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Gradually coming off Sertralinent

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cherry123
cherry123

Hi folks..for anyone wanting to taper off Sertraline & afraid to..just thought I'd share my story so far. I was really nervous about coming off them..was on 75mg for a year (having been on 50mg for 2 mnths before that but it wasn't helping).  I found 75 definitely helped but due to the dreadful sweating I want to try to get off them to see how I do.  So about 3 wks ago I decided to cut down to 50mg & did this for 2 weeks.  Had no problems altho' the sweats were as bad as ever. So just over week ago I cut down to 25mg every day. Had doc appt on Mon last anyway for check-up so told her what I was doing. She was happy with this & as I've had no side effects she now has me on 25 every 2nd day for 10 days, then 25 every 3rd day for 10 days then 25 every 4th day for 10 days then stop. Obviously I don't know how I will b as time goes on & dose gets lower or how I will b when I stop altogether. But just to say that I haven't experienced any of the awful side effects that some people have while trying to come off sertraline. I have felt a little more anxious at times than I did when I was on it but nothing I can't cope with & this may be a side effect of coming off it or may b just me cos I do suffer from 'generalised anxiety'.Doc says if I do need to go back on something she will try something else cos the sweats are unbearable.  So I will see how it goes but so far not as bad as I was expecting at all

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • kevin66749
    kevin66749 cherry123

    Posted

    Hi cherry can I ask what side effects when u first started them u had! Ive just been put on them and felt more anxious and groggy head in mornings! Hope you get through it coming off
  • kevin66749
    kevin66749 cherry123

    Posted

    Hi cherry can I ask what side effects when u first started them u had! Ive just been put on them and felt more anxious and groggy head in mornings! Hope you get through it coming off
  • Yorkshire
    Yorkshire cherry123

    Posted

    Glad you're doing so well so far! I'm in a similar situation to you. I'm coming off 50mg. Started 1 month ago coming off them, really slowly; slower then what the doctors advised. 

    I'm currently on 25mg a day. Had very little side effects so far, sweating is one, I'm very tired and I've started grinding my teeth again. I've also felt anxious twice but it didn't last long and was nothing like before I was on them. 

    Hope you continue to do well xx

    • kevin66749
      kevin66749 Yorkshire

      Posted

      Yea ive had the sweats especially my feet lol they are soaked sometimes lol am gonna dread coming off them! 
    • Yorkshire
      Yorkshire kevin66749

      Posted

      Haha! They are so much easier to come off then they are to go on! :-)
    • cherry123
      cherry123 Yorkshire

      Posted

      Hi Yorkshire..glad to hear u are doing well.  Did u have the sweating while u were on them or only since u started to reduce?  My main reason for wanting to come off them is the sweating which is really bad..altho' so far even tho' I'm down from 75 to 25 I still have the sweating just as bad which disappoints me.  Hoping for the best tho!  Slowly does it definitely when coming off..middle of next week I will be going down to 25mg every 3 days so fingers crossed! Hope all goes well for u too.
    • Yorkshire
      Yorkshire cherry123

      Posted

      Hiya Cherry, my sweating doesn't sound as bad as yours, I'd describe it as hot flushes really. They were bad when I went on, weren't as bad during and have started up again since weaning off them. 

      I'm just sick of being tired all the time. Have you had any anxiety since you've started coming off them? Xx

    • cherry123
      cherry123 Yorkshire

      Posted

      Hi Yorkshire..yes the sweating is really bad..I had hot flushes b4 but this is nothing like that..literally sweating loads..especially face, neck, scalp. Ends of hair wringing wet..it's horrible.  I have had a little bit of anxiety alright but nothing much & it passed. Nothing compared to before I started taking them. I do suffer from 'generalised anxiety' so there will probably always b a bit there but it's more just butterflies in tummy kind of thing & as I say it passed. Am working & socialising ok same as when I was on them. Waits to b seen of course how it goes as I come off them altogether. Hoping for the best. Fingers crossed for us all!!
  • cherry123
    cherry123

    Posted

    Hi Kevin..hang in there! It can take anything from 4 to 6 weeks for it to start working. When I started on 50mg I still felt extremely anxious too & didn't really feel any benefit to b honest.  After about 2 months doc put dose up to 75mg & this began to help fairly quickly.  The only really bad side effect I've had is the sweating..and I mean really bad.  Especially face and scalp & back of neck.  Still have that even tho' I'm down to 25 every second day. Hoping it will ease off and will go altogether when it's out of my system.  Also hoping I can get off them & stay off them! Good luck to u..I hope they help u..but do give it time.  The anxiety will probably go in a few weeks or it's possible like me u may need the dose to be increased..everyone is different. But I definitely found they helped
    • kevin66749
      kevin66749 cherry123

      Posted

      Thank you cherry! I started them Monday and felt really bad for a few days but can now feel the effects easing doc put me on 50mg for a week then up it too 100mg. What am doing now is breaking the tablet in 2 so take half in the morning half at night 
  • alan0
    alan0 cherry123

    Posted

    Hi Cherry,

    Thank you for sharing your story, and am glad to hear you are doing well. I too am in the process of weaning off 50mg of sertraline after 5 years of been on different anti-depressants for anxiety and mild depression. I had a very difficult time with these medications at the beginning. Actually horrific would better describe what I went through. It is for that reason it has taken me this long to even  consider weaning off. I was extremely nervous about doing this but so far so good and it has been more than 6 weeks now. My GP had originally advised me to take one pill of 50mg every second day for 2 weeks then STOP!!! After having these powerful drugs in my body and brain for over 5 years.....eh, I dont think so! So after some research and with the help of this forum, I did take one whole pill (50mg) every second day for 2 weeks, then I went to 25 mg for another 2 weeks and have been cutting my pills into 12.5 ish pieces and taking one every second day until the remainder of my supply has gone. It has been about 6 weeks now and I have about another 2 weeks of 12.5 to go then done. I was expecting MUCH worse withdrawal syptoms and am still waiting on them to be honest....which I hope will not come, but amfeeling very strong if they do.

    The reason for my decision to wean off is that my side effects of these meds was extreme fatigue and I was suffering with horrible headaches that the docs could not find any other medical explanation so I put these down to possible side effects also ( I have had none since weaning) but this could be coincidence and time will tell. My withdrawals to date include feeling slightly moody, like hyper for a while then low but this has not been extreme and can handle this. Also feeling a bit disorientated and not with it, but again I can handle this. I was expecting similar symptoms to when I originally went on these meds like major waves of anxiety and serious depression etc but have had none of that.....so far.  I have learned a lot about mental health and look after my phisical health mush more since been put on these medication so this has helped I am sure.

    Anyway I am sure that slow is best now and am glad I did not listen to my GP and his 2 weeks advice or I might have experienced much worse withdrawals and end up back on them and afraid to try agin out of fear. I am however keen to be completely med free so am hoping things continue to go ok, but either way I will be going O naturel from here on in should I experience mental health difficulties in the future.

    I wish you all well,

    Alan

    • Mary17679
      Mary17679 alan0

      Posted

      Hi Alan, sounds like you've done a good job researching & educating yourself on your mental health...and your goal to be more natural. I'm on that same path right now. After tons of researching & reading, & talking to wise & trustworthy people, my fist step was to understand my depression & resolve my issues. Then I weaned off sertraline. So far, I'm doing pretty good with that. I also have GAD, so I'm also taking a low dose of anti-anxiety med. That keeps my nervous system from exploding when I'm stressed out :-) 

      But like you, I'm trying to go as natural as possible, including eating more organic foods, & using essential oils to calm me & help me sleep. Those steps are really helping, but...it's taking more self discipline that I thought it would. Sometimes those cookies for dinner really look good :-D 

      Thank you for sharing, Alan !!! 

  • Mary17679
    Mary17679 cherry123

    Posted

    Hi Cherry, thank you for sharing your story. Every experience I read about helps me understand more & more about sertraline. I was on 50mg for years for my depression plus Klonopin for GAD. I finally weaned off the sertraline & been off for about a month now. (I'm still on the Benzo aka Klonopin for my GAD tho). What brought me to these great forums was researching the withdraw side effects which worried me. I found so much valuable & helpful information from people who have actually been there themselves. So I wanted to join these forums to keep learning & to help others through my experiences. The only sertraline withdrawal side effect that's still bothering me is a "swirl-like" dizziness that goes on in my brain. It use to happen several times a day, but not as much each day now. I read how fish oil helps decrease that dizziness, so I increased my daily fish oil. I believe that has helped me a lot. 

    I hope this helps you and/or anyone else :-) 

    • cherry123
      cherry123 Mary17679

      Posted

      Hi all..just thought it might b of help to others if i updated u on my withdrawal from Sertraline (see above). I am completely off them about 2 weeks now (having done it very gradually & slowly). i can honestly say that so far I have not had any really bad negative withdrawal symptoms..tho maybe it's early days yet. I am working & was away on hols for a week and all was ok. (I have General Anxiety Disorder & take propranalol for that (Inderal) & will continue to do so as I find it very good). I find that I am 'feeling' again..I was fairly numb when on them even tho was only on 75mg a day. Of course I have got slight bouts of anxiety but they haven't lasted & haven't held me back. I reckon that's something that is 'part of my makeup' & I will prob always have. Also the sweating has improved immensely ..not much of it at all now in fact & it really was dreadful before.  I do feel quite tired since I came off them but that may be more lifestyle related I'm not sure! I am sleeping better too.  I would say to anyone who wants to try to wean off..go for it..but do it with your gp's advice as I did..and do it very very slowly..obviously I don't know what the future holds but so far so good! Best wishes to everybody..I will update in another few weeks if people are interested ...
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