I'm going to try getting of sertraline :) any advice??
Posted , 4 users are following.
I've been on 75mg for the last few months and I have just dropped it down to 50mg yesterday and the doc said to be on that dosage for 2 and 3 weeks, mabie 4 to see how I go 
Then he's going to drop me down to 25mg but I heard once u get down to that dosage u start getting bad side affects?? Is that true? N what kind of side affects are they?? Please and thank you
0 likes, 8 replies
betsy0603 karina63341
Posted
Hi Karina,
I strongly urge you to hold a lot longer than 2-4 weeks. You are doing large drops, 33% with this last one. The 10% taper method is the safest, most successful way to come off, with a month at each cut. That is based on the previous month's dosage. So, you ought to hang out for a couple of months after this cut. The reason is that your nervous system adapted to the action of the drug by down-regulating the serotonin system. The drug put down the accelerator so the body put down the brake to try to bring about homeostasis. When you take the drug away too quickly, you are left with just the brake and that means withdrawal! The nervous system is only willing to heal just so fast, and if your taper exceeds your rate of healing, withdrawal will catch up with you, especially if you cut too frequently.
The reason that it gets especially tough is that at the minimum dosage the pills are available in, receptors are still blocked by about 80%! So, to go from 80 to 0% is a huge drop for the CNS - might as well be a cold turkey! Yet, doctors will tell patients to just stop since the drugs don't come in smaller doses!
What really needs to happen is for you to be able to make smaller cuts below that minimum dosage. I believe sert is available as a liquid which would make doing smaller cuts easier. Talk to your doctor about this.
See the 10% topic in this thread:
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/depression-resources-298570
karina63341 betsy0603
Posted
Oh wow didn't know-all that. Thanks for telling me
So u reckon to be on 50mg more then a month?? N great advice! I definitely will talk to my doctor about this 
thank you!
betsy0603 karina63341
Posted
Yup, it is best to give your system that extra time to get caught up, otherwise, continuing to taper will get you into troubled waters, especially as you drop below that minimum "effective" dose. We all want to be off as fast as possible, but you will feel better all around for having given your nervous system the time :-)
karina63341 betsy0603
Posted
Okay sweet
I'll do just that! Thank you. And how long do u recommend to be on the 50mg does before going to 25mg???
betsy0603 karina63341
Posted
If you had been doing the 10% taper, it would take 3 months to get to that level. If you have the patience to do that, I'd do it. Two months minimum. Listen to your body. and only cut if you feel pretty solid. As you get below 25 you really will need to slow it down. So close yet so far away! But that's when you start cutting into that 80% and really notice the drops.
deborah80185 karina63341
Posted
I had usual symptoms of sleep pattern disruption, headaches,Unsteady gait...but then...Wham...here came the brain zaps, feeling like my body is on fire, vomiting,diarrhea, slurring speech,totally forgetting what I was saying and doing,stomach muscle cramps, and the worse headache of my life. We're all different,tho. I was on 200 mg for over 7 years. I hope you don't have to deal with all of that . definitely follow your Dr.s advise.
karina63341 deborah80185
Posted
That sucks! Hope your feeling better? N I hope I don't either
sounds scary aye 
rich21763 karina63341
Posted
U probably will havevsome bad days as ur body brain adjusts
Good luck