Sertraline Withdrawal .. Does it go away?

this is exactly how i felt and my doc said i went off them too quickly and wanted me to go back on them and wean off them but i decided to battle it out,. off them now 8 wks

how do you feel now

I feel fine now, in saying that , some mornings i have negative thoughts before i get out of bed but once i'm up i'm ok. just need to be strict with myself sometimes and not over think things, be more positive

Hi,

Did you have sexual Side effects on the frug and if so, did you experience pssd after you quit?

Best,

Alex, PSSD sufferer

Hi sorry u can't help u with the withdrawal but why are you stopping the med so early didn't they work for u ?

Hey Michael.  I took Sertraline for a decade, tried to get off three times and the last time I was successful. Be really slow in getting off. I titratd down for 6 months, are you now on 50 ?  I started doing 25 a day for several months, then 25 every other day for several months. Then stopped.  After 3 months I am withdrawal-symptom free.  Drink lots of water. Do lots and lots of slow, deep breathing if you have anxiety.  Try to choose a time in your life when things are pretty settled.  If they're not, I'd wait to withdraw.  Also choose a time when you're pretty healthy. Eat as healthy as you can. Maybe reduce red meat.  And your doctor agrees that it's okay to stop?  Best of luck. Know you're not alone. Ellen

Hi Don yeah its been 6 months since I started these meds and I think and my doc thinks that I am ready to come off them, I also found that they are kinda holding me back as its like I cant think stright and kinda spaced out, so I will see how things go. today is my second day coming down from 100mg to 75 and I am a bit spaced out but still can function fine, the anxity was a bit high today but that is to be expected anyway whenever you up the dose or reduce the dose. How have you been getting on?

Did the meds help do you and jade t your symptoms come back now you've stoped ?

I been on sertraline for 4 months and had a bad time any advice ?

Hi Ellen

Thanks for getting back to me, I am on 75mg now down from 100mg and will be on 75mg for the next 4 weeks and if all goes well I will go down to 50 for another 4 weeks and so on, My doc kinda wants me off them by jan or feb and to be honest so do I. but I know myself that it is going to be a slow process. you say you are symptom free which is very good, but can I ask you about the red meat thing as I would be a fairly big red meat eater. I have put on a few pounds since I started these meds but I could have done with anyway. I would class myself to be pretty active and plan to get even more active for the winter. Can I ask where are you from?, I am Irish by the way.

Had about 3 good weeks in the 4 months of taking them it's been a roller coaster don't think they are for me me and doc decided that I go back down to 50mg until I see a specialist this week I feel better since I've gone back down to 50mg anxitey lowed moods a bit better just hoping things keep improving 🙏🏿 thanks for your reply keep in touch

Hi don Im only in the process of stopping so I dont know if the symptoms will come back but if the do I think I will try to beat it in other ways, eg herbal, lifestyle changes, cbt, as I think the meds were holding me back. So I am sorry but I cant give you any advice only for you to think back to how bad you where when you started and have things got better and if they have then you know the answer.

Thanks

I think if things don't work out I going to go down the natural way cbt diet exercise

Hi, Michael.  I'm American, living in Mexico.  I used to work for a psychologist who helped heavy smokers withdraw from nicotine.  He always counseled to drink a ton of water and avoid red meat. It has to do with flushing your body of the drugs. I'd think it would apply to us too.  I know TV Doctor Dr. Oz recommends cutting back on red meat.  Maybe Google red meat and withdrawal or health effects.  When I tries twice before to withdraw, the symptoms were too much to handle so I went back on Sertraline. So really!  Take it very slow coming off. This time I didn't have brain zaps.  Good luck!

Y did you stop sertraline?

Did they work for u ?

Hi all

im posting for an update since I'm 3 months in to withdrawing from sertraline after being on it for two years (50 mgs - I resisted increasing the dose and worked through the symptoms.)

they worked for me with anxiety but at the same time dulled my emotions, I never cried but equally didn't really care about anything outside my little bubble if you know what I mean.

so as the reasons for going on them have reduced in severity and I have had to start taking other drugs for life for a neurological condition I developed last year, I decided to take control of the one drug I could and come off the sertraline. 

This is my second attempt, first time I followed my GP instructions and had horrific withdrawal symptoms ( basically he told me to half the tabs for two weeks then stop - arghhh).

So this time having read some research I started by cutting down to 3/4 of a tab for a month, then to a half for a month which is where I'm at now. At this level I was having a few anxiety incidents and down in the dump days so I put off going down to a quarter. Six weeks on half and I feel this has eased so from today I'll start on a quarter. I have noticed that I wake earlier in the mornings, ache a lot and don't have much energy but am hoping that will settle. 

Thanks for listening and good luck to you all 

Theresa

Hang in there Theresa!  Go as slowly as you can reducing dose. Two weeks to reduce is insane!!!  It wasn't till I tried the third time to get off, taking six months to titrate down, that I was successful with very reduced symptoms.  I never got the brain zaps this last time, though anxiety was very high.  My last stint reducing, I slowly got down to 25 mg every other day, then every three days. Go slow!  Eat as best as you can for that fatigue. Mine wasn't

too bad this time around. Good for you!

Hi Don.  I started Sertraline for mild depression when my kids left home. That was 15 years ago.  I didn't want to continue taking any drug just because the withdrawal symptoms were too strong to get off.  The drug worked great for me. But why was I still taking them?  Also there's tons of research how long term RX can do liver damage, which I have.  I feel 100% fine now. Don't need the drugs and can rest my body.  Ellen

That's a positive attitude that's what we all need thanks for the advice going to see specialist Thursday see what then think how long have u been off meds and how long when u came off did u feel better ?

Over the 15 years, I tried twice and failed to get off. I had a hard job and the withdrawal effects were just too severe to cope and work too. So I went back on them.  So this time, I waited until life had calmed town (I retired), my health was better(I was battling adrenal stress before) and I took a full six months to reduce from 100 mg to 0.  Any doctor that says you can do that titrate in a few weeks is WRONG.   I started withdrawing while eating well and drinking a lot of water.  I rather a lot, I exercise/walk more.  I've been off totally since June 1.  Before I had bad brain zaps while withdrawing.  This time I didn't have them at all.  I did have a lot of anxiety/heaviness in my chest and one nocturnal panic attack. Not fun!  And I cried all the time for about a month.  All the time.  Some days were awful but I did my slow, deep breathing at all times needed and hung in there.  I was symptom-free at about 3 1/2 months.  I am so good now and thankful.  Hope you have a good visit with your doctor and can partner well. Good luck!  Ellen

Thank you Ellen I'll keep going, it's hard and I'm putting on weight even though my diet hasn't changed. I presume it's the beta blockers I take for tremor slowing my metabolism  but the sertraline was maybe counteracting and helping stabilising my weight. Whatever the cause I hate the weight gain I've been the same size 10 all my life now all my clothes are tight. Urgh horrible - can't win

Hang in there. Be kind to yourself!

I'm currently at 2 months zoloft free. Took it for about 18 years, with 2 failed attempts to discontinue during that time. Dosages ranged from 100mg to 50mg before I weaned off this last attempt, taking 3 months to do it. I take no other drugs. I am encouraged to read someone being symptom free at 3.5 months off it. I feel my withdrawal is 50% better now. But, I too, have been suffering horrible bouts of anxiety that starts the minute I get out of bed. It gets stronger as the day goes on, with periods of heaviness and pain in the chest. It's the anxiety type that physically hurts. I also have been experiencing increased anxiety with some OCD symptoms, which aggravate each other. I'm in a total state of relaxation while sleeping, and when waking up in the morning it feels great for a bit, until I become fully awake. I hope some of this is withdrawal related and will pass. I imagine I'll have a degree of anxiety left after finishing withdrawal. To remedy that, I have started reading about how we have the ability to rewire our brains. If I can lessen the remaining anxiety issues even a little from that, then I can stay further away from going back on zoloft, which I had contemplated during my withdrawal.

The first 6 weeks of withdrawal were horrible. Physically and mentally. The brain zaps went away first. Then a heavy cloudy head unable to think clearly loomed for a month. 2 months out, I feel I may being almost done with the heavy/cloudy buzzing head. It was as if someone poured soda over my brain, the effervescent bubbles permeating the front and top of my brain. I became angry and frustrated by not being able make decisions and deal with stressors.

It's scary and new how I feel and react to life without the drug. But, it is getting better. Not day by day, but week by week I notice small improvement. I expect to feel marked improvements month to month. So anyone out there withdrawing - don't despair if you don't see improvements day to day. If you see them with each passing week, that's a bonus. It seems to me I am month to month. My next goal is to be able to plan on staying overnight away from my house and to not have panic and terrible anxiety and insomnia from it. That's a big goal through this.

Any improvement you get, no matter how small, show how you are moving in the right direction. It can be done. It has been done. Plus, read up on neuroplasticity of the brain and our ability to rewire some of it. May you find encouragement in my experience.

Bravo, Lisa! You can do this. Don't turn back.  I also did twice.  And you are sooooo right about measuring progress week to week or month to month. Yes! Not day to day.

 I found my biggest relief was slow, deep breathing for about a minute at a time while my anxiety was crazy. It really helps.  And I want to recommend a great book The Unteathered Soul by Michael Singer that helps you learn to be in control of your mind and thoughts while you are now so out of control.  It really changed me and I gained quick ground after reading it.  I also used positive affirmations after reading that.  Telling your brain/being something different from being anxious.  I would stop, sit quietly and say over and over "I am happy, I am healthy, I am soooo grateful".  And I'll be darned if a smile wouldn't come to my face each time.  Like my soul said, thank you for that!

i hope you continue to see improvement each week.  Ellen

Have had a really bad week inc 2 days migraine, no energy, feeling I could lie down and sleep anywhere it's been a real struggle to get out of bed and go to work two days.

Had app at GP tonight She wasn't concerned about my weight gain even tho I am she just said she will check my blood sugar and thyroid levels, if they are ok then I'm fine apparently, trying not to despair. Going away for weekend for my granddaughters christening should be looking forward to it I do want to see them but everything it such an effort,

sorry for the moan