☼ RachelSusan: Zoloft - on, off and reinstated

[RachelSusan]

Hi AliG,

Went down from the 6.25 mg to 5 mg, no problems, no symptoms.  9/17 went down to 3.6 mg, mild symptoms for 5 days, moderate symptoms for about 3 days, and then no symptoms. On 10/16/16 went down to 2.3 mg.  The reduction to 2.3 was too big, had to up-dose to 3 mg.  From 10/16 on, even with up-dose continued to have symptoms. Headaches, insomnia, sweats, shaking, hot, felt flu-like, but not exactly flu, a few mild brain zaps, and a little burning skin. Symptoms have not gotten better since 10/16, in fact they have gotten worse.  More waves than windows.  In fact windows got to be about 20 hours a day these last two weeks.  My notes from last 3 days are above, I've also kept an excel spread sheet of all my tapers and my reactions to them, rating each symptom with a number. 

[Skeeter]

RS,

You WILL get through this! I am not on the forums as much right now, as I am learning re: my recent status change here, so I was late to see you are having such issues. Do you always wake up at 2am- and do you feel energized or startled when you do? From your symptoms, it certainly looks like you wake up feeling just awful! Hopefully ScallyWag and others will help you come up with a good solution, having 3 days of good data will probably help, as some patterns seem to be emerging.

 

You can do this!!

 

Skeeter

[AliG]

Ok Skeeter. Welcome.     to the Mod squad !

[RachelSusan]

Skeeter, You are a Mod?  So I know the right people. That's great.  In answer to your question I wake up feeling terrible and wide awake.

[Skeeter]

RS,

I did not want to bother you with my new news when you are feeling so terrible!!  I care about how awful of a time you are having, really!  I am wondering if you are having cortisol issues when you wake up.  I went through this for a short time earlier this year.  It was awful, and took me about 5 minutes to calm back down, and at least an hour to fall asleep.  I did not know bout cortisol at all until I came here.  Apparently it happens to many people in the morning, but that was not my experience, but I have always been a bit odd!!

 

Thanks for noticing, though that is NOT why I wrote.

 

I hope that your symptoms will slowly go away.  Maybe we should change our pact to talking about all med cuts BEFORE you do them...HMMM???? Just kidding, of course!  I hate seeing you suffer from this med AGAIN.  You do not want to have to ri AGAIN, so easy does it from now on, pretty please?  I would feel awful if you ended up with protracted symptoms that show up a couple of months after you stop.  I think now is the most important time of your taper, unless this med is making you really ill daily,  If you can handles going very slow with maybe 10% OR LESS cuts about a month apart to keep you healthy...just a thought!!

Skeeter

[Skeeter]

Ok Skeeter. Welcome.     to the Mod squad !

Thank you so very much!!!  APPRECIATED!!!

[RachelSusan]

Hi Moderators, whom I credit with helping me big time. Any thoughts on up-dose?  My last cut was 10/16, it clearly threw me into some sort of distress. I up-dosed on 10/13.  I got a small amount of relief for a few days but then it continued to get worse again. Symptoms are headaches, insomnia, sweats, shaking, hot, felt flu-like, but not exactly flu, a few mild brain zaps, and a little burning skin. Thank you in advance for any suggestions.

RS

[RachelSusan]

Ok, I've had violent symptoms last night. They sound small but the severity of the symptoms were acute. Agitation, headache, tremors, muscle jerks and spasms. I was borderline seizure. I've had a bad head cold for the last few days so I've been taking over the counter MucinexDM. I went on drug checker and found that dextromethorphan which is in Mucinex can interact with serotonin causing serotonin syndrome.  Is it possible that the Mucinex interacted with the 3 mg of Zoloft I am taking?  Naturally I won't take it any more but now I am suffering.  If this wasn't what is causing the problem then I don't know what the heck is going on. It was so bad I wold have gone to the emergency room but I could just visualize trying to explain this to the doctors there and being held for "observation" only to be sent home.  This is really bad.

[RachelSusan]

Daily log for yesterday. Sorry about bad typing.  I am just so out of it.  Tremors continue.

 

Nov 17

Have head cold, I think

Woke up at 1:30 am

Feel asleep at 4 am

Woke up at 6 am

Symptoms, headache, sweating, hot, feeling of internal vibration, flu-like symptoms  some burning skin. Mild brain zaps back.

7 am up dose of zolof to 3.0 mg & MusinxDM

9 am breakfast

9 am 300 mg of gabapentin

12:00 lunch

Same symptoms continue

6 pm – had dinner

sinus pressure, yawning, vibrations shaking, hot,  nausea

headache, muscle spasm legs and arms, sinus pressure both side of nose and behind nose, sore throat, sinus behind nose burns

Not sure what time I fell asleep

10 pm woke up and at 11:15 pm woke up – both times startled and wide awake, same symptoms as day but worse

1 pm awake with trembling and nausea, dizzy, tremors, jerking legs and arms, agitation, headache, muscle jerks and spasms drank OJ. 4oz  

Up all night

 

Nov 18

2:30 a.m. – nausea, dizzy, tremors, jerking legs and arms, agitation, headache, muscle jerks and spasms , sinus pressure

[RachelSusan]

Oops, forgot to list the mucinex I had after dinner.  about 6:30 pm

[Altostrata]

RS, it sounds like you had a bad reaction to MucinexDM.

 

Your difficulties with psych drugs may have made you hypersensitive to all drugs affecting the nervous system. The interaction with Zoloft may be the key.

 

If I were you, I'd stop tapering, keep taking your drugs on a very steady schedule, and let your nervous system settle down.

 

If you went to a hospital, it's likely they would give you a benzodiazepine like Xanax or antipsychotic like Seroquel. They don't know anything about hypersensitivity.

[RachelSusan]

Thank you Altostrata. And thank you for the website.

RS

[RachelSusan]

It's been a while since I checked in. I switched to liquid Zoloft on Dec 10. Did not change dosage yet, not ready to taper.  The liquid will give me more control, I believe.  I am feeling the switch.  Yesterday was the 3rd day since switch and I started feeling internal tremors and nausea. Today more of the same.  Just hanging out waiting for the symptoms to pass. It's hard to believe that symptoms will pass while living through them, but I know intellectually they will pass, emotionally it's a little different story.

[Skeeter]

RS,

Do you have any Zoloft tabs left? Sometimes it eases the crossover if you take part in tablet and part in liquid until the body gets used to it... If things do not improve and you do not have any Zoloft let, let your doc know you are having a tough time, and ask for some tablets that you can cut to the right dose, so that you can do part solid part liquid. If you do have some tablets left, let me know, and I will ask the other mods the best way to do this.

 

I hope you feel better soon!

S.

[RachelSusan]

Hi Skeets,

Thanks for the tip.  I do have some hard tabs left.  Also got a call into the doctor.

[RachelSusan]

I thought I would check in.  I am currently stabilized at 12.5 mg of Zoloft.  For the first time in a long time I have no tremors, no headache, and I am not nauseated. No other symptoms of withdrawal.  It feels great.  When I found this website last July I had no idea that I would still be here in December, but I am, and it looks like I will be here for a long time to come.  I am thankful for this website and the support I have gotten.  Reading all the other postings has helped me, as well as the direct contact and advice tailor made for my situation. For me, one of the more difficult aspects of going through a bad taper was not jumping around with the medication. I kept thinking of up dosing, or what can I add to my formula, what can I take away. When I'm in pain I want to fix it right away, however I have found that is not always possible with this process.  Now as I go into the new year and I am poised for another taper I go with more wisdom of what works for me. My next taper will be a small one, and if I get symptoms I will just ride them out and then wait longer before the next cut and perhaps make it even smaller.  I won't start panicking. Hot baths with Epsom salts and an occasional Tylenol works wonders.  I wish everybody peace and a pain free, gentle tapering.

[Godiswithme]

Thank you for posting on my thread. I hope you have a great New Year.

[Skeeter]

RS<

SYMPTOM FREE!?!?! AMAZING!!

 

Now can I talk you into waiting a couple of weeks? Nov 28th, you had to updose. Then less than a month ago, you had a hard time switching to the liquid. You are not even 4 weeks past that that. I would like to have you in a very stable place before tapering again. I know, how more stable can you be than symptom free? How long have you been 100% symptom free? You have not been symptom free since you came here, until just now. Can we talk or think about a couple of weeks to enjoy yourself, and not let that little nagging voice that wants you to cut RIGHT NOW win? I suggest your first taper be half of your normal, so 5%? Then hol4 for 4 weeks or until you are symptoms free for 7 days (whichever comes LATER). If you do 4 weeks without any issues, you can start increasing your percentage by 2 percent, perhaps, then do the same thing with 4 weeks and 10 days free of symptoms (whichever comes later), etc., etc...

 

Or do I need to channel your sister?

 

Thoughts? You do no have to listen to me, but I only have your best interests at heart.

 

Happy new year!

S.

[RachelSusan]

Skeeter,

 

So good to hear from you. I was going to contact you before I made my first cut because I promised you I would, and also because you give great advice.   Yes I agree to almost everything you suggested. My cut will be 5 %. Agreed.  I am going to give it another few weeks before I do anything. Agreed.  As for the next cut after that 5% I'll be making in a few weeks, I will discuss with you first.  I probably will be doing exactly what you say, but I'm not ready to promise.  I won't jump in and do anything foolish, I just want to see how things go before I make a promise. You don't have to channel my sister, yet! 

 

Most important, Happy New Year's to you.  How are you feeling?  Do you plan to do anything?  My husband and I are going for a few hours to his brother's house.  It will be a very small group of people, family only, and I like all of them very much. 

 

I do have a question for you Skeeter, or anybody else here.  Have you ever experienced a sensitivity to noise? Last time I went through withdrawal symptoms I noticed that any unexpected loud noise made me jump and the noise also hurt inside my body.  It's hard to explain but it's sort of like the noise touched my CNS.  Crazy weird stuff. 

 

Again, Happy New Year to you Skeeter, and everybody else. My wish is that 2017 finds us all a little healthier and in less pain.

[Skeeter]

RS,

Not doing anything for New Years.  Am struggling with my recent med issue still.  I hope you have/had a GREAT time!  J and I have problems finding couple friends because we are picky...lol!  No family really close.

 

I do not expect you to always agree with my ideas.  You have a good brain on your head, it just seems when it comes to tapering, you get an idea in your head as to when yo are going to taper, and it is a little hard to get you off of the idea, unless it is present logically to you, then you do fine.  It seems like if it makes sense to you, you do well! We may not always agree, but I cannot see that happening.  I think you are flexible enough to explain why you want to do something, or maybe you would take a counter-offer to consider...lol!!

 

YES!  I had issue with light and noise, not always at the same time.  it would "shock" me throughout my body, but was startling, NEVER "painful".  What kind of pain?  Poor J had to keep the TV barely audible for months, because I could not tolerate earplugs or noise cancelling headphones (or the noise), but he was a good sport, for sure!  Are you experiencing that at all this time?

 

Happy New Year!

S

[RachelSusan]

Hi Skeeter,

I think your analysis of me is correct, especially the part about my tapering and how I get an idea in my head as to when I want to do it.  I am working on changing that aspect of myself.  I am learning, slowly.  You serve as a great counterpoint to me.  I can get an idea about tapering and discuss it with you, you help a lot.

 

As far as the sound thing, I am not currently going through it, I noticed it the last time I had withdrawal symptoms, thankfully it went away.  I was very sound sensitive and loud noise bothered me, unexpected loud noises, such as something dropping on the floor, really started me. It was that feeling of being startled or shocked that caused me to feel pain.  Sort of hard to describe, the shock feeling might be what I am describing as pain, since it went through my entire body.  Anyway, glad I'm not experiencing it now.

 

I read your recent posts this morning.  I am so sorry to hear you are suffering right now. In spite of your suffering you are still managing to help me, as well as others.  I'm impressed. I wish there was something I could do for you, other than say I support you.

[RachelSusan]

I am feeling really good.  Symptom free for weeks.  I am getting ready to do a small cut.  About 4%.  It will be sometime next week.  I actually feel ready now but there are two reasons I am holding off.  One - another week just to be safe.  Two - I am trying to find a time in my calendar that I can stay home for 10 days if it gets difficult.  Yes, some of my tapers in the past have been so bad I couldn't leave the house.

 

Skeeter, I am keeping all my promises to you in posts 129 and 130 of my thread.

[RachelSusan]

Need advice if new medications are interfering with my current use of Zolfot.

 

I was given a prescription yesterday for medications I need to take for a medical condition  They are as follows:

 

Budesonide to be inhaled, which is a steroid

Brovana (arformoterol tartrate) Inhalation, which is a long-acting beta₂-agonist or LABA

 

While in the doctor's office yesterday I checked for a Zoloft (sertraline) interaction on an on-line drug checker and found none.  We did a test run in the office with 1/2 the prescribed dosage of each with no problem.   However when I woke up this morning I noticed I was feeling a little jittery and like I had internal tremors.  I am now going to use only one of the medications at a time until I can figure out which one is causing the problem.  I am also still using the 1/2 dose (with doctor's agreement) until I get used to these medications and any side effects.

 

Can anyone offer some information on if these medications can be interfering with my Zoloft situation, or if these feelings are just simply a result of the medications?

[Skeeter]

RS,
Service with a smile:

 

Do not panic:

Brovana under signs of an overdose (but not the whole story see below), also want you to have a look at all of the possible side effects:

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/brovana-side-effects.html

 

budesonide under less common side effects:  https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/budesonide.html

 

And your interaction report.  Now I am unable to tell you anything regarding the moderate reports on the side effects, that would heave to be your doc.

https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

 

I really hope this helps!

Skeeter

[RachelSusan]

SKEETER - yes I am using all caps because I am yelling.  Yelling with joy, it's always good to hear from you.  It just never ends with the stuff, does it? Thank you for the information.

 

By the way, if I don't have any worse symptoms with these new medications I will start my next taper (approx 4%) Tuesday or Wednesday.  I was going to start Monday but because of these new meds I want to wait an extra day or two. 

 

How are you doing?

[RachelSusan]

Starting taper today.  12.5 mg zoloft down to 12.0. That's 4%.

[RachelSusan]

Second day of taper.  Having gone through a few of these I know it's little soon to start to feel effects.  Usually, for me, I might feel a little something the 3rd day and then by the 4th or 5th day I start to really feel it.  Perhaps this time will be difference since I went down only 4%. Got my fingers crossed.

[RachelSusan]

4th day of taper. Thus far only had slight internal tremors for about an hour, very tolerable.

[RachelSusan]

Day 6 of taper. Everything seems ok.  Day 4 slight tremors for a short period. Day 5 slight tremors and a mild headache for a short period of time.  Now I hold for a few weeks, and I'll start it all over again.

[Skeeter]

RS,

YAAY! You go gurrl!!  Let us know if we can help with anything!  I hope this time goes perfectly.  This last time seemed to have you off-kilter for so very long.  Even the updose took forever to work, well it felt like forever!

 

Not tapering yet.  My little dog is old and ill, and her time may be near, so not a good time to begin.  Caring for h3r is taking my time and energy for now. Hope this is just a phase and she will pull through, but at 16, she is nearing her normal life span (14-19 years is about normal, if memory serves).

 

Be well!

Skeeter

[RachelSusan]

Skeeter,

 

Thanks for dropping in.  If you go back and look at some of my older posts, especially number 129, you can see your suggestions and you can see that I followed ALL of them.  So far I am stabilized. I will continue on that same course and keep my fingers crossed.

 

I am so sorry to hear about your older little dog.  My little guy made it to 16 years.  The last year with him was hard, however I didn't mind doing taking care of him.  I loved that little guy so much.  I hope your little one hangs around for a long time.  You sound like a great dog mom with a lot of love for your little fur baby.

 

hugs my friend!

[Skeeter]

RS,

I know you listen. I sill worry about you because you became SO destabilized, and I felt so bad that you suffered so long, I really did. I was SO thrilled when all of this passed. I did not ever think you did not listen to me. I really want this to be as easy as possible, is all. I do hope you are doing okay , and hanging in. I know we cannot take all of your symptoms away, but I hope they can be minimal.

 

Do you still dread each taper, or have you gotten used to the fact that the symptoms will come and leave on there own, or are you still afraid that they will not leave? I know you struggled with that for a while.

 

Wishing you well!

Skeeter

[RachelSusan]

Hi Skeeter,

 

Actually, I didn't listen there, for a while; which is why I made such a big deal about it now.  I'm showing you I am behaving myself, also how much I respect your advice.

I haven't done another taper since the last one, however just thinking about it still makes me nervous.  What can I say, I've been through hell.  Being stabilized sure is great.

[Skeeter]

RS,

You make me giggle. I try to never hold past mistakes against anyone. Until one goes through how badly these drugs can bite you in the bum, you just do not have the capacity to understand the horror, pain, amazing amount of time it can take to "undo" a mistake, and how truly scary it all can be. We do expect people to make mistakes. Some people need to make multiple mistakes, others really get it with that one that bites them bad. That fear of not knowing when the pain and other symptoms will end is so scary. That is what I did not want you to feel. It was hard to hear you go through it.

 

Now I am not all knowing. You do not HAVE to listen to me. You do not have to follow exactly what I say, you can switch things when/how you like. I just liked teasing you about going all out on you like your sister does...lol. As long as you follow our general guidelines, which is 10% or less every 4 weeks (though some people need longer than 4 weeks), you CAN do it yourself. Please know, however if you want advice so you have a second set of eyes/ears out for you, I do not mind one tiny bit. It is what I am here for! I am human, and do make mistakes, too, but I am very careful to listen so that no big errors are made.

 

Keep it up!!!

Skeeter

[RachelSusan]

Last taper was March 1 for 9%.  Overall a good taper.  Had a little discomfort for a total of 2 hours.  1 hour each day in the late afternoon, over the course of two days. Hot, sweaty and a little shaky.  But overall, no complaints.  Next time I'll do a little less, perhaps a 5 to 6% taper.

[Tattycorum]

That's great! Thanks for keeping us posted.