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Sertraline Withdrawal .. Does it go away?

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meteor63
meteor63

Hi. I just wondered if anyone had been through sertraline withdrawal and got better? I look on the internet and can't find anything positive about ssri withdrawal, particularly sertraline. I guess when people stop posting, it means they've got better. All I seem to see is posts from people who've been suffering for months or longer. I just want some hope.

I was on citalopram last year (first ever anti depressant) and came off it after 2 months because I had terrible reactions to it. A week later I was put on sertraline and reacted terribly to that too (I'm still suffering the side effects).

I took my last sertraline 3 weeks ago. My top dose was 100mg and I was going nuts. I dropped down to 50mg for about 5 weeks, 25mg for 2 weeks and 25mg every other day for a week.

Since then (and during titration) I have been having brain zaps all day every day and every time I move my eyes. I'm more exhausted than I've ever been in my life. I have sweats. I have worse sinus problems than I've ever had. I have loads of pressure behind and around my left eye. I can barely look at the television or read. I have long crying bouts. All this on top of the existing hideous and ongoing side effects which are worse than withdrawal.

I was on sertraline for a total of about 3.5 months and have been off 3.5 weeks. I've heard the average for withdrawal symptoms is around 6 weeks but can be much longer. Given my extreme sensitivity to medication, I'm afraid that I may be one if the unlucky ones. I was much better before I took any meds.

I'm taking loads of fish oil and magnesium, eating healthily and drinking lots of water. I was trying to be positive but am becoming less positive by the day.

Anyone else experienced this and recovered? I can't bear the thought of going on any more meds because I can't tolerate them.

Thank you.

31 likes, 714 replies

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  • don53910
    don53910 meteor63

    Posted

    My brain zaps lasted about 6 months and occured with every eye movement.  Then less frequently for a couple of years with occurance one or two days per month.  After being off Prozac, Welbutrim, and others for over 10 years I still get them occassionally when I am tired.  So I think there is permanent damage from long term use ( I was on antidepressants for avbout 10 years).  At first there was virtually nothing on the internet about it and the prescribing Dr had never heard of it. Now I am seeing that many experience this.  
    • betsy0603
      betsy0603 don53910

      Posted

      There's a peer support forum on just the topic of psych med withdrawal and proper tapering!  I'm happy for you that you got free, Don, but sorry that you still have lingering effects.  How long have you been off everything now?  How'd you come off and what was it like while doing so?

  • deborah80185
    deborah80185 meteor63

    Posted

    I empathize completely. I have never had any addiction to deal with other than smoking. Foolishly thought "how bad can it get?" My dr. Never gave any hint I'd have a problem stopping Zoloft.I have been on 200 milligrams for 7 years. This is my fourth attempt to quit., Horrible!!!! Had every withdrawal symptom in one 24 hour period .Have been tapering down for several months ...a little rough and then wham. I wanted so badly to die. Body on fire, head buzzing and hurting worse than I ever experienced. Then started vomiting and diarrhea.Severe muscle cramps in my stomach, couldn't walk, etc. But I refuse to back-slide. I'm just really afraid of what may come next....??

  • juan_54101
    juan_54101 meteor63

    Posted

    I hope it does I've been clean for 100 days and I still suffer from withdrawal time time I have notice stiff neck headches in the begging massive headches muscle weakness but I got plagued with stomach acid never had heart burn before now I have acid reflux everyday becomes of the hcl I took ...hope you can give some feed back

  • Dee0112
    Dee0112 meteor63

    Posted

    Hey meteor63

    I am having brain zaps and feeling awful after stopping Zoloft cold turkey. I read your post and wondering if you could provide feedback regarding how long the withdrawal symptoms took to go away. 6 weeks is an awful long time to wait.

    Thanks in advance

    • Tezes
      Tezes Dee0112

      Posted

      Can't understand why you would put yourself through this when you have all this advice on offer. Please read the researched advice on this thread in order to taper safely and avoid the withdrawal symptoms. You should Never go cold turkey it is dangerous to your nervous system and can have long lasting even permanent effects.

      Taking it slowly is the key, best wishes

    • Dee0112
      Dee0112 Tezes

      Posted

      Hi Tezes

      Yes - agreed but I didnt read the info before stopping the Serdep and I had only been on 50mg per day for 3 months  - so a very small dose for a very small amount of time! 

    • Tezes
      Tezes Dee0112

      Posted

      The lower the dose the slower you should taper I'm afraid. I took 7 months to come off 50mg but it was worth the patience and I avoided all withdrawal symptoms. I don't know how long you've been without taking it but it is possible to reinstate to a smaller dose and then begin the 10% taper.

    • maureen75524
      maureen75524 Dee0112

      Posted

      Six weeks, I had w.d. for a year and a half.  I was on 150 mg and tapered over three months, way too fast.  I suffered big time, everyone is different however, but cold turkey is dangerous.  This is a psychiatirc drug that alters your brain chemistry, a slow taper as Tezes mentioned is definitely the way to go for far less suffering.
  • melissa62456
    melissa62456 meteor63

    Posted

    I was on setraline for 10 months I can honestly say the first 4 months were horrible I don't know how I made it through..almost anything would have been better. I decided to wean myself off because I could not stand the way they made me feel. I was up to 75 and went down to 50 for a month then down to 25 for 3to4 weeks and stopped. It has now been 5 weeks and the withdrawal has been hell I have had eye pain and soreness; sensitivity to light and sun, brain zaps, pressure in head, digestive problems, very thirsty, tingling in hands and feet, foginess I could go on and on. I will not go back on sertraline and do not recommend to anyone no matter how your state i's anything is better than startin these meds. Go outside, exercise, meditate do anything but these one you start you will be to scared to come off them they have that affect and will be for life the longer you stay on if you chose to go down this path at all.

  • sharna74725
    sharna74725 meteor63

    Posted

    I have been taking Zoloft for 6 years on a dose of 50mg daily, these helped me at the time but i got to the point where i was stable enough in my moods and i have an amazing support system my partner is incredable. I have now been off my medicaion for 8 days I started  to tapper on the 30th of June cutting my medication in half for 2 weeks and then down to taking half  tablet every second day, and then i stoped all together. 

    After 2 full days of not taking the medication I began to have intence brian zaps general unwellness and insomnia. I have done alot of research into how SSRI's affect the brain and looked on countless forums and alot of people asking how others delt with the withdrawal symptoms. The most common aswers were to take alot of fish oil for the omega 3 and its value as it aids in healing the brain increasing brain volume and grey matter and is a building block for the brain. The other was to take Vitamin B Complex which helps to reduce stress and increase overall energy. Also their was mention of an amino acid called 5htp. When taking an SSRI or antidepessant it rewires your brain to become dependent on it to create sufficient serotonin. When you discontinue the drug, the brain is still expecting to receive the serotonin boost that it got from your antidepressant It takes the brain a little while to figure out that it’s no longer getting any serotonin from the medication. Things can then get chaotic as the brain attempts to reset its normal functioning. By taking 5-HTP, This may help reduce anxiety, can improve mood, and decrease all withdrawal symptoms related to low-serotonin.

    Let me just say that I am in no means a medical professional at all and please do look into these things yourselfs before you take them. I am just sharing my story in the hope it could help others.

    I Started taking the Vitamin B complex as well as the fish oil and i can say much to my suprise that my brain Zaps have weakened and i am feeling alot better in myslef. 

    I am still not sleeping well at all but hope that when my 5HTP arive in the mail that they will help aid my sleep deprovation. 

    I truley hope that this may help .

     

    • Liana23
      Liana23 sharna74725

      Posted

      Hi Sharna,

      Can I possibly ask if you have been taking zoloft for depression or panic attacks?

      I recently started with it for my panic attacks and of course it is giving me a hard time (the side effects). So I am curious to know, if it really is gonna get better. That is why I am writing to you (becuase u have been on it for 6 years). Am I ever gonna be normal again? A life free of side effects, panic and nausea?

    • sharna74725
      sharna74725 Liana23

      Posted

      Hi Liana,

      Yes I started taking zoloft when I was 23 due to increasing anxiety panic attacks and just generally not being able to cope with the smallest things going wrong .... it was litterally a whole carton of milk spilling through the fridge that was the last straw, I was lucky to have someone close to me that had been watching my slow decline into this hole and this same person was the one who took me to the dr and where I was perscribed Zoloft.

      It took a month or so for it to start working for me, i remember feeling a little spaced out for the first week or so and having an upset stomach also. My anxiety did improve and I became more alble to handle situations better i didnt have any side affects other then retaining a little more weight than i normaly would but I started to walk alot which counteracted that... However I feel that at that point in my life I wasnt very well equipt to manage myself I was too far gone to be able to turn around and zoloft really helped me get back on track and able to step ot the door! 

      Now I am older and have done alot of looking and learning about myself and i have a very supportive partner I felt that I no longer wanted or needed zoloft, I also began having anxiety and mini panic attacks while i was still taking it and so I just decided to start the tappering off.

      I will get better but i would recomend going to talk to someone even if it is once a month or less it really is important to learn about where these feeling come from and inturn it will help you overcome them.

       please let me know if you want to know anything else.

      Kind regards

      Sharna smile  

    • katsta4
      katsta4 Liana23

      Posted

      Zoloft has been a life saver for me smile I was put on it nearly 4 years ago and I was in a very bad way with anxiety and panic attacks. Apart from a dry mouth that is the only side effect I got .I am now coming off it as hope that I will be able to cope without it but have no qualms in going back on it if I start to struggle again .Good luck x 

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