Experience with Zoloft withdrawal

Sadly, yes - your boyfriend can and will make rash decisions. I screamed at my girlfriend because she didn' t stop the dog from hitting a door repeatedly when I was trying to sleep. I don't mean "honey please watch the dog a little better." You would have thought she just kicked my mother in the face for how angry I was, I felt bad afterward, but it's very hard to explain.



Her vice is chocolate, I try to have her go not a day or a week with no chocolate, go a month, a year, a lifetime, EVERY time you so desperately want that chocolate or ice cream, you can't... She can't handle it.



I'm not making light of your situation, i am telling you that this drug and many others can cause you to just go off the deep end and not care who you affect. He is probably still the loving, caring person you knew, his brain just isn't functioning the way it should. It's 50 % his fault and 50% the drugs fault.

it all depends on how your system reacts, it would appear that many have said the symptoms exist for long after they stop taking the meds, which sucks! Hang in there, take special time out for yourself and keep it up.



Pharmacists, DR's they all think that once the drug has been "cleansed from your system" that things will just get better.



Keep in mind - you STARTED taking this drug because things were not better, so when you go off, there is no guarantee it will go back t being ok - just watch yourself and let others know you are doing it.

I have read your posts, and they are helpful. I have been on Zoloft for 10+ years now, and it has greatly improved my life. I am now at a point in my life where I would like to live drug free. I tried weening myself off the drug ( I was on 200mg/day) but have the dizziness/vertigo, etc... for at least two weeks now. It is interfering with my life and job, so I am going back on at 50mg to see if it will lessen or remove the withdrawl.
I no longer have a psychiatrist (My M.D. makes the prescription) so I don't have a formula for getting off the drug.
Is there anyone out there who can give me a schedule for removal?
I tried 100mg for 2 weeks, 50mg for 2 weeks and then 0.
Help!

why the f**k would you do that you id**t? that is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. I hope you did get withdrawal symptoms.

I am on 25 mg Zoloft for depression. I have been taking it for only 6 days. Now that I'm reading about all those nasty withdrawal symptoms, I'm considering discontinuing the meds. Do you think I should anticipate the nastys, or am I safe because of low dose and short duration?

Due to a sequence of events, I've ran out of zoloft a couple weeks ago. I moved to Texas, and my work has been very negligent in getting my insurance updated for another state (I work online). Now I'm waiting on the "agent" to come back from a long holidays vacation to do the update.

Meanwhile, my zoloft prescription ran out. The pharmacist said I could call my psychiatrist and have her fax another pres. Turns out she's on vacation for over a month too, overseas. Won't be back for a couple more weeks.

So I ordered zoloft "online" from India. That was two weeks ago. Still not here.

I'm having severe problems - the first one that hit was severe fatigue, combined with nausea and a strange feeling in my gut, like theres soda water bubbling around in it. That feeling is constant. The fatigue comes and goes. But when it comes, it flattens me. Sometimes I can't even make it to the bed. I just lay down on the ground for an hour, and I just feel really really awful. Usually there is no sleep during these episodes. I just lay there and feel really really bad and uneasy. My work has suffered, and I know my employer is wondering whats happened to me. I used to be very dependable on making deadlines, and now I've really slipped badly on a deadline.

Now the brain zaps have joined the party. At first they were just odd sensations once in a while. Now the brain zaps are powerful, and are hitting me about every minute. My emotions have become unstable also. I'm afraid of going out and driving anywhere. I had to go to the store today to get some food, and I was very happy I made it back home without any incident. At one point a big brain zap sent me over to hitting the dots on the line to my left. I live alone so I *have* to drive occasionally.

I need to go back on zoloft, I went on it because of suicidal thoughts. And now those old thoughts are coming back to roost. I'm sure I can fend them off, but I'll sure be happy when I see those pills in my mailbox.

Oh and I forgot to mention - I found a temporary solution for the fatigue - if I take a big dose of sea salt (the kind you buy in the store) it relieves the fatigue for a while. Not sure why. I guess the sea salt has some mineral in it that provides my body with something the zoloft had been providing. Does nothing for the brain zaps though. And my salt intake has really gone up lately 8-|

i went on generic zoloft (sertraline hcl) about a year and a half ago for OCD / GAD. started at 75 > then bumped up to 100 > then stablized at 150mg. im lucky to be blessed as one of the few with almost no side effects at all. i think the worst i got was one case of diarrhea on the first week... im in my early 20s now, college student, hoping to graduate this spring.

matter of fact, i think my sex drive even improved with zoloft.... or actually it could be taken as a negative, i just dont know who would heheh. i had prolonged erections! not 3, 4 hour ones, that would be painful! but just long enough to render my gf's hips sore, and then she would complain, "i know i wont be able to walk tomorrow" hehehhe...

sorry if its too much detail for some of u guys :-P
actually i think the appropriate term is "delayed ejaculation"
which is written on the label.
... finally, a side effect thats a PLUS!..

OK I'M DONE WITH THAT.


anyway.... i somehow ended up stopping the meds during this last week, partly due to the new year's celebrations, etc... i forgot to take it a couple times, bec i was too busy partying i guess.. then i just decided to give it up completely. so i did an unplanned cold turkey.

its been a week now since i stopped.. n im glad i stumbled on this thread. i learned a lot of very important stuff!

THE ONLY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOM I'VE BEEN HAVING IS NAUSEA/LIGHTHEADEDNESS, AND ITS QUITE MINOR.
IVE BEEN BLESSED AGAIN = )

but ive decided that im gonna get back on zoloft, just to avoid any future, more serious symptoms. so i plan to return with a 25mg dosage for a few days, then bump up to 50mg.... and s..l...o...w...l....y taper off from 50mg.

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SHARING! = )


0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

HERE'S MY TWO CENTS:

-drink lots of water (for ur brain/ lightheadedness)

-like a previous poster said: DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY!

-good way to distract your body from those annoying symptoms!

-sing!
-play a guitar... or any instrument
-watch a movie
-watch comedies! (i highly recommend nbc's office!!!)
-as the saying goes, "LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE!"

-SPEND TIME WITH FAMLY/FRIENDS, dont be ALONE!

-eat well. food makes u feel better, at least for me!

-little exercise, walking in the park, fly a kite, etc!

-play with dogs!

-play video games!... i know this one gets a lot criticism from the ladies heheh

*** FOR THE NAUSEA, HERE'S WHAT I DO: ***
-try closing your eyes during position changes (standing, sitting, turning head)

-massage your eyes with ur fingers (circular motion, all parts, esp the top whites). i find that this "rehydrates" or "relubricates" your eyeballs, resulting in less nauseous feeling.

-dab some cold water on ur forehead, or a cold towel. and massage

-fluids!

-------------

-------------
OH YEA >> FOR THE PERSON WHO SAYS THEY BEEN TAKING 25MG FOR ONLY A WEEK >>>

BE PATIENT! GIVE THE DRUG TIME TO DO ITS EFFECT!

IT MAY TAKE A FEW WEEKS (EVEN A MONTH OR TWO!) BEFORE YOU START EXPERIENCING ITS FULL EFFECT!



====================================

WELL, THAT'S MY TWO CENTS.

GOOD LUCK TO US ALL! AND GOD BLESS
:-D :-) :O XD :-P

Well I finally got my resupply of zoloft in the mail.

But I've decided to go off it.
After 3 weeks of misery with zoloft withdrawal, it seems the symptoms are starting to fade. And, so, I don't ever want to go through this withdrawal again.

Too bad I spent $100 on a bunch of zoloft. I could use the money for like... food or something. Due to screwing up my checkbook balance last month, I ended up bouncing a check, and now I'm flat broke until the 15th.

And why did I screw up my finances? Cause when it came time to do my books and figure out what checks I could write and what I could spend on food, I was so fatigued out by the zoloft withdrawal that I just could not concentrate, and I just gave up and decided "i probably got about $200 I can spend on food and stuff".

Turns out I only had about $80 I could have spent. So, a check bounced, and my credit is dinged. And I'll be running out of food in about 2 days - leaving me about 5 days with no food. I'll probably have to go to one of the public food kitchens in town. Thanks zoloft!

I've read that alot of people have found it impossible to get off of zoloft. I know I will stay off it. In the past I decided one day to quit smoking. I quit, and never smoked again. Withdrawal was rough, but I did it. In my 30s I got into meth abuse. One day I decided to quit. I did it. Withdrawal was murderous, but I did it. So, I know I can, and will, stop zoloft too.

I'll post back in a couple weeks or so and let who ever is reading this forum know how the withdrawal symptoms are. I heard they *typically* last 2 weeks, but can be longer. I'll find out. Its been about 3 weeks for me.

i went throe the same thing i stopped & it got worse & worse so after 2mnths i went ak on & it took almost a whole year to feel a hundred% again i would suggest u get stay on for now uz it just gets worse

I am freaking out about reading these posts about getting off of zoloft. I have been on 50mg the past 2 years and want to be completely drug free. In the past, I have been a crystal meth addict and just woke up one day and decided to stop cold turkey. I do not see how getting off Zoloft could be any worse than stopping meth.

i agree with all the negative responses about zoloft. i have been withdrawing for 4 days now, after taking it for 3 years. i throw up all day long. cant see straight, hallucinate and am so dizzy i cant even walk. like someone else mentioned....why is this c**p legal. i quit smoking on my own 8 years ago and never went back. no side effects. if marijuana worked for me i would smoke it. but its ILLEGAL so i cant even try????? and do people have this type of withdrawal when stopping weed and is it as bad for you as this pill? i was on the lowest dose possible so no telling me that its because i am weaning off a high dose. this is frustrating and i also feel like suing the company. grrrrr.

I really needed the zoloft 5 years ago- I needed a quick fix from postpartum depression for my safety and the safety of my child. I wasn't in a place to find a better option. So here I am 5 years later and I am determined to get through this horrible withdrawal stuff. I'm mad that they won't tell people this stuff is addictive and has serious withdrawal symptoms. Anyway I would love some company on my blog I set up to get through all this. I'm writing about my experience and day to day stuff. we can help each other get through it.
Oh, and if you are reading this thread to decide whether to take it or not- just do the hard way and go to therapy. Zoloft is a quick fix, won't solve your problems, it just covers them up for a while.

**edited by moderator**

I was taking 50mg of zoloft for about 5 weeks, then I started having ringing in my ears and also a feeling of needles jabbing me.

My doc doubted it was from the Zoloft, but told me to stop taking it. His instructions were to take 1/2 a pill for a week then stop altogether.

Since then I have occasional ringing in my ears, and also feel a slight nervous shaking in my body, usually at the same time. This seems to come and go.

Could this be from the discontinuing of the Zoloft?

I have an appmt with the doc next week.

Thanks for any thoughts :-)

I have never done anything like this before but I am so thankful I came across this website. I have never taken an anti-depressant or many other medications in my life for that matter, but after losing my 53 year old mother to Ovarian Cancer a year ago, my OBGYN suggested that zoloft would be a good thing for me to try. I was taking 50mg a day, for about 4 months. I didn't feel that it was doing much for me, and my husband recently started a new job so we don't have health insurance for a couple months, so I decided to stop taking it, it's been a week now. I have felt terrible ever since, I had no idea what it was and have never experienced anything like this before. I keep reading about these "brain zaps" everyone is mentioning and this explains what I'm going through to a T. In fact I cried because I was so happy to know what was causing it, I had been wracking my brain trying to figure it out and worrying that I had some sort of brain tumor or something. I've also been feeling tired, achy, sweaty and cold, I have shivers and goosebumps constantly. I thought I might be coming down with something but now I'm realizing it must be withdrawals. I have 3 small children who I am home with full time and I worry about carrying my baby up our stairs since I'm having these "brain zaps" constantly. I just want to know when I can expect this to go away, and if I should call my doctor or not. We don't have health insurance right now so I really can't go in and be seen by her. This sucks! I wish I would have never, ever started taking zoloft in the first place. Being a busy Mom I don't have time to feel like this! I am so thankful to everyone for writing, I can relate so much, it feels good to have others in the same boat.