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Quitting Sertraline - Experiences?

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katerina82612
katerina82612

I have decided to stop using Sertraline 200mg - I am meeting with my Doc on Thursday to get her blessing and 'schedule' how to gradually decrease the dose.

Any recommendations, tips and experiences of how you managed to get back after quitting & what to expect from the process are more than welcomed. 

My journey:

10/2017 - started taking 50mg

01/2018 - started taking 100mg

03/2018 - started taking 150mg (at the same time started counselling/therapy)

04/2018 - started taking 200mg 

I have been now on 200mg for three months. 

The reasons why I decided to stop using sertraline altogether are:

* incredibly vivid and disturbing dreams, disturbance in sleep in general

* put on weight and it's impossible to stop putting on weight (or even lost weight obviously) - total of 1 stone (6-7 Kg) which moved me from 9 stone to 10 stone.

* it's a nightmare when having a drink, the after affects are just horrendous 

* more importantly - my mood (depression and anxiety):

Initially after i started taking 200mg, I noticed an incredible change in my mood and was happy all the time and really content. As the time went on, I started feeling more unhappy again when now I am in a kind of mild depression state again. Didnt really help my anxiety at all, perhaps milder my panic attacks but they are now back as intense as they were before i started using sertraline.

So basically, I am not feeling great, i still suffer from panic and anxiety but on top of that I have this weird hazy feeling. Like everything is in a fog. Like I am in a bubble. Like this is not even me, like this is someone else's life and I am just watching through a window.  Also I have this 'I dont care' feeling. Which is just kind of making me mentally paralysed if that make sense? Like I know why I am not happy but it's like I   dont want to change it. Like I dont care but I do. Like I am unable to act.

Just so weird.

Anyone had the same experience? Same feelings? Would anyone be able to compare the changes after stopping sertraline? are you happy with your choice?

Thanks

Kat

0 likes, 1 reply

1 Reply

  • gary27777
    gary27777 katerina82612

    Posted

    Hi Kat, similar position to yourself except been on it for a lot longer but don’t think it’s doing anything. Had the dreams with 100 but strangely not the 200. Currently taking with 300 pregabalin too but don’t think that’s doing anything either. Have tried fluoxetine, metazarpine, sertraline, Venlafaxine, propranolol and now pregabslin. Anxiety still through the roof!! 
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