[Focus62]

My doctor just increased my dose from 50mg to 100mg a few days ago. I have been going through a lot of tough stuff in T at the same time and I am starting to have suicidal thoughts and thoughts of self-harm have increased. These thoughts and feelings are unusual for me and it's scaring me. I don't know if I'm thinking clearly enough to determine what's causing them though. Do you think the dose increase could be causing this? I was fine on 50mg...I don't see why an increase would affect me so badly now but I'm not sure that the stresses of what I've been doing in T would cause this. I have never felt so low in my life, I feel awful right now. I want these thoughts to stop. Please shed some light on this for me.

I wish I had the answer, I'm on 100mg of zoloft as well...but I started fresh on 100mg. I sometimes have suicidal thoughts as well but I always thought it was from the abilify. All anti depress, and anti anxiety, actually all drugs related to the brain can give you suicidal thoughts. I suggest you go back to 50mg.

[onionknight]

Did you jump right from 50mg to 100mg, without trying 75mg for a while. The sudden increase could be the culprit.

But dude, please, whatever is causing the feeling, stay safe! If you want to talk, I'm here to listen. Try to contact your doctor as soon as possible, and try to avoid sharp increases or decreases.

Personally, I got headaches, jitteriness and cognitive symptoms at higher doses, but I never felt sucidial from the Zoloft. Your brain could very easily be different though.

[metamorphosis12]

If you are not thinking clearly and are starting to have suicidal thought creep into your head. Then you need to call your doc. asap. The fact that you are experiencing this with the sudden increase in dose. It looks like a possible med. issue. Another issue is how long you've been on sertraline. I'm sure you know that SSRI's can cause distorted thinking and suicidal thoughts in people. This usually takes place soon after a person starts the med and is more common in younger people, teens to early 20's.

Do not do anything irrational or harmful to yourself. If you have someone (friend, family, significant other) that you live with hang out with them. And talk to them about how you feel to whatever extent you need.

Regardless please call your doc. and do not be afraid to use his urgent/emergency number. This is the reason they have that #. You are under his/her care and they need to know whats going on with, the medication and treatment. This isn't something to put off or delay. Confusion and thoughts of harming yourself are not a good mix and you need to talk to your doc. immediately. If they do not call you back quickly, then call again. Also, talk to another mental health professional if you doc. does not call you back. There are numbers that you can call.

One last thing, if your doc/pdoc does not have an emergency number or does not respond. Then find another pdoc, that is basically malpractice and against the Hippocratic Oath that all physicians in every field must take.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath

[Focus62]

Thank you for the responses. I haven't been on it for more than two weeks. Unfortunately, I cannot get in contact with my doctor right now as she is part of our campus health services which is only open during the weekdays. I will call tomorrow. I'm not sure how competent she really is when it comes to psych meds, cause yes, she did have me jump from 50mg to 100mg, but I don't have any other options at the moment. I have a T but they're not really all that educated when it comes to meds I don't think, and I don't see her till Tuesday morning. I am confused on whether or not this is the med... but I think it has to be cause I have never felt this bad before . I feel so out of control and crazy. I keep having flashbacks and I just want the pain to stop. I am overwhelmed.

I am with my roommate right now...I won't do anything stupid.

[onionknight]

Can I ask what school you go to?

My university had good psychologists at least. I never sought help from a psychiatrist. I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to try something new during the semester.

But seriously, call as soon as they open in the morning and be persistent! You shouldn't have to feel that way

[metamorphosis12]

Originally Posted by Focus62

Thank you for the responses. I haven't been on it for more than two weeks. Unfortunately, I cannot get in contact with my doctor right now as she is part of our campus health services which is only open during the weekdays. I will call tomorrow. I'm not sure how competent she really is when it comes to psych meds, cause yes, she did have me jump from 50mg to 100mg, but I don't have any other options at the moment. I have a T but they're not really all that educated when it comes to meds I don't think, and I don't see her till Tuesday morning. I am confused on whether or not this is the med... but I think it has to be cause I have never felt this bad before . I feel so out of control and crazy. I keep having flashbacks and I just want the pain to stop. I am overwhelmed.

I am with my roommate right now...I won't do anything stupid.

Yeah, keep busy tonight and talk with whoever you need to. I know people on here even offered. A close friend, family, or your roommate is good. If you can actually hangout with them the better. If your doc isn't a pdoc (psychiatrist),often they are not as available. Especially an on campus doc. or nurse practitioner. They also feel the most comfortable scripting SSRI's because of their relative safety. So, that's good you can at least call someone tomorrow and you see the doc. on Tue.

I would be careful of even taking the sertraline until you talk to someone. Even if you miss one day on it. it's half-life is around 26 hrs depending on your metabolism. And the amount in your blood plasma will take even longer to diminish. Taking into consideration that you have at least been using it on a daily basis for a week or more.

Please read this thread if you get the chance. It does talk about the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in children, adolescents, and young adults in short-term studies of major depressive disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric illness disorders. And it gives really good info. on sertraline and does use info from double blind studies on the drug.
http://www.drugs.com/pro/sertraline.html

I don't want to sound alarmist. But when I read distorted thinking along with thought of suicide. A huge red flag automatically goes up. Also i am not against the use of SSRI's at all. I think they have a definite place in psychiatry and mental illness. They have helped countless people suffering from moderate to severe depression and have undoubtedly helped save lives. They can be used as a stop-gap and therapeutic agent for people until proper psychotherapy, cbt, act, etc help. Some people may need to use them for a yr or even yrs. There are also those who will need them for longer periods of time or for the rest of their life. If someone needs to take medications in order to stay stable, functional, and enjoy a good quality of life. That is the most important thing. It is the equivalent of someone using blood pressure meds indefinitely. Even if proper exercise, diet etc are followed and they are still hypertensive. There are genetic and physiological factors to take into account.

[Focus62]

I don't know if it's a good idea to just stop taking it...I don't want to make this any worse than it already is (if that's possible). All I want to do is see my T right now but that's not going to happen... I feel like I have no control over this situation. I have no one to contact and I really can't go to the hospital cause I don't want to be admitted which they would have to do. I will go if I absolutely have to, but I don't think I will get to that point.

I didn't actually get put on this med specifically for depression. I was put on it to help manage PTSD symptoms and I'm starting to wonder if that has anything to do with how I'm reacting right now.

Onionking - I don't really want to share what school I go out here for the sake of anonymity but I will gladly pm you where I go. We have good psychologists here too (at least I like mine) and I know there is a pdoc at our health services but I got stuck with this physicians assistant so I don't even think she's an MD...She is only there on Fridays so if I see someone tomorrow I don't know who it'll be. I know there's also a mental health nurse practitioner too, so maybe I can see one of them tomorrow.

I am struggling but I can make it through the night. I don't have any plans. I just don't want to be here right now, it is so hard to take all of this pain. I need to sleep but I know I won't...

[buttrfli42481]

I was on zoloft for 2 days at 25mg and became very jittery and suicidal to the point that I was hospitalized for 4 days. I just happen to be highly sensitive to it. My good friend takes the highest dose allowed and is just fine on it. Just goes to show how one med can effect people differently. I know that I will never take it again, and my doc said to put it down as an allergy so that I won't get prescribed it again by accident.

I hope you are able to stay safe throughout the night and call in asap in the morning. Your life is nothing to play with.

[metamorphosis12]

Originally Posted by Focus62

I don't know if it's a good idea to just stop taking it...I don't want to make this any worse than it already is (if that's possible). All I want to do is see my T right now but that's not going to happen... I feel like I have no control over this situation. I have no one to contact and I really can't go to the hospital cause I don't want to be admitted which they would have to do. I will go if I absolutely have to, but I don't think I will get to that point.

I didn't actually get put on this med specifically for depression. I was put on it to help manage PTSD symptoms and I'm starting to wonder if that has anything to do with how I'm reacting right now.

Onionking - I don't really want to share what school I go out here for the sake of anonymity but I will gladly pm you where I go. We have good psychologists here too (at least I like mine) and I know there is a pdoc at our health services but I got stuck with this physicians assistant so I don't even think she's an MD...She is only there on Fridays so if I see someone tomorrow I don't know who it'll be. I know there's also a mental health nurse practitioner too, so maybe I can see one of them tomorrow.

I am struggling but I can make it through the night. I don't have any plans. I just don't want to be here right now, it is so hard to take all of this pain. I need to sleep but I know I won't...

I should have said that you should talk to your therapist before stopping. I was thinking of how I would react and didn't put in that disclaimer, sorry. You have any good movies or shows to watch that can help keep you occupied? I have issues concentrating, especially when I have a lot going on inside my head. i am not a big t.v. person. But if I can sit down and get through the first few minutes of 'Breaking Bad'. Then, I am sucked right in. To bad it was the final season. I have the last episodes on my DVR and am excited to watch them.

[Focus62]

Still having these thoughts, it's getting worse . I almost SIed but resisted...I am going to go see if I can talk to my T today even if only for five minutes. I need help. She will help me figure it out with the campus doc too...she can be my advocate when I can't be.

[metamorphosis12]

If you call and explain the seriousness of the situation. They will find a way to get you in!!!

[Focus62]

Well I couldn't talk to my T cause she was gone today and I didn't want to talk to anyone other than her so I didn't tell them what was going on (perhaps a bad decision on my part, but it's so hard for me to trust people, I would have never been able to tell a random person), but I'll see her tomorrow morning for my regular appointment. I called the doc office and talked to someone who wasn't my doc (cause she's not at the office on Mondays) and they told me to go back down to 50mg. I am still so wound up, I just need to make it another night...

[buttrfli42481]

You can make it through another night. Come on here if you have to or call a crisis line. Just because you call doesn't mean they will send someone after you. I have called multiple times and not had anyone come for me. It is just someone to talk to and they listen to you. Know that I am praying for you and hoping that you get your meds straightened out.