Advice on sertraline withdrawal
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi.. so about 4 weeks ago I got put down to 50mg from 100mg I asked my doctor would I get any side effects they said no but ever since then I've hit rock bottom feeling so down, major anxiety, negative rapid thoughts, feeling zoned out, feeling all over the place! I don't know if it's side effects or my body just needs the 100? Also has anyone ever went down then went back up again within like 4 weeks? I don't know if doing this I'll just feel worse.
0 likes, 13 replies
Chick17418 debbie26482
Posted
I'm so sorry your feeling so bad, you need to go down a dose gradually I would do every other day 50mg/ 100mg this is a hideous drug we are all on and gives so many side affects. I've been poorly for weeks & im only just starting to feel myself again. I was on 100 then 150 which I think was far to high and that's why I became so poorly. I've now weened myself slowly back to 100mg & feeling much better. X
debbie26482 Chick17418
Posted
Yeah I just don't know what to do.. I was thinking of going back up. I was fine on 100 been on them for a good while and thought I want to come off then see what I'm like with no anti depressants as ive been on them for years and don't want to be taking them for years to come but now if got all this. Thank for your reply x
nancyew Chick17418
Posted
Shed1976 debbie26482
Posted
I don't think there's a 'one size fits all' withdrawal solution but I believe you have cut your medication down too quickly.
I have tried and failed with doctors' advice a couple of times so I made up my own weaning program.
I was on the top side of 200mg and managed (without any side effects) to come down to 150mg.
It took me the best part of a year and a half but was definitely worth it.
I reduced by 50g 1 day of the week for about 2 months at a time.
Once the 2 months were up, I'd add another day on the lower dose.
I suspect you will need to return to 100mg as it sounds like the side effects are going to interfere with you functioning normally on a daily basis.
Once you are stabilised (and stabilised for a good few months) you can try again.
Hope this helps, Carol
debbie26482 Shed1976
Posted
HI thanks for your reply, yeah I was thinking of going back up to 100 but don't know if it'll affect me even more since I've cut down to 50 only about 4 weeks ago then to go back up. I Was thinking till I was stable for a good few months then cut down slowly. Don't know why doctors just cut people down so fast at least i know for next time now, thanks x
Shed1976 debbie26482
Posted
Hi again,
If I were you I'd go back to the 100.
There will be good days and bad but know you are going to be heading in the right direction.
Your brain is like a see-saw and when the chemicals balance again I think you will feel much better, especially as you were doing well on the 100.
I tried weaning again a few weeks ago with the method that was successful for me (beginning reducing firstly on a Monday) coming down to 150 but it was the wrong time.
I was moving to a new workplace and my mum had not been well. My anxiety began to return (disturbing, repetitive thoughts) so I have put back to 150.
I am fortunate in that I am able to be honest with my boss and tell her what was happening. That helps so much because she gives me space to work at my own pace while I'm not feeling my best.
I am sure you will get there next time, just wean much more slowly when the time feels right.
C x
debbie26482 Shed1976
Posted
That's great means you can continue working without extra stress. Yeah I'm just scared it makes me worse messing with the chemicals in my head so soon.. I'm just a worrier lol. Next time I try to cut down I know now to go much slower, thanks x
nancyew debbie26482
Posted
I was reduced from 150 to 100 and have had side effects also of more depression, anxiety, etc. Whenever there is a change in dosage, I guess. I am going to ask the Dr. for something to add to the sertraline, like Abilify. I have been on "Zoloft" since the end of July at different doses. When I started at 50 and then 100, there was some relief of about 6 weeks, when it was upped to 150 instead of feeling better I went downhill quickly.
Dr. now has me back down to 100 and I feel terrible. I have alot of anxiety. Debbie, why did your doctor reduce it to 50? Were you having problems at 100mg?
debbie26482 nancyew
Posted
Hi, sounds like this isn't the anti depressant for you, I would try another if you don't feel like your getting any better only worse. I'm the opposite from you the 100 was working fine for me had been on it for quite a while and felt like I wanted to come off them as I don't want to be taking them for years and years to come, I'm at a good point in my life and thought it was the right time but think the doctor cut the dosage too much.
a-new-day debbie26482
Posted
hi debbie, as others have said already u should get back on 100mg and stay on them
and dont feel bad if you take depression meds long term eg. 10 years. it's better than risking your depression and anxiety coming flooding back... (we all know that horrendous feeling...)
debbie26482 a-new-day
Posted
Yeah what a horrible feeling! It's just been a really bad few weeks and I'm just worrying more about changing the dose again but I'm going back to 100. Yeah I have been on anti depressants for years this is my first time trying to come off.
a-new-day debbie26482
Posted
hey again debbie,
in the past i also didnt like the idea of being on antidepressants, so i have been on and off them a lot, but i noticed that whenever i stopped taking them, i would be ok for a while (perhaps even several months), but then my depression/anxiety would always find it's way back (eg. if something bad happened like a stressful event etc... or sometimes it would just come back if eg. the summer ended and winter came and the skies were grey and it was cold!)
i changed my attitude and realised that if the antidepressant med is working, just stay on them. i have a friend who is diabetic and he has to take a diabetic pill every day for the rest of his life. then there is someone who has a bad heart so has to take heart meds for the rest of their life. i am prone to depression and anixety and so i take something for that, so i can live my life. there's no shame in it and it's not our fault we have depression and anxiety.. because for some of us it is simply genetic (so, we tried exercise, therapy, diet, etc.. and it wasnt enough to fix us).... or for others, depression and anxiety is due to life events eg. when growing up we were vulnerable and sensitive as kids.. so, if cbt and therapy didnt work, then why not take meds to help if they do help? simple.
you can always have the best of both worlds if you dont like the idea of just meds.. and that is, take meds until you feel better, and then go for cbt, therapy, diet, exercise and so on when you are feeling better (so you can learn and concentrate and grow... because doing the above things when caught in major depression and anxiety can be torture! eg, even just leaving the house...)
the bottom line is, it's just an illness like any other illness, so if everyone else is allowed to treat their illnesses with meds so they can live a normal life, then why cant we?
so once we change our attitude then we realise it is absolutely no big deal to take something in this day and age to help us live life and not suffer. if it works.. keep taking it. if it stops working for you, switch to something else
that's the way i see it anyway. there will always be people who say we should use our minds to cure ourselves.. but i think that's really unfair. in some cases you see people completely change their personality in order to push their depression and anxiety down, so they become really quiet and docile, and avoid stressul situations and are very passive (like a buddhist or a nun). that's not something i want to do.. i want to be be me, and sertraline (or any med which works) allows me to do that. i want to be there for lifes ups and downs.. not become some buddhist monk who sits there quietly with a vacant smile on his face, withdrawn in his own mind and thinking that is 'normal behavior'.
stopping taking my med which works, stops me being 'me', and i end up as a depressed, anxious, suicidal mess. ... - suddenly taking a small pill each day to help me live a normal life doesnt seem so bad does it
Shed1976 a-new-day
Posted
I too have come around to your way of thinking.
Well said!