Tips and advice needed for coming off sertraline please

Hi there Yorkshire   absolutely fantasitc that you are now in such a positive place and hope you continue to go from strength to strength  I am not yet where you are but reading your post gives me hope in knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel It sounds like your doctor has got it about right   A few years ago I was on Seroxat and was weaned off very slowly reducing down by every other day at first then after a couple of weeks going down the mgs and so on. Don't rush it you have come so far and try to take life one day at a time.  I wish you lots of love and luck  keep posting and let us all know how you get on

Hi there, whatever you do, don't do cold turkey. Apparently there is a formula to come off them - something reducing them 20% every two weeks is the ideal but also hard to do as the lowest doseage is 25mg (half a tablet) so once you are at that stage I think they tell you to start every other say etc. your doctor is best placed to advise but having tried different ways of reducing the doseage I found I had less side effects with 25mg a day rather than 50mg every other day. 

I think also be aware that if you do begin to feel down/anxious etc again that this could be the tablet withdrawal and not that you are relapsing.  Again regular reviews and any concerns should be discussed with your doctor.  My side effects haven't been too bad apart from the electric shocks feeling in the head and this is thing I can't seem to get past at the moment - quite literally doing my head in lol 😊x

Hi Yorkshire, slow is the best when coming off, I took 100mg. for 14 yrs., I took 50mg. for 2 wks. and then 25mg. for 2 wks. and then I cut a sliver off for 2 wks. That was to fast for me, my Doctor would of had me off after the 25mg. but after finding this site I decided to go even slower. I would advise to go even slower, everybody is different so you may react differently then someone else. Good luck and I'm sure you'll do fine. Just remember if you need to talk someone is always here.

Hi Yorkshire,

I have been on sertealine 50mg for 2 years now but have been on antidepressants for 5 in total for anxiety and mild depression. I had such an awful time starting on these meds that it has taken me this long find the courage to attempt to come off them. I really want this as I suffer a lot of fatigue from the meds. My GP advised me to take one pill every other day for two weeks.....then that's it!!! I was pretty shocked by this short weaning off period and have decided to then take 25mg for another 2 weeks. I cannot help but think there is some logic/ evidence for this short period as surely my GP is informed of the best way to help his patients...or not! Anyway I am now on day 6 of taking one every other day and have no major changes as yet. However yesterday and today I am quite tired and a little spacy but nothing new there and it might also be the fact that I know I think everyones experiences are different but i will keep you posted of my progress or my destruction as the case may be as it helps me also to write it down.

Best of luck,

Alan

PS: am considering taking the natural supplement 5HTP if needs be after I have weaned off the sertraline. Does anyone have experience with this?

Muchos gracias,

Alan

Thank you so much everyone for replying!

I'm gonna go even slower then what the doctor said then; I think I prefer the idea of 25mg a day  rather then every other day. I'll work out a plan so I know what I'm doing!

I just want as little side effects as possible as I need to be able to be a mum and go to work!

Surely nothing can be as bad as the side effects from when I went on them in the first place tho!

Alan - I tried 5htp before going on these, the health shop sold me 100mg, think you should start on 50 - anyway, I didn't like how they made me feel, quite spaced out - but then I was in the middle of a break down so I don't know. I gave them to my depressed friend who took them for a week and said they made no difference and that her pharmacist friend said not to bother. 

Thanks again everyone. I will keep updating you and would love to hear how you're getting on too xx

Hi Yorkshire,

Thank you for the advice on 5 HTP. There are mixed reviews on the internet, but I am just looking for some NATURAL alternatives, should I need them. The only problem I have ( Just me ) with coming off too slowly is that when I was on a too low a dose of other meds the effect was similar to bad side effects. I want to get them out of my system ASAP would have no problem with reducing by a crumb a week if it helped reduce possible bad withdrawals. I will continue with the 50mg every other day for two weeks then 25mg every other day for another two then stop.However if my courage fails me I will then do 12.5g, for 2, then 6.25, then 3.....you get the drift

Take care Yorkshire,

Alan

I meant Doctor... but then again that didn't sound bad! Lol

The only natural substitute I have used is calms because I forgot to take my meds away with me on holiday. They got me through but did give me stomach cramps - although this could also have been withdrawal from the sertraline in hindsight. St. John's wart was recommended to me by the chemist to try but I just stuck with the calms. I'm now into my second week with out anything apart from 25mg sertraline two days ago because of the head tremors. In terms of depression I feel fine and have no doubt I am ready to come off them completely. I am suffering a bit with mood swings but think this is part of the cold turkey. ( I had begun to reduce my doseage in the months leading to the holiday and it seemed forgetting to take my meds away with me just encouraged me to stop them completely - this is my choice because of having seven days initially without them I feel it would be pointless to start taking more for the sake of it) hope that makes sense? Anyway the electric head has eased slightly and I have no funny tummy now but am wondering if these will return seven days after my last 25mg. Will keep you posted too just out of interest. X