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Weening off Sertraline

Posted , 5 users are following.

Bear73
Bear73

I been on Sertraline for a year I told my Dr I want to come off because of weight gain. I take 100mg she told me to half it for 5 days and just stop after 5 days. So far I been dehydrated with headaches also dizziness and I think the electric shock everyone is talking bout.

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • tony75810
    tony75810 Bear73

    Posted

    I was prescribed 50mg two years ago and suffered three months of extreme side effects. Turns out I was misdiagnosed. I only had a vitamin deficiency. My GP was reluctant to let me come off sertraline - I suspect due to withdrawal symptoms. I weaned myself off over a period of a month, as a chemist informed me that a dose of 25mg a day was little more than a placebo. All was well until a week after my last dose. I am now suffering continual brain zaps. Every time I move my head or even step off a kerb I get a shap zap. Also headaches and dizziness. With my reaction to starting sertraline I'm expecting this to last about 12 weeks, which apparently, is not unusual. I wish I knew these facts before I started on this drug - I would never have taken it
    • don45258
      don45258 tony75810

      Posted

      I'm having the same problem how did u find out that it was vitamin deficiency?
    • tony75810
      tony75810 don45258

      Posted

      My counsellor realised I wasn't suffering from anxiety or depression (I thought originally I had SAD) and asked about my blood test results. I hadn't had any, so she suggested I had them done. Turned out I had a severe deficiency in vitamin D and was put on a massive dose - I felt great straight away.
    • Bear73
      Bear73 tony75810

      Posted

      Maybe it's the sertraline causing that because they told me the same exact thing that I had a vitamin D deficiency and they gave me the 5,000mg but it didn't work for me I was still feeling tired.
    • tony75810
      tony75810 Bear73

      Posted

      I was on 40,000 units a day!

      it probably is the reason with me as my illness only manifested itself in winter. Guaranteed over the Christmas period I would have dizzy spells and be constantly tired. I went to the doctors each year to be told it was a virus, then I was depressed. Living in the northwest of England, the winters are dark and dank - no wonder I was suffering from a lack of sunlight lol

  • e37242
    e37242 Bear73

    Posted

    NEVER withdraw that quickly. I had to take six months to withdraw. I went down to 50 mg for several months, 25 mg for several months, then 25 mg every other day for several months. And still I had awful withdrawal. I tried to stop three times and the first two were too bad so I went back on. The last time when I took six months to reduce dosage, I finally didn't have brain zaps after I quit but anxiety and crying lasted three months.  Please take your time getting off. Ellen
    • Bear73
      Bear73 e37242

      Posted

      I need to call my Dr and see because I'm having pounding headaches mixed with allergies is not good.
    • don45258
      don45258 e37242

      Posted

      Hi I've gone from 100mg to 50mg and feel low and like I've got a hangover in a morning is this normal?
    • e37242
      e37242 don45258

      Posted

      People have such different symptoms reducing. Sounds normal.  I didn't have any symptoms reducing but many do. Maybe try 75 for a while? 50 may be too much of a drop.
  • rachael58630
    rachael58630 Bear73

    Posted

    I agree that you need to taper off very slowly. 5 days is too quick. I'm currently tapering off from

    50mg. I have been doing so for 3 months now. I started taking 50mg one day then 25mg the next. Did this for a month and then went down to 25mg for 2 days followed by 50mg on the 3rd day. I'm now trying 3 days on 25mg followed by 50mg on the 4th day. I've not had too many side effects yet apart from feeling more agitated/irritable and crying more. Hope this helps. Good luck x

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