Noniof2: New here, Zoloft cold turkey

[Noniof2]

Hello everyone.  I’m new here.  I came across this group through someone on TikTok.  They mentioned how helpful this group was for them.  I was on Zoloft  (Sertraline) for 20 years.  I loved how I felt while I was on it.  I had joy and peace and felt whole.  At the end of September 22 I had the first of two thunderclap headaches that landed me in the ER.  The first time I was medicated to reduce the pain and sent home.  The second was the following week and my husband and I were @2 hours away from home at a football game.  The pain comes on fast and strong.  The most intense pain I’ve ever felt.  And my blood pressure skyrocketed.  I was again taken to the ER, but this time they did some testing.  Turns out I had Reversible Cranial Vasoconstriction Syndrome.  The team of neurologists believed it was brought on by the SSRI.  They stopped me cold turkey, and told me I could not take an SSRI again. The first few days I was fine.  Then some of the physical symptoms of withdrawal took over.  But nothing I couldn’t handle.  By week 3 the hell that has become my life started to appear.  The constant sadness, crying, hopelessness, fear, panic and feeling of being completely  overwhelmed.  I tried Wellbutrin for @3 1/2 months but it didn’t touch it.  I long for some joy, and a sense of calm.  To be able to go back to work, to feel ok leaving the house alone… being the once strong and independent woman I was. I can’t even grocery shop without breaking down.  And advice or words of wisdom would be so appreciated.  

Edited March 30, 2023 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SurvivingAntidepressants, Noniof2.  I'm sorry you're going through this. 

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  A list format is best.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

The symptoms you're experiencing are typical SSRI withdrawal symptoms.  They will fade in time but unfortunately we can't predict how long it will take.  If it's any comfort at all, you're among friends here and all of us are dealing with or have dealt with withdrawal.  The cure, we have found, is time.  Your body knows what's necessary to recover and right now is in the process of healing.  Hard to believe, I know, but true.

 

So that you have a better idea of what you're experiencing, here is some information on psychiatric drug withdrawal.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

This link explains why withdrawal happens.

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

This link is about the healing process.   

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

Because the central nervous system is destabilized during withdrawal and because the CNS underlies everything in our body, there's a vast variety of symptoms we in withdrawal can experience, physical, emotional and mental.  The following list is by no means complete.  

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

The following link describes the windows and waves pattern of healing.

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

We recommend non-drug techniques to deal with withdrawal.  Take a look at the techniques in the following link and see which you think might be helpful for you.

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

To help you in the healing process, we recommend taking good care of yourself.  Avoid stress as much as possible.  Avoid caffeine, sugar, alcohol and psychotropic drugs.  Get 30 minutes of gentle (not strenuous) exercise in nature daily.  Eat a healthy diet.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium (glycinate is a good form) and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Gridley

[Greatful]

@Noniof2  Welcome to SA.t  1st please know that you are not alone...This is helpful place to learn about how much these drugs affect our brains which can affect us both physically and emotionally, support from others, learn coping skills to help get you through the withdrawal. Ask questions, reach out to other members.  We are all trying heal from these drugs.

 

Success stories are also encouraging

Success stories: Recovery from psychiatric drug withdrawal

 

I know how scary this is when we first start our journey healing from these drugs that can cause us a temporary brain injury.  Try not to panic....This can lead to looking for a quick fix, and sometimes  poly drugging.  

 

I recommend the book Recovery and Renewal by Baylissa Frederick.... She recovered from benzo's but went through protracted withdrawal...She is also a therapist/counselor.  She has a great website https://mccare.org/ 

 

inner compass intuitive is also helpful

https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/page/wondering-where-start 

 

Here are some links that I find helpful.  Print them out so you can read them over and over

 http://Techniques for Managing an Adverse Drug Reaction or Cold Turkey Withdrawal

 

http://What is happening in your brain?  

 

There is a lot of information so I will let you go at it....Reach out if and when you need something🌞

 

[Noniof2]

18 minutes ago, Greatful said:

@Noniof2  Welcome to SA.t  1st please know that you are not alone...This is helpful place to learn about how much these drugs affect our brains which can affect us both physically and emotionally, support from others, learn coping skills to help get you through the withdrawal. Ask questions, reach out to other members.  We are all trying heal from these drugs.

 

Success stories are also encouraging

Success stories: Recovery from psychiatric drug withdrawal

 

I know how scary this is when we first start our journey healing from these drugs that can cause us a temporary brain injury.  Try not to panic....This can lead to looking for a quick fix, and sometimes  poly drugging.  

 

I recommend the book Recovery and Renewal by Baylissa Frederick.... She recovered from benzo's but went through protracted withdrawal...She is also a therapist/counselor.  She has a great website https://mccare.org/ 

 

inner compass intuitive is also helpful

https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/page/wondering-where-start 

 

Here are some links that I find helpful.  Print them out so you can read them over and over

 http://Techniques for Managing an Adverse Drug Reaction or Cold Turkey Withdrawal

 

http://What is happening in your brain?  

 

There is a lot of information so I will let you go at it....Reach out if and when you need something🌞

 

Thank you so much.  I’m so angry at the doctors for stopping me cold turkey. I’m so angry that no one talks about the effects these drugs have on your body and what coming off of them looks like.  I read someone’s post yesterday that had a similar situation to mine.  Same age range, same medication, same length of use and also stopped cold turkey.  He said he’s just now starting to feel normal after 2 1/2 years.  That doesn’t give me hope, it just sent me into a spiral.  I can’t do this for 2 more years.  

[Greatful]

@@Noniof2  I can relate to worrying about how long this could take....I have to work really hard on this myself....This is where you will learn to dig down deep and find ways to cope.  One thing we should try to remember is that today is all we have, that goes for anyone in life....

Another one is that we all heal at our own pace.  Some will take months, some will take years....But when we take on the future it can be overwhelming and really cause catastrophizing.  

I  had to quick working, I am mostly house  bound.....But what can we do?  Time is the magic bullet in this situation.  

 

This is a supper big eye opener isn't it?!  I started ssri's in the mid 1990's and now I am fighting for a way out of this mess....Have you read any books on these drugs?  Anatomy of a Epidemic by Robert Whitaker?  Here is a quick interview a out the book on you tube https://youtu.be/5VBXWdhabuQ 

Your Drug Might Be Your Problem  by Peter Breggin  and David Cohen    The anti-depression Solution by Joseph Glenmullen

 

Then you go to the introduction and updates  part of the forum and read all incoming people, and you see how many people end up a mess because the most doctors do not really understand these drugs and how they work, (even my doc admit to this) and then throw in withdrawal.  So if your one of the lucky ones that react poorly to the drugs, you may have to find your own way out of the mess.  

 

I hope you have good support.  We are here for you also🌞

[Noniof2]

This is all so discouraging.  I only quit because I had a medical situation arise where the medication caused constricting in the blood vessels in my brain.  I could have died.  I had no idea there would be this kind of withdrawal.  Knowing I could experience these symptoms for years makes me want to give up.  I’ve spent months researching ways to feel better.  Ways to make the sadness, agitation, tears, panic go away.  Ways to not feel like a burden to those that love me. I’ve quit my job because work would overwhelm me to the point that I’d break down multiple times a week in the bathroom. I’ve spent thousands on therapy, supplements, testing, multiple doctors (psychiatrists, rheumatologist, neurologists, etc). I even went as far as to have 2 teeth removed because a functional medical doctor told me the root canals were infected and could be why I was suffering.  I feel abandoned by doctors, and all of the people that are supposed to look out for us, have our best interests at heart.  I’m feeling broken 

[FarmGirlWorks]

Hi @Noniof2,

I hear you and totally get how overwhelming this all is. It is rough, no doubt about it. But, as the post above said, timelines are all personal and yours will be different than what you see. What helped me most was the Success Stories and seeing that people do recover. Inspiring. You've got this. There is a lot(!!!) of good advice here on SA about how to cope and manage withdrawal as your brain heals. And it will. It just takes time.

[Barry2954]

Noniof2, Sorry to hear what you experienced. I know how bad they are. Just two months after starting sertraline I experienced a migraine which lasted for around thirty hours. I called the clinic which was treating me, begging them to let me stop taking the medication (which had already caused multiple side effects which the treating physician had chosen to ignore), but was threatened with detainment and forced medication if I stopped taking it. Just an hour after taking the sertraline that morning I was hit by the first of three thunderclap headaches. It took five years before the constant adrenergic storming stopped and around seven years before I stopped experiencing any adrenergic storming. My treating physician chose to cover up his error; he was under investigation for involvement in the death of another patient at the time and neither he nor the hospital could afford to acknowledge my case as well. He was sacked, six years later, as a consequence of the death he had inadvertently caused (detaining a patient experiencing ice-induced psychosis without security oversight). The thunderclap headaches felt like a hand grenade going off in my skull. I know they are described as the worst pain you will ever experience but even if I'd known that at the time it wouldn't have prepared me for it. My eyes have always been sensitive to the light but I could barely see anything that day, everything seemed so bright.