George969: Zoloft protracted withdrawal

[George969]

Hello everyone,

 

My journey started back in Sept/Oct 2021 when I was dealing with overwhelming anxiety for months to the point I couldn't focus anymore on anything. I researched what I could do online and then spoke with a friend who was on Zoloft (sertraline in the UK, where I lived at the time). He told me how it helped him overcome his anxiety and feel better so I gave a call to the GP and asked for it to be prescribed, without hesitation, I had it in my hand a couple of days later. 

I probably had an adverse reaction from the beginning as I even fainted once but researching on Facebook groups, I was being told to keep going until it stabilizes. So I did. Things were only getting worse so I contacted the GP, only to be told to try 100mg. Everything got worse in just a few weeks so I decided to go back to 50mg myself. I stayed at that for 6-7 months (April 2022) until I couldn't do it anymore due to the many symptoms, some of the worst being a total loss of drive, insomnia, and fatigue. 

I found another FB group advising a slow taper and against cold turkey so I decided to buy a jewellery scale and start it out. I did that until I got to 5 mg, as I was on it for 7 months and tapered for 7 months, I thought that was enough.(November 2022) During the taper, I experienced withdrawal and worse symptoms than being on it so I thought jumping off might sort everything out but it did not. 

I slowly started to feel worse and worse and at 6-7 months off hell broke loose (May 2023). I had all the symptoms you guys already know about, all of them. I could still go through my "usual" days but it wouldn't be the same, it would be a struggle, IE I was "working" 8 hours to complete tasks I would have previously done in 1 hour. I was training with weights but doing half the volume with double the fatigue. 

I kept it up for 4-5 more months until my nervous system shut down and I could barely walk 5k steps a day (Nov 2023). Most days bedridden or too tired to even sit on a chair. (1 Year off here)

I was like that for a good 5-6 months until I turned a corner at 1 year and a half off... (March 2024)

 

I didn't start to feel good but I did start to not feel anymore as bad

 

I am now almost 22 months off and hoping for things to start getting better (to a good spot) soon. I want to work & enjoy life again. I haven't had a window in 3-4 months. Most days are now neutral. 

I started to slowly improve but to this day (Sept 2024) I am still at a point where I can only function, I cannot really work or workout (I developed CFS in Nov 2023) but I don't feel anymore like I am dying.

Main symptoms remaining:

-Fatigue

-Unrefreshing sleep

-Depression

-Apathy

-Derealization
-Anxiety

-Mood swings

-Brain fog

-Poor cognitive function

+some other 10-20 minor symptoms such as sensitive digestion, waking up multiple times in the middle of the night etc.. 

 

[Emonda]

Welcome @George969

Sorry to read of your experience.

 

13 hours ago, George969 said:

During the taper, I experienced withdrawal and worse symptoms than being on

 

This sounds typical for a taper that is faster than the 10% approach used on this site.

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.

The symptoms you mention are on the WD list.

 

13 hours ago, George969 said:

I turned a corner at 1 year and a half off... (March 2024)

 

Well, that is good news that you can see you have turned the corner!

 

13 hours ago, George969 said:

I didn't start to feel good but I did start to not feel anymore as bad

 

I'd be expecting windows and waves from here. Recovery from an ADs CT 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.

 

Why not have a read of some of the success stories. You will see others stopped the same AD CT and have fully recovered. There is no reason to expect anything less for yourself.

 

13 hours ago, George969 said:

-Fatigue

-Unrefreshing sleep

-Depression

-Apathy

-Derealization
-Anxiety

-Mood swings

-Brain fog

-Poor cognitive function

+some other 10-20 minor symptoms such as sensitive digestion, waking up multiple times in the middle of the night etc.. 

 

All stock standard, but things will continue to improve with time.

 

Are you drinking alcohol or taking any other drug-related substances? If so, it would be best to stop. Alcohol will just delay your recovery.

 

I'd have a read of these two links:

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)

Once again, welcome to S.A.

Emonda

[didiyana]

Good afternoon, @Джордж969!

 

I'm sorry that you had to face this, but I'm glad to see that you "turned the corner", it will be easier later.

 

I needed your story today, and information that you turned the corner. I also quit Zoloft after a month of using it, though it was CT. It's 6 months now, I have a template of windows and waves, and I feel improvements, but my waves are so unpleasant, and confusing that it may seem that I'm not recovering. We're all recovering, and it's great

 

Thank you for your story, I wish you a speedy recovery. And also, it seems, not all people are talking about their recovery, I found a lot of AD users in my country, and they didn't write stories anywhere, but they recovered.

[George969]

Thanks for the reply @Emonda!  I did taper slow but wasn’t slow enough and shouldn’t have jumped at 5mg but I did what I thought was best at the time. I will check the link you mentioned, everything else is in a good spot so I am expecting some improvements soon! 

[George969]

Thanks for the support @didiyana! The key to success during the waves is to make sure you know what you feeling and thinking is the wave and not you. The best thing to do during those days is to relax as much as possible and pass time. Do not overload your nervous system with TV, phone etc.. try to alternate things out like go for a walk, then watch a bit of TV, then listen to a podcast on speaker while lying in bed and so on! 
 

You’ll definitely get to a point where the waves won’t be anymore as bad but just not feeling good as you’d like. Those days will be easy to get past over though! Stay strong and hope you turn a corner soon!

[Aaron7]

I am also suffering from sertraline withdrawal. I was only taking 25mg for 2 months and then after 2 months of use I quit cold turkey.

I can’t believe such a low dose and short duration can cause so much damage.

 

The symptoms I have:

Severe anhedonia and apathy 

emotional numbness 

Cognitive decline and can’t think properly 

heavy muscle and body feeling 

weakness and fatigue 

 

All these symptoms just from 2 months of use, approximately 60 days. It’s crazy man.