Zoloft withdrawal going cold turkey - advice please
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hi, found this forum and have seen a lot of helpful people. Hoping for some advice or perhaps just reassurance it will get better.
I have struggled with anxiety and depression most of my life. Been on zoloft and citalopram before. Zoloft back when I was very young. Didnt stick with it did to cost and the frequent need to go back for checkups. Stopped cold turkey no problem though I don't think I took it very long or had very high dose. Citalopram I stopped due to excessive grinding and just tense feeling. Anyway that I also stopped cold turkey after a few months.
Fast forward a decade or so and I decided to give zoloft another try. With a family and kid, I really wanted to try my best to tackle my depression and anxiety. I struggled with suicidal thoughts most my life but strangely was kept from taking action by guilt of all things. My parents suffered true hardships in their lives and worked hard to come to America and provide my sister and I great opportunities they never had. How could I pay them back by taking my own life. That thought kept me alive but their inability to understand why I felt depressed given what they considered a fast better life than what they had made discussing it with them a futile endeavor. Guilt still kept me from taking my life as a father and husband. Couldn't do that to the ones i cherished so deeply. Wanted to be there for them, to care and provide. While not wanting to let them down kept me alive I believe, I was never truly happy. I wanted to change that after decades of battling depression on my own. So back on zoloft I went.
I do apologize for the tangent of why I came here. For some reason felt the need to open up. In any case, to why I am here. I have been on zoloft for 6 months now. Only 50mg, but it had honestly made a world of difference. Anxiety was at a minimum and depression was much more controlled. Side effects however were different matter. Frequent stomach problems and weight gain just left me feeling awful physically. I wasnt depressed, but I wasnt happy. So I wanted to quit and try now natural means of managing my problems.
Originally I wanted to taper. Went to 25mg for a few days but the withdrawal was surprisingly bad physically. Lot of stomach discomfort. I figured if tapering was going to suck, why make it longer than needed so I made what might have been a mistake. Stopped cold turkey. I had done it in the past so assumed it would be fine. For few days it was. But then I started feeling dizzy at work one day. Good worse next day. Then stated getting stomach discomfort and nausea with brain zaps in following days. Luckily I guess I haven't had any psychological withdrawal like anxiety or uncontrollable depression but the physical has kept me from doing much. Luckily I have been able to work from home as my job revolves being on a computer most of the day but I have been stuck at home and in bed unable to eat much for a week now.
All in all the first week started tolerable and got really bad. Second week coming to an end and dizziness is less severe but stomach problems seem to be getting worse. Feeling like it's never going to get better though I'm sure it will.
Any one have thoughts on how long before it gets better for the physical side effects to subside. I don't want to go back on the meds and feel I've gone to far to give in now to them again. Just want to be off the meds. My wife planned a vacation for me and my son end of April. First one I'll have taken in forever it feels. Anxiety really made vacations feel more like torture. Was hoping id be free from the meds impact on me by then but reading some of the stories here thinking I might not be.
Any advice on what to do to manage the withdrawal and how near the end I am would be appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read through a strangers rambling.
0 likes, 5 replies
debra34304 h88887
Posted
Hi I was on paroxatine for 171/2 yrs for ptsd. But my doctor adviced me to have a change. So I was put on 50mgs for a wk and then up to 100mgs for the past 81/2 wks with no progress. I’m still very anxious, panicky, can’t sleep and av bad depersonalisation. The doctor as told me this is all down to my anxiety. I don’t think these tablets are working for me. So I’ve got to wean myself off now??And go back on my old 1s. I’m just wondering if I’ll still get really bad side effects going back on to my old 1s. Any advice or reassurance please 🌹
h88887 debra34304
Posted
From what I've read most seem to wean off better if they haven't taken it for more than a few months ago so hopefully you fare better than I have with going off. In the past when I went off the meds I believe it was usually a few months or 3 as well and had no side effects really, at least nothing unbearable.
Can't speak to your other meds but hang in there. Would also say that you might give zoloft a few more weeks. They claim 2 weeks to see results but it took me a few months. The anxiety definitely started to taper off especially if you try to reduce situations that cause it and get ull yourself its mostly in your head. That never worked when I was not on zoloft but it seemed to work better on it after a while. I would get the panicked anxiety feelings but be able to let go within mins vs the days it is use to. Best of luck to you.
h88887
Posted
Just wanted to reiterate that I'm trying to go off the meds not because they didn't work, but because I couldn't live with the side effects. If you are experiencing any side effects from being on it that you don't like I would say try to get off them sooner than later and don't sick it out longer and maybe try something else. Regret just trying to convince myself I was OK with the side effects.
scarlet8 h88887
Posted
Maybe you did not find the right medication for you, cause there are other Ads which can be better for you and have min side effects? I've tried 4 of them and know what the best for me was. I know, it is the best thing if you can live w/o any of them but for some people like me, since lack of some chemicals in my brain- like serotonine hormone I have to use one of them in my entire life.
My best AD was paroxetine, which provided me high level of self confidence, which made me forget anxiety and pcds. And no side effects, only weight gain which is good for me
The second was esscilatopram, min side effects on 10 mg . But rarely felt anxiety.
Fluoxetine was terrible at first, no serious side effect but no appetite for 3 weeks. But not worked well for me.
Last one is sertraline which I've recently started taking, first two weeks horrible side effects, but now I'm ok, in the fifth week.
Me and my husband are planning to have a baby so my doc advised me to switch it cause others are not safe as sert.
By the way, going cold turkey always makes a mess in your body, cause your body got used to have that chemical in your blood every day and cold turkey makes your blood values upside down. So tapering slowly of is more beneficial.
If you face anxiety or panic as withdrawal maybe some tranquillizers or proparanol would be fine.
debra34304 scarlet8
Posted
Hi scarlet do you think I’m ok dropping to 50mgs for a wk? And then off it for a wk. And then going back on my old 1s.🌹any advice or reassurance please