Zoloft withdrawal experiences
AUTHOR
MESSAGE
Senior
Hello. Since I lost my son in a car accident I fell to a terrible depression. That all happened three years ago and since than I lost my wife and my job.
That all just made my depression even worse.
I was like that for about a half of year and then I try to seek for a help.
Psychiatrist prescribed my Zoloft, 200mg per day. I’ve been taking Zoloft for a year and I have overcome my depression.
I recently stopped taking the drug and I was told I would have no side effects. I have lost all my sexual desire and I get extremely agitated over nothing at all. I feel nausea and headache almost all the time.
Please, if there is anyone out there who has experienced similar side effects-any help is most welcome.
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Senior
I just want to tell you that you are not alone in this. Many years people are complaining about this Zoloft side effects.
It is a very used drug for depression and it’s been on the market for over than 10 years. It is also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress.
Most important thing for you to remember is next-do not stop taking Zoloft without first talking to your doctor.
It may take 4 weeks or more for you to start feeling better and you may experience unpleasant side effects.
Ask your doctor to give you a plan which will show you how to quit step by step but not suddenly.
This is most secure way to pass by all known side effects.
Wish you all the best! Take care!
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Newbie
Why in the world would you have taken such a high dose of Zoloft for so many years and not taper off 25 at a time until you were steady on 25-50?
I took about 150 for about 6 months, then tapered to 100, then down to 50 and have been very clear-minded and stable for several years now. Unforntunately, I have had to add morphine or fentanyl for back pain and that does worry me some. Fortunately I have an excellent Pain Management doctor right now.
I can understand why you might have felt dumbed up! Sounds like you were given an awfu lot for way too long. Good Luck.
I took about 150 for about 6 months, then tapered to 100, then down to 50 and have been very clear-minded and stable for several years now. Unforntunately, I have had to add morphine or fentanyl for back pain and that does worry me some. Fortunately I have an excellent Pain Management doctor right now.
I can understand why you might have felt dumbed up! Sounds like you were given an awfu lot for way too long. Good Luck.
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Newbie
I just quit taking zoloft on my own accord because i felt crazy and not me and drugged up all the time and now i am going through this crazy withdrawl . I thought i was suffering form vertigo and then i put two and two together. I have been sick and not feeling good at all and i have not been on it now 7 days. I have been researching and my findings about this drug is so scary. This is not a good thing and it is being handed out liek candy. I think that somone needs to speak up about what happens when you try to get off zoloft for so long i thought i was a complete loony if i did not have it because there were times when i did not fill my prescription on time and would miss a day or sao and would go crazy and become an evil person. The news needs to be more widespread about how addicitive this drug can be.
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Newbie
please can someone give me some insight here? i feel like im going crazy. a little back round:
I switched from taking prozac to zoloft. I was only on zoloft for about three weeks and the only real noticable side effect i was having was insominia. But it got so bad that i wasnt sleeping at all. I decided to stop taking the zoloft. I realize my mistake now was that i just stopped taking it cold, but i figured i hadnt been taking it for that long. After the first day i was fine, but the strangly 2 days being off the drug i started feeling weird, mostly mentally. Such as just having a very depressed and blah feeling. by the third day i was very very depressed. i have never felt so overwhelmingly helpless and hopless ever in my life! but as for the fourth day i started feeling a little better, and now today i feel better still. but as the days progress, i will still have bouts when i feel very depressed. i feel like im on an emotional roller coaster. Also, i feel like im getting hot flashes and then cold flashes and im very very headachey. Please please can someone give me some insight? do you think i still have the zoloft in my sysytem? will these feeling eventually taper off? is it something else? or something i should be seriously worried about? anything will help.
I switched from taking prozac to zoloft. I was only on zoloft for about three weeks and the only real noticable side effect i was having was insominia. But it got so bad that i wasnt sleeping at all. I decided to stop taking the zoloft. I realize my mistake now was that i just stopped taking it cold, but i figured i hadnt been taking it for that long. After the first day i was fine, but the strangly 2 days being off the drug i started feeling weird, mostly mentally. Such as just having a very depressed and blah feeling. by the third day i was very very depressed. i have never felt so overwhelmingly helpless and hopless ever in my life! but as for the fourth day i started feeling a little better, and now today i feel better still. but as the days progress, i will still have bouts when i feel very depressed. i feel like im on an emotional roller coaster. Also, i feel like im getting hot flashes and then cold flashes and im very very headachey. Please please can someone give me some insight? do you think i still have the zoloft in my sysytem? will these feeling eventually taper off? is it something else? or something i should be seriously worried about? anything will help.
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Guest
I am experiencing a similar thing. I forgot to refill my perscription before I went on vacation last week and now I have been without my Zoloft for about 10 days. I feel so bad. I keep crying. I am very VERY depressed and feel like everything is hopeless. I can't work...can't do school work....can hardly get out of bed. This is awful and I do not know what to do. I can pick up my perscription today but know I am scared that if I start back on it, I will be on it for the rest of my life. I'm going to talk to my doctor today about it. I have been taking a small dosage of Z for many years. I have never tried to go off of it the "right" way by tapering...I just stop taking it (which is bad). I really feel like I am out of control. I feel for you! I don't know how long it takes to get it out of your system, but I'm hoping to find out more from my doctor today.
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Guest
I went off Zoloft cold turkey about 1.5 months ago - bad idea - but had had enough of zero libido and just not giving a damn anymore. It was prescribed for me following rectal cancer and the resulting permanent colostomy, which made me wonder if I was going to spend the rest of my life sitting on the sidelines and smelling like manure (hence depression). The most pronounced side effects are the electric zingers and the vertigo, which is more noticeable when I'm physically tired or just late in the day. Again, not a good idea to jump off the Z wagon all at once, but at least I feel male again.
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Guest
I too quit this "cold turkey". My psych put me on Zoloft for rage control, and I must admit, it really helped me a great deal, but after a few weeks I noticed I was having problems with insomnia and bowel pains/gas. I was even diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Doc put me on Zelnorm for the IBS.
My point is, these two drugs both have side effects of either bowel pain and or gas. Why in the hell do Doctors prescribe meds that make your problems worse? The Zoloft caused the IBS and the Zelnorm made it worse. I quit both "cold" on the same day. Two days after I quit I started having the dizzy spaced out feelings. (Not a good feeling when you drive a truck for a living.)
Aside from the continued dizziness and electric pulses in my hands, I feel way better. No more gas or bowel pains. I no longer feel like I swallowed the Goodyear Blimp.
It really was a bad idea to quit without tapering off though. It has been 2 weeks since my last 100 mg Zoloft. I hope these symptoms go away soon cause I am going nuts. Every time I take a simple breath I feel dizzy. My doc told me it could take 4 weeks for the effects to wear off.
Well, at least I can sleep better now and no more abdominal pain. Now I just have to learn some good coping skills to deal with my "anger" issues.
Maybe a trip to the islands. 
My point is, these two drugs both have side effects of either bowel pain and or gas. Why in the hell do Doctors prescribe meds that make your problems worse? The Zoloft caused the IBS and the Zelnorm made it worse. I quit both "cold" on the same day. Two days after I quit I started having the dizzy spaced out feelings. (Not a good feeling when you drive a truck for a living.)
Aside from the continued dizziness and electric pulses in my hands, I feel way better. No more gas or bowel pains. I no longer feel like I swallowed the Goodyear Blimp.
It really was a bad idea to quit without tapering off though. It has been 2 weeks since my last 100 mg Zoloft. I hope these symptoms go away soon cause I am going nuts. Every time I take a simple breath I feel dizzy. My doc told me it could take 4 weeks for the effects to wear off.
Well, at least I can sleep better now and no more abdominal pain. Now I just have to learn some good coping skills to deal with my "anger" issues.
Maybe a trip to the islands.
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Guest
I recently tried to stop taking zoloft for a few days and I was a raging B.... from hell. I felt this horrible anger and agitation for the smallest reasons and became very aggressive, almost looking to pick a fight w/ anyone and that is not at all how I usually am. I will never get off and I am fine w/that.
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Guest
I was put on Zoloft 6 months ago for depression and severe anxiety attacks. I'm only 16 and I don't want to have to drugged into feeling better when my body is already going through so many insane changes. I stopped taking it 6 days ago and the withdrawal symptoms have been pure hell. I'm dizzy all the time, my stomach is always cramping, I can't hold on to one thought for more than a few seconds, and I have trouble focusing on nearly everything. Recently, I've started crying for hours at a time for no apparent reason. I can't walk for more than five minutes at a time, otherwise I feel like I'm about to faint. Everyone keeps telling me I should start taking it again, but if the withdrawals are this bad after just 6 months, how bad are they going to be after a year? I absolutely refuse to allow myself to become dependant upon this, but I can't stand to feel this way any longer.
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Guest
Hey everyone. I recently stopped taking zoloft for sevre depression and i noticed it made me a lot worse than before. I got really bad headaches and felt dizzy/tired all the time. I was reading some of the other posts, and they described a lot of the same symptoms as I have been experiencing. I'm 16 and I have been on this drug for almost a year now and I find I can't think or focus on anything, and I've been a lot more irritable than I normally am. I was just wondering if anyone knows why this happens?
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Newbie
Well, I see that I am not alone.
I decided to stop Zoloft about 5 days ago. Just like a previous poster said the lack of libido and general "just don't give a sh*%" attitude was too much. I have been on 100mg for about 2 years. All I can say is WOW, the side effects are tremendous:
Vivid nightmares from Hell
Electrical waves pulsing through my brain
Inability to concentration for even short periods of time
Periods of rage
Teeth chattering
Constant ringing in the ears
I realize now I should have tapered off instead of going cold turkey, however I fear having to go through these withdraw symptoms again, even if they are mitigated. So for now, I will soldier on. Hopefully I will not be a casualty of the battle attempting to win the war.
I did read here http://depression.about.com/cs/toppicks/tp/withdrawal.htm that Benadryl may help alleviate the side effects. I am headed out now to find some and will post my results.
I decided to stop Zoloft about 5 days ago. Just like a previous poster said the lack of libido and general "just don't give a sh*%" attitude was too much. I have been on 100mg for about 2 years. All I can say is WOW, the side effects are tremendous:
Vivid nightmares from Hell
Electrical waves pulsing through my brain
Inability to concentration for even short periods of time
Periods of rage
Teeth chattering
Constant ringing in the ears
I realize now I should have tapered off instead of going cold turkey, however I fear having to go through these withdraw symptoms again, even if they are mitigated. So for now, I will soldier on. Hopefully I will not be a casualty of the battle attempting to win the war.
I did read here http://depression.about.com/cs/toppicks/tp/withdrawal.htm that Benadryl may help alleviate the side effects. I am headed out now to find some and will post my results.
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Newbie
Well, I bought some Benadryl and have been taking it for about 6 hours now and I must say that it has reduced many of the side effects. I still have the ringing in the ears and electrical jolts however I can concentrate. I am now functional (albeit not completely) enough to work.
I will see how the night goes...
I will see how the night goes...
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Newbie
Day 6
I took an Ambien before I went to sleep last night. No nightmares or dreams what so ever. Slept like a log.
So here is my method(so far) to keep madness at bay during my Zoloft cold turkey withdraw.
Benadryl two times daily.
Water and lots of it (I added this today, read from a post somewhere)
One Ambien before bed.
I will update if things change.
I took an Ambien before I went to sleep last night. No nightmares or dreams what so ever. Slept like a log.
So here is my method(so far) to keep madness at bay during my Zoloft cold turkey withdraw.
Benadryl two times daily.
Water and lots of it (I added this today, read from a post somewhere)
One Ambien before bed.
I will update if things change.
Did you find this post useful?
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Newbie
I'm starting with this,THANK YOU! I thought I was alone in this "crazy zoloft withdrawl battle". Now to make everyone else feel better, I DID ween off from 100mg (under a doctors care) and I feel the same horrible symptoms! The worst is the brain vibration thing. I am no better today then I was 2 wks ago. Nothing has really helped and it has been almost a month now. I was off completely for about three days and had to go back to 25mg just so I would'nt fall down the stairs. I'm 29 yrs old and I feel like I'm back at 16 again. The crying spells are horrible. Benadryl would knock me out cold, and I'm already so tired. Please any suggestions!!
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