Myer123-

[Myer123]

Hello,

 

I've experiencing a variety symptoms since withdrawing from Zoloft officially in early January (tapered down for about two months prior). This seems to be the first site or information I've found that validates almost everything I've experienced! 

 

When on my regular dosage, within hours of missing a dose, I experienced severe dizziness, brain zaps (if that's the right term), and other symptoms that made life difficult so I attempted to reduce my prescription (100 mg) very slowly. I cut it in half and did that for at least a month, then began taking 50 mg every other day for the next few weeks. After a weekend out of town, I had forgotten to take any Zoloft for a few days and didn't notice any withdrawal symptoms so assumed that meant I was ready to be officially weaned from it.

 

Anyway, within weeks I was experiencing severe anxiety and my mood was incredibly low. I assumed this was a relapse as did my doctor but I was very hesitant to start any new drug. 

 

For about a month now, I have noticed vision changes that are hard to describe (floaters, flashes, visual snow, etc). They are not constant but have been very concerning. I actually have an eye exam scheduled but after reading experiences on here, it seems that that is not an uncommon symptom. My mind is in a fog quite a bit and I've had a "dream like state" of feeling often as well. I've also had headaches and eye pain almost daily for a month (they are not too severe but frustrating and seem to be mostly on my right side of my head). I've noticed dizziness more so this week and last. It's beginning to feel like I'm having a new symptom each week. 

 

I tried to read as many of the threads as possible and the idea of reinstating my Zoloft prescription at a very low dose is very alluring if it will give me some relief from these symptoms. I'm also anxious to do so as I couldn't stand for months of suffering to all be for naught if I have to go through these withdrawal symptoms again. 

 

Thanks for reading. I would greatly appreciate advice or some hope that this gets better/back to normal. I've just graduated and have started a new job and it's awful trying to keep up and be "present" when I'm feeling so down mentally and physically! It's already incredibly relieving to know that most of these symptoms can be explained because I've been paranoid that I have every disease under the sun. 

 

Thanks again. 

[Fresh]

Hi Myer123 , I'm so very glad you found us.

 

By our standards , you tapered much too fast to avoid withdrawal symptoms (and yes ,brain zaps

is the right term , we've all had them , lol). We recommend cuts of no more than 10% with holds

of 4-6 weeks after each drop.

 

The quickest way out of this is to try reinstating a small dose of zoloft. You may get some

symptom relief within hours.

Please read the thread on reinstating here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/

 

You need to work out how to get 1mg from the tablets you have - what doses do you have there?

 

Please could you have a go at filling in your signature , so readers can see your drug history

at a glance each time you post.

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

 

This is your thread to track your journey and ask anything you want.

 

Best wishes , Fresh

[SquirrellyGirl]

Hi Myer123, welcome to SA!

 

I find it helpful to read the article about occupancy rates of several SSRIs in this thread:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6036-why-taper-paper-demonstrates-importance-of-gradual-change-in-plasma-concentration/

 

At 50 mg, your serotonin receptors are still occupied at about 80%, so when you go off that, you are freeing up a huge number of receptors which causes a huge imbalance and much scrambling of your nervous system.  Since your nervous system remodeled to take the action of the drug into account, you don't just snap back to pre-drug conditions - you have to build a new brain.  With such a huge imbalance in play, it is a rough ride to do all that rebuilding, since there is interplay between neurotransmitters, hormones etc. throughout the body.  

 

A rough estimate for reinstatement might be 20 mg, at which point your receptors would be about 60% occupied, still a big change compared to 100 mg (90%) but hopefully a big enough improvement.  The mods might recommend even less.  It takes four days for the drug to reach a steady level in the blood, so you'd want to wait at least that long to see if the reinstatement is helping.  If you have a strong reaction/symptoms, you may be having an adverse drug reaction to that amount, in which case you should cease and check here to reassess.

 

It is possible for you to become sensitized to medications while having been off, and not be able to tolerate Zoloft.

 

If after reassessing at the initial dose your wd symptoms are still not alleviated, then you can add a bit more, titrating up this way to find that sweet spot that works without side effects.  It is possible that your system upregulated (healed) somewhat while you were off, so it may not take much to get relief.  The links Fresh gave you explain this very well.

 

You may need to ask your doctor for a liquid version of Zoloft for easier dosing.  You can also get a jeweler's milligram scale, found inexpensively on Amazon or eBay, to make dry cutting more accurate.  See the topic about tapering Zoloft for more information on how to control your dosing:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1441-tips-for-tapering-off-zoloft-sertraline/?hl=zoloft

 

You can select "Follow this topic" in the upper right-hand corner of this page to see responses to your thread.  Your thread is where you can ask questions  about your particular situation, add updates, etc.

 

I'm glad you found SA and have some understanding that you aren't alone in what you are experiencing!

 

SG

[Myer123]

Fresh and SquirrellyGirl 

 

Thanks so much for the quick replies. It was such a relief to get advice that isn't "get on a different antidepressant" or "it's all in your head". 

 

I think I am leaning towards reinstating. The thread linked in was very helpful. The biggest concern I have is the mention of adverse reactions. What does this mean exactly? Can it be dangerous? And Is it something that will go away if I stop taking the reinstatement or is possibly going to compound on my existing symptoms?

 

I have 100mg tablets that I can chop down to about 20mg (it's hard to tell when just cutting them with a knife). I'll definitely ask about a liquid form as I have appt next week. 

 

Thanks again for the advice. I am beyond grateful to have found this site!

[Fresh]

An adverse reaction is indicated by a new wave / flood of symptoms within 24-28 hours

after reinstating.

 

We recommend starting with a dose far smaller than 20mg.

If you can no longer tolerate zoloft , the bad effect of 2mg is far less severe than that of

20mg. You'd recover much quicker.

Some people react badly to that first tiny dose , and that's a sign that your system has changed

since stopping. If that happens it's best to stop trying to reinstate zoloft.

 

It's very likely that your doctor will tell you 2mg is not a therapeutic dose. Be prepared for

this. Many members have found symptom relief within hours after reinstating , and they would tell

you differently.

[Myer123]

Thanks for the info. I did take about 15mg yesterday and one today. I did notice more dizziness, fatigue, and a worse headache than usual today. Then again, it's very hard to tell if it's worse or just the same because I had a good day yesterday so that is what I comparing it to. 

 

Since I've already begun the 15mg, should I cut this down for tomorrow or stop altogether since it hasn't helped me?

 

Also- if it really is my system responding poorly to the Zoloft, is that maybe a good thing? Meaning my brain is already being healed? Or is that unrelated to how long withdrawal symptoms are experienced?

 

Much appreciated

[Fresh]

Ok , one question at a time.

 

It takes 4 days of the same dose to reach a steady-state in your blood-stream. You need to give

any dose at least 4 days before knowing if it will help or not.

Your reaction today is most likely tied to taking 15mg yesterday. Did you initially feel good /

better after taking that?

 

The lowest dose you can stabilize on , the better. I'd be inclined to stick on 5mg and give

it 4 - 7 days before deciding if you need to updose.

[Myer123]

Right after taking the dose, I didn't feel any different. I was having a pretty low symptom day before taking it (I took it at about 5pm) so I continued to feel decent until around 1pm today. That's when I kind of started to crash with the headache and other symptoms I mentioned. 

 

So even after taking 15mg, I can still cut it to 5mg without that screwing me up again? I'll definitely cut down to about 5mg tomorrow and stick with that for a week!

[Fresh]

Yes , a one-off dose will settle down. Am so glad you didn't have a bad reaction .

 

See the link about making a liquid yourself , it's really not complicated.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2693-how-to-make-a-liquid-from-tablets-or-capsules/

 

You dissolve a 20mg tablet in 20mls of water , and can draw up precision amounts

with a plastic syringe.

 

Precision is everything , and if your chopping bounces around a few mg's either way ,

it's big percentage of error going between 3mg and 7mg.

[Myer123]

Okay, thanks for the advice. I will try to do a 5mg tomorrow.

[Fresh]

How have the last couple of days been Myer?

[Myer123]

Thank you for checking in. Reinstating has helped a lot and most of my physical symptoms are drastically better. They are more mild now and more so in the afternoon. Thanks so much for the advice- physically I feel so much better. I also tried dissolving into water which made it easier to dose.

 

Depression/anxiety is pretty bad right now, unfortunately. It's hard to tell if it's a withdrawal symptom or just how I am without the prescription.

 

Again, thanks for checking in- I feel very lucky to have stumbled on this site! 

[Myer123]

I'm not sure where the best spot to post this in but has anyone here ever does genetic testing to determine the rate you metabolize specific drugs?

 

I had a Dr. Appointment today. She said she hadn't experienced a patient with my symptoms and couldn't explain why I had prolonged withdrawals, however, she was very open to the possibility. I definitely feel lucky to have a good doctor as it seems many experience doctors who don't believe them at all. She offered to do this genetic testing (Genesight is the brand name I believe). I'm not sure if it will be helpful but it may be really interesting to see if I had trouble metabolizing zoloft all along. Just curious if this is something anyone else has done...

 

Thanks 

[SquirrellyGirl]

I'm curious about this myself. I'm intrigued to know.  I don't recall having bad side effects going ON Effexor years ago, and when I came off and had protracted withdrawal, the symptoms didn't hit me up front like they usually do for people; it took a couple of months for symptoms to come on and I never had brain zaps or nausea, for instance.  Also, when I missed doses, it would take missing for a couple of days before the dysphoria began, but again, no zaps.  This leads me to believe I'm a slow metabolizer, so my dosages would take longer to metabolize off when I missed, plus no hard WD immediately after coming off for perhaps the same reason, that it was like taking a drug with a longer half life....

 

But you would think that would mean side effects on start up, due to the drug building up too high too fast...I'm one of those people who wants to know the why's of everything and so for that reason I'd love to do the test, but not if it's going to be hundreds out of my pocket!

 

SG

[Fresh]

This is our thread about genetic testing.

 

See: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2158-genetic-testing-personalized-medicine-liver-enzymes-genotypes-genesightrx-genomind-etc/?hl=%2Bgenetic+%2Btesting

 

This link is relevant too..http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1990-genetic-testing-cant-predict-development-of-disease/?hl=%2Bgenetic+%2Btesting

 

Genetic testing doesn't predict or inform recovery , rather response to taking different drugs.

If your any of the 6 alleles in the CYP450 genes are not working (so that you metabolize drugs too fast

or too slow) testing will tell you that.

Two out of the six of mine are stuffed , so I've had loads of excess floating around for years (which I topped up every day) and became toxic.

 

"GENE PHYSIOLOGICAL ROLE IMPACT OF MUTATION TREATMENT IMPACT CYP450

(CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4/5) Enzymes that metabolize medications in the liver Large number of psychiatric medications are metabolized by CYP450s

Dose adjustment (an increase or decrease) may be required."

[Myer123]

All week I have been experiencing sort pins and needles/numbness/pain in my wrists- mostly my right one. Could this be a W/D? I suppose it could be just from working on a computer all day. 

[crhawk]

Yes, it definitely can be.  I experienced that last week - mostly on my left side, and it started in my leg...moved to my hand, then my face. 

 

I am 4.5 months out from my latest adverse reaction.  :/  The pins/needles and numbness is better this week though...I also had some muscle soreness that went along with it.

 

I think you will find that new symptoms will continue to pop up, go away, etc...it's quite the roller coaster ride (and not a fun one!)

 

P.S.  If you search in quotes up in the top right corner, you can look for any new symptoms that might come up, or topics you would like more information on...will help you to know you're not alone.  But feel free to post about it here too!  It helps hearing from others that are currently (or have been) in the same boat. 

[Myer123]

Thanks! I'll definitely do that. It's good to know that yours has gotten better. I think my biggest anxiety is that some of these symptoms won't go away- and that makes me feel like my body is just falling apart. It definitely feels like a roller coaster- once I get used to something or it gets better, something new pops up :/ 

[AaronLeviathan]

Thanks! I'll definitely do that. It's good to know that yours has gotten better. I think my biggest anxiety is that some of these symptoms won't go away- and that makes me feel like my body is just falling apart. It definitely feels like a roller coaster- once I get used to something or it gets better, something new pops up :/ 

Hi, first post on this forum, just looked up Visual Snow, saw your post first, and we sound almost identical! I was on zoloft for a year, tapered off for 2 months while in Wisconsin coincidentally Came home to Texas, dropped Zoloft all together, and now I have AWFUL Visual Snow and what seems like sinus pressure and ringing in my ears with etc symptoms.

 

The visual snow is depressing the absolute crap out of me. Had it for about 6 weeks now, and it ontop of a chronic lifetime illness I have, I am just getting worn down into the dirt.

 

I've seen a specialist in every major field related to my symptoms, and at best i've had an ophthalmologist who said he at least knew what VS was, and that I should just wait it out, but i'm trying to find a causation and a cure!!

 

I just saw my Psych, explained to hear all the medical journals i've been reading, and the possibility that this VS and etc is caused by lack of Seratonin and Dopamine, and she pretty much wrote me a script for Deplin on the spot...I guess i'm going to take a shot in the dark and try it...as if any pills i've ever been prescribed by a Psych were more than a crap shoot in the first place.

[ChessieCat]

 

Thanks! I'll definitely do that. It's good to know that yours has gotten better. I think my biggest anxiety is that some of these symptoms won't go away- and that makes me feel like my body is just falling apart. It definitely feels like a roller coaster- once I get used to something or it gets better, something new pops up :/ 

Hi, first post on this forum, just looked up Visual Snow, saw your post first, and we sound almost identical! I was on zoloft for a year, tapered off for 2 months while in Wisconsin coincidentally Came home to Texas, dropped Zoloft all together, and now I have AWFUL Visual Snow and what seems like sinus pressure and ringing in my ears with etc symptoms.

 

The visual snow is depressing the absolute crap out of me. Had it for about 6 weeks now, and it ontop of a chronic lifetime illness I have, I am just getting worn down into the dirt.

 

I've seen a specialist in every major field related to my symptoms, and at best i've had an ophthalmologist who said he at least knew what VS was, and that I should just wait it out, but i'm trying to find a causation and a cure!!

 

I just saw my Psych, explained to hear all the medical journals i've been reading, and the possibility that this VS and etc is caused by lack of Seratonin and Dopamine, and she pretty much wrote me a script for Deplin on the spot...I guess i'm going to take a shot in the dark and try it...as if any pills i've ever been prescribed by a Psych were more than a crap shoot in the first place.

 

 

Hi Aaron,

 

Sounds like you need to reinstate Zoloft, not start a new/different drug.  about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/

 

I suggest you start up an intro topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

 

CC

[Myer123]

AaronLeviathan- I hope you feel better soon! I had eye issues, including some visual snow and it has gotten much better. Not sure if it has gotten better on its own or from reinstating but hopefully yours will get better over time/with reinstating as well. 

[Myer123]

Hello,

 

Just thought I'd check in. It's been a while since I've last posted. My symptoms got so much better but for one reason or another, they've been reappearing this week. Very dizzy, the eye problems, and fatigued. It's very frustrating and scary. I take 25mg of zoloft at the same time each day. Is it normal for symptoms to come back even after reinstating? I haven't been experiencing extreme anxiety, however, there's been a lot more stress on me lately due to some life changes...so I'm hoping this will possibly pass when the stress does?

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

[ChessieCat]

Hi Myer,

 

Please update your signature with dates and doses (ie when were you last on 100 mg, how you tapered, and when did you reinstate 25 mg - or was it an updose) so it remains current and your history can be seen at a glance.  Doing this keeps the information more accurate and means that people don't have to go back through your posts trying to piece your history together and possibly making errors.  It is suggested that you update your signature with dose and date whenever you make a change.  Thanks.

 

The fact that your symptoms improved after reinstating is a good sign that it is working.  The idea is to stabilise on the lowest dose possible.  You can still expect windows and waves of different symptoms because the brain is adjusting.  If the symptoms are bearable it may be better to stay at the dose you are on.

 

If the symptoms are unbearable (and this is something you have to decide on) then a small updose may help.  If you decide that you want to updose I suggest you post that intention here so the mods can suggest how much to increase.

 

These might help you to understand why you are getting symptoms:

 

Brain Remodelling

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

[Myer123]

Thanks for the feedback. At this point, it's so hard to decide what to do. It's not unbearable...but it's so difficult to feel so sleepy, dizzy, and off so much of the day. My vision is having the same problem again with flashes/aura things/floaters. I'm pretty open to going up in a dose of zoloft if it would make me feel better, but I'm also very nervous that this might just prolong the problem- or that I would just have to keep going up and up every few weeks.

 

How long do "waves" last usually? And is it normally to get a wave while still taking the drug? Sorry for all of the questions. I'm just nervous that there is something wrong with me. Or that this might not go away.

 

Thanks in advance