☼ Yogagirl38: My Zoloft experience with drug-induced parkinsonism, tardive dyskinesia, benign fasiculation

[Hopefull]

Hi Yogagirl38,

Thank you so much for such a detailed recovery post. I found it really encouraging.

Congratulations to you and may your life be filled with happiness that you deserve.

I have been experiencing weird body quake like movement before falling asleep or occasionally when standing.

It feels like my whole body is swaying.

Really weird.

Did you experience this too?

Thank you, Best wishes Hopefull.

[Yogagirl38]

Hi Hopefull, yes i felt that. I got myoclonic jerks i believe they are called, that lasted about ten days or so, then stopped. It wouldn't just be at night, it would be every time i fell asleep, like i fell asleep in the tub taking a bath and jerked and hurt my neck some actually but i was fine the following day. That's just cause i jerked so hard i hit my head some. Yes the whole body swaying think is another thing very common as well. I think all these weird sensations and movement phenomena occur due to the effect zoloft has on the basal ganglia in the brain and the striatum and dopamine. Doctors would know nothing of this, but a pharmacist may. Doctors really know nothing about pharmaceuticals, they only know pretty basic information that anyone can access.

So be prepared to feel tons of really really bizarre and odd weird stuff. It gets better week 6. By week 8 you are totally back to normal. Good luck!!!

[JanCarol]

Hey Yogagirl - 

 

It's great to hear that you are doing so well.

 

But I have moved your post (and its responses)  from Success stories back into your Intro thread.

 

Because of frequent Delayed Onset of Withdrawal Symptoms we reserve Success stories for people who have been off of the drugs for at least a year and are doing well.

 

You have passed through the Acute Phase of withdrawal, and congratulations!!! - this is usually the hardest, most intense part.  After that, often follows a honeymoon, where you feel better than you've felt in years.

 

Maybe that's all you will have - I hope that is the case.  But if you have symptoms again - remember that it can be from delayed withdrawal, and it is not a "relapse" (as doctors often claim).

 

Additionally, you have posted this as "what you" (the reader) "can expect," and I have to remind your readers that it is different for everyone - this is how it happened for you, Yogagirl, and we appreciate you sharing your journey in such positive detail with suggestions and ideas for how to get through certain phases of acute withdrawal.

 

See here for phases of withdrawal:

Stages of Withdrawal Symptoms

 

So I am moving your topic back into your introduction - if in a year's time you are doing so well - please, come back and post a success story!

 

Your positive attitude is great ! (and isn't yoga totally awesome?)

[JanCarol]

Hey YogaGirl - I just read the rest of your thread.

 

I'm so glad you found yoga and qi gung to help with your withdrawal and side effects.  It is amazingly helpful to have a practice to fall back on when things get difficult!

 

Thank you for your clear descriptions of your withdrawal experience.  You really have described in great detail, what so many have experienced, but who have been too sick to say it.

 

You asked:  

1. What are the chances of me getting worse

2. What are the chances of this completely go away with time

3. Is this really from Zoloft or was this all coincidental and it is not the Zoloft but some other disease process (but I think it's from the Zoloft but only question that because all immediate and outer family members either have MS or an autoimmune disease (I am the only healthy one

 

1,  It's hard to say - but with time, you will definitely get better (though you may have some intense waves in between now and then)

2.  Excellent.  Especially with your yoga and chi gung practice.  You may have traces of some symptoms, but you will be so glad to be free of the major symptoms, that it won't matter.

3.  Yes.  This is classic withdrawal, and you have described it beautifully and clearly for others to read and understand.

 

Here's a few links to show you how common your symptoms are in withdrawal:

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's Most Common symptoms of Withdrawal

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2016-tremors-shaking-body-vibration/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8494-swallowing-and-throat-problems/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6905-tardive-dystonia-news-to-me/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6504-tension-pain-twitches-spasms-in-muscles-and-joints/

 

I hope you see the Sun today (and enjoy your salutations!)

[Yogagirl38]

Hi everybody!!! Just wanted to update that i have successfully been off zoloft since July 1, 2016 and am great!!! I don't take any medication since then and will never!!! Also all my mysterious neuromuscular issues disappeared!!! That was all from the zoloft!!! So it's been a little over 9 months free of that devil drug lol anyways you all can be successful too if u stick with it and don't take anything else. Just taper super slow... it is a long rough road but the best thing you will ever do for yourself!!!!

[Madeleine]

Thank you so much yogagirl for coming back to give us your positive update! I greatly appreciate that you took the time to do this and I'm sure it will help many on our tapering journey.

[Yogagirl38]

Just a quick update y’all... over 2 years since I quit and I feel great!!! The best thing you all can do for yourselves is don’t give up trying to quit... you will get your life back by staying off all these awful medications and also mystery health symptoms will disappear. I am glad to see zoloft has updated its’ website to include that yes it does cause what happened to me. Unfortunately physicians are still not aware of it as much as they need to be. So remember one day at a time and one day you will be fully recovered:)

[Yogagirl38]

Hi all! A quick New Year’s update! I am a total SUCCESS story! Yahooo! If i can do it you all can too!!! Happy new year to you all!!!!

[Foxhollow]

Hiii. How are you doing now? You have some story! Very hard time you went through. I’m going through something similar I believe. It’s sooo hard. 

[Yogagirl38]

Hi! 100 percent cured! I don't take any medicine or supplements. I am cured of tardive dystonia and of course the akathisia went away a couple months after discontinuation of zoloft. The dystonia took a year or two to go away but got less and less each day. I have not had any symptoms in so long, I can't even remember, probably no symptoms in over a year. I do have to watch though that I cannot take any medications that can trigger dystonic reactions, or I will get a flareup of dystonia that seems to take 4 months each time to go away but it does go away... things that can cause a dystonic flare are all PPIs and pseudephedrine. I just don't take anything tho, not even advil or tylenol, but i haven't needed anything because i have been so well. And i am 41. I did see a neurologist and he told me in case if say in an emergency I was ever given a medicine that i would start to have a dystonic reaction to, he said to take benadryl right away and that can stop a dystonic reaction. But i just don't take anything, haven't needed anything, and am against the pharmaceutical company unless it is life or death. The only medicine i have taken in the past 2 years was one percocet that the Emergency Room forced me to take when I had a hiking accident... fell into a creek and broke my finger backwards and they forced me to take it before they reset it... I did not have a dystonic reaction to percocet so at least that was good to know! It is hard, but you know what, you just have to stick with it, and you will get better with time. Then one day you won't even remember that you went through it. Think of it like getting your ears pierced... it hurts, but then the pain goes away, and then you don't even remember the pain. Same thing... just longer and more drawn out, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Try drinking lactose free wholefat cow's milk twice a day forever... it is a natural sedative and might help you through the process. Ease into the milk if you aren't used to drinking milk... because if you suddenly start drinking milk when you aren't used to it, you will have a little constipation for the first week, then it goes away. Has to be wholefat, too. Nutritionally, make sure you are eating seafood several times a week and getting enough vitamin C daily from vegetation. All those things will help. Fatty acids are really important for longevity and mental health. Good luck to you, just stay strong, one day at a time!!!

[Glosmom]

Great update! Thanks so much for coming back to offer hope!  Congratulations on your Good Health!! Glosmom

[demoone1999]

wow good job i weaned off 150 mg of zoloft to fast my anxiety was out of control it was debalitating  i was free of the stuff four about 4 weeks and the bam everything thing at once  anxiety ,deppression ect  i can say nothing was unsual or anything during taper  so i joined here to get reinstated so i can stabilize hope fully .

[Yogagirl38]

I weaned super slow... i was on 50 mg and it took i think 6 months to a year before i was able to discontinue completely... i went so slow i avoided discontinuation syndrome that way with just mild discomfort (before when i weaned the suggested way which is too fast i got brain zaps, flu like symptoms, i would compare it to what i think heroine withdrawal would feel like). When i went too fast, i couldnt even eat... I remember i only ate one popsicle a day for several days because i was so ill... and that was just the physical... the mental part of dopamine being changed in your brain is killer, it really is) so go slow so u avoid that. So i created my own way to do things, and it worked. Id suggest that if you are on 150 mg, to wean down by 25 mg to 125 mg and stay on 125 mg for at least 8 weeks but longer until you correct anticipatory feelings that come so u learn how to deal. Then do 100 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then 75 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then 50 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then 25 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then split that pill and take the half pill for a few weeks, then every other day until discontinuation. You will avoid brain zaps and flu if u do it this way, but u will still feel mental discomfort for about 2-3 months after discontinuation and may have some movement disorders. Plan to lay low during this process. The first 5 days after discontinuation wont be too bad but u will really feel it around days 6-7 up to 2 weeks after discontinuation so plan on using work vacation days during thar period. At 150mg you are looking at the weaning down process to take 1-2 years before u can reach discontinuation. The first year after discontinuation will not be easy but each day you will see improvement. By the 3 year mark after discontinuation you will be completely normal and honestly wont remember u even went thru this. I specifically created that people should take at least 8 weeks between each time they wean down due to times it takes for dopamine in the brain to re-adjust, and then time it takes to readjust how u react to things and learn how to be without the drug. This way works. Good luck!

[demoone1999]

well thank you for information i have been off 4 weeks and so i am trying to get some feedback on where to start the reinstatement right now i am 0.10 wich to me isnt enough my last cut before i went off was 0.15

[demoone1999]

so let me know your thought on reinstating  or what dose i could start at ect 

[Yogagirl38]

Wait so i am confused. Are you saying you were on 150 mg, then quit cold turkey, then were on absolutely no medications for 4 weeks? What are u experiencing mentally and physically? 

[Yogagirl38]

listen ambien is a seriously horrible medication that should be taken off the market. Are u on that as well?

so lets say u are not on ambien and have not taken ambien within the past 2-3 months. Let’s say u are on absolutely nothing right now, and that u quit zoloft 150 mg 4 weeks ago. Let’s say u are having tardive dystonia/dyskinesia right now. I would recommend in that situation to NOT reinstate but to drink wholefat lactose free cow milk twice per day, seafood 3-4 days a week, and red meat smothered in duck fat on the other days. All the pasta u can eat but no bread unless u make your own quick bread with baking soda (avoid yeast). I’d want u to adapt a macro diet of 45 percent carb, 20 percent protein, 35 percent fat indefinitely. No bone broth ever. Bone broth is bad for people with dystonia. But roasted bone marrow is good (ive cured people of multiple sclerosis symptoms and parkinsonism and my own dystonia with these recommendations). Absolutely no vegan/vegetarianism. You really want to focus on consuming wholefat cow milk, red meat, seafood, pasta, but limit or completely exclude baker’s yeast. Minimal fruit/vegetables for vitamin c (we get all we need from animals except vit C unless u eat raw meat/drink raw milk). I am unconventional but my methods work lol. Do that and wait i out and expect to be waiting it out without medication for a few months. As long as u don’t have suicidal ideation (i dont know your medical history). 

 

On the other hand, let’s say the above, but let’s say u aren’t having movement issues, instead lets say u r having discontinuation issues as in severe nausea, brain zaps, coming out of your skin, like your head is moving but you arent moving, severe restless and parkinsonism, in that case, at only 4 weeks off, i would take 150 mg right away again. Stay on 150 mg at least 3 months, then go down to 125 mg and stay on that 8-12 weeks and follow the wean down schedule i posted. You are lookimg at taking 1-2 years to wean down properly. Ambien is a whole another story which is also like getting off heroin based upom patients ive worked with. Also emphasis on proper nutrition. Make sure : do u eat enough each day? Are u getting omega 3s daily and vitamin c daily? Are u getting red meat several times per week? Emphasis on fat, not protein, as lean protein messed up insulin same way carbs without fat does... for example, chicken breast, rice, vegetable is horrible meal. Chicken breast with mozz on top (as long as chicken is not fried) or chicken or fish cooked in duck fat or rendered bacon fat - with your grain, vegetables, that is good meal. Drink wholefat milk twice per day indefinitely

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, demoone1999 said:

so let me know your thought on reinstating  or what dose i could start at ect 

 

@demoone1999

 

Please note that Yogagirl38 is not an SA moderator.

 

What worked for her may not work for other members.

[Yogagirl38]

Thank you and yes wanted to reiterate i am NOT a moderator and I can’t provide an honest plan without examining you in person, having access to your medical history, diet, lifestyle, and having access to any labs. Good luck to you!

[demoone1999]

sorry to everyone i did not understand the rules out here ,i do now.

[Yogagirl38]

No apology necessary! That taper that i posted worked for me to quit zoloft successfully but everyone is different. For example, one of my friend’s was on wellbutrin i think 150 mg but im not sure... he quit cold turkey... got discontinuation syndrome as in: brain zaps, severe anxiety for 2 weeks, severe restlessness, no appetite... he just stuck with it and was fine 4 weeks later. That was maybe 10 years ago. He’s fine, doesn’t take any medication, in good health, and a head of a pretty significant corporation. He never got a movement disorder like i did. Then i’ve had some friends, that also took zoloft, and they weaned off pretty quickly and were fine, no discontinuation syndrome and never got a movement disorder and they speak highly of how zoloft helped them. I also have a friend on a combo of lexapro and wellbutrin and finally after several years she was able to get off the lexapro and just only be on the wellbutrin and she never got a movement disorder either. I think what happened to me is pretty rare but maybe i have a genetic predisposition that set me up for it  due to all the people in my family with multiple sclerosis. I will never know. Bottom line: practice patience, try to reconnect with nature, and do you. Good luck!!!

[Altostrata]

Thanks for your update, Yogagirl. Are you an alternative practitioner? Please be aware we advocate a systematic slow taper described here Why taper by 10% of my dosage? to avoid running into nasty withdrawal symptoms. It's very conservative because no one can predict in advance how you'll react to dosage reduction, even if you've come off multiple drugs before.

 

In fact, it appears the more you've gone on and off psychiatric drugs, the more likely it is you'll run into trouble. People might get easy passes only the first time or first couple of times.

 

Because you're feeling better, I added our cheerful "here comes the sun" symbol ☼ to the title of your Intro topic, to show you're recovering.

 

Please continue to let us know how you're doing. I hope you will add your story to our Recovery Success Stories eventually!

[Rosetta]

On 7/20/2019 at 3:30 AM, Yogagirl38 said:

I weaned super slow... i was on 50 mg and it took i think 6 months to a year before i was able to discontinue completely... i went so slow i avoided discontinuation syndrome that way with just mild discomfort (before when i weaned the suggested way which is too fast i got brain zaps, flu like symptoms, i would compare it to what i think heroine withdrawal would feel like). When i went too fast, i couldnt even eat... I remember i only ate one popsicle a day for several days because i was so ill... and that was just the physical... the mental part of dopamine being changed in your brain is killer, it really is) so go slow so u avoid that. So i created my own way to do things, and it worked. Id suggest that if you are on 150 mg, to wean down by 25 mg to 125 mg and stay on 125 mg for at least 8 weeks but longer until you correct anticipatory feelings that come so u learn how to deal. Then do 100 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then 75 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then 50 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then 25 mg for 8 weeks or longer. Then split that pill and take the half pill for a few weeks, then every other day until discontinuation. You will avoid brain zaps and flu if u do it this way, but u will still feel mental discomfort for about 2-3 months after discontinuation and may have some movement disorders. Plan to lay low during this process. The first 5 days after discontinuation wont be too bad but u will really feel it around days 6-7 up to 2 weeks after discontinuation so plan on using work vacation days during thar period. At 150mg you are looking at the weaning down process to take 1-2 years before u can reach discontinuation. The first year after discontinuation will not be easy but each day you will see improvement. By the 3 year mark after discontinuation you will be completely normal and honestly wont remember u even went thru this. I specifically created that people should take at least 8 weeks between each time they wean down due to times it takes for dopamine in the brain to re-adjust, and then time it takes to readjust how u react to things and learn how to be without the drug. This way works. Good luck!

 

Hi Yogagirl,

 

I haven't "met" you before.  I want to say that I'm very happy for you that your experience getting off Zoloft was not worse.  I'm sure that for you it felt horrible.  You were very, very, very VERY lucky that you had it easier than many others considering the extremely fast and extremely dangerous taper that you did.  It will be nice for some people who did not know how to taper and are terrified for the future to see that some people are extraordinarily lucky. 

 

Your suggested tapering schedule would be a recipe for disaster for far too many people.  I expect that a moderator will be by to place comments here about that topic.  (Please see Altostrata's post)  Please don't take it personally.  No one knows why some people can taper fast and others end up literally dead from a quick taper.  There isn't enough research into the matter of discontinuing psychiatric drugs.  

 

You have suggested that a person on 150 mg could reduce by 25 mg every 8 weeks.  It is very important to me and many others to note that I feel that would extremely dangerous for some people and we have no way of knowing which people.  It's a terrible problem for people on these drugs that doctors and others such as yourself managed to quickly reduce without months or years of symptoms and suicidal ideation.  The impression is given that anyone can do that and survive.  That has not been shown to be true.

 

Also, taking a psychiatric drug every other day can be very dangerous.  Some people have done that and had few ill effects, but for others a severe illness may follow that lasts many years.  

 

People lose their homes, their children, their jobs and careers.  There are those who lose their lives or are involuntarily committed and forcibly drugged.   Children lose their parents.  Parents lose their children.  It's tragic, and it has a negative effect on all of society.  

 

Again, I'm very pleased that you were a lucky one.  To reduce over only 6 months after being on 50 mg and having taken the drug for 15 years!!  It's wonderful.  We see so few people on this site who are able to do that without severe repercussions.  I'm really pleased to see someone like that.  Normally, those people do not come back to tell us about it.  It seems to us that nearly everyone who tapers too fast is horribly disabled at least for a few months.  We know that's not true for all, but again we don't know who will be that lucky and who will be seriously harmed.

 

I hope anyone reading this thread who is tired of the taper and the struggle and wants to follow your tapering advice will stop and read all the information on Surviving Antidepressants that cautions people against doing anything of the sort.  I did a fast taper, and I'm still suffering 2 1/2 years later.  I was at 150 mg of Zoloft, and for me, the drug had changed my brain so severely that the necessary repairs were extensively.  It's a miracle I am still alive.  Every day is an unknown.  I am not the person I would have been.  It's heartbreaking, and I don't want that to happen to anyone else.

 

My best to you,

Rosetta

 

 

Edited July 20, 2019 by ChessieCat
added link to Alto's post/added bolding

[Rosetta]

19 hours ago, Yogagirl38 said:

listen ambien is a seriously horrible medication that should be taken off the market. Are u on that as well?

so lets say u are not on ambien and have not taken ambien within the past 2-3 months. Let’s say u are on absolutely nothing right now, and that u quit zoloft 150 mg 4 weeks ago. Let’s say u are having tardive dystonia/dyskinesia right now. I would recommend in that situation to NOT reinstate but to drink wholefat lactose free cow milk twice per day, seafood 3-4 days a week, and red meat smothered in duck fat on the other days. All the pasta u can eat but no bread unless u make your own quick bread with baking soda (avoid yeast). I’d want u to adapt a macro diet of 45 percent carb, 20 percent protein, 35 percent fat indefinitely. No bone broth ever. Bone broth is bad for people with dystonia. But roasted bone marrow is good (ive cured people of multiple sclerosis symptoms and parkinsonism and my own dystonia with these recommendations). Absolutely no vegan/vegetarianism. You really want to focus on consuming wholefat cow milk, red meat, seafood, pasta, but limit or completely exclude baker’s yeast. Minimal fruit/vegetables for vitamin c (we get all we need from animals except vit C unless u eat raw meat/drink raw milk). I am unconventional but my methods work lol. Do that and wait i out and expect to be waiting it out without medication for a few months. As long as u don’t have suicidal ideation (i dont know your medical history). 

 

On the other hand, let’s say the above, but let’s say u aren’t having movement issues, instead lets say u r having discontinuation issues as in severe nausea, brain zaps, coming out of your skin, like your head is moving but you arent moving, severe restless and parkinsonism, in that case, at only 4 weeks off, i would take 150 mg right away again. Stay on 150 mg at least 3 months, then go down to 125 mg and stay on that 8-12 weeks and follow the wean down schedule i posted. You are lookimg at taking 1-2 years to wean down properly. Ambien is a whole another story which is also like getting off heroin based upom patients ive worked with. Also emphasis on proper nutrition. Make sure : do u eat enough each day? Are u getting omega 3s daily and vitamin c daily? Are u getting red meat several times per week? Emphasis on fat, not protein, as lean protein messed up insulin same way carbs without fat does... for example, chicken breast, rice, vegetable is horrible meal. Chicken breast with mozz on top (as long as chicken is not fried) or chicken or fish cooked in duck fat or rendered bacon fat - with your grain, vegetables, that is good meal. Drink wholefat milk twice per day indefinitely

 

 Please, everyone, if you have been off your drug at 150 mg for 4 weeks, please do not reinstate 150 mg.. Please don't do that!!! Ask a moderator for help on reinstatement.  There is an entire Reinstatement guide on SA, and SA does not recommend reinstating at the last known dose in most cases.  A much, much lower dose would be recommended, but a moderator would be the one to ask about what dose.

 

Edited July 20, 2019 by ChessieCat
added link

[Yogagirl38]

With all due respect, it was not luck, it was science. I researched a hypothesis about dopamine, and it worked. The taper i did was extremely slow so maybe people are not reading what I wrote correctly. And, I went through more hell than most people did. Imagine trying to drive your car but due to dystonia, your foot won’t stay on the pedal. Imagine suffering from 4 weeks of constant facial grimacing. Imagine trying to sit still but you can’t because you have parkinsonism. I went through all that and more, plus akathisia which most people kill themselves. My taper suggestion of zoloft was a success. And i have fully recovered from tardive dystonia, benign fasiculation Syndrome, etc... My methods worked. To do a taper at how this site suggests would NOT have worked for me, and many others. People need to get off their high horses. This site should be for sharing what worked, not being policed. Like the user above that apologized, he didnt have to apologize, and u people are wrong to make him feel that way. I wont be further commenting and totally fine to erase this entire thread. I am not down with sites against freedom of speech. Good luck to all of you and good day. 

[Rosetta]

I'm sad that you feel that way about what I wrote.  I didn't want that, but it's too important that no one sees what you did and how wonderfully it worked out for you and then tries to follow in your footsteps.  I agree that getting off the drug quickly is sometimes necessary.  For most people who come to this site it does not help with the problems they are having and it makes everything worse.  It's a decision that is very difficult to make and it takes a lot of thought and usually they are encouraged to try a slower rate first to see if that will work for them.  Alto will tell people if she sees then report life threatening symptoms.  If they don't, it is rarely worth the risk to drop more than 10% at a time.

 

Perhaps the people who come here are self-selecting cases who are in a great deal of trouble no matter what.  I was when I came here - completely broken and willing to try anything to make Akathisia stop.  If I had seen your thread then I would have wanted you to be right and Altostrata to be wrong.  That's the danger.  

 

It appears that multiple attempts to get off these drugs increase the likelihood that symptoms will be more severe the next time the person stops suddenly.  I suspect that is what happened to you.  Each time you tried to stop suddenly you primed yourself for neurological problems.  When you did stop for the second time your physical symptoms were intense.  I'm really sorry that that happened to you.  I can see that the doctors did not listen to you and ignored your concerns.  You have every right to be angry.

 

You are absolutely right about dopamine being involved etc.. I have had all the neurological symptoms you have had.  Some did not start until after I quit the drugs and some got much worse after I quit the drugs -- dystonia, POTS, Akathisia.  Yes, aka is a killer.  I know you suffered.  I meant it when I said I am thrilled that you did not have a long, hard 2 or 3 years of misery, Yogagirl.  It's just so important that someone who is looking at 2 years of tapering down from 50 mg does not try what you suggested without being warned that their experience might be very, very different.  Quitting too fast can't be fixed for some people.  Reinstatement doesn't always work and carries a risk of even more severe symptoms.  The only way to know whether a person can taper faster is to start slow and record the symptoms with each 10% reduction, wait 4-6 weeks and try another small reduction.  People who can taper faster start to realize that reductions aren't increasing the severity or length of their symptoms, and, by trial and error, they can find the right rate of tapering for their own system.

 

 

[Yogagirl38]

No hard feelings  Listen though, I think the confusion is I DID A SLOW TAPER not a fast taper. Also, I HAD DYSTONIA, PARKINSONISM, and BFS, and AKAThISIA for the last 5 years i was on zoloft ... so i had to discontinue or risk permanent brain damage. Upon discontinuation, i then developed tardive dystonia which is different than typical dystonia... it is more like “tardive dyskinesia” except it is not because that is permanent. Back in those years, the pharmaceutical company did not know the possibility of zoloft causing that, but now they do, and have updated their website but medical personnel are still not trained to look for symptoms and are not told by drug reps. I worked in healthcare many years and drug reps smooch the doctors with fancy lunches, sell their product, and docs are not chemists and really only go by what their patients tell them. 

 

For people experiencing what happened to me, discontinuation must happen or you will suffer permanent brain damage, as in permanent movement disorder. My post tells people that at 50 mg, you are looking at a weaning down schedule to take no less than 6 months, but preferably a year, which is slow but it works. The general recommendations by the medical community is that it only takes 3 months to wean down off 50 and they are wrong. The person that wrote 150mg i suggested he is looking at a couple years to wean down before reaching discontinuation if u do the math of what i typed correctly. And that is slow enough. Also at the end of my taper, because pill size of zoloft is not as small as u need to taper down, you are scoring a 25 mg pill into halfs (note: it is possible to make your own liquid from Zoloft tablets.  See:  Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline), and skippinh some days inbetween (note:  skipping days is not recommended.  The brain likes consistency.  See:   Skipping Days vs Every Day Dosing Graph) at that low dosage  , and with zoloft, that is fine. We are not talking about a more hardcore pill like risperdal which in that case there.  are way more factors to consider . Also, moderators are usually power hungry and they DO NOT know all and should not be instilling power/fear in users. That is how it is on every site. Think to yourself, were they successful? Are they medical professionals as in specifically working in the fields of neurology and chemistry? If your answer is no, then you have to know they are not “gods” and just take what they say with a grain of salt. 

 

The above had to be said and I do not wish to be a part of this site because I disagree with how things appear to be ran on here. 

 

Again no hard feelings to anyone, and good luck to everyone, but I believe no one is wrong and no one is right and people that are successful should not be jumped on because they did things different from what a “moderater” says. 

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by ChessieCat
added space/added links to Zoloft tapering tips and skipping days graph

[Yogagirl38]

Oh one more thing to say before I leave here... this is not an attack to any one moderater because I don’t know any of the moderaters here, but in general, on all sites, moderaters tend to be power hungry people with narcissistic traits (please see Yogagirl's follow up post here) and they censor everyone that does things differently, which instills fear in users and does the opposite of help people... i am not down with that. Also they moderate posts and cut out things (note:  Our software combines posts when they are made in rapid succession. )  ... i believe a lot of my post was cut out when originally they had combined two of my posts into one. So that’s it for me. Anyone reading this u can and most likely will be successful getting off the meds, you just have to stick with it, and also practice techniques to deal with things naturally mentally such as “have a worry time” which is by Freud where you successfully learn to redirect thoughts as in the pink elephant theory, establish proper nutrition or see a registered dietitian if u need help, go for walks etc... you can do it, because i did  

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by ChessieCat
added note about software combining posts & link to follow up post

[Altostrata]

Yogagirl, that is an unusual response to Rosetta, who is not a moderator.

 

It's a human failing to generalize from our own personal experiences. We all tend to do it. As you said, you don't know the moderators here; your generalizations are unfair.

 

Our software combines posts when they are made in rapid succession.

 

Rosetta was cautioning casual readers against adopting your experience as a model of tapering. Generally, we advise people to go more cautiously. However, as you were having adverse effects from the drug, you did it the best way you could. There is no condemnation here. We advise people to taper as fast as tolerable when they are having severe adverse reactions.

 

However, even if the drug is making someone very ill, going off sometimes results in a different problem. If your nervous system hadn't accommodated over 6 months to the dosage reductions, you would be here with the many members suffering from post-acute withdrawal syndrome. You were fortunate, let's all be grateful for that.

 

People come here because they can't get any sensible advice about tapering from their doctors. In all the world, there are very few "medical professionals" to whom they can turn. Nobody can predict how tapering will go, at any rate -- which is exactly why we advise going slow and self-observation to adjust the taper. In an area where nobody knows anything, that is the best anyone can do.

 

I think I speak for the entire community when I say I am happy your symptoms have resolved off the Zoloft. Please consider posting a success story when you can put this all in retrospect.

 

Over the last 6 months, what changes have you seen in your recovery?

 

 

[Yogagirl38]

I totally respect and dig that. Excellent response and those were my thoughts exactly. Yes that was my point... i HAD to get off as fast as possible due to a movement disorder but still slow enough to avoid discontinue syndrome. I was very fortunate that the secondary movement disorder after discontinuation as in tardive dystonia, which was different than the dystonia while on zoloft for 5 years, i was fortunate to have made a full recovery... there are studies of others out there also of tardive dystonia, dystonia, and parkinsonism from zoloft... in those studies everyone recovered from the tardive dystonia status post 4 months after discontinuation but i believe i read 2 remained with permanent parkinsonism, though i question that, because they were given parkinson’s medication that causes dystonia. 

 

I have to say i am surprised by your very kind response, as that was never the norm on other forums i used to go on back when i was in zoloft hell and just looking for success stories. So for that i give you huge kudos!!! I mean no verbal abuse to the other user Rosetta either, i felt though she is the mindset of people that believe to follow everything a moderater suggests and that is wrong because we are all different. So i was critical because people need to wake up and think differently but again i mean no harm and she sounds like an awesome person! 

 

The only reason i came back on here is because someone asked me for an update. Honestly, i feel amazing, and forgot i even went through all this. Once you are better you it just doesn’t cross your mind of the hell u went through.

 

so i came back to give the update because i do believe a successful update does give people the hope they need to push themselves forward. 

 

I realized i am wonder woman, no lie. I realized how strong I am and can do anything. I don’t need to rely on alcohol or anything to be socially out, in fact i am usually the designated driver while others drink lol. Confidence is through the roof. I have lots of really cool current projects I am working on as well, and am a very passionate creative awesome humbled person that helps others reach their potential. 

 

I am cured of all my movement disorders. That was a scary part of my life, but one that helped to build the insanely strong and wise woman I am today AND i use that gift to help people in need because i know what it’s like so therefore i can cure people. I specialize in many things, but one thing is nutrition, and my diet plans have cured people of dystonia and one woman with Multiple Sclerosis was able to walk again following my plan after years of numbness in her leg. 

 

I am completely against the pharmaceutical company unless it is life or death and the benefits outweigh the risks... My theory is that most people who started medication in the first place... actually weren’t getting enough of what they needed in their diet... usually saturated animal fat... so by upping your saturated fat intake people do really well but there are many factors to do that and cooking methods alter things... too long to type. 

 

Another thing I recovered from was lingual dystonia and that was the one dystonia that bothered me the most because it affects speech and your tongue is in a constant contraction. I was contemplating botox but with all my dystonias i was able to just practice patience, and avoid botox though it was offered to me several times (i am hard headed can u tell) haha

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by ChessieCat
added space

[Yogagirl38]

One more thing, I also was a smoker for 25 years and quit that i think about a year after i was able to quit zoloft... that is also a dopamine process u are working with... i have been successful with that also and honestly don’t even remember that i smoke. It just doesn’t cross my mind ever. I never get any urges to smoke, that completely disappears. I think it was a little over 2 years ago that i quit. I quit that by weaning down also. But my point is that the reason why I don’t think there are many posted success stories out there, is because once you are recovered, you honestly just don’t think about it any more. That is what i have experienced with quitting both zoloft and smoking, it just doesn’t cross my mind ever. That’s probably why there isn’t any success stories... no one is thinking about it to post about it  

[Altostrata]

5 minutes ago, Yogagirl38 said:

But my point is that the reason why I don’t think there are many posted success stories out there, is because once you are recovered, you honestly just don’t think about it any more.

 

Yes, we know that, that is why we keep reminding people to post success stories.

 

One thing about this hellish situation, people do find resources within themselves that surprise even them. And that's a good thing.

 

I am interested in your signature comment "each day get better." What residual symptoms are you working on now?

[Yogagirl38]

Luckily, I don’t have any residual symptoms at all. My very last symptom that i had was the lingual dystonia and a resting head tremor along with frequently dropping things from my right hand but all that disappeared a long time ago. 100 percent recovered  

[Yogagirl38]

Oh one more thing, i used to also have a palsy around my eye and that went away too. Weirdest thing. So my eye that had the dystonia, my upper eyelid had a deepened superior sulcus and i always had a constant feeling of fullness in my ear on that side... that all disappeared maybe 1 1/2 years ago? It was the weirdest thing

 

Edited July 21, 2019 by ChessieCat
resized font

[Altostrata]

I'm going to call yours a success story and move it to the Success Stories forum. Congratulations on your recovery from those horrendous side effects. Please take care of your nervous system, it's had a rough time!

[Yogagirl38]

Ok cool! Hope it helps people find the power within themselves to stay strong and do this because that power is in us all ❤️