klh39v: Terrible GI issues after coming off Zoloft 2 years ago

[klh39v]

Hi there,

I was off and on Zoloft...mostly on for about 13 years. I also tried Lexapro at some point.

I got off Zoloft 2 years ago. Since last July I have been very ill. Unable to digest foods well..very limited in tolerances. I've developed gastritis so I can't take digestive enzymes because they kill my gut. I've been working hard to heal my gut. I've developed a histamine intolerance as well. I'm actually thinking about going back in a low dose Zoloft so I can function better.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you.

[PoetJester]

Hey klh

 

I was on Zoloft for 15 years and got off of it in feb. 2014.  I would be a little bit weary about going back on the stuff.  I found when I went on remeron this past august, another anti depressant for the insomnia I developed after withdrawing from the Zoloft, it made me quite dizzy.  I developed a bleeding stomach ulcer in late 2000 while on the Zoloft. I spent 2 straight years with daily nausea and migraines laying on my couch in misery.  I also had diarehia like you wouldn't believe which has since gone away since I stopped the Zoloft.  I was wondering did you have any withdrawal symptoms when you initially withdrew from the Zoloft?

[Fresh]

Hi klh ,  welcome to the site.

 

If you go to the Symptoms section , you'll find lots of threads that have ideas and suggestions for

dealing with digestive issues.

 

There is no logical reason to go back onto an ad for gastritis or histamine intolerance. 

 

What other problem symptoms are you having?

 

Best wishes ,  Fresh

[klh39v]

Hi Fresh and poetjester,

When I look back I had terrible insomnia, fatigue, depression...I didn't know it at that time that it was withdrawal symptoms. I also developed super sensitivities to sound, irritability and some aggression. Then last July I could not tolerate any foods other than meat. I also developed extreme anxiety. The only real problems I'm having now are gastritis and histamine issues.. The only reason I'm reconsidering going back on a low dose Zoloft is because I need to be able to advance my foods. Nothing is helping my gut..the gastritis..nothing is helping it. I don't have a lot of foods I can tolerate..and I'm despairing over it now..its been 17 months.

[klh39v]

Oops..I have a lot of foods I CAN NOT tolerate..I'm only able to work 2 days a week because I have very limited energy..

[Fresh]

I think you're seriously crazy to think that an ad will help your gut.  

 

Your digestive system has been tortured enough over the years and is just beginning to recover.

  

I had severe gut issues for years (see my sig.) to the point where I became very malnourished

because eating was so painful.  

I healed by using the "Proper Food Combining" diet.   The basis is that you can eat whatever you want ,

but never mix proteins with starches , and fruit only on an empty stomach.

It is based on the concept that different enzymes are produced by the stomach to digest the different

food groups.  

If you eat from different groups at the same time , the enzymes end up doing battle with each other ,

and nobody's digesting the food.  

Fruit is the only food that doesn't stay in the stomach for digestion , so if you eat it with or after other

food , it can't get past the stomach , and begins to ferment , hence burping , gas etc.

This method is tricky to begin with , but the results are astonishing , within days.

Check out "Great Taste , No Pain" , Sherry Brecia

 

This is a site for helping people go off antidepressants safely.  You are almost a poster-child after

13 years on zoloft , and coming this far.

Please consider the long-term implications of re-starting another ad.

 

Look in the Symptoms and Self Care section . . . there are loads of threads that offer suggestions and

advice about nutrition and gut-health.

[tjs19]

Hi klh, I took Zoloft for 11 months. During that time as well as the first 15 or 16 months of withdrawal following the last pill, I had terrible constipation every day. This symptom as well as others started to lift somewhat after 16 months. However, I have found that magnesium citrate does help me be more regular, as well as help with sleep a little. I don't take it that often now because my digestion is slowly becoming more regular, and I try to make better food choices to help. Bottom line is consider magnesium - look in the Symptoms and Self Care section of the website.

[klh39v]

Hi everyone..thank you so much for your responses.

 

Thank you so much for your responses they were very helpful.

Fresh yours was incredibly helpful ....I'm glad you shared you got malnourished... That's where I'm at and it scares me.

I'm a Registered Nurse and last July got very ill. I left my husband, lost my job, moved to another state..all while trying to get well...your posting really encouraged me..its what I needed to hear...my practitioner does not want me to go back on it now...she was suggesting it earlier because people with IBS are treated with low dose ad...I'm just going to have to go in it for the long hall...my naturopath doctor also says my gut is healing and just ignore the pain..I got pissed...but he really does not want me to take anything and just let my body heal itself...my body is trying to heal itself..

So he also recommended mono meals..but I did not remember why until you pointed out the enzyme thing...so I guess I'll give that a shot..the foods I can tolerate I'll eat separate..on the days I work..I'll just have to do that for my meals and snacks..I can't tolerate much quick snack foods...

So if all I can do is breakfast rutabaga lunch chicken, snack rutabaga..etc..then that's what I'll have to do. I also need to watch my fat content because I've also noted if I eat a lot of high fat foods like lamb or dark meat chicken...my gallbladder goes into spasm.

Thank you everyone.

[oskcajga]

Hi everyone..thank you so much for your responses.

 

Thank you so much for your responses they were very helpful.

Fresh yours was incredibly helpful ....I'm glad you shared you got malnourished... That's where I'm at and it scares me.

I'm a Registered Nurse and last July got very ill. I left my husband, lost my job, moved to another state..all while trying to get well...your posting really encouraged me..its what I needed to hear...my practitioner does not want me to go back on it now...she was suggesting it earlier because people with IBS are treated with low dose ad...I'm just going to have to go in it for the long hall...my naturopath doctor also says my gut is healing and just ignore the pain..I got pissed...but he really does not want me to take anything and just let my body heal itself...my body is trying to heal itself..

So he also recommended mono meals..but I did not remember why until you pointed out the enzyme thing...so I guess I'll give that a shot..the foods I can tolerate I'll eat separate..on the days I work..I'll just have to do that for my meals and snacks..I can't tolerate much quick snack foods...

So if all I can do is breakfast rutabaga lunch chicken, snack rutabaga..etc..then that's what I'll have to do. I also need to watch my fat content because I've also noted if I eat a lot of high fat foods like lamb or dark meat chicken...my gallbladder goes into spasm.

Thank you everyone.

 

Could you be more descriptive of your symptoms? 

 

IBS and "gal bladder spasms" seem rather vague.  How exactly do you feel when you are "hypersensitive"?  Please try to be explicitly descriptive.

 

Your challenges may be related to your enteric nervous system rather than your diet.  Most of the challenges people describe here on this website are related to nervous system "dysfunction" - but the symptoms are easy to confuse with other causes such as diet, allergies, etc etc.

[klh39v]

Hi Oskcajga,

My Practitioner has talked about this as well...but not said like that..or maybe I didn't understand it..she thinks along the same lines.

When I'm in a flare..I either get gallbladder spasms, or fiery gastritis,

It's like I can feel certain foods migrating down my entire gut. The pain moves at times, and is different at times.

Like before I used to be able to tolerate sprouted Ezekiel corn tortillas with my home made sunflower butter..now the minute I swallow it I get little knife like pains in my stomach..until it leaves my lower stomach, duodenum, abd upper small intestine. It's almost like I have trouble tolerating high fiber stuff..I seem better on a low residue diet. I have to boil broccoli for 30 to 40 minutes..its the only cruciferous veggie I can tolerate.

I've also found anything high oxalate my gut does not like the oxalate crystals.. I get nausea and pain the entire day..well especially with spinach.

I did have an endoscopy and they did find gut lining inflammation consistent with bile reflux from my gallbladder..so I know I'm definitely having gallbladder issues...in addition to I've been under an enormous amount of emotional stress going thru a divorce and living in a house with my dads wife who is unstable...I'm moving out soon..so its a combination of things...where are you finding out this information ( in the forums here ) about healing the neurons..how long does that take?? I know everyone is different. Do those symptom descriptions help?

I have had some bloating, flatus, and belching..but I think that's a flora issue..

[klh39v]

Hi everyone,

Someone mentioned that my gut pain that I've had chronically for 16 months now could be my neurons re establishing and healing...does anyone know how long that process takes. Can I do anything to calm the nerves down...I'm in pain all the time...especially when I eat..I've eliminated a lot of things..low histamine and on anti inflammatory diet. Today I had gut pain just from eating boiled rutabagas with olive oil sea salt and tumeric.

Is this going to be my life??

How long does this take to heal. My practitioner said I may want to try a low dose Zoloft ...the docs use them for IBS..and this is what I have now..

[KarenB]

Welcome klh,

 

Someone else will know much more than me, but I wanted to say that Zoloft (or any SSRI) would be the last thing I'd do for any problem, including IBS.  There are so many thoughts on IBS and how to heal it (I'm sure you know more than me) from dietry to emotionally.  I know people who've healed their IBS by working through trauma issues via counseling.  

 

Why don't you fill in a signature so we can better help you.  Eg have you been on Zoloft or other drugs before?  And how did you come off them? 

 

Good to have you here,

KarenB

[Petunia]

Hi klh,

I joined the new topic you started with your original intro/update thread. Its one thread per member in this section. You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want. Its a good idea to bookmark it or follow it, so its easy to find again.

 

 My practitioner said I may want to try a low dose Zoloft ...the docs use them for IBS..and this is what I have now..

 

Doctors seem to use antidepressants for almost everything these days, even though they don't cure anything, and often cause more problems in the long run. The worst part about all this is that once people realize these drugs are not really helping and in fact are causing side effects, its too late to just stop taking them, because then it gets even worse with more symptoms. At this point, doctors usually say its a relapse of the original illness or perhaps a new illness, higher doses and new drugs are offered.

 

Truth is, its withdrawal, which isn't recognized by most of the medical profession... yet.

 

I started on Zoloft for mild to moderate situational anxiety (I was in an awful marriage, socially isolated and stressed). The Zoloft 'helped' for about 2 weeks, then I got severely depressed. I never had depression before, not like this. I didn't connect it with the zoloft and kept taking my medicine. Over the following months and years I developed weight problems, sexual difficulties, IBS, GERD, an asthma like condition, chronic cough and more.

 

More drugs were added to treat these new symptoms and the damage to my body from all these toxic substances was adding up.

 

I was stuck on antidepressants for over 13 years because I couldn't stop taking them, the withdrawals were so bad, I would start taking them again after a few days, I didn't know you were supposed to taper. I finally did stop taking them by doing a too fast 2 month taper. But then protracted withdrawal kicked in and I've been slowly recovering ever since.

 

Since stopping the antidepressant, I no longer have IBS, GERD, asthma or a chronic cough. My immune system seems to work better because I no longer catch every bug that's going around, but I have protracted withdrawal syndrome and also have to be careful with what I eat, but slowly I'm able to add back more foods. My symptoms are different from yours though, I react to the wrong foods with an increase in anxiety type symptoms rather than pain.

 

klh, you have come so far and you are healing, don't throw it all away now.

 

I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. Psych meds can cause harmful side effects and long term, they can worsen health, increasing the risk of other illnesses.

 

As Karen wrote, it would be great if you would put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature. Doing this helps people understand your context, it appears below each of your posts. Here are instructions for how to do it:

 

http://survivinganti...your-signature/

 

Petunia.

[klh39v]

Thank you KarenB and Petunia.

I guess I need to just stick to it and let my body heal. I'll read that book you suggested. I wrote my signature...thanks for that suggestion. I'm not sure how to book mark yet, but I am following the topic.

Thank you!

[KarenB]

Oh my Klh,

 

You've really been through the wringer and back again - I just read your signature.  Yes, definitely time to let your body heal, give it only good things - well, as much as possible anyway.  Do you see a counselor?  Might be helpful for the re-surfacing trauma you mentioned, and it's amazing how many physical illnesses are related to emotional issues.  

 

When the Body Says No:  Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Mate explains this really well.  Or you can probably find his talks on you-tube.  

 

Wishing you healing and peace,

KarenB 

[klh39v]

Thank you KarenB.

It also did not help that I moved into my dads to recover and his wife was emotionally unstable and was screaming at me for several months...I'm moving out soon...:0).

I'm gonna be a strong Chicka when I come thru this season of my life.

[Fresh]

You will get through this klh ,    and need to try and vary your nutrition as much as possible.

 

When I was sick I ate mostly protein.  Favourites were hard boiled eggs with greek yoghurt , scrambled 

eggs , smoked salmon , chicken soup , and sushi.  And I liked grainy toast.  And ginger tea.

I had at least one big cup of Sustagen in warm milk almost every day for years , so i had at least

one meal equivalent.

 

Lately I've been using apple cider vinegar which has a soothing effect on the tum. and improves digestion.  

Get a bottle of Braggs with the Mother root , and add a tbsp to hot water with a tbsp of honey

http://draxe.com/apple-cider-vinegar-uses/

 

Try to have a few mouthfuls of something every few hours , to keep your blood sugar up.

 

Looking forward to seeing your thread in the Success Stories section . . . you just need to get this last little

hurdle sorted.

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, kih.

 

I just wrote this, I hope you find it helpful:

 

I'm dealing with some digestive issues myself now. Although I don't think my current condition is related to withdrawal (more likely, hypothyroid), I know many people have severe gut issues after coming off antidepressants.

 

My theory now:

 

1) Serotonergics, such as antidepressants, downregulate serotonin receptors throughout the body, including in the gut. 95% of the body's serotonin is found in the gut. Serotonin in the gut governs motility -- the essential coordinated muscle activity that moves food through the digestion process, allowing nutrients to be absorbed and toxins to be excreted.

 

2) When you come off a serotonergic, the downregulation of serotonin receptors in your gut causes dysregulation of this important digestive hormone. It's not a lack of serotonin; rather, the nerves are not communicating with each other normally and the rhythm of digestion is thrown off. Quite often, this results in bloating, dyspepsia, and loose bowels. (Among other drugs causing dysmotility are stomach acid blockers and opioid pain drugs.)

 

3) When food is not moved at the proper pace through the gut, it can cause problems, such as fermenting, which produces gas. This can be in the stomach, small bowel, or large bowel. (Sedentariness can affect gut motility. Get regular exercise.)

 

4) Another function of motility, the periodic migrating motor complex (MMC), is to sweep bacteria from the small bowel into the large bowel. The small bowel should not have much bacteria in it. An unusual amount of bacteria here is called Small Intestine Bowel Overgrowth (SIBO).

 

SIBO is thought by some researchers to be responsible for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and possibly fibromyalgia . The MMC, which is controlled by the vagus nerve, is very important to maintaining the health of the digestive system and entire body. It may play a role in fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and other autoimmune disorders, which tend to have a high correlation with IBS.

 

Certain foods called FODMAPs are thought to feed the SIBO. A low FODMAP diet or other low-carbohydrate diets often reduce symptoms.

 

5) All the above can prevent proper absorption of nutrients, such as B vitamins and minerals, causing many other symptoms. The gut irritation can also cause food sensitivities, such as histamine intolerance (which I've also developed).

 

 

I've had the lactulose breath test for SIBO and it seems I have a mild case, possibly due to slowed motility from Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. This can be treated with massive doses of antibiotics with about a 50% success rate. Naturopaths claim some success with an herbal approach.

 

Here are some things I'm doing before trying antibiotics:

 

1) Low-FODMAP diet to reduce symptoms, plus lots of fresh green non-FODMAP vegetables. (It was fairly easy for me to identify which foods cause me problems. Add in foods after a month or so.)

 

2) Fresh ginger and exercise for motility. (I drink tea made with thin slices of ginger and carefully nibble the ginger.)

 

3) Klaire Labs Interfase enzymes or lactoferrin to break down bacteria biofilm, which is where the SIBO hides.

 

4) Herbs to control SIBO: rotate black cumin seed oil, oregano oil, olive leaf extract, grapefruit seed extract, berberine, each for a week, twice a day. Add fresh herbs to food, as tolerated. (Do not overdo these herbs, you'll make yourself sick.)

 

5) Raw coconut oil and monolaurin to weaken microbes and yeasts.

 

6) Organic ground psyllium to regulate bowel movements. (Do not use if you are constipated.) The lower bowel and upper bowel "talk" to each other. Good motility in the lower bowel is communicated to the upper bowel.

 

7) Raise feet when going to the toilet for a bowel movement. This is a modified squatting position that enables full evacuation without straining. All you need to do is put your feet up on a box that is 7"-9" high. This has worked well for me.

[Fresh]

Thankyou Alto ,  I'm going to repost that on my thread for reference.

 

Rather than antibiotics ,  you might considered colloidal silver.  It's been used for thousands of years.  

You can ingest it safely and it kills bacteria.   I used it to heal a tooth abscess recently . . . way better option

than antibiotics and a dentist bill. 

[Altostrata]

Yes, colloidal silver is a anti-microbe alternative.

[nz11]

Thankyou Alto ,  I'm going to repost that on my thread for reference.

 

wow me too!

 

'loose bowels' is that what i call diarrhea-ish stools??

[Altostrata]

Yes, that's loose bowels.