Idlewillkill Zoloft taper 200-100mg per doc orders

[Idlewillkill]

So I've been on Zoloft for 9 months. I had tons of side effects including blood sugar problems. My doctor has since tapered me from 200-150 3 weeks ago and 1 week ago she put me on 100. Dark clouds moving in prettttyyy quickly. Also some weird physical sensations tiny little movements and weak knees stuff like that. She prescribed me mirtazapine for the withdrawals but I have not taken it yet. Now I discover it should be a 10% decrease monthly. What should I do? Should I go back to 150 also I take it in the morning but in tempted to take 50mg right now after seeing the 10% taper

[Idlewillkill]

Anyone ?

[Idlewillkill]

So I've been on Zoloft for 9 months. I had tons of side effects including blood sugar problems. Because of the adverse effects My doctor has since tapered me from 200-150 3 weeks ago and 1 week ago she put me on 100. Dark clouds moving in prettttyyy quickly. Also some weird physical sensations tiny little movements and weak knees stuff like that. She prescribed me mirtazapine for the withdrawals but I have not taken it yet. Now I discover it should be a 10% decrease monthly. What should I do? Should I go back to 150? I take my med in the morning and things (withdrawals) progressively get worse throughout the day and finally the worst at night

[luv2knit]

Welcome, IWK. I would hold off on the Mirt. Hopefully a mod will be along to advise you soon on where to go from here!

[tgirl]

Do not take the mitt!

[Nomoreheadmeds]

I'll echo luv2knit and tgirl .

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Idle.

 

I merged your topics. Your Intro topic is the place for those "what should I do?" questions.

 

Yes, you could add the 50mg, going back to 150mg, stabilize on that for a month or so, then taper by 10%. See Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

I would pass on the mirtazapine.

 

What does your screen name mean?

[ten0275]

iwk, hey.

 

echoing the quartet that answered before me, i would say "uh uh, nope" to the mirt. i'm in the later stages of my taper from it and it is really horrible (understated, underscored). also, it has a notorious poop-out rate. you can hit it, but it's awful tough to quit it. and if you think you had blood sugar issues w/ the zoloft... sigh... i read a quote that went something like mirt "made me want to eat raw sugar straight out of the bag." and you know what, i found that to be very true for me. (though i have never quite managed to sit and eat raw sugar out of the bag but i've thought about it!)

alto's suggestion for stabilization is the route of choice.

re: your screen name, my money says it's a reference devon williams' punk trio, "osker." IWK was the title of their first or second album, can't remember. the self-realization record. i have fairly everything that epitaph records released in that era. (but if it isn't, it's going to creep a lot of people out and you'll want to change it - williams meant it very philosophically - my guess is you do too. those of us with sensitive nervous systems tend to shy away from images and names that have violence or other triggery material in them.) and by the way, is that avatar bukowski wearing bukowski? that is a cred photo right there!

hang in there,

dave

[Idlewillkill]

Yes osker and bukowski right on haha. Thanks for the support guys. I also forgot to mention I am on lorazepam .5 as needed. However if I don't take for a day or two I don't know if it's the setraline (Zoloft) or the benzo making me feel odd. Anyone here have any say on that? Also, what's with being aware of your heart beating a bit harder and faster. Annoying and making my anxiety rise.

[mammaP]

Hi IWK, I agree with all the others that taking the mirt would be a bad move. It will take time to stabilise again after all the changes in dosage of zoloft but hang in there and it will get better.  How long have you been taking lorazepam and how have you been taking it?  Occasional use can help some but if it's been daily then you could be suffering interdose withdrawal.  We ask all our members to put a brief outline of drug and tapering history in their signature strip, you can find how to do that here.

 

.http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

Many people find that fish oil and magnesium help with withdrawal symptoms, here is some info on them, I wouldn't be without them. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

[Idlewillkill]

I was on lexapro from age 21-27. Tapered without guidance, relapsed, dealt with the most intrusive thought and guilt and OCD I have ever experienced. Thoughts and urges to hurt my own son. It was ******* insane. I couldn't hold a knife in my hand or look at the knife set without having insane thoughts. Literally. I was scared for my life. Doc put me on Zoloft and clonazapam. She cranked my Zoloft dosage up to 200mg over 4 month period. I had bouts of anger I would have to go in the bathroom at work and literally punch the air and freak out in silence I didn't.know what was wrong with me. I would speak things that didn't make sense. I was so scared. It was hell and torture I wouldn't wish on my biggest enemy. I am free from clonazapam. But I take lorazepam daily .5mg or less. Zoloft at 200 mg messed with my blood pressure my blood sugar my weight (lost 20lbs) and anxiety ridden mind daily. Blurred vision etc etc. I am now on 100mg and it's been about a month (200-150-100) albeit this was a quick taper I plan on spending a good while at 100. If I go back up to 150 I start getting the physical side effects that I did so it's a lose lose. So as long as I am not perm. Damaging anything (which I'm unsure of) I want to fight to not go back up again.

[mammaP]

If you can cope with the withdrawal at 100 it will settle down eventually, it's your decision and only you now which is worse, the side effects at 150 or withdrawal at 100?  You need to take the same dose every day until you have been stable for a few months before starting the 10% taper. 

When you have finished the zoloft taper you can think about tapering the lorazepam. Taking lorazepam once a day can mean that you get some interdose withdrawal, meaning you get symptoms in between doses.  Check out our members only benzo forum to see what advice has been given to others there. Our benzo experts are away right now but you can find their wisdom over there. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-forum/

[Idlewillkill]

Question: it seems as though my body is almost asking me to taper down again. About 30 min after I take my Zoloft I feel extremely weak, the front of my shoulders hurt? Weird. Anxiety and And I get weak in the knees and just a general feeling of unwellness. I literally felt fine before taking it. I don't want to do this unsafetly but then again it's almost like my body is telling me to stop putting it into it. What's going on?

 

(I've been on 100mg now for 3 weeks before that 150 for two weeks. Taper was quicker because of physical side effects. Blood sugar problems etc)

[Idlewillkill]

Question: it seems as though my body is almost asking me to taper down again. About 30 min after I take my Zoloft I feel extremely weak, the front of my shoulders hurt? Weird. Anxiety and And I get weak in the knees and just a general feeling of unwellness. I literally felt fine before taking it. I don't want to do this unsafetly but then again it's almost like my body is telling me to stop putting it into it. What's going on?

[Altostrata]

IWK, I moved your post here -- your Intro topic is for those "what should I do?" questions. We need the context to advise you.

 

Do you take anything else at the same time as Zoloft?

 

If not, you might try 90mg, a 10% decrease. Let us know how you're doing in your Intro topic.

[Idlewillkill]

Lorazepam .25 mg as well. How can I get a 10% reduction accurate with a pill? Does Setraline come in liquid form? Or is there a scale I can buy?

[Altostrata]

Read Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

[Idlewillkill]

Hello all,

 

I have a question about Lexapro & Discontinuation syndrome. About a year ago after tapering off of lexapro I had the most extreme symptoms. I had constant thought and actual urges to hurt my own son. Graphic images that would clutter my mind of myself doing it and also I couldn't even hold a knife in the kitchen because I was scared of what u would do. It was absolute torture. I thought I was a killer. I felt EXTREMELY drained of life. I was lifeless. OCD was cranked to max. Guilt was at 100% because of past mistakes etc. and as personal as this is even if I went to pleasure myself to escape reality for a second, when I "finished" the left side of my body would go numb and I'd have a panic attack. Super, super strange. Anyways I was so scared that I agreed for my doc to put me on Zoloft (Setraline, camber pharmaceuticals) she started me at 25mg and over a few months cranked me to 200mg. After a few months on 200mg I developed blood sugar levels that would drop to 60 after eating. My LDL cholesterol jumped to 179 and my HDL dropped to 50's. Dizzy everyday, blurred vision, constant anxiety. So I had literally every test under the sun cat scan, blood everything. I finally came to the conclusion it's the medication. So my psych dropped me from 200-150. I stayed there for 2 weeks. Then she dropped me 3 weeks ago to 100. I went through the motions of anger, sadness, frustration, and the like. At this moment I feel quite "stable" however I noticed every morning when I take my pill my body gets super upset at me. Pain in the front of my shoulders(weird) anxiety, weak knees, blurred vision, headaches (all day) overall very uneasy feeling. I know my body hates me for putting the Zoloft in it. I plan to taper at 12.5 % and not 10% because I can only get 25mg pills. (Which I will split)

 

I fear once I reach the end of the taper I will experience what I did before. I fear my brain has been permanently damaged.

 

I fear every time I put this medicine in my system I'm ruining it more. I almost felt like I was going to keel over today.

 

I've been on Zoloft for 10months.

 

Thanks

[Altostrata]

IWK, I merged your topics again. Please put your questions in this topic. Bookmark it or "follow" it so you can find it again. This saves your repeating yourself and it saves the staff repeating its responses.

 

Please read the responses above, and please read Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

It is possible you are still suffering from decreasing to 100mg. It may take some time for your nervous system to settle down.

 

On the other hand, it's possible that 100mg is now too much for your sensitized nervous system. You might try slightly less, such as 90mg, and see if that helps.

[Idlewillkill]

Ok thank you I get confused between the mobile and full site versions.

 

Any comment on the erratic thoughts/urges I had before? What is that? Hah.

[Altostrata]

You may have had withdrawal syndrome when you earlier went off Lexapro. We have several members who have reported unusual aggressive, violent, or suicidal thinking, as well as intense guilt or shame, while in the throes of withdrawal.

 

See Neuro emotions

[Idlewillkill]

*post and responses moved from tapering forum

 

So as you see in my signature I was on lexapro and could not deal with the insanity I experienced i.e. Suicide and homocidal ideation/panic attacks/extreme sensitivity to even a drop or sugar or bread etc etc etc you know the deal. Anyways, when my psych at the time put me on Zoloft because of said discontinuation syndrome...did it "replace" lexapros place. In other words did it aid in or stop the discontinuation syndrome or withdrawal from the lexapro because of its reuptake properties...
The reason I ask and I know there's no real set answer for this but I am wondering how the chemical composition differs from lexapro to Zoloft and if that even matters because they both "do" the same thing. Just trying to brace myself for the waves of insanity I suppose...

Edited November 20, 2015 by Petunia
added note

[brassmonkey]

Hi Idle--  unfortunately these drugs are not interchangeable.  At best the new drug will cover up some of the WD symptoms of the old drug, but even that frequently doesn't happen.  Then there is also the problem of the start up symptoms of the new drug added on top of the wd from the old drug.  This is why we rarely recommend switching drugs and why people who have been "polydruged" have a harder time of it while tapering.

[Altostrata]

I don't really understand your question.

 

As brassmonkey said, substituting one SSRI for another sometimes does reduce withdrawal symptoms from the first drug.

 

Milligram for milligram, Lexapro is a much stronger SSRI than Zoloft. Clearly, the dosage of Lexapro you were taking was too much for you.

 

Please use Google to find the exact chemical differences between Zoloft and Lexapro.

[Fresh]

Hello Idlewillkill ,   I'm wondering where you're at at the moment , how you've been going?

Hoping things settled down quickly.