Just been put on 50mg Sertraline

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Been doctors today. I am suffering daily with irrational thoughts, anger outbursts, irritability, lots of meltdowns, uncontrollable actions, no drive, no life etc. It's really bad. But it only happens when I don't smoke weed. I am not taking any medications, after my therapist "ripped" me off Lorazepam, I was forced to smoke cannabis to curb the withdrawal effects. Since then I've ditched all my therapists because I don't trust them, and I believe they are against me. I also stopped taking my 40mg Citalopram at this point because they wasn't working, and I'd been on them for years.

Not sure if the doctors visit went well, he seemed to look through all of my notes and write a prescription of 50mg Sertaline. I don't even recall him asking me any questions, it was me explaining how I felt. And I only attended because I'd smoked a bit of a joint and felt relaxed enough to feel comfortable. I'm terrible with appointments though, if I don't feel comfortable, I won't leave the house. I've missed hundreds.

What can I expect with these medications? I have been medication free for months, and I'm not looking forward to any side effects

Feels like I'm going backwards if I'm honest.

Last edited by jayjayuk on 20 Apr 2015, 5:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

Forgot to add, he has referred me back to my therapist to continue treatment. So my therapy begins again soon.

I'm confused because you said "it only happens when I don't smoke weed". So why don't you smoke weed then? Too expensive?

Why did they take you off of lorazepam, the weed? I take 100mg Sertraline, but still need Alprazolam on top of that.

Just wondering if the weed you smoke is more from the Skunk end of the genus? I have read (and seen) those types of symptoms from stronger weed coming in from mainland Europe. I visit Amsterdam on a reasonably frequent basis and have seen non residents absolutely blown away by the strength and make up of what they were smoking. This isn't an anti-drugs post, you makes your own choices in life and I know of a guy with arthritis who swears by it as the only form of painkiller that works for him. However, I'm always a little concerned about mixing herbals with chemicals, especially as we really don't know what is either for sure let alone what happens when they mix.

I didn't get on with Sertraline at all well, lots of headaches, nausea and palpitations (That was on 50mg) so my Doc switched me to Citalopram with some Mogadon or Nitrazepan (short term) and beta-blockers. I've stopped the beta-blockers and the Moggies now and am doing quite well on 40 mg of Citalopram.

Hope you get back on an even keel soon JayJay.

I do smoke weed, every day. But I'm not happy with my actions and behaviours when I don't have weed, or when I don't want to smoke weed no more. I'm also not happy using weed to self medicate. Short term it was very helpful, but I'd much rather use it recreationally, and to enjoy my life without having to smoke.

I'm just not happy with the way life is at the moment, and would love to not have to resort to meds, or weed, in order to survive.

No, this happened before I used weed. I used weed because it was the only thing available to me that would calm my head, and the withdrawal symptoms from the lorazepam. It was weed or alcohol, and weed seemed like the safer option, plus I enjoyed the high. I was put on lorazepam because I was severly suicidal and depressed and it got to the point where every waking thought was consumed by wanting to die. Much worse than how I am now.

I was taken off them due to miscommunication. My therapist put in the notes that I need to be tapered off them, and to work towards coming off them and replacing them with medication that will work better long term. My doctor read the notes and just stopped them, because she didn't read the notes properly. I ended up with an argument in the doctors office, where I punched and head butted a wall.

I lost all trust for them after this. They gave me the pill that changed my life, then took me off it at the click of a finger. I couldn't cope.

Last edited by jayjayuk on 20 Apr 2015, 7:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

I've tried numerous strains. Sativa was working nice, but I'd always have the syptoms above when I didn't smoke. I firmly believe there is a chemical imbalance going on somewhere, that topped with the normal Aspergers problems tends to make thinks difficult to deal with.

I've just took my first tablet. Then I read you "palpitations" bit. I suffer with PACs and PVCs lol, so this could be fun. Although the Citalopram did have similar effects, I just lived with them because back then the Citalopram actuallly worked.

Thanks for the wishes bud Wishing you well too

I have not been put on psychiatric medications for any anxiety/trauma that I have had since 1974 only so called psychotherapy which was largely group based and not a single aspie there. So that was about as much use as a chocolate coffee mug. I was prescribed carbamazepine for epilepsy but smoking spliff eventually proved to be a better treatment for epilepsy than the tablets I was getting off the doctor. It was also having a more positive effect on me than anything else so I ended up smoking weed and hash for nearly 17 years. No I don't trust psychotherapists or the group 'therapy' that they advocate because it is incompatible with the autistic spectrum especially Asperger syndrome and only that and the previous one tried playing me off against other people and said that they were only trying to help but were more of a hindrance and a burden. That was back in 1987-88.

However I have not had a seizure in over 5 years and I could not say that If I was only on carbamazepine and also now no longer smoking weed but baking edibles is much healthy for the lungs than smoking spliff but you got the three quarters of an hour for the spacecake to kick in because you process the cannabinoids through your liver where as you get an instant hit when smoking a spliff which can be helpful for a person with epilepsy which is why people who use marijuana as an anti epilepsy medication tend to smoke it in a spliff which is the quickest route to the brain when a seizure can start. Plus you can get hooked on the nicotine from the tobacco that is added as a filler in British and European joints but that isn't an issue when eating space cakes.

I don't think that it hinders my Asperger syndrome at all, quite the contrary. I have also visited Amsterdam a few times and tried their mainly sativa strains of which I am careful with because it is easy to underestimate the strength of the Dutch weed. I have also done a few indica strains which were nice and relaxing.

I don't know what the mental health system was on when they twice referred me for group psychotherapy if it was so incompatible for autistic spectrum conditions because the ignorant/arrogant comments made by both psychotherapists and therapeutic community members were just vile.

Wow. You're on my level here.

I have major distrust in the UK mental health system. I have been 1 step away from death, begging them to keep me in because I fear for my own safety, only to be sent home and locked on my house by my partner. They're useless. I have been to that many meetings, and appointments I've lost count. I remember absolutely nothing from any of them.

Weed does really help me, but I can't cope with the effects of not having it. If I could afford it, I wouldn't have an issue of never having it. I guess that means I need to put my butt in gear and put the metal to the grindstone to ensure I have enough supply to keep me going.

I read the packet on the tablets they gave me today, and I was reading all the side effects. Reading posts on other forums about everyone suffering the side effects of these tablets. Then I think back to smoking weed, and I'm thinking surely if weed helps me doctors could actually look into this more so us UK smokers don't have to feel like they're low life trash for self medicating.

I'm serious, they do. My landlord and I are having a dispute at the moment. I have her in checkmate. Anyway, she sent me a horrible email saying "I know you smoke weed on the house and I know you overdosed on it early December because there were ambulances outside the property". The ambulance was for self harm btw, not a weed overdose ... lmao.

I've had a spliff tonight, so I'm feeling super jolly and happy. I'm feeling very relaxed. I'm able to focus my thoughts into single channels, like direct connections to the brain, without my neurons having to travel a tangled ball of wires. I'm no longer agitated. I can't be angry, I'm too relaxed to be angry. I think more rationally, and tend to look at things logically from a rational point of view. I'm able to kiss and cuddle my girlfriend without feeling uncomfortable. I can have a conversation without me trying to dominate it. I actually feel really really really good.

And at the same time I can get up and go to the shop, clean the house, work on some programming.

... I can not do that on Citalopram, and I doubt I'll do that on these medications.

I've been reading the book Bad Pharma. Awesome book! it explains the pharmacutical trade for what it is, and how all the facts on medicines are not true facts and are distorted. It explains how the companies that produce the pills are legally allowed to hide negative results from the public.

... And they want to put these things down my throat.

I have a hard time accepting this medication. I'm sure if I was in a mental hospital, and I told the nurse the above, I'd be put straight into the padded white room.

What a world we live in.

Ps. I'm stoned. Sorry for rambling.

For me the first two weeks of taking Sertraline were brutal. The nausea eased during the first week, but I still felt unwell and very different (flu-like symptoms) for the second week. It took roughly a month-6 weeks to feel any positive effects, it eased the symptoms somewhat, but I needed a stronger dose when the anxiety returned and the depression worsened. The 100mg dose works for me and I can function much better with it than without it. The most consistent side effects have been numbness and decreased sex drive.
I don't like taking medication, but I am feeling less resentful towards it now, because it has helped my health. I was prescribed Sertraline in conjunction with follow up therapy by the NHS, and this combination has improved my quality of life tenfold.