Heatherjane: Introduction

[Heatherjane]

Hi, my name is Heather and I’m looking for friendship, support and advice. I’m currently reducing my sertraline from 100mg. I’m on day 10 and have dropped to 87.5mg. I intend to hold this dose for at least a month to 6 weeks to give any negative symptoms a chance to fire up. If I haven’t had any  and I feel settled I’m looking to drop the dose again to 72.5 if I can accurately weigh the dose. I’ve not noticed any particular withdrawal symptoms except feeling a bit woozy by the end of the day which seems to be manageable. 
I am rather anxious about this process and enjoy hearing positive stories about withdrawal. 
Does this sound okay? X

Edited October 19, 2024 by Emonda
Name to title

[Heatherjane]

Oops my mistake, the next drop I’m looking to do would be 78.75mg! 

[Emonda]

Welcome @Heatherjane

 

11 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I’m looking for friendship, support and advice.

 

You're in the right spot!

 

11 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I’m currently reducing my sertraline from 100mg. I’m on day 10 and have dropped to 87.5mg.

 

I'd be making smaller reductions than what you have.

 

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.

11 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

if I can accurately weigh the dose.

You must be accurate and consistent.

Many here use a Gemini-20 scale to weigh their pill. Others make a liquid out of their pill. Please have a read of this:

 

 

12 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

am rather anxious about this process and enjoy hearing positive stories about withdrawal. 

 

That's understandable. I often read success stories when I need a little boost or encouragement.

 

This is worth a read: 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

[Heatherjane]

Thankyou Emonda, I appreciate the reply. I have ordered the Gemini scales but they won’t arrive until 6th November at the earliest. 
I am wondering whether to hold the current dose until they arrive? 
Also what do members do with the crushed pill? Is there a method of safely ingesting it? 
It’s a very scary process…

Bless you all..x

[Jane318]

9 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

Also what do members do with the crushed pill? Is there a method of safely ingesting it? 

Greetings @Heatherjane - I am a relatively new member, happened to come across your post and your question about how to prepare dosages.  Thought I would share how I do this. 

 

First though - Kudos to you for choosing to embark on this journey!  I urge you to go slowly and pay attention to your symptoms.  I now track my symptoms every day using the daily checklist that Emonda referenced.  Many/most of us here are suffering a lot because we tried to go too quickly.  In my case, I thought I was going slow enough, but I was going faster than recommended here, and the withdrawal symptoms were piling up in the background until I crashed in the summer.  I am now holding for months until I stabilize, then will resume tapering following the Brassmonkey method.  The time will go by anyway.  You want to stay in the safe zone.

 

I'm tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine), I have 37.5 mg tablets.  I use a spice grinder to crush my tablets. I weigh  the powder using the Gemini 20 scale above.  Then I dissolve in water and keep the liquid in a dark container in the fridge.  I've done the research to confirm that my solution is stable for at least the 20 days or so it takes to use it up before I prepare a fresh batch.  I have more details in my introductory post (linked in my signature) if you are interested.

 

To calculate dosages, I use a spreadsheet that I prepared before I found this site - you can find similar tools here: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/9167-how-to-calculate-dosages-and-dilutions-spreadsheets-and-calculators/.  

 

Happy to answer any questions you might have about how I do it.  Willing to help figure out a tapering plan for you, if you'd like.

 

Best wishes.

 

[Heatherjane]

26 minutes ago, Jane318 said:

Greetings @Heatherjane - I am a relatively new member, happened to come across your post and your question about how to prepare dosages.  Thought I would share how I do this. 

 

First though - Kudos to you for choosing to embark on this journey!  I urge you to go slowly and pay attention to your symptoms.  I now track my symptoms every day using the daily checklist that Emonda referenced.  Many/most of us here are suffering a lot because we tried to go too quickly.  In my case, I thought I was going slow enough, but I was going faster than recommended here, and the withdrawal symptoms were piling up in the background until I crashed in the summer.  I am now holding for months until I stabilize, then will resume tapering following the Brassmonkey method.  The time will go by anyway.  You want to stay in the safe zone.

 

I'm tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine), I have 37.5 mg tablets.  I use a spice grinder to crush my tablets. I weigh  the powder using the Gemini 20 scale above.  Then I dissolve in water and keep the liquid in a dark container in the fridge.  I've done the research to confirm that my solution is stable for at least the 20 days or so it takes to use it up before I prepare a fresh batch.  I have more details in my introductory post (linked in my signature) if you are interested.

 

To calculate dosages, I use a spreadsheet that I prepared before I found this site - you can find similar tools here: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/9167-how-to-calculate-dosages-and-dilutions-spreadsheets-and-calculators/.  

 

Happy to answer any questions you might have about how I do it.  Willing to help figure out a tapering plan for you, if you'd like.

 

Best wishes.

 

Hello Jane, thanks for your reply!

I have had good read through this site with my husband and we are planning to weigh and crush the pills and put them in a gelatine capsule. Here in the UK the nhs don’t supply sertraline in a liquid sadly. We are going to do the 10% method and hold each dose for a month minimum until I fully stabilise before we go again. 
I too am a Christian (I am a church organist) and my faith is going to help me through this.  I believe God directed me to this fabulous support group. 
I appreciate you saying about a tapering plan and welcome any recommendations…I’m currently on 87.5mg  (started on the 11th oct) for the next few weeks minimum. I don’t mind how long it takes, I’m terrified of withdrawal symptoms and do have health anxiety. I get easily triggered and have done oddly enough since I’ve been on ssris!  I originally took the pills for depression….Im a relatively healthy person, I don’t smoke or use alcohol and ride my bike everyday. 
All the best,

H..x

[Jane318]

On 10/19/2024 at 1:27 PM, Heatherjane said:

Here in the UK the nhs don’t supply sertraline in a liquid sadly.

Nor here, either.  I make my own solutions so I can take liquid.  But if you are up to making capsules, that's great!  Definitely more portable for traveling or whenever you are away from home!

 

On 10/19/2024 at 1:27 PM, Heatherjane said:

We are going to do the 10% method and hold each dose for a month minimum until I fully stabilise before we go again. 

This is very wise.  In fact, I would not begin tapering again until you have stabilized from last dose change - perhaps you are there now, I wasn't sure.  Encourage you to track your symptoms daily, using the Daily Checklist that Emonda linked above or something else that works for you.  It really helps me.

 

On 10/19/2024 at 1:27 PM, Heatherjane said:

I appreciate you saying about a tapering plan and welcome any recommendations…I’m currently on 87.5mg  (started on the 11th oct) for the next few weeks minimum. I don’t mind how long it takes,

Again, you are so wise to be willing to do this slowly.  SA recommends the tapering plan that BrassMonkey developed which is a hyperbolic taper over four weeks followed by a (minimum) two week hold.  The four-week taper period is further divided such that you taper weekly in even increments over the four weeks.  The taper percentage is your choice.  10% of prior dose is the rule of thumb and recommended maximum.  Some people find they can only handle 5% (or even less) per month in order to control symptoms.

 

To make it simple, and assuming you are comfortable with working with an Excel spreadsheet, download the taper spreadsheet from here: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/27883-the-brassmonkey-slide-method-of-micro-tapering/#comment-412439. 

 

One you open up the spreadsheet, you will see some cells highlighted in yellow - these are cells you can change to tailor for you.  Don't change any of the other cells, they have formulas in them.

 

Now tailor the spreadsheet for you as follows:

Cell B2 - Starting dose - 20 is in the spreadsheet as an example.  You need to change this to your starting dose.  Your starting dose will be 87.5 mg of drug.  HOWEVER...  an 87.5 mg pill will weight more than that - it has fillers, otherwise it would be too small to handle.  So weigh your 87.5 mg pill.  As long are you stick to the same med / mfr, you can simply enter that weight in this cell.  This will be the actual amount (mg) you will weigh out to get the required dosage.  I hope that makes sense, if not let me know.

Cell B3 - Percentage per week - leave 2.5% if you are going to use 10% per month  (4X2.5% = 10%)

Cell B4 - Weeks taper - leave 4 (can change, but recommend 4)

Cell B5 - weeks hold  - leave 2 (recommend no less than 2 weeks hold, but can extend as needed)

Cell A12 - The formula in the cell always yields today's date.  Change this to the date you plan to start your taper.  The rest of the dates will update accordingly.

 

Now, in column B you have your dose for each week.  I divide my daily dose in half and take it morning and evening, roughly 12 hours apart.

 

I hope this is clear.  I could set up the spreadsheet for you, but I don't have a way of getting it to you.  And you need to know how to use it because you will likely change things as you go.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

On 10/19/2024 at 1:27 PM, Heatherjane said:

I too am a Christian (I am a church organist) and my faith is going to help me through this.  I believe God directed me to this fabulous support group. 

Wonderful to meet another believer!  Jesus WILL get us through this, He promises to.  I too know the Lord led me to SA.org - It's a wonderful place for support group with best resources available to us anywhere.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  (Romans 15:13 NKJV)

 

 

[Emonda]

On 10/19/2024 at 8:55 PM, Heatherjane said:

I am wondering whether to hold the current dose until they arrive? 

 

Any reason to hold your dose is a good reason, especially since you started with a larger reduction than recommended.

 

On 10/19/2024 at 8:55 PM, Heatherjane said:

It’s a very scary process…

 

I appreciate this feeling. I'm close to three years into this journey, and I still worry about the process / logistics / not being able to source my AD...anything, really that comes to mind about tapering.

 

The good news is that there is heaps of good info on this site. The success stories are very encouraging, too.

 

On 10/20/2024 at 7:27 AM, Heatherjane said:

I am a church organist

 

Each Sunday, I look at the organist with their hands and feet moving everywhere...it boggles my mind. What an amazing gift.

 

On 10/20/2024 at 7:27 AM, Heatherjane said:

We are going to do the 10% method

 

Just remember, it is a maximum of 10%. There is nothing wrong with smaller reductions. My limit seems to be 8% per month, and others manage less again.

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

Listen to your body. It's not race.

Thanks to Jane318 for jumping in. I first responded on Saturday night, and I try to stay off the site on Sunday in my time zone...hence my slow reply.

Warm wishes to you.

Emonda

[Heatherjane]

Thankyou @Jane318 and @Emonda

I appreciate your time. We are going to go for the brass monkey slide after reading the information on this site.

Am I right in assuming that some people can come off AD’s and have no WD? I guess there’s a lot of factors involved…

Do you guys think I need to hold the current 87.5 for a good month -6 weeks to see if any WD symptoms turn up before I go again? Would my brain have acclimatised to the new dose in that time? 
x

[LostInCanada]

On 10/18/2024 at 2:08 PM, Heatherjane said:

dropped to 87.5mg

Welcome to SA. How have you measured this dose? Does the pill come in this size? 

Definitely wait for the scale before dropping your dose. 

There is filler in the pills so you will need to get an average weight of the pill and use that as your standard. 

If you have no issues with the 10% drop, I personally wouldn't do the brassmonkey slide till you get to much lower doses. Definitely use it if you have hard to deal with symptoms. 

Also when weighing, the scale has limitations. Always round up the dose if you have too many decimals. 

Always recalibrate the scale before using. Stable, level surface, no drafts or fans, etc

[Heatherjane]

Hello @LostInCanada

Yes the pills come in 100mg 50mg and 25mg here in the UK.  I have reduced by having a 50,25 and halving another 25 to get me to that dose. 
I think I feel okay apart from my usual headaches and perhaps a bit of fatigue towards bedtime. It’s been 2 weeks tomorrow since I reduced. It’s hard to know what to do, like many others the want to be off the pills asap is pressing but equally after reading this site I’m aware that I don’t want to mess it up by going too quick. I have another good few weeks holding to do before I contemplate the next drop whether it be the brass monkey or max 10%. I appreciate the support from the group, God Bless you all..x

 

[LostInCanada]

6 minutes ago, Heatherjane said:

 I have reduced by having a 50,25 and halving another 25 to get me to that dose. 

Because this is not the most accurate, once you get your scale you may want to give it 3 extra weeks of accurate dosing at 87.5 mg before moving on. Being the most stable possible helps toward successful tapering. 👍

[Heatherjane]

7 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

Because this is not the most accurate, once you get your scale you may want to give it 3 extra weeks of accurate dosing at 87.5 mg before moving on. Being the most stable possible helps toward successful tapering. 👍

Thankyou, the pills have a score line that I have been breaking them on, is that okay or should I still weigh? I managed to get another set of scales that arrived today..x

[LostInCanada]

11 minutes ago, Heatherjane said:

score line that I have been breaking them on, is that okay or should I still weigh?

You need to still weigh. Cutting a score line is not accurate.

Weigh 10 pills either collectively or together. Add the amounts together and divide by 10. That will give you the standard weight to use to figure out your calculations. If you use different sizes of manufactured pills you will need to do this unless 50 mg is exactly 1/2 the weight of 100 mg, etc

[Heatherjane]

58 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

You need to still weigh. Cutting a score line is not accurate.

Weigh 10 pills either collectively or together. Add the amounts together and divide by 10. That will give you the standard weight to use to figure out your calculations. If you use different sizes of manufactured pills you will need to do this unless 50 mg is exactly 1/2 the weight of 100 mg, etc

[Heatherjane]

14 minutes ago, Heatherjane said:

1 hour ago, LostInCanada said:

You need to still weigh. Cutting a score line is not accurate.

Weigh 10 pills either collectively or together. Add the amounts together and divide by 10. That will give you the standard weight to use to figure out your calculations. If you use different sizes of manufactured pills you will need to do this unless 50 mg is exactly 1/2 the weight of 100 mg, etc

Thankyou @LostInCanada I’ve just had husband on the scales weighing it all accurately for me..x

[LostInCanada]

Make sure you stick with the same manufacturer. Each manufacturer has varying ways of making the pills. Staying consistent with manufacturer can help with stability as well. 

[Heatherjane]

57 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

Make sure you stick with the same manufacturer. Each manufacturer has varying ways of making the pills. Staying consistent with manufacturer can help with stability as well. 

Eeek!! I don’t think I’ll have much choice in that, it’s whatever the nhs dishes out. Is there any advice incase they do change the manufacturer please? X

[LostInCanada]

2 minutes ago, Heatherjane said:

, it’s whatever the nhs dishes out.

Can you not speak to your pharmacist and have a specific manufacturer put on your file? 

If you do not stick with the same manufacturer, you will have to figure out the standard weight whenever there is a change. Different manufacturers use different weights of fillers.

When changing manufacturers, it is ideal to do it gradually.

[Heatherjane]

2 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

Can you not speak to your pharmacist and have a specific manufacturer put on your file? 

If you do not stick with the same manufacturer, you will have to figure out the standard weight whenever there is a change. Different manufacturers use different weights of fillers.

When changing manufacturers, it is ideal to do it gradually.

I can ask the pharmacist at the doctors surgery but I don’t hold much hope for it being a consistent manufacturer. My husband is more than happy to weigh the pills and do the maths.. when you say it’s ideal to do it gradually does that mean the next taper from a new manufacturer needs to be smaller? Sorry for being thick..x

[LostInCanada]

 

 

[Heatherjane]

22 minutes ago, LostInCanada said:

 

 

Gosh, there is so much for of this than meets the eye! Thankyou for the link…x

[Heatherjane]

Hello all, rookie Heather here,

I’ve been having a headache for the past few days. I’ve been on the 87.5mg sertraline since 11th oct. Am I right in assuming that holding the dose for however long it takes for the headache to resolve  and then have a period without decreasing is a wise move? I’m guessing the headache is a sign of my body adjusting? X

[Emonda]

Welcome back, Heather.

 

I've moved your new post back here to your topic. It's best to keep everything relating to yourself in one spot.

 

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I’ve been having a headache for the past few days.

 

This is an item on the WD checklist. Many of us experience this one.

 

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I’m guessing the headache is a sign of my body adjusting?

 

Yes, your body is adjusting to life with slightly less AD in your system.

 

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

Am I right in assuming that holding the dose for however long it takes for the headache to resolve  and then have a period without decreasing is a wise move?

 

Whilst WD symptoms are causing you grief, it is best to hold.

 

However, we also talk about WD Normal on this site. That is, you still have symptoms, but they are manageable, and you can still go about your day as required.

 

...but I'd be holding at this stage.

 

Hope this helps

 

[Heatherjane]

Thankyou Emonda, that reassures me..

I appreciate this maybe a piece of string question,in your experience what is the average amount of time for a person in my circumstance to experience the brain readjustment before it settles? 
x

[Heatherjane]

Update,gentle advice required please. I forgot to mention that since the beginning of the year I have been having nightmares and I wake often throughout the night. The last 2 nights I have had slightly more extreme horrible nightmares that leave me unsettled in the mornings. And feeling slightly more vile towards the end of the day, fatigued, a bit nauseous. This morning I have been feeling quite anxious and am panicking that I’ve dropped the dose initially by too much and now it’s catching up with me. (On pharmacist advise I dropped the dose initially before I found this forum) will I eventually resettle if I maintain the current level? I still have to carry on my usual routine as I have 2 small children, one with a disability…Reassurance required please…x

[Emonda]

22 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I appreciate this maybe a piece of string question

 

Yep 😊

 

22 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

in your experience what is the average amount of time for a person in my circumstance to experience the brain readjustment before it settles? 

 

During one of my tough times, I found the following reassuring:

 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-advances/article/distinguishing-relapse-from-antidepressant-withdrawal-clinical-practice-and-antidepressant-discontinuation-studies/AE99BDE4435521CE9F3D626AE14D1962

 

[Emonda]

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

horrible nightmares that leave me unsettled in the mornings.

 

This is item 28 on the WD checklist. I experience these, and more so if I am hot at night.

 

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

This morning I have been feeling quite anxious and am panicking that I’ve dropped the dose initially by too much and now it’s catching up with me.

 

Distractions are important. If you focus on it, you'll likely feel worse.

 

Your first reduction was slightly larger than the maximum recommended. Stay calm. Maybe set a line in the sand...if you still feel rotten in, say, three weeks, then perhaps entertain a small increase. I suspect things will improve with time and accurate dosing.

 

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

will I eventually resettle if I maintain the current level?

 

I'm confident you will 👍

 

2 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I still have to carry on my usual routine as I have 2 small children, one with a disability…Reassurance required please…x

 

Young kids can be a tough stage of life. I have friends with kids that have disabilities, and I know that brings other challenges...but I'd stick to your current dose. Be accurate, be consistent and be patient.

 

Warm wishes to you.

[Heatherjane]

46 minutes ago, Emonda said:

 

This is item 28 on the WD checklist. I experience these, and more so if I am hot at night.

 

 

Distractions are important. If you focus on it, you'll likely feel worse.

 

Your first reduction was slightly larger than the maximum recommended. Stay calm. Maybe set a line in the sand...if you still feel rotten in, say, three weeks, then perhaps entertain a small increase. I suspect things will improve with time and accurate dosing.

 

 

I'm confident you will 👍

 

 

Young kids can be a tough stage of life. I have friends with kids that have disabilities, and I know that brings other challenges...but I'd stick to your current dose. Be accurate, be consistent and be patient.

 

Warm wishes to you.

Thank @emonda your words are very reassuring..God bless you..lol I too get hot in bed and put it down to perimenopause and the hrt not doing its job! Gosh, everyday is a school day. I’ve just managed 14 miles on my e-bike round the woods and that has settled me a bit…Saw some lovely colours here in the UK autumn..x

[Heatherjane]

On 10/23/2024 at 11:11 AM, Emonda said:

 

This is item 28 on the WD checklist. I experience these, and more so if I am hot at night.

 

 

Distractions are important. If you focus on it, you'll likely feel worse.

 

Your first reduction was slightly larger than the maximum recommended. Stay calm. Maybe set a line in the sand...if you still feel rotten in, say, three weeks, then perhaps entertain a small increase. I suspect things will improve with time and accurate dosing.

 

 

I'm confident you will 👍

 

 

Young kids can be a tough stage of life. I have friends with kids that have disabilities, and I know that brings other challenges...but I'd stick to your current dose. Be accurate, be consistent and be patient.

 

Warm wishes to you.

Thank @emonda your words are very reassuring..God bless you..lol I too get hot in bed and put it down to perimenopause and the hrt not doing its job! Gosh, everyday is a school day. I’ve just managed 14 miles on my e-bike round the woods and that has settled me a bit…Saw some lovely colours here in the UK autumn..x

[Emonda]

15 minutes ago, Heatherjane said:

Gosh, everyday is a school day.

 

Completely agree. I learn much here often!

 

[Heatherjane]

A question, last Christmas I had some intense external stressors whilst I was on my 100mg of sertraline. Both of my children’s teeth needed work with painful abscesses and they were refusing to be treated due to be scared ect, running out of the dentists ect, we also couldn’t get timely appointments. it was a cycle that started late November and carried on right through Christmas and beyond. Then in February I discovered my son didn’t have a specialist school place and I had to start a court case with the council which was mega stressful..During this time I was soooo anxious I couldn’t eat and sleep ect and was using diazepam and zopilcolne most days. I saw the doctor in February I believe and he said and put me reducing and switching to another drug. Basically when I got to 50mg after 1 month of tapering I felt horrendous and put the dose back up to 75, then from April onwards I have been on 100mg. ( in May I won the court case and my son got the school place) since then  I have been doing fine on this dose but still had the intention of looking to come off it. So October this year I decide I’m well enough to start the process. My question is, do you think I suffered poop out or were the external stressors the main problem? 
Im currently on day 18 of my 87.5 dose and am not feeling too bad, the headache has gone over but I am feeling a bit dizzy and fatigued at the end of the day. I didn’t have a nightmare last night but do wake at 1.30 every morning for a few mins and then every 2 hours after for a few mins. I get up at 7 and have my pills about 7.15. I’m not planning to drop the dose for a good few more weeks as advised by you guys…

God bless..

[Katey7485]

22 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

A question, last Christmas I had some intense external stressors whilst I was on my 100mg of sertraline. Both of my children’s teeth needed work with painful abscesses and they were refusing to be treated due to be scared ect, running out of the dentists ect, we also couldn’t get timely appointments. it was a cycle that started late November and carried on right through Christmas and beyond. Then in February I discovered my son didn’t have a specialist school place and I had to start a court case with the council which was mega stressful..During this time I was soooo anxious I couldn’t eat and sleep ect and was using diazepam and zopilcolne most days. I saw the doctor in February I believe and he said and put me reducing and switching to another drug. Basically when I got to 50mg after 1 month of tapering I felt horrendous and put the dose back up to 75, then from April onwards I have been on 100mg. ( in May I won the court case and my son got the school place) since then  I have been doing fine on this dose but still had the intention of looking to come off it. So October this year I decide I’m well enough to start the process. My question is, do you think I suffered poop out or were the external stressors the main problem? 
Im currently on day 18 of my 87.5 dose and am not feeling too bad, the headache has gone over but I am feeling a bit dizzy and fatigued at the end of the day. I didn’t have a nightmare last night but do wake at 1.30 every morning for a few mins and then every 2 hours after for a few mins. I get up at 7 and have my pills about 7.15. I’m not planning to drop the dose for a good few more weeks as advised by you guys…

God bless..

Hi Heather, oh yes re the poop out could contribute for sure - and sounds like you had so much on your plate re court and other stressors for sure. Your stress jug was definitely overflowing (sorry that you’re going through this btw). 
 

These SSRI’s are so addictive though so there may have been a withdrawal element going on too. It’s hard to know and that’s what makes this process so difficult. From watching Mark Horowitz’s work, the lower you go the tougher it may get and that’s why a hyperbolic taper is the way to go - so it may not have been the dose lowering completely because you were only at half dose. I am new here and still learning so I may be wrong. I hope it goes well -Kate

[Heatherjane]

Hello Kate,

Nice to meet you..During the stress I felt so helpless, the children were poorly with the teeth and just wouldn’t oblige through fear, they both needed some removed. Even we I’d managed to score the appointments which was a nightmare they wouldn’t let the dentist treat them! Then we had to wait longer so they could be sedated. (They even fought with the nitrous) And then I found out that my son didn’t have the specialist school place (he has a disability) and the school the local council proposed to send him too was the worst in the county! With Gods help I won the case, the teeth were fixed and I took a while to get over the trauma. 
I have many questions and @Emonda @Jane318 and @LostInCanada have been sharing their knowledgeable thoughts with me. I’d like to know if I do long holds of a couple of months say, is that okay? It won’t mess me up further? 
x

[Jane318]

6 hours ago, Heatherjane said:

I’d like to know if I do long holds of a couple of months say, is that okay? It won’t mess me up further? 

Long holds are good strategy to allow CNS to stabilize after a period of extreme disruption. It is good to hold until you feel stable and comfortable with continuing.  Many people hold for several months or more.   I am currently holding, now in month 4, after doing an updose this past summer. 

[Heatherjane]

1 hour ago, Jane318 said:

Long holds are good strategy to allow CNS to stabilize after a period of extreme disruption. It is good to hold until you feel stable and comfortable with continuing.  Many people hold for several months or more.   I am currently holding, now in month 4, after doing an updose this past summer. 

Thanks @Jane318 I’ve got hold of some fish oil today and some phosphatidylserine supplements. I’ve read on here these can help with wd anxiety..x