depression. One cannot just snap out of it, pull yourself together or lighten up, easier said than done! Other halves I think are a bit frightened when we are ill and unable to cope as they begin to fret that they wouldn't know where to start In a way that is a compliment to us moms/wives, as we are so used to juggling a lot of balls in a lot of courts
ws you can always come here anytime 24/7 and vent, or just explain how you feel, and someone will always come along and offer help and support.

Am sending you 2 hugs one for you and Katie and Sophie Hope you have a better day tommorow - without a hangover

 

[daffy]

Hi there WS. Hope your feeling a bit brighter today. Your bound to have ups and downs. Its not that long since you had Sophie and having a three year old as well must be very tireing. PND is not a nice thing to have and people think you should be all happy cos youve got a beautiful little baby but its not always as simple as that.

Try not to do too much. So what if your house isnt as tidy as youd like it. Take your kids out for a walk, go to the park and watch your child race around. You dont have to be everything to everyone.

You will come out of this but it just takes time. Your tabs wont keep on being increased . They will just find a level that works for you and keep you at that level for a while then start to reduce them, and just keep monitering you.

Take care

 

[Clarityofthought]

still struggling

hi dollit - yes i did used to suffer normal depression too.

libra1 - i agree that my husband might be a bit scared by my depression. i hadn't thought of that. i know he'd like me to be more self-reliant, capable and believe in myself more :-(

daffy - the walk thing sounds good. our nearest park is quite far away though and the thought of getting us all there and then play and all the way back and do the housework and cook and clean leaves me exhausted just thinking about it. so i end up doing nothing which is wrong.

i just wish my lifel didn't revovle around all the c**p in my head! other people are busy making something of themselves / going out there and living life / setting aims and acheiving them / accomplishing things...... my world is dreading interaction with other people / dweling on what others are thinking and worrying they don't like me / feeling a failure every day and hating myself / thinking i'm fat and ugly / hating my lack of control in my life / dwelling on the past / worrying of the futre...... sorry everyone. you've all been so nice to me. i wish i could say things were looking up for good. but i am just living on junk food and not aware of life beyond my own living room and two kids who need me and yet i can't be two mums - ones is always left out and i get guilty over that too :-(