Hello I Have Had Severe Depression Over The Last 3

Posted on Fri, 17 Jul 2020

Question: Hello I have had severe depression over the last 3 years. Have had a very unsupportive family 2 years ago I was prescribed 150mg of sertraline my family forced me to stop taking it. I have been constantly thinking of suicide like I did b4 being prescribed it over the last few weeks. How can I safely take the 100 left over pills to help myself get though this without causing myself to enter serotonin syndrome. Because I know taking the full 150mg with no buildup will cause that

Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Severe depressive symptoms.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thanks for the query.

As per your description, it seems like you are having severe depressive symptoms that need immediate medical attention.

Antidepressants like sertraline or other alternatives must be started after consulting your physician.

Nothing much to worry about serotonin syndrome as it is rare with sertraline monotherapy.

I suggest you consult a Psychologist before starting Sertraline as you are off drugs for long.

Avoid unwanted stress and anxiety.
Relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation can help a bit.

Thanks

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee