Lower abdominal bloating and pain when coming off sertraline

Posted , 3 users are following.

I started taking 50mg in september and ran through till late december I then decided to stop because it was killing my hunger (low apetite) and some nausea Ever since stopping it's like I have developed IBS or some sort of food intolerance as most things make me feel terrible after eating.

Before I could eat around 3000 cals a day of whatever, drink 5ls of water and felt pretty good, not i'm struggling to get the food and water in, i've lost almost a stone!

1 like, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • Posted

    That happened to me but while I was on sertraline the first time round. Except I had an appetite but i felt like everything I ate made me my stomach tie up in knots and I lost about stone in 6 weeks or something.
  • Posted

    Ahhh it's driving me insane, it's only started happening once i've some off the sertraline though, I was on it for 4 months ish been off it for about 4 weeks now, surely it's all gone out me right? It's can't make you lactose or wheat intolerant can it?
    • Posted

      It took about 2 months to start happening to me and then it got really bad, I couldn't eat anything without it sending my stomach into knots I had to go to the doctors about it because initially I didn't think it had any thing to do with the tablets I thought I might have an intolerance or ibs but once I ran out of them ( i assumed that was the end of me taking them so didn't have any more ) it stopped and went back to normal. But now I'm back on them and just waiting to see what happens this time. How have you felt coming off them ? Did you come off them suddenly or have you cut it down
  • Posted

    I just did 1 50mg every other day for a week and then I was off. I Didn't notice any side effects apart from this stomach trauma, I've been doing this FODMAP diet supposed to help with a sensitive gut, but everything seems to be doing this to me and the timing is very precise with me stopping sertaline. Other than this I think I had a few slightly more restless nights when I came off but not much otherwise
    • Posted

      If it persists maybe go back to your gp. Hope it sorts its self out soon
  • Posted

    it's w.d Scott.  I had this plus terrible burping.  I was bloated and burping for about 3 months.  I was on a higher dosage though and decreased over a period of three months.  You lost weight that's a positive.  I gained 30 lbs in the 10 months I was on them.   I've been off sert. for 13 onths and still have w.d., nausea and stomach cramps most mornings still!  It hasn't been a fun journey for me on or off these med., never again!
  • Posted

    Dear god! how long had you been on sert before going of to get side effects for that long? I was only on it for about 4 months and so far  have had 1 month of side effects. The FODMAP diet does help though, it's as if I'm now gluten and diary intolerant, I do not like it at all
  • Posted

    I had been on sert for 10 months, 150 mg.  If you go to the link " do Sertaline withdrawls ever go away" you'll see several of us have had withdrawls for over a year. 

    My hubby was on cymbalta for knee pain. for 8 months.  It helped the pain but he hated the side effects.  He abruptly quit in April of 2014.  He still has withdrawl of nausea, and anxiety!  It frustrates me that Drs. do not know how these drugs affect people and perscribe them like candy. 

  • Posted

    What is the FODMAP diet?

    • Posted

      it's a diet specifically design to aid a sensitive gut, it's actually really effective if you are just having general gut issues and you don't really know what's up. I'm going to do it for a couple weeks and then re-introduce the foods explained one by to see what is causing my issue, perhaps by then the wd may have worn off but it helps in the mean time. there is a good book on amazon called the complete fodmap diet, i got the kindle version for £10. Also its good for that whole stress anxiety gut link and general ibs ibd. have a google around

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