My experience of coming off sertraline

Great reading all your posts. I was a bit worried about the brain zaps... but to be honest I quite like it. I have been on Sertraline for 6 months and part of me loves the emotional numbness and couldnt care less attitude to everything from exercise to sex. However, not caring about putting weight on and not exercising is just not me and unacceptable. But then perhaps that is what most normal people seem to be like without taking anti depressants.

Cold turkey is how I came off 100mg a week ago and was wondering why I am still getting side effects but the comments about half life make sense. It will be interesting to see what happens in a couple of weeks.

Anyway, loving the brain zaps... I wish there was a pill I could just take for the day any time I wanted to feel spaced out and dizzy... probably much better for me than taking Sertraline.

I have been on Zoloft for 14 yrs.,started weaning myself off 3 wks. ago. First 2 wks. Were really bad...cried every day the first week, had the clicking in my head the second week(not as bad as when I ran out for 3 days, very loud clicking and balance issues). Clicking is getting better and my mood is improving. I didn't pick a good time to start this but I'm in till the end. My Doctor has me off of it in a month, don't know if that is to soon. People tell me you can't get off when you've taken it for so long? I think I'm starting to feel life again. Does your brain start to depend on it and can it recover?

Hello,

Am interested in all the comments I am reading. I have been on Zoloft for about 5 years. From 50 mg to 75 to 100. I never really thought I was depressed, but my situations caused the depressed feelings. There was a lot of stress and Zoloft was very helpful. I did experience about 50 pounds of weight gain since taking the Medication. I recently discovered that a lot of my pain presently is due to the company I have been keeping, it has not been good for me and these associations cause me chest pains and anxiety. I have eliminated most of these associations and feel much better. I took myself off of Zoloft by cutting the dose in half for the first week and then stopped altogether. My withdrawals included minor headaches, body aches and sleepiness. It has been 2 weeks since I discontinued and if anything feel empowered.

Update... I went cold Turkey on Sertraline over a month ago now because I was getting too fat and unable to exercise. I suppose I have been up and down but I have only just realised how evil that drug is now. At first when I took it I thought it was amazing. But if you want to end up a content, but very very fat zombie with no interest in sex then keep taking it. I suppose it is great if you want to be a Monk and join some Church or something. However, I think it stays in your system a long time. I had side affects for at least a month after coming off it (dizzy spells, effort to exercise, bad guts) and I still struggle not to want to eat too much which I wasn't like before I went on it. Although I wouldn't class myself as happy I feel so much better for being able to exercise for more than 5 minutes without yawning and wondering why I am bothering.

Hi everyone I am coming on here a little late but hopefully someone is still checking...I was on zoloft for approximately 4 years at 50ml. At the time I went on this I was going through a lot with my daughter and her issues. They did get better somewhat but life is really not so black and white. I have adopted my two grandsons who are now 10 and 7 and had a couple of major spinal surgereries which I lost most of the use of my leg, I canhandle all of this at least I think I can so I decided about two months ago to wean myself off. I thought all my side effects was stress, weight gain and vertigo. But after reading some of these post I think it was all from coming off of the zoloft. I have been off from it completely for about two weeks and was very careful not to wean off quickly. The feeling like I am going to pass out has almost stopped but I feel like crying and keep snapping at the kids and very very irritated....will this too go away? I am usually very friendly but I am starting to take everything personal...any advice on what to do...oh and I am on lyrica for my nerve problems also...

Hello everyone,

So happy I came across this forum. I have been perscribed to Sertraline 50 mg and have been taking it for almost 6 months now. I have mild anxiety. When first going on them, I had some weird side affects like normal and after a month or so I felt amazing and felt like I was back to my normal self. The past couple weeks I felt as if I was having those brain zaps, I told my doctor about it at my appointment a couple weeks ago and she said it may just be to high of a dose for me and to maybe go down to 25mg. I made another appointment for June and just said I would stay on 50mg till then. 4 days ago I felt great, I felt as if I didn't need these pills any more and decided to stop taking them cold turkey.

Yes, bad idea.

First couple days were okay, the past 2 days I have felt terrible. I have felt the brain zaps, dizziness, tired, nausea, hot/cold flashes. I tried to convince myself not to go back to the bottle and take one, but tonight I couldn't handle feeling like crap, so I decided to take my normal 50mg and I feel better already lol.

After reading everyone's comments and their side afffects, it was definitely not a great idea to stop them all together. I think I will get my new perscription in a couple days for my 50mg and take them for a couple of more months and then go down to 25mg for a few months, then 25mg every other day for a month and hopefully be completely done with taking them!!

I definitely feel a lot better after reading everyones comments.

Will update in a couple months. Thanks everyone!!

I just quit taking 100mg of sertraline "cold turkey" about 6 days ago.  BAD IDEA.  I should have researched the side effects before making such a knee-jerk decision.

The side effects began with rather severe dizzy spells; muscular aches that I would typically associate with the flu; weepiness & sensitivity; and yesterday the electric shocks began. The shocks really through me off - I would have never thought they could be a symptom of withdrawal.  Needless to say, hindsight is 20/20, however I am very grateful to have discovered this forum. 

The worst of it was a couple of days ago - I felt as though I was going to pass out. I sat down and ate something & felt better within about 30 minutes. The physical symptoms seem to be most prevalent in the mornings, and the emotional ones come late afternoon. The achiness seems to be subsiding a bit, and I've been taking a couple of ibuprofen to combat those feelings.

Thanks for keeping this forum alive! I has been most helpful!

I myself am on sertraline and I really enjoyed the post. It gives me great hope that when I eventually come off sertraline (im enjoying the wrapped in cotton wool feeling) that I may be able to live a medication free life.

All the best,

Mark