Aaron7: Zoloft withdrawal

[Aaron7]

Hi I need some advice please.

 

i have been taking 25mg of Zoloft for 2 months it was prescribed to me by a doctor to help with my DPDR, I have depersonalisation disorder. 
However, when I was on Zoloft I felt very numb and apathetic and it lowered my dopamine. So I decided to come off the drug but instead of slowly tapering I went cold turkey.
 

I then started to experience horrible withdrawal symptoms such as: brain zaps, dizziness/vertigo, fatigue, brain fog and emotional blunting. I went 10 days of not taking any Zoloft but the withdrawal symptoms were getting worse so on the 7th of May I decided to start taking a small dose of 12.5mg of Zoloft to see if this helps with my withdrawal symptoms.

 

All of my withdrawal symptoms seem to have gotten better expect from the emotional blunting and brain fog these are still very bad and are causing me a lot of anxiety.

 

Could somebody please give me some advice on how to taper off Zoloft safely so I can avoid having withdrawal symptoms.

 

Summary:

I started taking 25mg of zoloft on the 27th February. 

I then went cold turkey on the 26th of April.

I went 10 days of not taking any Zoloft and then on the 7th of May I decided to go back on Zoloft due to severe withdrawal symptoms. I have been taking 12.5mg of Zoloft since 7th of May.

 

[Emonda]

Welcome @Aaron7

 

21 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

So I decided to come off the drug but instead of slowly tapering I went cold turkey.

 

This would highly likely lead to the WD symptoms as you have described below:

 

21 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

brain zaps, dizziness/vertigo, fatigue, brain fog

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

I'm glad to read you are feeling improvement after reinstating 50% of your dose after ten days at 0mg.

 

I'd hold where you are for an extended period until you feel stable...think in terms of months. Then, when you are ready:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The reductions should get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward.

 

21 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

emotional blunting and brain fog these are still very bad and are causing me a lot of anxiety.

 

Time and patience. Things will improve for sure.

 

A few helpful links:

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

Emotional Spirals

 

Non-drug coping strategies

 

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

Magnesium

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Avoid alcohol. 

 

Don't change the manufacturer of your AD.

 

This is your own Introduction topic.  Each member has only ONE Introduction topic.  Your own Introduction topic is the best place to ask questions and the place to journal your progress.  This keeps your history in one place and means you do not have to repeat your story. 

 

Once again, welcome to S.A.

 

Emonda

 

 

[Aaron7]

17 hours ago, Emonda said:

Welcome @Aaron7

 

 

This would highly likely lead to the WD symptoms as you have described below:

 

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

I'm glad to read you are feeling improvement after reinstating 50% of your dose after ten days at 0mg.

 

I'd hold where you are for an extended period until you feel stable...think in terms of months. Then, when you are ready:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The reductions should get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward.

 

 

Time and patience. Things will improve for sure.

 

A few helpful links:

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

Emotional Spirals

 

Non-drug coping strategies

 

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

Magnesium

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Avoid alcohol. 

 

Don't change the manufacturer of your AD.

 

This is your own Introduction topic.  Each member has only ONE Introduction topic.  Your own Introduction topic is the best place to ask questions and the place to journal your progress.  This keeps your history in one place and means you do not have to repeat your story. 

 

Once again, welcome to S.A.

 

Emonda

 

 

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it 

[Emonda]

My pleasure, @Aaron7

[Aaron7]

Hi i need some more help and advice please.

 

Here is the situation I am in. 
I went cold turkey from Zoloft on the 26th of April after being on it for 2 months at a low dose of 25mg. I went 10 days of not taking any Zoloft and then on the 7th of may I reinstated a small dose of 12.5mg of Zoloft to see if it would help my withdrawal symptoms but because I am impatient and couldn’t notice any improvement I stopped taking it on 13th of May as I thought it wasn’t working.
 

It’s been 5 weeks since I quit Zoloft and my main problem is I have completely lost all my dopamine and I have lost all my emotions. This is making me extremely anxious because I’m not sure if it’s related to withdrawal or if I have PSSD. 
I really don’t want to have to go back on Zoloft as it makes me feel horrible.

 

I still have some dizziness and vertigo especially when I am walking and moving around so I think I am still experiencing withdrawal but it’s not too bad and I can handle it. 

The main problem is I have no dopamine and lost all my emotions. How can I fix this? Please help, thanks.

[Aaron7]

On 5/12/2024 at 11:09 AM, Emonda said:

My pleasure, @Aaron7

Hi i need some more help and advice please.

 

Here is the situation I am in. 
I went cold turkey from Zoloft on the 26th of April after being on it for 2 months at a low dose of 25mg. I went 10 days of not taking any Zoloft and then on the 7th of may I reinstated a small dose of 12.5mg of Zoloft to see if it would help my withdrawal symptoms but because I am impatient and couldn’t notice any improvement I stopped taking it on 13th of May as I thought it wasn’t working.
 

It’s been 5 weeks since I quit Zoloft and my main problem is I have completely lost all my dopamine and I have lost all my emotions. This is making me extremely anxious because I’m not sure if it’s related to withdrawal or if I have PSSD. 
I really don’t want to have to go back on Zoloft as it makes me feel horrible.

 

I still have some dizziness and vertigo especially when I am walking and moving around so I think I am still experiencing withdrawal but it’s not too bad and I can handle it. 

The main problem is I have no dopamine and lost all my emotions. How can I fix this? Please help, thanks.

[Emonda]

17 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

on the 7th of may I reinstated a small dose of 12.5mg of Zoloft to see if it would help my withdrawal symptoms but because I am impatient and couldn’t notice any improvement I stopped taking it on 13th of May as I thought it wasn’t working.

 

It takes longer than ~6 days to notice an improvement following reinstatement. Perhaps one month or longer.

 

17 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

It’s been 5 weeks since I quit Zoloft

 

17 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

I still have some dizziness and vertigo especially when I am walking and moving around so I think I am still experiencing withdrawal but it’s not too bad and I can handle it. 

 

I do know that WD symptoms can get very unpleasant, and last quite a while.

 

I'd go back to my first post and look at the WD symptoms checklist...and the other links I provided.

 

17 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

I really don’t want to have to go back on Zoloft as it makes me feel horrible.

 

The choice is absolutely yours. Going on and off and on again is not ideal. Also, the further out from a CT you are, the lower the amount reinstated given the increased risks of kindling....please go back and read that link again.

 

17 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

The main problem is I have no dopamine and lost all my emotions. How can I fix this? Please help, thanks.

 

When you stop ADs CT, time and patience are the cure. That relates to lost emotions, too.

 

[Aaron7]

24 minutes ago, Emonda said:

 

It takes longer than ~6 days to notice an improvement following reinstatement. Perhaps one month or longer.

 

 

 

I do know that WD symptoms can get very unpleasant, and last quite a while.

 

I'd go back to my first post and look at the WD symptoms checklist...and the other links I provided.

 

 

The choice is absolutely yours. Going on and off and on again is not ideal. Also, the further out from a CT you are, the lower the amount reinstated given the increased risks of kindling....please go back and read that link again.

 

 

When you stop ADs CT, time and patience are the cure. That relates to lost emotions, too.

 

 Thank you very much for your reply.

 

i just have one more question, sorry.

 

It has been 5 weeks since I quit Zoloft, do you think reinstating will still work?

[Emonda]

I've read that reinstating within the first 3 months is best. Beyond that, it becomes less predictable.

 

The further out from a CT you are, the lower the amount reinstated. It's best to start low and see how you go.

 

Can you please update your signature to reflect the end date of your reinstatement.

 

It would be worth reading these two links:

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

Kindling

[Aaron7]

I was just wondering what you guys think about reinstatement.

 

I am 10 weeks off sertraline.

 

I'm thinking of maybe reinstating a small dose of sertraline to see if it helps with the emotional numbness and anhedonia.

I feel like majority of my withdrawal symptoms have improved except for the numbness and anhedonia.

 

So I’m just unsure of whether or not to reinstate or wait it out.

 

My main concern is if i decide to wait it out it could take years for the emotional numbness and anhedonia to get better and because I waited so long I probably won’t be able to reinstate later on down the line as i risk the potential of getting kindling.

 

So do I take the risk of reinstating to see if it helps with the emotional numbness and anhedonia? Or do I take the risk to wait and see if the emotional numbness and anhedonia improves on its own?

[didiyana]

Greetings, dear  @Аарон7!

 

I'm so sorry you had to deal with sertraline withdrawal. I understand you, and just like you I am on this journey. Oh, by the way, I’ve now had almost 4 months without sertraline!) Around July 25th it will be 4 months that I’ve been free from it.

 

I also understand your concerns about recovery medications. But it's really good to think before making this decision. There are many people who, with connection, treat themselves very worse. It must be a calculated risk. What matters is, do you think you are tolerant most of the time? I see you are noticing some symptoms of improvement.

 

My recommendations, which I didn’t do for the first 1.5 months, but now they really help me stay afloat:

1. Write down how you feel (and the strength of your symptoms as a percentage) every day, or even better, at some intervals throughout the day.

2. Keep a graph of your symptoms and calculate the average percentage per day. (For me, up to 30% mild symptoms, up to 70% moderate, and up to 100% severe).

3. When you feel bad, be sure to see that you feel good from time to time (this is important!)

 

Also, do you have windows and waves? And by the way, I also noticed that the symptoms change a little, then new ones appear and then disappear. It's all a recovery process. I had 2 severe waves of depression in June, when this had not been observed before, and paresthesias still appeared and disappeared. So be prepared and watch out.

 

I started feeling better after about 2.5 months, and every month it gets better and better. At the very beginning it is difficult to notice progress, but wait and it will definitely come!

 

Oh, and I also noticed that you, like me, have not been on this medicine for long, so I think everything will be fine for you. I was only on Zoloft for a month before it sent me into hell.

 

Also in my topic you can find useful tips from other participants that helped me A LOT. Be healthy!

[Aaron7]

8 hours ago, didiyana said:

Greetings, dear  @Аарон7!

 

I'm so sorry you had to deal with sertraline withdrawal. I understand you, and just like you I am on this journey. Oh, by the way, I’ve now had almost 4 months without sertraline!) Around July 25th it will be 4 months that I’ve been free from it.

 

I also understand your concerns about recovery medications. But it's really good to think before making this decision. There are many people who, with connection, treat themselves very worse. It must be a calculated risk. What matters is, do you think you are tolerant most of the time? I see you are noticing some symptoms of improvement.

 

My recommendations, which I didn’t do for the first 1.5 months, but now they really help me stay afloat:

1. Write down how you feel (and the strength of your symptoms as a percentage) every day, or even better, at some intervals throughout the day.

2. Keep a graph of your symptoms and calculate the average percentage per day. (For me, up to 30% mild symptoms, up to 70% moderate, and up to 100% severe).

3. When you feel bad, be sure to see that you feel good from time to time (this is important!)

 

Also, do you have windows and waves? And by the way, I also noticed that the symptoms change a little, then new ones appear and then disappear. It's all a recovery process. I had 2 severe waves of depression in June, when this had not been observed before, and paresthesias still appeared and disappeared. So be prepared and watch out.

 

I started feeling better after about 2.5 months, and every month it gets better and better. At the very beginning it is difficult to notice progress, but wait and it will definitely come!

 

Oh, and I also noticed that you, like me, have not been on this medicine for long, so I think everything will be fine for you. I was only on Zoloft for a month before it sent me into hell.

 

Also in my topic you can find useful tips from other participants that helped me A LOT. Be healthy!

Thank you for the response.

Unfortunately at the moment I do not have any windows or waves. The emotional numbness and anhedonia just stays the same and never changes. I can’t even feel my fight or flight response, everything has been turned off and numbed. I literally cannot feel anything. 
I think it’s all related to low dopamine. 
 

 Also if you don’t mind me asking please what did you mean by (do you think you are tolerant most of the time?) Are you asking am I able to tolerate the numbness and anhedonia?

 

 

[Farm24]

5 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

Thank you for the response.

Unfortunately at the moment I do not have any windows or waves. The emotional numbness and anhedonia just stays the same and never changes. I can’t even feel my fight or flight response, everything has been turned off and numbed. I literally cannot feel anything. 
I think it’s all related to low dopamine. 
 

 Also if you don’t mind me asking please what did you mean by (do you think you are tolerant most of the time?) Are you asking am I able to tolerate the numbness and anhedonia?

 

 

It's not dopamine related. It is cns related.  I have this too and am just now getting some windows. I'm 9 months off the med that cased it. 

[Aaron7]

4 hours ago, Farm24 said:

It's not dopamine related. It is cns related.  I have this too and am just now getting some windows. I'm 9 months off the med that cased it. 

 

That’s great that you are having some windows, I hope you continue to improve.

 

I had the emotional numbness and anhedonia when I was on Zoloft. I originally took it for anxiety and when I was taking it I noticed it totally numbed my anxiety and adrenaline I couldn’t feel anything at all. I thought to myself wow this is really good for anxiety but the problem is it numbed every emotion so that’s why I decided to get off it.

 

 

 

 

[Emonda]

Sorry for my slow reply, Aaron7.

 

I try to stay off the computer on Sunday in my time zone. It's a day of rest for my family and I.

 

22 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

I feel like majority of my withdrawal symptoms have improved

 

Sounds positive.

 

22 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

So I’m just unsure of whether or not to reinstate or wait it out.

 

The further out you are, the less predictable it becomes.

 

22 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

So do I take the risk of reinstating to see if it helps with the emotional numbness and anhedonia? Or do I take the risk to wait and see if the emotional numbness and anhedonia improves on its own?

 

It's not a question I can answer at this stage. When people do reinstate 10 weeks out, it's best to test the waters with a very, very small amount.

 

49 minutes ago, Aaron7 said:

I had the emotional numbness and anhedonia when I was on Zoloft.

 

If you had this with Zoloft, I'm not sure reintroducing it will be the solution.

 

Time and patience are required on this journey.

 

Best wishes.

[Kat66]

6 hours ago, Farm24 said:

It's not dopamine related. It is cns related. 

Are you able to expand on this please? I’ve always been under the impression low dopamine caused anhedonia as dopamine is responsible for the reward response. No dopamine =no feeling of pleasure/joy. When you say CNS do you mean the anhedonia we experience in WD is specifically tied in with the CNS being compromised?

[Farm24]

3 hours ago, Kat66 said:

Are you able to expand on this please? I’ve always been under the impression low dopamine caused anhedonia as dopamine is responsible for the reward response. No dopamine =no feeling of pleasure/joy. When you say CNS do you mean the anhedonia we experience in WD is specifically tied in with the CNS being compromised?

People suffer the same issues from some antibiotics, benzos (www.benzobuddies.org), nausea meds.  The issue is these meds interfere with the nerves that make you feel physical pleasure or other physical feelings. You can still think, this makes me happy....you just cannot feel it at all.  

[Farm24]

Since the meds caused the physical numbing of emotions, going on would probably just make it worse. 

[Aaron7]

5 hours ago, Emonda said:

Sorry for my slow reply, Aaron7.

 

I try to stay off the computer on Sunday in my time zone. It's a day of rest for my family and I.

 

 

Sounds positive.

 

 

The further out you are, the less predictable it becomes.

 

 

It's not a question I can answer at this stage. When people do reinstate 10 weeks out, it's best to test the waters with a very, very small amount.

 

 

If you had this with Zoloft, I'm not sure reintroducing it will be the solution.

 

Time and patience are required on this journey.

 

Best wishes.

Thanks for the response and I appreciate the advice.

 

I have decided not to reinstate as it’s probably most likely going to make me feel worse. So I guess I will have to be patient and give it time. 

[Aaron7]

51 minutes ago, Farm24 said:

People suffer the same issues from some antibiotics, benzos (www.benzobuddies.org), nausea meds.  The issue is these meds interfere with the nerves that make you feel physical pleasure or other physical feelings. You can still think, this makes me happy....you just cannot feel it at all.  

How do we recover from this?

[Aaron7]

51 minutes ago, Farm24 said:

Since the meds caused the physical numbing of emotions, going on would probably just make it worse. 

Thanks for the response.

Yeah I agree which is why I have decided not to reinstate. I just hope I recover man.

[Farm24]

2 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

How do we recover from this?

Anything I have tri3d has made things worse. So I recommend doing nothing to help it

[Aaron7]

I have developed new symptoms.

 

i have burning and achey eyes and I also have eye floaters.

 

Are these common withdrawal symptoms?

[Emonda]

I'd keep this WD symptom checklist on hand - I refer to it often.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

I've read others mention eye floaters and pain behind the eye/headaches.

[Dahlia50]

@Aaron7 I have achey sore eyes. Have had eye floaters.

[didiyana]

Hello, @Aaron7!

 

Yes, I meant how tolerable it is for you to tolerate the symptoms of withdrawal.

 

Oh, I also have eye floats, frequent headache and eye pain sometimes, but it's not that much.

Symptoms can appear and disappear. I have been withdrawal for 4 months, for 3 months I had a severe depression, although I have never had such a terrible force. And then it passed. There were paresthesia, insomnia, something like hallucinations before going to bed, a condition close to psychosis (end of June), it seemed to me that all the people of my acquaintances were on the street, it was scary, but I passed, now I feel better for 20 days, but it used to be difficult to notice it.

[Aaron7]

2 hours ago, Dahlia50 said:

@Aaron7 I have achey sore eyes. Have had eye floaters.

Is there any supplement that we can take that might help?

[Aaron7]

1 hour ago, didiyana said:

 

Hello, @Aaron7!

 

Yes, I meant how tolerable it is for you to tolerate the symptoms of withdrawal.

 

Oh, I also have eye floats, frequent headache and eye pain sometimes, but it's not that much.

Symptoms can appear and disappear. I have been withdrawal for 4 months, for 3 months I had a severe depression, although I have never had such a terrible force. And then it passed. There were paresthesia, insomnia, something like hallucinations before going to bed, a condition close to psychosis (end of June), it seemed to me that all the people of my acquaintances were on the street, it was scary, but I passed, now I feel better for 20 days, but it used to be difficult to notice it.

For most of the time yes I think I can tolerate my withdrawal symptoms. However, sometimes I experience very intense anger and rage which i guess is maybe my emotions coming back.

 

i also experience headaches quite frequently. I also have burning and prickling sensations all over my body which i guess is parathesia.

[Dahlia50]

5 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

s there any supplement that we can take that might help?

@Aaron7 I don't take any supplement except for fish oil/omega 3.
I have booked an eye exam to check pressure, nerve and vision as I have been taking Zoloft for so many years. Maybe nothing is visible, but I want to check anyway.

[Aaron7]

I apologise if I’m being a nuisance but has anybody got any supplements or vitamins they can recommend for dizziness and vertigo. 
 

I feel like if I can get rid of my dizziness and vertigo I will be able to function a lot better.

At the moment sometimes it’s difficult to walk because of the dizziness.

 

[Aaron7]

16 hours ago, Dahlia50 said:

@Aaron7 I don't take any supplement except for fish oil/omega 3.
I have booked an eye exam to check pressure, nerve and vision as I have been taking Zoloft for so many years. Maybe nothing is visible, but I want to check anyway.

Ok kool and good luck with the eye exam I hope everything is fine.

[Aaron7]

Some days my symptoms feel more intense than other days.

 

For example, sometimes I feel energetic and positive then sometimes I feel hopeless and apathetic.

is this a window and wave?

is this all part of withdrawal?

symptoms constantly changing in severity?

[Aaron7]

Just looking for some reassurance.

 

i feel like my physical symptoms are improving such as the dizziness and vertigo. I also had muscle stiffness and weakness which seems to have gotten better.

 

However the biggest problem I have is my cognitive symptoms don’t seem to be improving. I feel extremely apathetic with no motivation at all. I feel like I have no serotonin or dopamine. I am just walking around feeling dead and lifeless. It’s difficult to function and complete tasks. I feel brain dead. Is this still part of withdrawal and will it improve?

 

 

[Emonda]

On 7/27/2024 at 8:27 PM, Aaron7 said:

has anybody got any supplements or vitamins they can recommend for dizziness and vertigo.

 

I'm not aware of any, Aaron.

 

On 7/28/2024 at 9:11 PM, Aaron7 said:

Some days my symptoms feel more intense than other days.

 

This sounds like windows and waves to me...part of the process.

 

4 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

feel like my physical symptoms are improving such as the dizziness and vertigo. I also had muscle stiffness and weakness which seems to have gotten better.

 

You've got to celebrate any improvement. This is positive.

 

4 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

However the biggest problem I have is my cognitive symptoms don’t seem to be improving.

 

Time and patience are required.

 

4 hours ago, Aaron7 said:

Is this still part of withdrawal and will it improve?

 

 

I'm 2.5 years into this process. Mostly I'm ok. I have symptoms, but they are manageable. Things are much better than they were. That said, the past 48 hours have been unpleasant...you've just got to accept it and keep crawling forward. You will improve with time, too.

 

Hope this helps.

[Aaron7]

4 hours ago, Emonda said:

 

I'm not aware of any, Aaron.

 

 

This sounds like windows and waves to me...part of the process.

 

 

You've got to celebrate any improvement. This is positive.

 

 

Time and patience are required.

 

 

I'm 2.5 years into this process. Mostly I'm ok. I have symptoms, but they are manageable. Things are much better than they were. That said, the past 48 hours have been unpleasant...you've just got to accept it and keep crawling forward. You will improve with time, too.

 

Hope this helps.

Thanks man I appreciate the advice and support.

[Aaron7]

I apologise for keep coming back and complaining but my anhedonia is just getting worse and worse.

 

its not tolerable anymore.

 

I’m really thinking of reinstating a tiny amount of Zoloft to see if it will help with my anhedonia.

 

When I was on Zoloft I had emotional numbness but it didn’t really bother me.

However, as soon as I stopped cold turkey I developed severe anhedonia and it got worse the further I got into my withdrawal.

So I'm thinking maybe my anhedonia is related to withdrawal and reinstating could help.

 

Should I try reinstating 1-2mg and see if it helps?