Zoloft Withdrawal

wenham62 wrote:

Hels wrote:

hi, wenham. Interesting to hear your experience with the wd. I'm 7 months out now and up until recently have been experiencing the wd every day. Had aches, pains, pinches, tingling, crawling everywhere and bad anxiety, panic attacks. I've actually had 2 weeks onf minimal symptoms so am hoping that i'm getting better. Completely understand your reasons for going back on it. I have to say these past 7 months have been the worst in my life. Doctors didn't believe me when i told them i was experiencing prolonged withdrawal so i've basically been alone with it. Anyway as i say i hope this spell of relief might be a sign that my brain is healing. What i've also learnt is reinstatement as you've done isn;t always a guaranteed method to stop the wd symptoms. If you decide to taper i've done a lot of reading online and i think the best way for us who are sensitive to withdrawing like us is to taper no more than 10% of your current dose every few weeks so your next dose should be 22.5 mg. This should minimise any withdrawal symptoms. When i was struggling i asked my GP if they prescribed sertraline in liquid as it's easier to reduce in liquid form but apparently they don;t have it in the uk. Good luck. I truly truly understand what you're going through and i send you my heartfelt sympathy.

Hi Hels, it's such fun, isn't it!!! I really hope for your sake that you've beaten it. The 'liquid' version would be a good thing, if there was such a creature. So did you actually reduce yours at the rate of 10%? If so, HOW? Would be near impossible to measure this, I would have thought.
Good luck, keep happy!

Thanks Wenham, i really hope it's ending for me. It has been horrendous. No i didn't taper that way. I reduced my dose too quickly i cut down from 50 - 25mg from dec- march experienced wd but eventually stabilised Them reduced from 25mg- 0mg in 3 weeks. Way too fast. Did not do reading before tapering otherwise would have tried the 10% method every 3-4 weeks. I think people invest in digital scales to make the small cuts if they can't get hold of the liquid. Or... another solution might be to switch to prozac and taper off this as 1) it's got a longer half life so gradually leaves your body and 2) you can get liquid prozac so can reduce slowly. When i was coming off the sert i got a pill cutter for about £3 from amazon and split the pill into 8 and that was about as small as i could go - so each piece was around 6mg. What i should have done was leave a few weeks before each drop rather than rushing it. Don't give up trying to get off this c**p - you will find a way to do it. Are you able to take anything for your muscular pain? I had/have this too. It was/is horrible. I also had pain in my joints. Unfortunately i wasn't able to take pain killers as i developed hypersensitivity to pain killers and had a panic attack every time i tool one (i'm not sure whether it's my brain panicking that i've taken a sertraline again!) good luck - Hels

But does anyone know how long the detox takes when going cold turkey off Zoloft???  I'm on day 4 and its aweful!  I just want to know how long I can expect this to last??

No, no, and no. I still had anxiety so then I was told to take xanax in combination- basically, the meds are just making legal junkies because you cannot just stop taking either med without complictions and to me thats a dependency and that would qualify as being strung out. Its horrible!

Hey, I'm so sorry to hear this! I'm going through the same thing. On the zoloft I developed depression, suicidal thoughts, and depersonalization disorder, it was awful! Then I quit after two months cold turkey(50mg) side affects are hell! Feel like I'm cut off from reality, sick, weak, dizzy!! Out of it, exhausted and tired but can't sleep! Brain zaps migraines! My doctor wouldn't really cooperate either so im just trying to do it on my own. Maybe go to the ER? Different clinic, doctor? Find a friend or family member that's a nurse or doctor. Try ibuprofen, fish oil for zaps. Magnesium pills. I know it's awful! I start college the 21st(7 classes) very worried! Only 17 years old. Anyways, I can relate and I'm just holding on to the fact that one day, whether it's tomorrow, next week, next month, next year even.. I will get better! You will get better! Maybe see a therapist to help you through it?

there is an online program called "The Road Back" which give suggestions. I had been on Zoloft for over 2 years, before that Paxil, Prozac, combinations of zoloft and wellbutrin,, managed to get off the zoloft while on the wellbutrin, but had a major depression set after someone close moved cross country. In the last few months, I went from 100mg to 75mg for a few weeks, to the 50mg for several weeks and then started to split them to 25mg daily. A few weeks ago I started to take the 25mg every other day until a week ago today when I thought I could completely stop. The last few days I have had the sick feeling, headache, and depression back big time, crying all the time for no reason. Earlier today I went on the Road Back site and they recommend that if the withdrawals get too bad, go back to the last dose taken and start a taper off again, so that is what I am doing. I will take the 25mg daily for a week, then cut that back to half. They say not to skip days, but to keep cutting back while tapering off. I hope to be free of this poison as it has done terrible things to me. My therapist would only increase or add to it if I had any bad problems from the drug. They say it helps with OCD, wrong, it just give one a not give a damn attitude, but when something is on your mind you seem to obcess over it. In my case it would be shopping, I would get it in my mind that I needed something and like a junke would have to go buy it. I have gotten into trouble with finances and now have to deal with that. Thats just one of the things this poison has done, along with the 20 pound of weight gain over a period of 7 years, and that is fighting to keep it off. I could go on and on, but like the others, I want off this drug forever, and wish all the other posters good luck in the quest to get off these drugs. The Road Back has a book and suggestions on what supplements to take also.

been on zoloft 15 years! having withdrawal just as long as you. Hardest thing ive ever done!

Been having panic attacks almost everyday.....anxiety......feel like im completely losing my mind. Severe depression and agoraphobia........not fun! It has given me BOILS that have scarred my skin. Zoloft is poison!

I don't know when you posted this, but my experience is this: Zoloft helped me get through some rough periods in my life involving loss of loved ones. I was able to stop taking it the first couple of times, but this time am having a tougher time. It helps you control emotion, and so when I stopped (after slowly taking a month or more to cut down the dosage), I got very emotional, and am still having problems with this a month later. The highest dose I ever took was 100, so I cannot imagine trying to detox from a higher dosage. Zoloft does nothing to make you have a better life, or make you happier. It helps you control your natural emotions while going through rough periods. You are in control of whether or not you have a happy life, and no medication is going to do it for you. I would try counseling before taking any antidepressant...I did that successfully for three years. Sometimes, however, you have a chemical imbalance that antidepressants help. There are always ways to deal with things without meds - diet and exercise being the best. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN...

Breaking away from Zoloft!! My has it been one hard thing to do but the body needs to rid of the toxins. I've been scratching myself consistently , emotional, hyterical with my partner at times, bones ache , restlessness at night, Crying , and wanting to sleep all the time. I've started taking vitamins to help ease the pain . I've been taking St. Johns wort for depression, magnesium B-6 , L-Tyrosine ( helps with stress.) I'm also having many greens ( vegan diet ) and starting to ride my bicycle again. Good luck everyone and take your time when withdrawling.. no need to rush. You deserve to be off :)

Hi Hels

Very please to be able to say that I've been completely off Zoloft for 10 months & loving life again. Left my husband of 26 1/2 years and have recently found somebody really special who keeps me happy. Regret having been on Zoloft for 10 years but am pretty sure it has totally passed right through my body and am totally free of it for life, hopefully. Life's great :) :)

I've been slowly tapering off sertaline since Sept 15. I was on150 mg! I'm now down to 25 mg every three days. I can so identify with freenyc. I'm also a miserable agitated witch! I'm emotional over nothing, itching consistently, stomach cramps, nausea. It's now been 3 months of tapering. When do these feeling end?

Hi Mau, I think we're all different and maybe you actually do need a bit of a dose, after all it can be a chemical imbalance within your body... good luck!!!

Hi I thought my story and where I am might help. I have been in Sertraline for 20 years . Yes 20 years. Doses of between 50 or 100mg a day. I decided it was time to come off. I tapered for about 2 months until one 50mg tablet every 5 days. ( noting half life) at the end. I Stopped fully around 3 weeks ago. Only withdrawal / discontinuing effect is ear popping. Nothing else . The ear popping is reducing in regularity and to be honest it's just an irritation.

I have no doubt the irritation will go. I have to travel the world for my job and have to visit some quite dangerous places but with Beirut next I am pleased to say having no panic / fears in the slightest. Thought these type of fears returning when stopping would be top of the list,
.

That's awesome,so glad you've done it, well done (especially after 20 years)

I'm going to do the exact same thing! Zoloft is the devil, it takes forever to withdraw from and the doctors keep trying to put me back on. I had a doctor say the Zoloft only stays in your system for two weeks so my issues are not withdrawal related. Total c**p! This is my fourth attempt to withdraw from Zoloft!!!