EarthFireWaterAir: Tapered sertraline, blindsided by withdrawal.

[EarthFireWaterAir]

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.

[Petunia]

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.

[apace41]

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

[EarthFireWaterAir]

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

[apace41]

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