Nm211: Hello all! New here.

[Nm211]

Hi everyone,

 

I hope this posting finds you well. I'm seeking a bit of guidance here. I've been working with my PCP to taper off sertraline and he actually wanted me to do it faster than I did, he also wanted me to skip doses (I tried it early on and it felt off so I stopped). Further, I've been feeling a little down (but manageable) since about July this year, which comes and goes. I have been feeling overall good though which is why I stopped for 3 days in September, to see how I felt. 

 

Here is my timeline with sertraline:

 

Starting - 50mg - April 2019

Tapered Starting Feb 2024 - 25mg

Tapered Starting April 2024 - 12.5mg

Tapered Starting July 2024 - 6.25mg

First week of Sept 2024, stopped taking for 3 days and experienced withdrawal symptoms, - depression, anxiety, OCD, suicidal thoughts, fatigue, loss of appetite, brain fog. 

 

After this happened, I realized it was the medicine withdrawal and I was right. I went back to 12.5mg because I got scared as heck and now I'm starting to stabilize again. Because I have OCD, I'm getting back into working on exposure response prevention now. But I'm seeking some guidance - am I going about this the right way in terms of going back to 12.5mg? Should I have gotten back to 6.25mg? I've also been reading on here and from a friend of mine that there is a liquid version that I can get to re-establish the taper and go much slower. Can anyone point me in the right direction to ensure I do this appropriately as to reduce the withdrawal symptoms or hopefully prevent them down the line? I don't care how long this takes, I just want to do it right. I just found out about this site and I'm excited to learn about the community and your thoughts. Thank you for your help. 

 

Nm

Edited September 11 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome @Nm211

 

So, you're back at 12.5mg and generally feel better, which is good to read. What was the exact date you restarted? It was only three days without your AD, right?

 

I'd be sitting tight where you are for some months. Record your symptoms in a diary so you can track your progress. If things keep improving, that's encouraging. If things change, please let us know.

 

On 9/10/2024 at 10:36 PM, Nm211 said:

Here is my timeline with sertraline:

 

The taper was way too fast, and you stopped from a very large dose.

 

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. This process involves a degree of trial and error, as there is no way of predicting how an individual will respond. 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. The experience of others suggests that the lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with tapering.

Those that taper too quickly often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) is a helpful summary of what many experience.

Some people find tapering by smaller weekly amounts more tolerable. You can read more about this approach here: The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering

Recovery from ADs and tapering is not linear. There are good days and not-so-good days/weeks/months. This is referred to as the Windows and waves pattern of stabilization.

 

On 9/10/2024 at 10:36 PM, Nm211 said:

I've also been reading on here and from a friend of mine that there is a liquid version that I can get to re-establish the taper and go much slower.

I'd keep using the same form (tablet) of AD and the same brand for months to be sure you are stable. At a later stage, we can cross this bridge.

 

On 9/10/2024 at 10:36 PM, Nm211 said:

I don't care how long this takes, I just want to do it right.

Holding your dose is highly likely to be the right thing at the moment. Constant changes are not helpful.

 

The following general links are worth reading:

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.

Once again, welcome to S.A.

Emonda

 

[Nm211]

Emonda, 

 

Thank you so much for your thorough response. I'm going to dig into everything when I have some time today/tomorrow. But I truly appreciate you. Thank you!

[Franco12]

 

Hola, @Nm211

 

I am also tapering off sertraline in liquid form. Maybe some of the answers Erimus gave me can be useful to you too. I also started the reduction from the 50 milligram dose, and I am currently at 33 milligrams. 

If you have questions, and I can help, you can come ask me at any time.

[Nm211]

Thank you, Franco! How is the taper going for you so far?

[Nm211]

On 9/12/2024 at 12:46 AM, Emonda said:

What was the exact date you restarted? It was only three days without your AD, right?

Hey Emonda,

 

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. It was only 3 days ( I believe ) and I believe I restarted taking 12.5mg on September 4th. I can say now that I have stabilized a lot more and feel more "normal."

 

Further, I read through the windows and waves patterns by James. It was such an awesome and insightful article! It really speaks to what I experienced. 

 

Right now I will stay on 12.5mg for a few months to truly stabilize. There are some days I do feel slightly off and I feel as those I'm still stabilizing. But much better now from the first week of September and even more from when I made my first post!

 

I appreciate your help and guidance with everything