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EarthFireWaterAir: Tapered sertraline, blindsided by withdrawal.


EarthFireWaterAir

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Posted

Hi, I'm new to this forum and to posting in general, but just reading a little of this site has been like finding a flashlight AND a map in a dark and scary unknown place. I was ready to go back on sertraline, even though it felt like a bad idea, rather than to continue struggling through withdrawal, with no idea of what degree of recovery I could hope for, nor any idea of how much longer before I could start to come back to myself. The mainstream psychiatric sites I visited all recommended resuming the med to resolve withdrawal symptoms, and none gave any info about any risks associated with going this route. My gut, and my general beliefs about healing, doubted this, but I'd been so miserable for over 8 weeks; and what was worse, was having zero idea of how long before I'd be functional again. I'm infinitely grateful to have found this site. The information is comprehensive, the support is invaluable, and best of all, for me, is that I've been able to compare my progress with other people's, and see that I've been healing and rebuilding, however slowly, all along. That gives me hope that, even though I'm not where I want to be yet, I'm moving away from the wreckage of my serotonin crash.

My deepest thanks to Altostratus for starting this site, and to all the brave and helpful people who are using and contributing to it.

Started Sertraline late 2010 or early 2011, 100mg. Tapered 6/21/15 to 50mg with minimal problems. Discontinued med 9/1/15; withdrawal symptoms began day 7. Improving slowly.

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Welcome EarthFireWaterAir,

I'm glad you have found the site helpful. Thanks for sharing your story and for filling in your signature, a few more details of how you tapered would be great.

 

Did you make one cut from 100mg to 50mg then stop from there? Are you taking any other medications?

 

What symptoms are you having?  It sounds like you have been improving, so that's good to hear. Some people recover fairly quickly, others take longer. If symptoms are unmanageable and seem to be getting worse, we often recommend reinstatement of a small dose, stabilization and then restarting a slower taper.

 

In your case, I don't know, it sounds like you are doing ok.

 

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

 

Many people find  fish oil and magnesium helpful, see King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) and Magnesium, Nature's Calcium Channel Blocker

 

You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want. Its a good idea to bookmark it or follow it, so its easy to find again.

 

Petunia.

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Hi, EFWA,

 

I don't have much to add to Petu's comprehensive post.  Just wanted to welcome you to SA.  As you are already aware, this is the best place to be for managing your way through the minefield of withdrawal from ADs.

 

My only other notes would be that it sounds like your recovery over the past 2 months or so has been reasonably linear.  If that's the case, I hope it continues.  More often than not there are windows and waves as things get better then worse, and cycle like that as you continue to heal.  I know you've been reading and probably know that -- just wanted to make sure you would understand if you do slide back along the way.

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

Posted

Thank you to you both, Petunia and Andy. My signature's med history is pretty complete. I was on sertraline one other time, back in 1997 - 1999. I don't recall my dosage, am pretty sure there was no taper,and I don't recall struggling with withdrawal back then, but that's a lot of years ago. There are many differences, though, between a brain in its mid-40's compared to mine now, at 61. I wonder if there's much known yet about how aging affects withdrawal resiliency? Anyway,I knew I'd need to taper this time, but my info was woefully inadequate, and I did stop the med at 50mg, with no idea of what withdrawal looks like. 6 days later, I thought I had the flu -- classic -- and the next 5 -6 weeks were hellish. I had a lot of GI symptoms, generalized exhaustion, intense depression, anxiety, and anger, plus muscle spasms that left bruises, and incredible, devastating insomnia (for which i was prescribed Trazodone, but have mostly been able to avoid taking it). Oh, and cognitive stuff: learning new info, recalling known info, concentration, all shot, though the insomnia also contributed to that too, I'm sure.

 

I was seriously considering going back on the drug when two things happened: first, I had a stretch of two or three good days and nights, and realized that the worst was likely past; and second, I found this website. It has been a true godsend, for all that I'm hopeful that my recovery is well underway. If and when things get worse, for starters, now I won't freak out and misinterpret that to mean I'm back at square one. Ive been using the tips, like the hot Epsom salt soak before bed, which has worked wonders. But mostly, what I've gotten from the site is knowledge: what happened to my central nervous system when my serotonin crashed, why I felt the way I did and still sometimes do, how my neurons are having to rebuild what they lost while I was on the drug, and which the discontinuation left them (the neurons) high and dry without... Before I was, thankfully, directed to this site, all my research had gotten me to were mainstream psychiatric sites, which -- surprise! -- advocated treating the various "discontinuation symptoms" with various symptom-targeting drugs, while ignoring what the symptoms were indicating was actually going on throughout the body. Perhaps above all, I'm grateful for the wisdom of the emphasis on allowing the brain to heal the damage, and the reassurance that even when things were really hard, the healing processes were already underway. My goal now is to support these processes as consciously as I can, and it seems to be working.

 

I cannot thank you enough for all you (plural you -- all this site's workers) are doing. I'm currently unemployed, but as soon as I have an income again, I plan to donate. Ironically, perhaps, my field is mental health -- I'm a therapist who has worked for 25+ years in non-profit community agencies, specializing in treating the effects of trauma on kids and on multigenerational family systems. I can see the value in the highly judicious and client-informed use of some of the psychotropics. But that's not how it's done, and that's so dangerous, and people are suffering the results.

 

Thanks again. Let me know if I can be of help. Michal

Started Sertraline late 2010 or early 2011, 100mg. Tapered 6/21/15 to 50mg with minimal problems. Discontinued med 9/1/15; withdrawal symptoms began day 7. Improving slowly.

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Great summary of exactly what the goal of this site is -- to provide education to people about what is happening to them, what to expect will happen to them, and best practices for how to address the ramifications of an ignorant medical establishment when it comes to these medicines.  It is great to hear that you are showing signs of improvement from the crash.  Hopefully, you have come off the bottom and are starting the climb back.

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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