Stopped sertraline after only 6 days due to bad side effects

Hi dawn thanks for your reply, I've stopped taking them been of them 6 days now, I keep thinking that it's done harm to my brain stupid I know but it's how I think, they scared me so much I couldn't do it, I wake up thinking the same thing everyday. I've suffered anxiety for months and it's the first time my nose has felt funny that's why it scared me. Wednesday can't come quick enough I'm scared she's going to say I shouldn't of stopped them but the nurse told me to stop if i wanted to so I did at day 6. O have three children to look after and the pill gave me migraines too and very tired also massive pupils, sweating, caused a peroid but I'm on the pill, green stools, really frightened me.

Hi Paul, I only too 50mg for 6 days, medication is just to much for me I can't handle it same with fluoxetine, citalopram. Want to try a natural way but still want the support from my gp, fingers crossed she agrees im just a massive worrier usually about health, my kids, ect. I do cbt too but I can't get my head around it atm it's a group one I'm doing I think I need one to one.

Hi Desiree, 

As others have said, you will recover from this.  It is just a testament to how powerful these drugs are.  It caused an imbalance in your neurotransmitters and now the waves have to settle.  The feelings you are having, though distrubing, are normal, and it will just take time for the drug to fully leave your body and for the imbalance to settle out.

There are lots of things you can do to help your anxiety naturally.  One on one is great, but also there's a lot of different techniques to try and maybe one will suit you better than another.  Do a web search for self help cognitive behavior therapy and you will finds lots of resources. MIndfulness meditation, again lots on the web, Grounding therapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques, etc.  It helps also to realize that it is our thoughts that cause the anxiety, ultimately, though your "lizard brain" may have gotten trained to react to things out of proportion and so you have to pay attention; it can be retrained, though.  It may help to recognize that living in the past (thinking about the past) is of no value and causes suffering if the thoughts are bad ones, and no one can predict the future, so living in the future (thoughts about the future, if they are negative, worrying) is also of no value.  All we have is this moment.  Most of the time we can say "at this moment, I am ok, my family is ok."  The goal is to live in the present as much as you can, and to catch yourself when you start thinking of past (just a story) and future; become aware of when you do that, and nudge yourself back to the present.  Breathe, and be aware of the feeling of breathing, air in through the nose, out through the mouth, belly rising and falling.  This is presence.

I think this is good for anyone, but fish oil, 2 g a day, and magnesium in chelated form (I use the glycinate version) is helpful - magnesium is calming and I take it AM/PM.

I am sure your system will settle.  Try to be patient.  And if this doctor isn't supportive of your desire to treat yourself naturally, then find another one if possible.  These drugs are not to be triffled with and are actually horrendously difficult to come off of, something doctors don't acknowledge and inform patients about.  Just count yourself lucky that you aren't finding yourself in that boat!  You can do this!  

Thank u so much Betsy, I guess I'm just worried it's damaged my brain, just wish I never took it in the first place. That being said I've got a much positive attitude as I did two weeks ago so maybe trailing sertraline may of helped, I don't know, it just scared me so much.

That's another thing that scared me was withdrawing from it when I didn't feel anxious no more. Read lots of horror stories which probably doesn't help.

I agree Paul, medication is not for me and I hope il never been in a deep enough position to desperately need it as it makes me bad, ive not had a pill for 7 days now, I had a sip of my partners Orangina and forgot it had grapefruit in so that scared me even tho I've not touched a pill for a week, have to be really careful dont you. My mind races all the time 😣

I am tapering off mine but each day is as bad as the one before in some way. I have been in the house for two solid days as I can not venture far from the bathroom and have a constant abdomen tension. How have your 7 days gone and did you just stop.

How are you feeling today, Desiree?

I just stopped, I feel fine apart from a strange feeling in my nose and a bit of worry thinking (oh crap should I have done that?) but I've eaten breakfast dinner and tea which was a massive problem for me as I barely ate before, I think it's made me realise I don't want to be on tablets I can't hack the side effects (I had lots of them) I'm back at the docs tomorrow so will see what she says. Ahh I hope u feel better very soon, docs should be more open on the side effects of these types of medication and the consequences rather than just hand them out! I did try citalopram end of Sept and I trialed 11 days and just stopped and opted for cognitive behavioural therapy, which I'm still doing, but I had a rough month with worry so I went to see my gp who said il just feel "tired" on sertraline! Yeah ok! And the rest.

Hi Betsy, feeling ok today, still have a weird feeling in my nose, and the worry of just stopping them but at Dr's tomorrow so hopefully I should feel a little relieved. Thank you for asking

You're going to be fine :-)  Those are just little nuisance side effects/withdrawal effects that will disappear.  I can't remember the name of it but there is some genetic testing about our ability to take medications and I am guessing you are one of the super sensitive ones.  Meanwhile, investigate those healthier alternatives because there's lots of ways to skin a cat, as the saying goes!

Morning, I will definitely look into healthier alternatives, woke up with a slight slit in the end of my tounge this morning any ideas?. Never experienced it before

These drugs and their after affects do strange things, and it could be that you were really bumping your tongue around in the night.  I grind my teeth horribly.  It will heal and all will be well :-)

Been Dr's, she was very nice and supportive of my decision to try natural way, I go see her in January and she said the drugs should be out my system now as I only had 6 days and now day 8 without. I just want to feel normal before the drugs, ive been having a dry mouth at night so maybe that's why it's happened.

It may take a bit longer to recover to baseline because Effexor is very powerful and sent your serotonin AND norepinephrine into chaos, and changes in those cause repercussions with other neurotransmitters, enzymes, hormones etc with genes getting turned on and off...takes time for all of that to settle! But, it will!

Its wasn't effexor, was sertraline which I think is zolof, think effexor is more powerful than sertraline.

Was just a ssri. Rather than ssnri

oops, sorry, got the drug wrong.  Still a lot of repercussions even without the N

I must say I'm feeling more like myself again (thank god) still have a lot of worries tho and stupid thoughts that don't seem to ease but gonna try push through and keep taking my rescue remedy. Will never take a ADs again scared me so much! Hopefully everything will be on the up! Thankyou for your replies 😀

I'm glad to hear it, Desiree!  There may still be waves from your adventure with ADs but they will settle.  There are tons of things you can do to deal with emotional troubles.  Google cognitive behavior therapy self help, and guided meditations.  I'm sending you a link for something that I found really helpful, too

hi, I know this post is old but can you send me the link too? thx