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Major panic attack 2 1/2 days after stopping sertraline

Posted , 5 users are following.

Jessie53168
Jessie53168

WOW is all I can say now.  I've had one major panic attack a few years back so I know what it is (thankfully, I guess).  I took sertraline for 7 days - 6 days only 12.5 mg and 1 day of 25mg.  I stopped after that (last dose was this past Wednesday am) with the ok of the prescribing CNP - she said just stop as the dose was so small.  So I did. I decided to stop because I had felt chest pain after increasing to the 25mg and it was just too unsettling.  I felt fine when I stopped - no withdrawal symptoms at all.  Last night (over 48 hours after taking the last pill) I had one glass of wine, and also, my husband and I split this incredibly decadent brownie which I'm sure my body was thinking SUGAR overload!!!  That was all said and done by 10pm or so.  Went home, went to bed, feeling full and was woken up out of dead sleep a little after 2am feeling quite nauseous.  That was the start of the most intense panic attack - hot flashes, pounding, racing heart, tingling in my fingers and feet, feeling like I might die.  Interestingly the nausea went away once all those other things started.  It came on in wave after wave.  Even when I thought it had climaxed, the ride back down still continued with some hot flashes and tingling.  I had to concentrate quite hard on breathing and thinking calm thoughts.  

 I thought I had read that the sugar might not be helpful and I really blasted myself with that with that brownie.  The wine didn't even effect me and was a smallish glass that I had with plenty of water.

Do you think this could be an effect from stopping the sertraline and/or it's just still in my system?

Scared me terribly and now I am slightly anxious at the thought of it returning....

Thanks for any info

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • frankie1217
    frankie1217 Jessie53168

    Posted

    Actually, it may have been the wine. I've been told Tyramine is to be avoided and I think wine was on the list of things it's in? Too much tyramine can cause a dangerous spike in your blood pressure. But I'm also not sure since you were on a low dose and only for a week. Might simply be you just need to try a different medication.

    • Jessie53168
      Jessie53168 frankie1217

      Posted

      Thanks for responding.  I think the tyramine thing is if you are taking MAOI drugs, but you are correct, it is in red wine.

      Argh, what an experience.  Feel like I'm still floating in some amount of panic feelings today but much less severe.

  • trishtrash80
    trishtrash80 Jessie53168

    Posted

    I had similar experience a few months ago after just a few weeks starting on 25mg.

    It was after my husbands birthday party I really thought I was going to die I'm thinking it was the wine. 

    I've been on it for 3 months and still get pulpatations and anxiety if I have to much sugar 

  • danny09
    danny09 Jessie53168

    Posted

    Well you're strong for toughing it out! kudos to you as it will go away, Sertraline stays in your system about 15 days after you stopped. I stopped Sertraline close to a month ago, today I had a mild Anxiety for about 10 hrs, that's one of the withdrawal side effects, I read that it takes up to two month for your brain to get back to its previous state, so I have one more month and I should be fine. Good luck. 

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