Zoloft Withdrawal Experiences - Part 2

I went cold turkey months ago.... It was rough at first like you said but about 3 months into it I evened out. Just tell people around you to be patient w you and remember it sucks, but it will go away

I've been on Zoloft for just over three years. Recently, I moved across country and I've been so busy that I've forgot to make an appointment with a new doctor to keep up with my prescriptions so needless to say I ran out of pills two weeks ago.. After I've stopped taking it my teeth feel almost numb (I know that sounds weird, I ont really know how to describe it..) and I feel the need to shake out my arms a lot (Again, really strange).. It's kind of like I have restless leg syndrome, except in my whole body.. I feel weird when I'm standing or sitting up, but I feel a little better when I'm laying down.. Did this happen to anyone else or is it just me?

Zoloft is the worst for electrical shock sensations.  Anyone who prescribes it should be zapped with a taser to show them how it feels.

 

It could be a side effect from quitting cold turkey because you do get shakey and numbness in arms and legs, but honestly, it seems to me like you might be experiencing some anxiety and understandable so. Moving and change are stressful, and if it was because of a job, you've got that stress piled on, too. Couple that with not taking the Zoloft which helps keep anxiety in check and it would explain that restless leg syndrome of your body. That's how I feel when I have anxiety attacks . . . especially when I've tried to go off my medicine. Inevitably, I end up back on. I'd make a doctor's appointment to alleviate your mind and to get a refill on your medicine. Moving really can be more stressful than you realize. I hope you feel better and hope my two cents helped. Keep us posted on your outcome.

Hey, same problem here I had a panic attack with hyperventilationband the doctor gave me Zoloft. I took 2 pills of Zoloft in 2 days. 25mg and got really dizzy, but when i stopped taking them the dizzyness continued. It is now a month ago i took those 2 pills and i still feel verry dizzy. Does anyone know this could be caused by the Zoloft? Did i flip a switch in my brain so this wil never go away? Or do these effects eventually go away?

I started taking Zoloft for severe depression and panic attacks (anxiety disorder) After being on the SSRI for over half a year I have mixed emotions about them. I was on Zymbalta for about a month or so and i took away all of my libido, i gained over 10 pounds and felt like sh*t. So my doctor prescribed me Zoloft. It was 25mg per day for a first week and after that 50mg per day. During this time a took a longer trip abroad and since i was suffering with panic attacks the doctor upped my dose to 100mg for the time of the travel. She then reduced it back to 50mg. I was feeling OK for the last two months on the pills so my doctor decided it was time to take me off.

I have been off for exactly a week and have had the following symptoms:

Brain zaps

Vertigo

Cold hands

Dizzyy minded

Agitated for no reason

Bursts of agression

 

Hopefully (especially after reading this thread) the symptoms will mellow over time. Will report back in a month or so.

 

So to summarize my experience with Zoloft it was a classical Hamlet (to be or not to be). I am grateful to the drug for helping me with my anxiety and also resent it for hawing withdrawal experience.

My advice is to keep strong and don't just stop taking the pills because of what you read in this thread. You should stop taking them once it helped you with your original issue. This is of course merely my opinion.

 

Regards,

M

 

I am so grateful to have read this post, its good to know that i am not the only person having these awful withdrawal symptoms.

I am 30 years old and was taking sertraline (zoloft) for about 10 years for clinincal depression. I decided 7 years ago to come off it and ended up attempting suicide within a few weeks of coming off it so was advised to go back on it as it was obviously helping the depression. My dose was steadily increased from 100mg to 200mg over that 7 years. A few months ago i noticed that i was having withdrawal symptoms (electric shock, crying for no reason) with just one missed dose so my dr suggested that i start taking a different antidepressant as he thought it was no longer as effective.

I was advised to reduce the dose to 100mg for a week and then stop completely. I am now in week 3 of no zoloft at all and the withdrawal has been awful! For the first week i got the most awful electric shock type sensations pretty much all the time and cried everyday, I have been getting hot and cold and having dizzy spells these are now subsiding but I a feel really agitated all the time and have become so aggressive. The aggression is my biggest problem at the moment- I flip at the tiniest thing and have never felt so angry in my life even though there is nothing to be angry at.

My doctor has said that any side effects should subside within a month but he also said that most of the side effects im experiencing are most likely not from withdrawal at all-i might suggest he reads this post and the many others similar to it with people experiencing the same symptoms! 

Does anyone know how long it actually takes for the withdrawal symptoms to subside?

 

 

Hello All:

 

I just quit taking sertraline about 4 weeks ago.  I'm still going through brain zaps, nausea, sudden burst of aggravation, aggressiveness, and pretty much what everyone has posted about.

Unfortunately, I was one of those people who though I can do it cold turkey and be strong about, but this withdrawl symptoms became stronger and stronger.

I urge anyone out there whose reading this that quitting cold turkey was not the smartest move. 

I was prescribed 1G of sertraline every night for near 8 years due to issues at work.

Thought I would share my experience. I have been on Zoloft since 2011. Was diagnosed with GAD years ago and was controlling it well with lorazapam up until then. My Dr and I decided it was time to come off so I tapered for 3 months. She never said anything about withdrawals. The only things I felt while tapering was a little more anxiety then normal. I have been off the pills totally for 2 weeks and it has been pretty bad! Hot, cold, spins, body aches, head aches, un controllable crying, so depressed. If I was not so scared to die I felt I would have tried to end it. This all in 2 short weeks! The only thing that would relieve the symptoms was taking a tylenol 3 every time the spins and body aches came back.

Years before I was over medicated on Effexor by a different dr. Who was crazier then me. Stopped cold turkey when i stopped seeing her. Those withdrawals were 10x worse! I am not sure I want to ever be on anything again. I will defiantly explore other options while I am feeling well.

I have been on Zoloft for years. What I don't understand is these doctors put us on this drugs then when we run out  they won't fill them because they say we have to come in...We have to sit and suffer the effects of not taking them...They get us addicted to these and other meds but won't fill them when we need them and treat us like drug addicts when we get upset because they won't fill them..I have to almost beg to get enough meds until my appointment...SAD but TRUE

We should keep this topic open. Until seeing the forum i thought I had the flu,then maybe it is just menopause, but the crazy dreams and ringing ears have gone on and on. I want to contribute what I have found so others can benefit from my experience. 

zolzoft 200mg fir 1 yr, I tapered off over a three month period of time. Once I got to 25 mg for a couple weeks I stopped. Then the fun(haha,not) began. I have tried benadryl at last resort for feeling wierd,but the best thing to do is drink a LOT of water. Take Omega 3 fish oil capsules as directed on bottle,use a b complex vitamin supplement and b12 chewables for fatigue. I am hoping soon this ringing in my ears will stop. The most troublesome problem now is that whenever I am moved emotionally,like even just liking a favorite song, i will start to stream tears. My take on this is:guess what I can feel again!!!! I m not used to that sincd i was on the med for a year for panic attacks.(it did no help for that,by the way). also I am sleeping a whole lot which is why i am on the computerat 4 am.  hang in ther everyone soon we will be okay.......  i am going to  read a book about positive psychology if i can do so without nodding off... coffee is good too,just do not ovverdo it, moderation,rest and be KIND TO YOU.good luck all. 

HI, No i do not know how long it takes to stop having withdrawal symptoms,but stopping from a dose as high as 100 mg seems kind of early. I tried to stop at 100 mg and felt real bad really fast,so i took 50mg and felt better in minutes. I stopped at 25 mg and have used a few vitamins to help me. i am "ringing24-7. gook luck

try some benadryl or b vitamins for that zap. your doctor should be able to give you a non addictive antihisamine(like benadryl) to help with that. if you are getting zapped while taking it.....tell dr and say it is not for you. peace

Hi ringing24-7.

Did Benadryl help you with "zaps" only, or it could be used as a relief to other Zoloft withdrawal symptoms?

I am currently weaning off Zoloft. When I was taking Zoloft the drug was actually given physical signs of pregnancy. Producing milk. Irregular periods. I am weaning off to see if I infertile . Have poly cystic ovaries or other conditions or it is just symptoms of Zoloft. I experiencing the worst brain shocks. I thought weaning off Effexor was bad . No it's not going off Zoloft is!!! I feel sick . Hot. Brain shocks that not only shock my brain but sensations shocks through my arms to my fingertips or down my legs... I have pressure in my head. Headaches . Body aches. But I find the worst are the brain shocks . They are relentless .