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Sertraline, trying to cut down, need advise please

Posted , 5 users are following.

lattifa7777
lattifa7777

Hay everyone,

i hope you are all ok, and being strong and fighting hard.

some of you may know mw on here already, but for those that dont, ive been on sertraline 50mg for 1 year and 4 months now, as i suffered a really bad bout of panic disorder and severe depression.

its helped me so so much, and i am thank full everyday as it saved my life.

ive put a lot of waight on, and not only that i want to come off them before they one day stop working. i dont know why i have this fear but i just do for some reason!?

any way for 4 or 5 months i cut my 50mg tablet by nipping off a quarter of it and consuming the rest. been fine doing that although it has not been always accurate.

now i am halving the dose , so 25mg as of 3 days now.

Today i feel as if i have flu, i have bit of loose stools, and just feel sooo tired and drained, im not depressed, or anxious, i am a bit snappy with people.

im not sure if i should just continue and ride it out, or should i just up my dose again ? i just dont want to relapse.

is this a common feeling of withdrawel? and if so can it get worse?

I know not many people on here are at the point of coming off, as most people leave this site once they are well again.

but if you have any experiance i would realy like to hear.

Many Many Thanks.

Best Wishes

Lattifa

0 likes, 19 replies

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  • Mrs.M
    Mrs.M lattifa7777

    Posted

    Hi Latiffa, so I have researched coming off Sertraline, and if symptoms like you're experiencing, happen soon after beginning tapering, then it's likely to be 'discontinuation' (withdrawal) rather than relapse, and will gradually improve. If it's relapse it is more likely to occur after having stopped the medication altogether, symptoms gradually come on, make sense? So the flu like symptoms, the loose stools (very common with sertraline!) tiredness etc, are common withdrawal symptoms.

    I think I would be inclined to stay at 25 until you feel ok again before beginning tapering again.

    I'm going to reduce by 10% rather than the 25mg the doc says to!!!! 10% seems to be a recommended rule of thumb for those of us who have been on SSRI's a bit longer.

    Hope that helps hun xx

    • lattifa7777
      lattifa7777 Mrs.M

      Posted

      Thank you so so much, I do have a very bad chesty cough too tho, so dont know if thats a coinsidance or not?

      I hope i do improve, as long as i dont relapse thats the main thing god willing.

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