My experience of coming off sertraline

Hi everyone, I'm so glad I saw all of your responses. I feel slightly more normal. I've been on a low dose of Sertraline (50mg daily) for about 10 months. Whilst on them I've suffered hot sweats, particularly at night, and I've put on over 2 and a half stone (whether it has increased my appetite or lowered my resolve to eat healthily I don't know but it's been depressing) On the positive side, I've had that wrapped in cotton wool feeling which has helped me get through but I thought I'd spent long enough on them and had to do something about the weight. So i cut down from 50mg to 25mg daily for 10 days then I just stopped taking the half tablet about a week ago. I have been REALLY snappy and irritable with my family. I can't take the noise, constant interruption or any form of criticism. I've really blown up once or twice at my other half in the last couple of days, which is both good and bad. Good that I'm more in the land of the living again but bad that I don't seem to have the emotional control. I've had horrendous headaches, funny sort of eye disturbances (could this be the electric shocks people talk about), and nausea. I am also feeling extremely tired and jumpy. Having heard what the rest of you have been going through it sounds like I've just stopped the final amount of Sertraline too quickly. If anyone has any advice as to whether having a tiny amount now might help. I'm reluctant to go back to the hot sweats as life is a lot more comfortable without them, but a touch more emotional balance might be good!!!

Hi Mel,

I went through what you have recently, I was irritable, anxious and generally felt like I was going to explode constantly. I could almost put up with that but then after 3 weeks, my mood dropped substantially combined with the flu didn't help but I had to return to my GP. It turned out that I came off mine too quickly and will probably always need them.

I was prior to going back on mine advsied to propanolol, but personally these didn't work for me. Most GPs advise people to take propanolol to stop the anxiety, it takes the edge off but does not get to the route of the problem.

Without a doubt, speak to your GP as soon as you can as they can advise you what to do from there. Any sudden changes in your mood, let your GP know, don't suffer with it.

Thanks, Jay

I'm just so determined that I don't want to go back to them (because of the weight gain and sweats) that I'd do anything to find an alternative. I wondered about 5HTP or St John's Wort? I'd welcome anyone's views as to whether natural remedies have any benefit. Otherwise as you say it's back to the GP.

Thank you all for writing on here. I am just about to try and reduce my dose. I am on 150mg. I switched to this drug after being on Citalapram for about 5 years. All I know is that around the time of the switch I started to wake in the night feeling really really sick. Then developed heartburn which I now take medication for. I have horrible horrible headaches and I am sure my vision is not right. Headaches have improved since a friend suggested taking Magnesium Citrate 100% Pure Powder. But still get horrible migrains which seem to be hormone related but Y~E~S that horrible shooting Electric Shock type pain behind one eye. So tired and hard to concentrate at times.

I want to see if I can manage better off them. I have episodes of crying loads and loads even on this drug. Although my mother died in January and my neice the year before. Maybe these tears are ok and grief not depression. I don't know! I am worried about being irritable and snappy etc.. but going back to GP tomorrow. I started on 100mg today and by the sounds of it - it could take a long while to be completely free from this medication but going to give it a go.

ive been on sertraline 100mg for about 2 years, i keep wanting to stop taking them, my memory is shocking and most of the time i cant even remember if ive taken them or not, even if they have days printed on the foil packets, i seam to keep missing days, i used to take just 1 100mg but i was constantly tired and falling asleep as soon as i sat down after work, no matter what was going on around me id just feel so drained id fall to sleep, i told the docs and ive tried variations of the tablet such as taking on a night time, on a morning, one on a night one on a morning (50mg) but nothing changes, i dont even know if they do anything for me, i know they ruin my sex life, but i keep missing days wanting to come off, and last couple of days ive become very irritated, scratching, annoyed, bad tempered, biting my tongue constanly, so today ive just had to take a couple of 50mg otherwise i will end up cracking up....slightest thing is annoying me...im usually very laid back. worried about my memory loss, ive even made docs appointments about it but forgot about them which is unlike me, i even sleep past my alarm some mornings which i never used to do....think i best see my doc and either change from sertraline or try stop all together. can anyone recommend a better antidepressant for anxiety, stress etc.

Wow, what amazing people you all are for putting up with all these horrible symptoms. I thought I had it bad coming off this drub, but some of what you guys are going through makes you wonder if taking anti-depressants in the first place is worth it.

Over the years I've had a variety of anti-depressants for different reasons (relationship break-up, post-natal depression, pain management and most recently for just being generally over-stressed and not coping in every area of my life). All I can say from my own experience is that the positive effects of the anti-depressant seem to vary dependent on what they've been prescribed for, how you personally respond to the drug, a different time in your life, etc etc. In other words, even though something has worked in the past I've found it doesn't always work in the same way when you take it again years later. Equally what works for one person doesn't always for another. Therefore, the doctors can at best be just taking a stab in the dark as to what might work for you. If it's not suiting you, don't be afraid to go back and ask for help by way of changing the drug. These things are supposed to help and if they are not helping you need to tell them.

The thing that triggered me to want to stop taking Sertraline was partly the hideous weight gain and night sweats but also the consideration that maybe nothing was going to change unless I was able to get to the root cause of my depression. If it's a chronic chemical imbalance clearly nothing else but a drug will work, but if it's more about not getting sufficient help at home, or low self esteem, etc there may be non-drug things we can do. I'm trying hypnotherapy, I've also tried counselling and i've heard of people who find CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy helpful). I'm not saying it's the answer, but if these things can for instance make you relaxed enough to find some answers or someone else gives you a perspective on your situation that makes you see things differently and helps you to change things then it can give you a sense of control back that is missing when you are depressed.

Sorry for blah-ing on, especially if you fall into the category of the chronically rather than the acutely depressed but it's just another view.

Hello everyone, i too am so glad i have found this forum. I have been on meds for anxiety and depression for approx 6 years. At first for post natal depression, then some time later was told i was clinically depressed.

I have had many issues in my life. Quick insight although do not wish to bore anyone. I am married for the 2nd time with 2 littlies age 5 and 6. I have 2 children from my previous marriage aged 13 and 16 and have been living with their father for the past 5 years.

My father died 12 years ago age 59 and my mum died 20 years ago aged just 45. I will turn 45 this summer so you can see i get a bit worried about it especially as my grandmother died the same age as my mum, both heart attack.

I was bullied throughout my whole school life. I have been the victim of sexual abuse by my father. I have suffered miscarriages during my journey of making a family plus much more besides :-(

Over the last year or so, i started to drink a bit too much. You know, helps to take the edge off! My doctor put me on citalopram which i was on for 5 years or so. Last year, August, i think i had some kind of melt down, i took an over dose. I had been on 50mg a day and took every one of them. I was taken to hospital and spent the weekend there after taking around 700mg on top of 3 bottles of wine.

Thats when my doctor put me on sertraline. I attended counselling for about 3 months.

I really did notice an improvement although he had to adjust the strength. Up until 2 or 3 weeks ago, i was on 150mg. I have recently been on a 4 week holiday so had time to think about my life. I did not drink too much even though it was cheap!

So, feeling much stronger, positive and just wanting to get on with my life, i have decided to stop taking my meds.

Really because i had forgotten to take them for 3 or 4 days. I have gone cold turkey but feel lousy. It's about 2 weeks now that i haven't taken them but my god, i feel so sick, hot flushes, constantly dizzy. It's like a fuzzy dizzy feeling whenever i turn my head. My skin is so itchy also my scalp.

My question is, how long do these symptoms last? I really don't want to "give in" and start on them again as i feel it would undo my progress if that makes sense?

I'm sorry this has turned into such an essay !

I have also got an awful cough with a touch of cold which has been with me for 2 weeks now. Hot one minute then cold the next. Hhhmmmmmm

Many thanks for letting me post on here. ;-) xx

Hi Lynny, first of all huge sympathy with what you've had to deal with - more than most in a lifetime I would say. Now can I get bossy!! You've had a crutch for some time, with both the citalopram and sertraline, and at a reasonably high dose. I'm glad you're feeling better but don't underestimate the effect that coming back from holiday and back into the real world can have on your mental state particularly with littlies who take no prisoners!! (I have three around the same age as yours).

All credit to you for wanting to take control but PLEASE make sure you have some sort of support or safety net in place. Looking at your situation from outside I'd say to do these three things:

1. Go and see your doctor and say that you want to come off the tablets. He/she will almost certainly say to do it slowly, and with what you've seen on this forum it suggests slowly is the right way.

2. Make sure you have someone else who you can talk to - a good friend who isn't fed up of hearing you, your counsellor who you saw before, or someone else. I've just come slowly off the sertraline and I chose a hypnotherapist (partly to help with the weight gain I got on anti-depressants but partly to deal with the root cause of my depression). It is helping and if you see someone regularly they will be able to check you're not going down again.

3. Given your family health history get your heart health checked. If they tell you your heart is healthy you're going to have a weight lifted off your shoulders - if it's bad news then they can probably do something for you before you have a real problem.

As for the symptoms, they do ease - I think it depends on you and also the dosage. I got the fuzzy/dizzy feeling, nausea and now you mention it the hot and cold symptoms. I also got very angry and tetchy with people. I'm still not out of the woods and I stopped completely two weeks ago, having reduced the dosage for the previous 10 days (I was only on 50mg anyway).

Sorry for being bossy but don't put yourself in a position where you're carrying all the burden yourself. Best of luck with it Mel

Hi Mel, thank you for your message. I don't think you are being bossy at all, just sensible.

The side effects are getting better and i haven't yet reached for the pills ;-) I am still very positive and am coping well, honestly. I have my blood checked every year for my cholesterol levels. I am totally fine in that department.

I have an excellent doctor and i would not hesitate to go and see him if i felt the need.

Just as a point of interest, i sometimes get a thing called restless legs syndrome. Over the last few days that has become really bad. It's when i get into bed but i have to keep getting up to walk around. I don't know if it's relevant but it's a real pain in the bum!!

Well done you on your progress. Let's all be positive together, we will beat this!

Love from Lynn xxx ;-)

Hi Lynn, how weird - I get restless legs syndrome too, not as bad as you by the sound of it but I've had it for at least 20-25 years. It tends to happen when I'm really tired. However, I have noticed it has been particularly bad whilst I've been having my hypno session, enough for the therapist to notice and to make it difficult for me to relax. It could be another symptom of sertraline or sertraline cold turkey. Let's hope it starts to reduce??!! Keep smiling. Mel x