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5 months off Sertiline, still have anger issues

Posted , 6 users are following.

kim86725
kim86725

Hi, I've been off Sertiline for 5 months now, had aweful withdrawl symtoms. Got through those, had to move away from where I had lived my whole life..50 yrs. My husband got transferred for work. I'm having terrible anger issues ( which is not me at all ), I hate where we moved and so doesn't 15 yr. old son. I am not a country girl and that's all there is here are farms. I can't seem to shake the anger. I swore I would NEVER go back on these drugs, but do I need to? I have no one to talk to, I think my husband and my son have had enough and to be honest I have too. I could walk away and not look back. If it wasn't for my son I would have a few months ago. What now?

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • elk
    elk kim86725

    Posted

    Hi, you seem to be going through such a tough time right now. I can totally empathise with what's it like to be uprooted from somewhere you know and have to start again. There is almost a grieving process involved for your life left behind. It would be definitely worth a visit to your Gp and see if they have a 'well-being' service so you can talk through your anger issues with someone. Xx 
    • kim86725
      kim86725 elk

      Posted

      Hi Elk, thank you for your reply. I never looked at it as a grieving process but you are exactly right. To top it off I have a 15 yr. old son that is going through it too. I try to put on a happy face for him but the anger comes thru. He's not the happy loving kid that he used to be and I don't know how to help him. I don't have a Doctor here yet and what's he going to do, put me on drugs? I swore I would never go back on them after what I went through coming off. These Doctors are clueless about the withdrawl. Mine handed me a paper with how to get off in one month, smiled and said " have a nice day".  I went to him for 20 yrs., don't you think he would of asked what was going on in my life? I picked a bad time to come off, just lost my Father in law in Feb. ( got off in March ), I wasn't thinking or I would of waited a little longer. I think that is part of my anger, so much going on and then just leave everyone behind. I do have a number I can call that my insurance gave me, I think I will call. But I don't know if that will help, I hate where I've moved to... out in the middle of nowhere and I am not a country girl and never will be. Thankfully we didn't buy a house yet. Staying in our RV for awhile. Thanks for letting me vent. It's been awhile since I've been on this site. 

              Best wishes to you 

    • elk
      elk kim86725

      Posted

      Hi Kim, you are right about doctors not always understanding withdrawal! Coming off Sertraline was horrific for me - I felt like I was rocking between feeling dizzy and physical symptoms to mad rage and fury and then to deep, disturbing sleep! Definitely not a drug that suited me though obviously everyone has different body chemistry so different things work wonders for different people. 

      While you are waiting to see someone to talk things through with, try and get out and walk / exercise every day if you can. It really helped me to try and rediscover the world around me to be outside just walking. Sometimes drugs take away the sensations like the exhilarating feeling of deep breaths of fresh air and the comfort of the sunshine

      Try not to feel alone, life WILL get better for you and your son. He's also probably experiencing grief and you all need time to adjust. I think sometimes in life we are all way to hard on ourselves and get angry and frustrated. Try and make a plan to do something either with your son or as a family like a trip at the weekend and explore your new surroundings. 

      Xx

    • kim86725
      kim86725 elk

      Posted

      Hi Elk, when I was raging from the withdrawals I walked every day, and that did help. Lately I've been swimming laps but with my son always voicing his displeasure it doesn't help my mood. I finally told him if he wanted me to stop being angery then he had to stop it. It worked for awhile, now he try's to stay away as much as possible. My husband had to leave for 2 wks. for school so I don't have his support now either.
  • margaret50180
    margaret50180 kim86725

    Posted

    Go back and talk to your doctor you obviously need some kind of medication or to see a councillor. 

    You can always find someone to message on this site do not feel alone.

    • kim86725
      kim86725 margaret50180

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply, I was on here a few months ago while getting off the meds. and it helped a lot, more than my Doctor did. 

                Best wishes to you

  • sy_viking
    sy_viking kim86725

    Posted

    Hi Kim, I tried to come off Sertraline a few months ago. It started because I ran out. Then I thought  "do i need this anymore its controlling my life". The cold turkey is indescribable as you well know. My mood swings increased and "The Rage" as we call it in our house came out to play again for the first time in quite a while. That was unacceptable so I gave up went to the GP admitted to her that I'd accepted that i needed the meds to control my irrational, probably dangerous fury at the world and started again on the pills. Did i fail?

    My mum is refusing to back on anti depressants as she "feels like a happy zombie", not sertraline btw, this is a nightmare as she is very like me. It is making life very hard and at 70 I think she should be a happy bloody zombie so she can see my kids, her grand daughters without it being stressfull for all concerned.

    So I decided to stay on sertraline long term and don't really care what anyone thinks of that and even joke about my "happy pills".

    The rage must stay in its box!

    The pills do that.

  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 kim86725

    Posted

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/sertraline-withdrawal-does-it-go-away--175456

    Kim visit this site you will find many of us are far beyond five mnths and still are experiencing sertraline withdrawls. I'm on my 10th month and still have weepiness, nausea, etc. It's a long process.

    I never felt well on the drug, endured hell for 10 months, then tapered down for 3 months. I finally just told my Dr. that's enough! They no nothing about teh symptoms and withdrawls that accompany these drugs. Everyone is different, but in my experience if you can do with out it I would.

    I know where you're coming from with regard to moving. I moved six times in my life. It's never easy, adujsting to a new place. It was easier when the kid's were young, as you meet people through their varius activities. The last move my daughter was 17, son 13. My daughter left all her friends behind, she was devastated. We moved from Ottawa Canada, to the west 3000 miles! The only positive was, we were alwasy transferred to major cities with hubby's job. It was very lonely neverthe less.

    I survived by returning to work after 18 years of being a stay at home Mom. After the inital adjustment and stress of learning the new concepts of my job, i was finally happy. Our daughter went on to Univeristy here, grduated but returned to the east for Journalism, where she resided for 20 years until her hubby lost his job., They are now back west. She's now going through the relolcation adjusmtment once again at age 42. This was my age upon moving here 26 years ago.

    Has your son not met any friends in school? You could maybe meet people through his friends parents. I know the struggle it's not easy, especially in a rural area. How close is your major village/town? Could you move there and your hubby commute to work?

    I used to think of the military people that were moved every two years or so, and how difficult it must've been for those families.

    take care of yourself and explore different avenues that may make you happy.

    Believe me I know it's not EASY. Hugs.

    • kim86725
      kim86725 maureen75524

      Posted

      Thanks Maureen for the advice, we live in the US and the closest city is not a good one. We go there as there are not to many others. Trying to move to a quaint little town with a lot  going on. Lot's of shopping, resteraunts etc.  Better schools for my son. He hates it here, he wants to go home and live with his Grandma which isn't an option and would break my heart. I understand how he feels. I am trying to find something to do, hopefully make some money. I think that would help me. We'll see, Kim
  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 kim86725

    Posted

    Kim could you move to this quaint little town to live? This would probably be the best for all of you, if your hubby could commute to work from there.

    When we moved here our daughter ( behind our backs) had called her friend back in Ottawa, to see if she could live with them, to complete her last year of high school. The friend's mother asked to speak with her Dad. My hubby spoke with the friend's motther, said he'd talk to our daughter and get back to her. He told our daughter you can go back, however you will have to get a job, as this is your home now. She decided to stay as she had met a girl who was also a newcomer in grade 12. Her dad was in the military and moved every TWO years! They had a commonality. We had been in Ottawa 8 years, our daughter was 9 when we moved there, so had established friends, thus this move was traumatic for her. She was always an A student. She only had to take three subjects to complete her Grade 12 and she was failing two. She'd call me crying from school, thankfully I wasn't working so would go and pick her up and take her for lunch. She graduated grade 12, met other friends, continued onto University here. She also worked at Safeway part time while in school. She of course yearned for the East as those were her formative years.

    I know your son and you will eventually adapt, and yes I know it's as difficult as hell. How far are you from the quaint little town?

    Take care and keep posting. Hugs.

    • kim86725
      kim86725 maureen75524

      Posted

      Thanks Maureen, We are about an hr. from the town I'd like to be in. Closer to where my husband works, trouble is that it's very high end. There are places near by that are more affordable. The town is a golfing community. We are close to army bases but we are not military. We have moved 8 hrs. from our home town. I know I need to find something to do, I cry a lot and I'm not a crier. It can't be the withdrawl anymore, I know it has been long enough that I should be coping without them. I'm so angery at my husband and I can't seem to shake it. I feel trapped and that's not good. I feel he was selfish for not thinking of us and what we wanted. I understand he wanted to move somewhere warmer, he broke both his legs 2 yrs. ago with surgery on both. He says he doesn't think about them since we moved here. But he left his Mother 3 months after his Dad died. She was heart broken but seems to be doing ok.  Have you been through withdrawals? If so, how long before you felt better?

                    Thank you for the support, Kim

    • kim86725
      kim86725 maureen75524

      Posted

      Thanks Maureen, I sent a post but I don't see it here. Did you get it?

              I appreciate the support, Kim

  • maureen75524
    maureen75524 kim86725

    Posted

    No kim I didn't receive your post.
    • kim86725
      kim86725 maureen75524

      Posted

      Hi Maureen, The post I sent showed up this morning but not last night. So you did get my last one.  My Son has made some friends but we won't be staying in this school district, and really I don't want to. It's been hard the last couple if weeks because my husband had to go out of town to school. Then he is flying from the school back to our house ( haven't sold it yet ) to get a few things and see Mom. So in all he will have been gone 17 days. I thought it was kind of bad that his company brings us down here, we're here 5 wks. and then they send him away. We barely know the area. But I guess it forced me to get out myself and explore. Right now I'm trying to figure out a way to get a resume done ( without a computer or printer) and all my info is at home packed away. I have to do something or go crazy! I just don't know if I can stay here. I know I sound winey but I hate it here. I know my son and I are grieving for home and I'm trying but .... we'll see.

                   All the best to you and I hope you are well, Kim

    • maureen75524
      maureen75524 kim86725

      Posted

      Kim I'm not so sure some of it, isn't the withdrawls. Sure you're lonely but when you're not feeling your best, this wears on one, also. I've been off Zoloft for 10 months and still have withdrawls of weepiness, nausea, fatigue, insomnia at times.

      Companies don't care much about the family, when they transfer you. My hubby was here a month before we came. I always stayed put until the house sold, and closed. My husband took this move back west, as he wanted our kids to be closer to his parents. We were all very happy in Ottawa. We'd always lived thousands of miles away from family, so when we returned within a 5 hour car drive, his parents could've cared less!

      I've done my share of crying over the years, as most relocations are lonely, unless you know someone or have a job to go to. I'm sure you'd be more settled if you were in a home, as I understand you are presently living in your trailer. Could you return home until the house sells? Was this move voluntary and he wanted it due to a better climate?

      Is there a newcomers club in the nearby town? I joined newcomers upon moving here. Sometimes you meet others new to the area with common interests. I think you'll be much happier once you're settled in a home, closer to the amenities that you enjoy.

      By the way the anger you harbour against your hubby is normal. As per usual teh family all moves, the kids go to school, he goes to work and the women are left to " pick up the pieces"! I don't mean to sound negative but that's usually the scenario!

      Google and see if there's a newcomers group in the nearest town. It would be worth the drive.

      Take care and know what you're going through is normal for your circumstances ~ imo!!

      My daughter who just moved last Nov. has had a hard time adjusitng also. She moved 2500 miles from all her firends and the city of Toronto where she'd lived for 20 years. She runs her own contracting business, and has manged to secure a couple contracts, after many months of networking. She's still not happy with the move, but her hubby was laid off back east. The economy was poor and no jobs so the move was necessary. We are happy as our grandaughter is only 3 hours away now!

      Hugs ~ you'll be fine one you have a staqble environment.

    • kim86725
      kim86725 maureen75524

      Posted

      Maureen, We moved because my husbands co. was moving to Owego NY. but not until 7/15, we didn't want to move any farther north, we lived in Ohio. So he started applying at different locations with the same co. I just wish he had researched this area first before taking the job. Our house is packed and on market, I don't think he would want me to go back and then it would be the same thing all over again with my son. He has made some friends which he does easily, but he tells me all the time we should go back and leave his Dad here. My husband didn't really give me a choice, he probably could of got another job in our area, or close to it. I always knew we would go south to a warmer climate but thought it would be when he retired.  I didn't experience nausea, mostly brain zaps and anger. I can't imagine having withdrawals for 10 months. I believe it, it takes your brain awhile I think to learn to do without the meds. I was on Zoloft for 14 yrs., I don't think the Doctor that put me on it ever thought I'd be on it that long. It was my OBGYN after my son was born and he was so busy ( had to wait for a couple hrs. to see him ) that I started letting the nurse practioner at my Doc. office do my check ups. Then a year after my son was born I was diognosed with MS. I think they just left me on it because a lot of MS pat. do take an antidepressant. I do really well and don't have many symtoms. My only one is fatigue and that hasn't given me much trouble lately. With all the stress I've been waiting for the big attack but so far it's been good. I am going to try and see a new Doctor next week but refuse to go back on meds. They are so addicting and they don't tell you this when they give them to you.

            I'm sorry you are still having withdrawals, but a least you have your Grandaughter to look forward to.  Be well!

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