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ccmon: Hello & Request for Support around Withdrawal/Reinstatement


ccmon

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Hello,

First of all, I'm incredibly grateful for this site as it has really helped me to navigate my process of attempting to go off both Zoloft and Trazadone. Before recent taper I was on an SSRI (and briefly an SSNRI) for over 22 years in total. I titrated down off Zoloft over a 5 month period (starting dose 50mg). It was challenging but I was able to manage (I'm aware that I may have done this too quickly). About two weeks after my last dose of Zoloft  6/19/23 (I used liquid to go down to 1mg before discontinuing) I began experiencing GI distress that has been persistent since (daily diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain). For the past four weeks I've been experiencing tachycardia, arrhythmia, dizziness, some issues with breath, significant anxiety, and panic symptoms (which are not a typical manifestation of my anxiety). This is complicated by the fact that I (most likely prematurely) started titrating down off of Trazadone. I've been taking 100mg for a few years nightly for perimenopausal sleep issues. Some of the more intense heart rhythm issues and anxiety started up after I lowered my Trazdone dose (I did not use the 10% rule and went down 1/4 which I now realize was too quickly and I had not given my nervous system to adjust to being off Zoloft).
Because I did these changes close together it's hard for me to have a sense of what is happening. I do believe I'm having protracted withdrawal symptoms from Zoloft the are probably being compounded by adding the Trazadone taper.

So, my main question here is about whether or not reinstatement of a low dose of Zoloft (even 1mg) might be advised based on these symptoms and the amount of difficulty they are causing me. Or would it make more sense for me to go back up to 100mg Trazadone (from 75 - ongoing dose for years - or possibly less) to see if this helps. The level of anxiety I'm experiencing in addition to dizziness, heart rhythm issues, and GI issues is becoming incredibly difficult to manage along with normal life stressors.

Side note: I do have an appointment for an EKG, heart monitor, and other lab work to further explore heart issues.

Thank you for reading and I hoping this message is clear/makes sense!

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs and supplements you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  We only need drug names, dosages, and dates, as best you can remember, including details about your tapers.  I especially need to know the specific date, as best you can remember, about when you jumped off your Zoloft, and when you did the 25% reduction of trazodone.  If you don't remember the day, was it early, mid, late August, 2nd week of August, etc?  Please read the link below for instructions.  

 

How to List Your Drug History in Your Signature

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

I think you are correct - it sounds like your nervous system is having some withdrawal from tapering off Zoloft faster than it was able to adjust to, then compounded by the recent reduction of Trazodone.  Are you now on 75 mg trazodone? 

 

When I see details of your drug history, I can give you some specific suggestion.  In the meantime, hang in there.  I believe a partial updose/reinstatement would help you, but we need more information first. Here is a link with techniques for coping with WD (withdrawal) symptoms.  

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 


Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

Edited by getofflex

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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  • getofflex changed the title to ccmon: Hello & Request for Support around Withdrawal/Reinstatement
  • Moderator Emeritus

I also wanted to mention that doing a 25% cut of your trazodone was too big of a cut.  We suggest doing only a 10% cut at the most.  We generally taper by 10% of the current dose no more than once every 4 weeks, so that the reduction becomes exponentially smaller.

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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