Davro12345: sertraline and propranalol after relapse

[Davro12345]

Original title:  Sertraline and Propranalol (After a recent relapse)

 

Hi everyone

 

I'm writing because I would like to come off my medication which I am currently taking for anxiety.

 

I am currently taking sertraline at 100mg at propranalol at 80mg. I'm 33 and I've been taking sertraline since I was a child, and I've been on a dosage as high as 200mg in the past. I've been taking propranalol for about 10 years.

 

However, I tried to come off my medication recently, and I had quite a bad relapse. Specifically, I tapered off my medication slowly from 150mg of sertraline to 25mg of sertraline. I wasn't doing badly, but then I had a pretty bad relapse, during which I suffered from symptoms I hadn't experienced in a major way for a very long time (these were anxiety-related symptoms, I didn't get any out-of-the ordinary symptoms). So then I increased my dosage up to 100mg. I'm actually taking propranolol for my anxiety as well, but I was only going to try to come off this when I had come off my sertraline.

 

I have a couple of questions

 

Does the fact that I experienced a relapse not show that I need the medication? I don't know if what I experienced was withdrawal symptoms. I didn't experience any physical symptoms. It was really just that my anxiety and related mental-health symptoms got worse. And to me that suggests that maybe I just need the medication for my anxiety and it's a silly idea to come off them. Is it reasonable to expect better results if using a tapering approach?

 

How long would it take to transition off both medications using tapering? If I want to come off two sets of medications at 100mg and 80mg. Then wont that take more than 5 years? That's a very long time! Especially given that I know I've been able to come down much faster than that previously. Is there no way to come off faster? Or maybe reduce both medications at the same time?

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before reducing original

[Davro12345]

I should say that when I say I tapered off my medicine, this wasn't done in the way people recommend here - I went from 100mg to 75mg, to 50mg, to 25mg. That was done over the course of a couple of months

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Davro12345

 

The way you tapered to 25mg suggests you experienced withdrawal symptoms rather than relapse. This was relieved when you increased the dosage again?

 

When was the last time you made a dosage change?

 

For background, see Tips for tapering off sertraline (Zoloft)

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

 

[Davro12345]

Yeah, I got better after I put the dosage back up, although it wasnt put all the way back up. That was done a few months ago.

 

What makes you think the symptoms are withdrawal rather than relapse?

[Altostrata]

Before further discussion: Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature 

[Davro12345]

Ok, my signature is added now. Could you explain why you think what I experienced was withdrawal symptoms?

[Altostrata]

Because people don't relapse while tapering, they get withdrawal symptoms from going so fast. You're not pulling a cork out of a bottle of fizzy water, with the water exploding out. Withdrawal symptoms can include sudden anxiety, etc. The symptoms were relieved when you put the dose back up, a hallmark of withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, withdrawal symptoms.

 

This does not mean you need to take the drugs. It means you need to taper more gradually to go off without withdrawal symptoms. This may take much longer than a few months. Our thousands of members are in the same situation. Many of them came here after attempting a taper like yours.

 

Do you have any questions about tapering?

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Davro12345, how are you doing?