Fallonkat Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 (edited) Greetings, I am reaching out to gain support for my efforts to recover from long term Sertraline use. I am 65, married , 2 grandkids. professional career. I have stayed on the drug because withdrawing is so difficult. I started tapering 9 months ago, and stopped all together about 2 weeks ago. I was very careful about the taper, hoping that I could finally rid myself of the dependency. Now I am dealing with major irritability and weeping. I am trying to hide symptoms from husband and family, as I have not told anyone I am stopping. I guess I am hoping to hear from others who have survived this phase and can figure out if this is a depressive episode or the effects of sertraline withdrawal. Thanks Edited August 18, 2020 by Gridley
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted August 18, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Posted August 18, 2020 Welcome to SA, Falloncat. A nine month taper, though it might seem long, isn't a very lengthy taper. The irritability and weeping you're experiencing are typical withdrawal symptoms. Once we have a little more information, we can better help you. 1. What was your original dose of Sertraline before you started tapering? 2. What was the rate of your taper (how fast did you taper)? 3. What was your last dose before you stopped 2 weeks ago? This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members. We're glad you found your way here. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of Oct 15: 3.2mg Taper is 96% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase, L-Glutamine, milk thistle, choline I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. It is information based on my own experience as well as that of other members who have survived these drugs.
Fallonkat Posted August 18, 2020 Author Posted August 18, 2020 Thank you for responding, My original dose of Zoloft was 150 Mg. My last dose was 12.5 mg. I inched down about 6 week intervals..
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted August 18, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Posted August 18, 2020 (edited) 50 minutes ago, Fallonkat said: Thank you for responding, My original dose of Zoloft was 150 Mg. My last dose was 12.5 mg. I inched down about 6 week intervals.. Thank you for the information. We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks, and as you can see your taper was much faster than that. We also recommend stopping much lower that 12.5mg. Both of these have contributed to the withdrawal symptoms you're experiencing. What is withdrawal syndrome. Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) Brain Remodelling When we take psychiatric medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur. Reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to help alleviate withdrawal syndrome. The only other alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis. Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take many months or longer. Reinstatement isn't a guarantee of diminished symptoms for everyone but it's the best tactic available. You're still well within the time period where reinstatement predictably works, up to 3 months after last dose. It is best to reinstate as soon as possible after withdrawal symptoms occur. We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose. These drugs are strong, your system has become sensitized and If you take too much it may be too much for your brain. Once you've stabilized on the reinstated dosage, which can take several months, you can begin a 10% per month taper down to zero. Please read: About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic I'd recommend a reinstatement of 5mg Sertraline - no more. It takes about 4 days for a dose change to get to full state in your blood a a few days longer to register in your brain. It's a good idea to keep daily notes on paper to keep track how your reinstatement is going. I'm not sure what method you used during your taper to reduce your dose. Cutting pills is not the best method, as you can get inconsistent doses. The following link is specifically about Sertraline and tell you how to obtain the 5mg dose you'll need for your reinstatement, either by using a liquid or weighing using a digital scale such as the Gemini-20 scale, available on Amazon. Tips for tapering off sertraline (Zoloft) Please let us know what you decide to do. We can help guide you through the process. Edited August 18, 2020 by ChessieCat removed whate space at bottom of post Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of Oct 15: 3.2mg Taper is 96% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase, L-Glutamine, milk thistle, choline I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. It is information based on my own experience as well as that of other members who have survived these drugs.
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