Need some reassurance
Posted , 2 users are following.
i was on zoloft 200mg and klonopin 2mg for about 5 years and decided with my doctor to start tapering off. I was still kind of depressed and anxious but doable. i started tapering for around 2-3 months and got down to 75mg and got a new job started seeing a new guy and then boom one day - i woke up completely not feeling like my myself. panic, severe anxiety all day, depressed, hopeless, zero appettite, feel like a zombie, unmotivated, zero things that make me feel good or relaxed (even watching my favorite comedy shows give me anxiety and dont make me laugh). i started upping my dose of zoloft back to 200mg. its been three weeks since my "relapse/breakdown/whatever" and 2 days since im back on zoloft 200mg and feel awful. Not physically (although i do have anxiety shivers) but mentally im like a zombie with severe anxiety.
has anyone ever started tapering and was fine and then boom it all came back and had to re-up their dose of zoloft. if so, did it still take many weeks or months to return back even though you had zoloft already in your system since i never fully stopped taking it?
0 likes, 4 replies
Elemenohpee Doggiedog84
Edited
Hi Doggiedo,
My experience with what I call "crashing" is very similar to yours - like someone flips a switch and one day I'm ok and the next I'm flat out not and have the same symptoms.
I have experienced this when tapering off of setraline and when there isn't enough in my system. So take heart that your not alone in your experience.
I am not a doctor but would suggest that going from 200 to 75 over two to three months is too fast as it takes three months for the drug to get fully into and out of your system and for your body to adjust I would imagine you're going through the impacts/experience of tapering too fast and will experience these side effects as your body re-adjusts to the 200. If you haven't already I would strongly advise you work with your GP to stabilize your dosage and then once fully stable and feeling like yourself for a good period of time, only then begin to slowly taper the medication. A change of 25mg over 6 months is what I have done as I've come down only has mild side effects for a couple days to a week at the start and ultimately good results for me. You will also start to know if you're going too low without crashing.
You will feel better again - hang on. This is the hardest part and you know you have gotten thru this before and the medication helps so stick with it, give it time and work with your GP.
Hug.
Doggiedog84 Elemenohpee
Posted
thanks for replying. when i started zoloft the first time - i dont remember feeling this way. i just had feelings of depression and anxiety before that- which continued - but nothing like what i am feeling now. im really scared its not the medication but i just had a nervous breakdown after having anxiety and depression while on zoloft and klonopon (though it kept me stable). and im scared that even when months pass to get my brain back to stability of zoloft 200mg - i will still feel like this - then what do i do? i dont want to start new meds if zoloft doesnt work. i feel like there is no help for me.
Elemenohpee Doggiedog84
Posted
It is so hard to believe you will feel better when you feel like you do now. Try to remember that you will though - when you can. I literally write myself notes and leave them on the mirror and such to remind me (as an idea). It takes a frustratingly long time when you're the one experiencing it for sure.
If you don't already have one, a councillor is an important part of your health team and can also help you keep perspective on timelines and reassurance as you go through this. I have found mine very helpful.
Doggiedog84 Elemenohpee
Posted
thank you for the reassurance