Tina Zoloft taper help please

[Tina]

Hello all,

 

  I joined this forum for help with my wife. Now here is my current conundrum. I have been on Zoloft 100mg. for approx. 5 years or so. It has helped tremendously. I did wean off of it about 2 years ago just to see if I really needed it. According to my family based on my overall mental health, I did need it. So I went back on it and last year I was in the hospital with come to find out I have urinary retention. Which come to find out was happening for quite awhile. I can't empty my bladder when I pee, and it was 4 times the normal size. So I now wear a catheter 24/7. I recently found one of the major side effects of SSRI's is urinary retention. So now I'm at a cross roads. Do I want to pee regularly or suffer the anxiety and depression that Zoloft takes away? Man, what a hard decision. I want to start tapering but am scared. I was thinking if I do slowly get off the Zoloft, and then we do a test to see if I can urinate regularly, then that's good. But if it doesn't work, I can always go back on the Zoloft. I was hoping for some advice here to help me make a proper choice.

 

Thank you

[SkyBlue]

Dear Tina, 

 

Glad you found SA. I'm sorry to hear you're having this problem. I have a question for you: when you went off 

Zoloft, how fast did you go down? A fast taper may have resulted in withdrawal symptoms which are very 

often mistaken for the original psychiatric condition "returning."

 

I'd like to offer the notion that it might not be a question of either/or. There are ways, I'm learning, to 

address depression and anxiety without medicines. Who knew that things like vitamins; magnesium; 

sleep (anxiety can be a result of undiagnosed sleep disorder); and many other things can help with 

anxiety and depression. It's very individual, though, of course. 

[KarenB]

Hello Tina's husband ,

 

What do you think about having a thread for yourself with your own screen-name, and if you want more detailed help for your wife then start a separate one for her?

 

That way you'd each have a signature and we could help you both without getting too confused. 

 

I could move this thread to the Intro forum and put your name on it, since it's got your details in the first post. 

 

Hope I haven't confused things further... let me know what you think.

 

Karen.

PS - Welcome.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Tina.

 

This is now your own Introductions topic. Please add to it to track your own progress.

 

How do you feel about having to use a catheter to urinate?

 

Most people, and most doctors, would think this was a highly undesirable adverse effect from Zoloft. Does your doctor think this is just fine?

 

Have you ever considered managing your "depression," or whatever it was you were feeling when you went on Zoloft, with non-drug therapies?

[Pamela]

'Ive had terrible problems with antidepressants and urinary retention

 

I have tried many AD and some do not cause this as bad

 

Could you try switching to a different one to see if this helps?

 

Just a thought