Sertraline withdrawal after just six weeks?

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I took Sertraline for around six weeksx the first two weeks I tapered up to 50mg and the last week I tapered down, couple of days on 25mg then about four days on 12.5 then I stopped. I quit taking it because I couldn't stand the fatigue and lethargy. Now I've been off around a week I am getting what I think are brain zaps where my head gets a sudden jolt or rush. I've read about this as a withdrawal effect but is that even possible on such a low dose for such a short time? I have health anxiety so now I'm worrying that I'm actually having seizures! Any advice would be helpful.

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6 Replies

  • Posted

    I have health ins it to I started this 6 weeks ago tomorrow I'm sorry you had a bad experience with it, because of my health anxiety I've been reluctant to take any sort of medicine for my anxiety. Lexapro did that to me, it made me a walking zombie although I can honestly say after like 6 to 8 weeks I started feeling numbness that I haven't quite about on 15 mg of this Zoloft. I am having issues now almost 6 weeks in with incessant itching anyone have that

    • Posted

      Anxiety...not ins
  • Posted

    Thanks, I hope it works for you. I feel just as bad off them as I did on them, I'm at my wit's end and so fed up with feeling ill, exhausted and stressed every single day.

  • Posted

    It's so weird because I totally feel fine at home which I guess has become agoraphobia for me. But I'm driving now while I just pulled over, and I had a panic attack literally going 5 minutes from my house. I've been on the medicine for 6 weeks today I am hoping the next two weeks bringing the article, I'm going to up the dose I guess but I need to get the 50 mg tabs, so I can break them in half. I'm not going up to a hundred right away I'd like to go from 50 to 75. The good news is I don't feel any worse on them so hopefully that little increase will be just what I need. I also feel like I am at my Wit's End I mean Jesus how the hell am I supposed to function if I can't even drive without panicking. People say to push through it but I think it's pretty dangerous to push through panic attacks while driving I mean what if I get in an accident or something. My husband would say well there you go what if what if, but he just doesn't get

    • Posted

      Yes, I totally relate to this. Driving anxiety was the worst for me and it got much worse for the first couple of weeks taking Sertraline, although it did settle down a bit. I have a 40 minute commute to work which I've been doing for 15 years every day and suddenly I was having massive anxiety attacks. I had to pull over three or four times in a journey. I also have a day a week where I lift share with a colleague and I would hardly sleep the night before I had to drive her because I felt like I couldn't pull over with her in the car. I had several days when I would just drive feeling sick, dizzy and like I was going to pass out. I'm glad to say this has somewhat improved for me. I think the fact that I had so many bad panic attacks when driving made me kind of realise that however horrendous I feel, I can actually keep driving until it's safe to pull over. I've been avoiding driving on the motorway for the best part of a year now and I'd got to the point where I would feel dizzy even as a passenger because I was so anxious. Yesterday I drove on the motorway for the first time in a long time. I was shakey, I didn't feel fine, but I did it.

      For me, my anxiety is now fixated on a fear that I have ME/ CFS which is my biggest health fear. That's taken over my anxiety and I can't think of anything else so I guess that's pushed the other fears aside for now!

  • Posted

    I have the same, along with sever migraines and RA.  This year has been a colossal cluster F.  I have not driven alone or without my husband at all.  I need to start so am hoping that a bit of an increase will help.

    I will say however, that this medicine has helped me stop worrying about feeling and being sick with a chronic illness.  Although this is the time of year when my joints and RA act up- so we will see!! hang in there!

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