laura123: Help! Please tell me this is "normal" and help me feel better soon?!

[laura123]

Hi! 

 

So grateful to find this site! I'm really struggling with withdrawal, have lack of support from ANYONE and it's debilitating  and need to know what i can to to improve my quality of life and this process.

- started sertraline 50mg December 2020

- increased to sertraline 100mg july/august 2022

-started reducing sertraline from 100mg to 75mg march 2023 

- remained on 75mg for around 6 weeks 

- reduced from 75mg to 50mg and remained on dose around 4-6 weeks 

- each reduction a week after reduction had a week of bad withdrawal that slowly improved and i then felt "normal" again

- around 4 weeks ago reduced my dose from 50mg to 25mg by breaking the 50mg tablet in half as advised by the GP and now i feel HORREDOUS and the worse i have ever felt! 

 

I suspect that breaking the 50mg dose in half is not giving me a consistent dose and the small differences is really making my withdrawal worse. I feel like by body is in a state of shock and feel so physically unwell i just dont know how this is going to get better.

 

I have requested the GP prescribes me liquid sertraline so i can get a consistent dose but struggling to get this prescribed due to NHS costs.....

 

What do i do now? Do i increase back to 50mg and will this make my symptoms go away so i can try wean slower??? Or now ive been on 25mg "ish" for 4 weeks do i just get a liquid and try take a consistent dose?

 

I'm at a loss and my GP didn't believe me and told me to just go cold turkey and stop but these symptoms are debilitating 

Edited June 22, 2023 by manymoretodays
spelling mistake, name to topic title

[laura123]

So update I’ve spoken to both a private and NHS GP today and cannot get liquid Sertraline prescribed?! I’m being told it’s not licensed and it would have to be specially made in a pharmacy as it’s unlicensed so seemingly reluctant to prescribe due to cost.. just feel like I’m going round in circles.

 

I’ve temporarily increased my dose my to 50mg to try stabilise these withdrawal symptoms I just hope I can get a plan for how I can taper down slower going forward?! I just wish the doctors listening to you all I was met with was well usually people just stop and it’s ok and you’re on such a small dose now it’s not doing anyone so you might as well just stop?! 
 

anyone else just feel fobbed off and not heard by professionals? Feeling so deflated!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @laura123

 

More likely, you are getting withdrawal symptoms from having gone from 50mg to 25mg. It's best to updose as soon as possible. You may wish to quarter a 50mg tablet to add to half for a dose of 37.5mg.

 

Sertraline comes in 25mg tablets. You might get those and take 1.5 tablets for a dose of 37.5mg and stabilize on that level.

 

To taper further and more gradually, sertraline liquid is available in the UK by special order https://bnfc.nice.org.uk/drugs/sertraline/#medicinal-forms

 

See Royal College of Psychiatrists. (2020). Stopping antidepressants. Royal College of Psychiatrists. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/treatments-and-wellbeing/stopping-antidepressants and always double-check what you hear about antidepressants from your doctor with NICE.

 

FYI Tips for tapering off sertraline (Zoloft) also explains how to make a liquid at home.

 

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.