Sertraline Withdrawal .. Does it go away?
Posted , 276 users are following.
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
Loopylou2k7 meteor63
Posted
Hi everyone -
Long story but here it goes i will do my best to use that bit of brain that still feels like its working to explain. (Bet you all know how and what i mean).
Over the years i have been on a few different SSRI drugs or as i like to call them now POISON!.
Starting of 5 years ago on citalopram 40mg i had anxiety at this point... Looking back it was nothing like i have experienced in the last few months it happened more in situational circumstances as in i worried about being stuck in traffic and not having a toilet around. My anxiety would then cause me to need a poo etc. But at home i was in my safe place and rarely had panic attacks. My gosh how all that has changed. I now have anxiety attacks in my home god knows how many times a day my safe space has been destroyed and i don't no what it feels like to have a safe place anymore. My health anxiety is atrocious and my agoraphobia is to a new level.
So a few years of being on citalopram and nothing really seemed to get any better just worse so i went back to the doctors. This is when they put me on to sertraline!!! There was no taper just a straight swap to 50mg of sertraline. I was lucky and i say lucky now as i didnt seem to have any effects of changing over to a different tablet. So over a period of a year i went from 50mg to the max of 200mg with the added 40mg 3x a day of proparanolol for a while i was ok anxiety still there but nothing like it is now. Then wham all off a sudden i couldn't function again anxiety was through the roof i was dizzy and nauseous constantly and then the agoraphobia hit. I quit my job as i physical couldn't go out anymore. So back to the doctors 5 months ago and here is were all this started. So the doctors told me to cut my sertraline down from 200mg for a few weeks and then stop at 100mg and go onto 20mg of mirtazapine. For the first few days i felt great then WHAM. Whilst sat in my bedroom my eyesight went and i couldn't see a thing. Instantly my body went into panic after about 15 minutes (seemed like a lifetime) my eyesight came back. I stood up and my whole left side of my body, and in my mouth went numb like i had been given way to much anaesthetic. That night i called the Paramedics for the first time. They checked the normal and done a ECG. Everything came back as it should. Within a few hours it was gone and i felt stupid. So i carried on with the mitazapine as been instructed by the doctor. Few more days in a now it had reached an all time high. I was convulsing constantly, shivering but was absolutely boiling. I couldn't settle at all constantly pacing around even though i felt shattered my body would not allow me to settle and sleep. I couldnt eat anything, i was shaking constantly etc etc.This went on for what felt like months but in reality was about two weeks. Doctors were called again and i was told to stop the mitazapine. ( i had taken 14 pills) i was then put straight on to fluoxetine 20mg. At this point i was so frightened of being left on my own that i was having 24 hour care shared between my Mum,Dad and Partner.
So off i go putting another drug into my cocktail of drugs in my body. Still feeling just as bad as ever. All i can say here is by the 19th day of the fluoxetine i had, had enough of these tablets and made my own decision to get every single one out of my system. I may have been wrong to do this but i could not take anymore.
So 5 months of the sertraline 200mg and 4 months off the 20mg of mirtazapine and just over 3 months of stopping the fluoxtine. As i said the last two drugs i was on no longer then 2 weeks each.
My god how do the doctors not know what these tablets can do especially when they dish them out like they are sweets.
Here and now -
- Constant tingling all over my body especially worst when i first wake up and when im trying to sleep.
- Burning skin, like somebody is holding a match under my skin at all times. But yet my hands and feet are numb and cold.
- Bloated beyond belief
- Dizzy ness i don't no what it feels like to not feel like im on a rocking boat in the middle of the ocean.
- Itching like there are millions of bugs on my body. Sometimes it feels like they are trying to get in, sometimes it feels like they are trying to get out.
- Body jolts. Most annoying at night when im trying to sleep. Its like some annoying farmer is prodding me with a cattle prod.
- As soon as i eat it feels like my body goes into more dark places. Anxiety levels increase.
- Small amounts of food send my blood sugars up from 5.5 to anywhere between 8 and 10. Absolutely petrified to eat anything to sugary.
- Urination approximately 4 times in an hour every hour. Bladder always feels full and heavy.
- Body temperature always low..34.9 •c even though i dont feel cold.
- Clenched jaw all the time that then gives me headache.
I could go on and on and everyday there maybe something new.
Will life ever be normal again i would give anything to just have my plain old anxiety back.
I feel for each and everyone of you on here that have been let down or not listened to by doctors. My heart goes out to you all.
I pray that i will return to some sort of normality. Some days are harder than others as ive learnt that there are definitely Windows and Waves in this process. But when those Waves hit they hit hard i wonder how i will ever make it through this.
Everyday is a roller coaster of different Physical, Intellectual, Emotional and Social whirlwinds wondering if there is something more to this and my organs are failing me slowly. But each day i am still here and i am determined to fight this!
Guest Loopylou2k7
Posted
Loopylou,
While reading your entry, my mind has been racing! You said everything that I've been feeling! The biggest problem I have is that I'm being given these mind altering drugs by a doctor without my approval! I'm going to a methadone clinic and for some reason they think I need antidepressants! I have know it isn't methadone because when I stopped it was a different kind of hell! I don't know where to go or how to get help. I've been to all kinds of doctors asking them to take my blood and tell me what is in my system! They think I'm crazy that the clinic wouldn't do something like this, well guess what they are and I'm going to find a way to expose them for what they are doing to me.
But for you, I'm so sad that you are going through this. I hope that you find your way back. But I'm afraid that we are going to be fighting this fight for a while and I'm scared to death. So if you ever need to talk, I'm here!
R
Loopylou2k7 Guest
Posted
Its so horrible i took these tablets to help me get better and now im a wreak with no life what so ever just in physical pain and emotional pain 24 hours a day. It isnt fair! I went to the doctors today and they did all blood test but i no nothing will come back it is all protracted withdrawls from the antidepressants but doctors sont believe it lasts more than 5/6 weeks. Im so sorry what has happend to you its horrible but just remeber you will have a few days here and there were u will feel normal and it will get better over time. I keep telling myself this everyday praying that it is true x
heather52246 Loopylou2k7
Posted
:0 reading that a felt like crying for you and I've been doing a lot of that for myself recently a thought a was bad
a was put on sertraline and lasted 10 weeks on the stuff it made me ill and made my anxiety worse than I've ever experienced in my whole life! Been off them almost 3 months and am still not right it's like my body is in constant state of anxiety.. because of the physical side of things it's developed into health anxiety and have never been out the doctors but they can't find a thing wrong with me. They prescribed another anti d but it will be going in the bin.. I'll never take another one ever again.. so sorry what you've been going through.. doctors should stop handing these out as the only solution to anxiety and depression as it's not always the case. Your central nervous system will be needing so much healing.. can't believe all those pills they've flung at you tho and the different doses 
so dangerous
heather52246 Loopylou2k7
Posted
My doctor was the same as well doesn't believe in withdrawal told me a was ridiculous as they're not addictive so a shouldn't be experiencing anything.. she told me to stop dead on them and this is how I believe it's taking my body so long. Even tho it was only 10 weeks one pill changes the Brian chemistry.. it's damages my central nervous system.. I get ringing in my ears badly now and inner vibration that I never had before it.. a feeling of pure aggitation like a can't sit still or a won't be at peace.. a get the worst chest discomfort.. as if someone is squeezing me and a hear my heart beat constantly even when it's just beating at a normal pace.. all systems a never had before.. struggle to sleep most nights with these symptoms.. sometimes get chest pain as well.. just after ecg as I was like how can this be anxiety what is wrong with me and it's came back fine.. so a can't go to the doctors anymore it just makes me worse..
Loopylou2k7 heather52246
Posted
Loopylou2k7 heather52246
Posted
heather52246 Loopylou2k7
Posted
Yeah I totally understand
just horrible so many including yourself have to suffer.. I cry most days out of frustration.. it's awful. Just turned 30 in August and a couldn't do a thing.. it's like all enjoyment in life has left. Hopefully times a healer for us all! I've taken some herbal kalms am hoping it helps me stay peaceful for sleep tonight.. fingers crossed x
Loopylou2k7 heather52246
Posted
Fingers crossed to you. Totally agree im 30 next august and im hoping to god its better than my 29th.
Hope you have a good sleep 😴
I feel your pain. 😭
heather52246 Loopylou2k7
Posted
Managed to get to sleep and stay sleeping a felt actually actually a lot more calmer so a don't know if the herbs in those kalms do help it not if it's just like folk say you think they're gonna and so they do either way I definely felt more calmer
marcia_33596 Loopylou2k7
Posted
matt39801 Loopylou2k7
Posted
Hi Loopy Lou
You probably don’t still read the forum but I came across your post and it blew me away !
Over the years I to have had a mixture of antidepressants, Prozac, Citalopran and have suffered on them.
I had a breakdown 7 months ago , long story short I was put on 200mg of Sertraline, 15mg Mirtazapine and 5mg of Diazipan (3 a day) I seemed to get worse, terrible crying, suicidal thoughts, house bound ! I went for a shot walk 3 weeks ago and had a seizure when I got back , went to A&E had blood tests and a CT scan all fine , spoke to the psychiatrist’s nurse she called him and I have had to come down to 100mg in two weeks, withdrawal very unpleasant, brain zaps, foggy head , dizzy , not sleeping well , low mood , ringing in my ears the list goes on!
After doing bundles of research I’ve come to the conclusion that antidepressants have a very limited effect the majority is the placebo effect but we have all the nasty chemical in our bodies now , I’m 53 , I decided to have a Mirena coil a couple of weeks ago to give me some Progesterone, I feel calmer already apart from these nasty withdrawal symptoms and the ones I’ve had on these drugs .
It’ll be a long process but I’m determined to get drug free in the next few months, I do not now believe AD’s are always the answer especially after reading, well half way through a book looking into anxiety and depression and what the drug companies don’t tell us !
It’s not gonna be easy I know but slowly but surely I will get med free and deal with my issues in a different way , can’t wait to get this crap out of my system.
If you do read this I hope your doing well and let me know how you are doing.
All the best
Matt
Loopylou2k7 matt39801
Posted
It sounds to me like you got serotonin syndrome when they changed your tablets over but yet again there are few and far between doctors that even would admit it was that. I hope you continue to get better and off the medication they are pure poison and given out way to easy.
tony12044 Loopylou2k7
Posted
I posted a while back about my experiences trying to get off Zoloft after 20 years on the drug. Three or four times I tried weaning myself down but always felt terrible and ended up starting back on the Zoloft in order to feel relatively normal. However about 8 months ago I ran out and decided to go cold turkey without the drug, the first 3 weeks were pure hell. However after that I rebounded and felt better than ever, more energy, less need for sleep. I lost 7 lbs. I now know what it feels to have a normal life without my neurotransmitters being jacked around with. I see you that people have so many varied experiences dealing with his problem on this blog site, my solution may not work for all and it certainly isn't one that is recommended by the medical community. However the fact remains that I am free from this poison in my system and feel wonderful and will never go back on those drugs again. Just food for thought. One person's answer may not work for everybody. Good luck in your endeavors.
matt39801 Loopylou2k7
Posted
I’m so sad that your going through all this crap , and yes I do think I had seretonin syndrome but of course no one will confirm that!
Do you live in the Uk ? I have started doing webinars, it’s On the NHS site , you can see the therapist but he can’t see you or the other participants, you can type in questions during the session, I’m finding it very helpful in fact I went for a 15 minuet walk on my own today and danced to a song on the radio ! I strongly believe that AD’s have there place but going by the book I am reading only about 26% of the pill works the rest is the placebo effect, so we’re shovelling this crap down our throats each day for little reward and in fact bad side effects for most.
The book I am reading has made me angry with the big drug companies but has also gave me the determination to eventually be med free.
We can all do this we do not have mental health problems we have emotional problems that need addressing and once we understand why we get anxious or depressed we can start to unravel it all and take control back.
If you are in the UK please look on the NHS website for the webinars and other helpful advice , there’s even YouTube links to follow to help with pain control, I am by no means back to my old happy self but know I will get there with hard work and determination, we can all do it but we have to believe we can .
Take good care
Matt
matt39801 tony12044
Posted
I’m down to 100mg Sertraline 15mg Mirtazapine and 5mg Diazipan which was three times a day I’ve got the Diazipan down to two a day , will start to wean off them once I’ve levelled out on the 100mg Sert then after the Diazipan is out of my system I’ll start to go down on the Sert and then the Mirtazapine, I’m hoping by the summer to be med free , fingers crossed.
By that time I should have got better with my social anxiety as I’m going to make an effort to join groups etc, it’s gonna be hard I know but I’m determined!
Matt