Sertraline Withdrawal .. Does it go away?

Hi, I've been taking sertraline for many years. I've reduced my dosage from 150-100-50 mg. I tried 25 mg, but started getting these electric shock through my head, which were horrendous. So I increased my dosage back to 50mg. Immediately the brain zaps disappeared.  Unfortunately my brain zaps have returned after a good year. I've been keeping myself fit, eating well, drinking loads of fluids. Feeling great.  Last weekend I went away with my family to walk up Snowdonia. Unfortunately I forgot my tablets and only missed about 3-4 days. Now I feel like s**t.  Have you found a way to help you get rid of these horrid brain zaps. I'm so ready for weaning off these drugs, except for these electric shocks!!!! Help

Dear meteor63

I have a similar thing going on.  I started  on Zoloft 13 years ago.  I recently became very addictive  to alcohol while on zoloft.  This is one of the less common side effects but it does exist.  One evening i had too much alcohol very bad idea it did not mix well with zoloft i went into a downward spiral.  I had to taper off the antidepressant  as it was not working for me anymore.   My inention was to stay off antidepressants  but to this day i am having terrible anxiety, fear and depression that wont  go away.  I have been like this since I came off in July. It has been total torture  so i know what you're  going  through  at this stage i might have to go back on antidepressants  znd taper in a lobger period.   I believe  i came off too quickly 2 months is not enough.  You afe in my prayers i know what u must be going through hang in there.  Talk to your dictor get your endocrine checked and take supplements.

Yes I too am suffering withdrawal. I stopped cold turkey so been pretty bad . Nausea like morning sickness, dizziness, brain fog, hot sweats. It’s been 2 weeks now and nausea is subsiding but still have other symptoms. 

X

Hi everyone,

I've also been experiencing problems with withdrawal symptoms and was wandering if anyone had advice on what to do from here. I was on 50mg of sertraline for roughly 6 months to treat SAD and depression, and about a month ago I cut down to 25mg. However as of last Friday, so six days ago, I decided to go cold turkey. I was initially going to taper more slowly, i.e. start taking 25mg every other day for a while then every two days and so on, but I felt great the day after stopping and wanted to get this s**t out of my system for good and so naively decided to cut it out permanently. Five days on and i've been suffering from dizziness, headaches, tiredness, anxiety, and I wouldn't say brain zaps but brain tingles, especially when I move my eyes or head quickly. It's not unbearable; I can still get through my day, do my work and socialise to an extent, but its just kind of annoying and I'm wandering when it might stop.

I'm now aware that I may have tapered off too quickly so maybe it would be best to start taking it again and taper off more slowly? On the other hand I wasn't on the medication for that long a time so maybe my brain chemistry wasn't altered too much and so hopefully the withdrawal effects won't last too long?

I'd appreciate any advice! And thank god I found this thread!

Thanks  

I wanted to post my experience on the internet as reading others' posts has really helped me.  I started on 100 mg of Zoloft or Sertraline.  I have been taking ssri's for 15 years and I don't believe they are helpful for me at this time and I talked to my doctor and got on Buspar (works wonderful for me) and have been tapering off of Zoloft.  I was treated for anxiety, not depression.

All the instruction my doctor gave me was to go slow.  So I took my pill cut it in half and then on piece in half again.  I used a pair of scissors.  I took 1/2 and 1/2 of a half about 75 mgs.  I did this every other day for 1 week and by Saturday I was quite dizzy and well into withdrawal.  So I did it for another week only skipping some every third day and by the next Saturday I was OK.  It was still uncomfortable and I could tell I was withdrawing but I stuck with that for about 4 weeks.  Then I went to 1 and a 1/2 every other day again and I was now ok with that dosage decrease.

I stayed on 1 and 1/2 for another two weeks (75 mgs which is 1/2 of a pill and 1/2 of the other half).  then I started eliminating the 1/2 of a half.  this took another 4 weeks and I am down to 50 mg now with just slight discomfort and dizziness.

Starting after Christmas, I will start with 1/2 of that half and go from there to probably be done about 2-4 months after Christmas.  I am looking forward to my life without this drug or other forms of it. I have lost track of who I really am and want to know what I am feeling is not realted to any of these types of pills. 

Hope that helps someone.  

I'm also stopped setraline after 6 weeks of taking it.im feeling anxiety due to withdrawal but not getting any other side effects. I'm also taking fish oil and magnesium. I'm hoping the withdrawal doesn't last long.i was on 25 mg. Doc asked me to take it one day and skip the next day.do this for a week.

I'm really sorry to hear your experience.  I was on citalopram for two years and decided to come off them with the help of my doctor.   But I started symptoms again so doc suggested I try sertraline. Within a few weeks I had hallucinated. I came off sertraline and commenced citalopram at the same time. This eliminated all withdrawal symptoms.  But please check with a health professional. These meds are dangerous if abused.  Best of luck

I have been on sertraline for 6 months and it has been awful on them I was on 150 I just stopped them but I would suggest come off them slowly how I decided to come off straight away was I was crazy on them so I thought if I'm not feeling ok on them I need to stop them because I couldn't handle what they were doing to me I'm glad I stopped them you have to prepare yourself that its gonna be tough so expect the worse and it can only get better but I was determined to get this awful drug out of my system its been hard but I'm getting there take each day at a time my days are slowly improving I've been off them 2 weeks and finally I am  having better days more good than bad so there is light at the end of my tunnel hope that's given you hope its not easy and you have to take a day at a time I've still got a lot of  days to go ahead of me by the signs other people are saying so I am preparing for them but at mo had a better day today than I did yesterday so its a start good luck

Hi there,I see your post is 4 years ago and wondered how things were with you now.

I have been slowly withdrawing from 100mg of sertraline via the Dr for a few months now and have been totally free from them for about a month,obviously I’ve had very similar side effects to yourself hence googling and came across your post.

I am a husband and father of 2 and Work full time but my marriage is all but over now and I think it might be to do with these side effects,headaches over my left eye are constant but the crying all the time for no real reason is a strain,I am nearly 44 years old and did think I was going through a “midlife crisis” I have recently been going out with friends and not wanting to return home,maybe it’s a bit of both.

I am making an emergency appointment with the Dr today as I have felt over Xmas period of ending it all.

I will give an update on here with how things turn out as it might help others in the same situation