Why am I feeling dizzy all of a sudden? 200mg Sertraline per day?

Question

Hello. A brief description of myself:
im 22, male. around 14.5 stone, muscly build. Go gym 3 times a week. Have suffered with depression 2 year ago and was on medication for that. The last year i have been suffering with anxiety and panic attacks. Most panic attacks result in me being physicaly sick and can sometimes become a repetative P/A where i end up having to take 5mg Diazepam to sort myself out, otherwise i get stuck in a loop of building up to anxiety, being sick then feeling okay for 5 minutes, then it all starts again and keeps doing that.

I have been prescribed 200mg sertraline tablets for my anxiety. Have been on sertraline for around a year now. When i first started it was 100mg per day, then a few month later it was increased to 150mg. Then around 8 week ago it was upped to 200mg per day. This was due to the tablets not being effective enough for me.

I have not felt dizzy in the past whilst taking sertraline.

However since Monday afternoon I have been feeling dizzy and still feel rather dizzy right now. Here is a few things to take into consideration that might be causing this:

- I have missed my medication since saturday due to forgeting about it. I have just taken the 200mg this morning incase it was due to not taking them?
- I have not been eating or drinking as much as normal due to feeling dizzy.
- I wear glasses that may be causing this? However i didnt wear them for the most of yesterday and still was rather dizzy.

It might not have anything to do with the medication and i might have some bug that makes you dizzy? I dont know. This is why i am seeking help on here.

Hopefully someone can help me out a little? Its not a nice feeling when your prone to anxiety and you have something wrong with you that you dont know the cause for. :(

Thanks to anyone that takes the time to read this and reply.

Dan

Answer

Hi Dan,
In the same situation. I do sometimes think it's because of my glasses.
History: I am on sertraline for about 2 years now. Started with 50, 100 and 150 mg. Now on 100mg.my only symptoms are dizziness. Ruled out any other problems in ear or brain. I do have boarded high blood pressure. Also heart palpitations and chest cramps with tightness. For about a month before, I was completely fine with my 100mg sertraline doses. Then I started getting headaches and neck soarness. And the old friend dizziness is back now. Even though I'm regular on my 100mg doses. I'm not sure why the med is not working anymore. I feel dizzy lightheadedness almost every hour.
I would like to know how is your situation going now?

Answer

I too feel dizzy/shaky kind of like the ground is moving

Answer

Dan, I like the way you write. You are very talented at describing things and conveying your feelings. Not everybody can do that especially in your age group. Texting is ruining the way American kids write. Anyway, it could be any one of the things you have mentioned. Missing antidepressants can cause nasty withdrawal effects-dizziness, nausea, "brain zaps" etc. Plus not eating and drinking, especially if you are active and exercise (and just being more muscular you burn more calories at rest than a less muscular person), is going ot lead to low blood sugar which can cause dizziness, shakiness, nausea, blurred vision, headache. When your sugar is low, you can really feel sick! My son is your age and he has always worked out a lot and if he is late for a meal or doesnt eat enough, he can even get sick enough to throw up, so he eats several smaller meals a day.

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He pretty much needs to eat something every couple of hours-something with carbs and protein. I'm not sure what Weetabix is-I am guessing a cereal or something? That is good because it will bring your sugar back up but if you dont eat a protein too, it will crash again in an hour or two. You should eat a good protein source within about 10-15 minutes of waking each day. Eggs are good, cottage cheese, fish, lean meat, peanutbutter-something high protein or a protein shake. You needs lots of protein when you work out. Eat several small meals, like 6 small meals or eat the traditional 3 with two snacks. Be sure that you are getting fuel every 2 hours even if it is just a protein shake. You mentioned your glasses. Are they new? It does sometimes take time to get used to glasses. If your prescription was changed recently it can cause dizziness. If you stop wearing them for a while then start again, this can cause dizziness too. Another thing is that this time of year is bad for people with allergies and if you have sinus trouble it can cause profound dizziness. If you are not better after a few days, you might want to see your GP just to get checked over. Take better care of yourself. Be sure to eat, and drink plenty of good pure water, especially when you work out. Stay well hydrated. The body doesnt work well dehydrated but most people do not get enough water daily and walk around in a dehydrated state. A good test is to pinch up a bit of skin on the back of your hand. If the skin doesnt immediately spring back when you let go and it still shows where you pinched it for several seconds before it goes back flat, you are very dehydrated. Get plenty of sleep. Try to stick to a schedule and get at least 8 hours sleep a night. If you have allergies, you may need some medication to clear your sinuses. Try to get in the habit of taking your medicine each day at about the same time. It sometimes helps to get one of those boxes with the days of the week and a box for each day and fill it weekly then every day take a pill and leave the lid opened, that way you know at a glance if you took your pill. Set an alarm on your cell phone to remind you-whatever you need to do to remember it. I hope you feel better soon!

Votes: +2

Answer

You are getting withdrawal from the sertraline. You will start feeling better today, but it will take a few days for full recovery. Get your fluids too, you can't go around without drinking enough and stay well. If you don't feel better soon, then I'd say 200 is too much for you.

Answer

Sounds like you have a great handle on what it might be. Sound like you may have been going through withdrawals and just getting readjusted. Make sure to still keep your body fed and hydrated. Even if it soup and crackers or a small sandwich. Can you get your blood pressure checked?

Why am I feeling dizzy all of a sudden? 200mg Sertraline per day?

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